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The next time you see long-time LARAC member David Francis, be sure to
congratulate him. He was recently admitted to the Pastel Society
of America as a signature member. The PSA is an association of
professional and emerging artists who work in the pastel medium.
Founded in 1972, PSA is the oldest pastel society in existence in
America. The PSA is a model for standards of excellence recognized by
the art community over the world. Dave’s admission means he has met the
high quality standards set by this national organization.
“I’m very excited and am looking forward to participating in my
first show with the Pastel Society down in NYC at the National Arts
Club in lower Manhattan,” he said. “They have an annual show and also
have regional shows.”
Dave has always “done art”---he started to draw and sketch at an
early age. Then about twenty years ago he started painting more
regularly in the evening as a way to relax after work. Gradually, art
became more and more important to him.
At first, the use of pastels grew out of convenience. “I worked in
oils for a long time and was tired of the smell and the mess. For some
reason everything clicked when I picked up pastels,” he said. “I like
that pastels mean that you are primarily drawing with color, because
pastels combine drawing and painting all at the same time. That’s the
interesting part.”
Because of Dave’s style, he finds that getting just the right color
is one of the greatest challenges with the medium. He doesn’t blend his
pastels but actually lies down strokes of pigment next to each other. He uses a variety of pastel brands for both their color palette and for
their varying consistency.
At the time of this interview Dave was working on a painting of an
antique shop in Bolton Landing. “I was drawn to the combination of
trees and building and materials in the driveway. Lately I’m drawn to
scenes with a lot of clutter— it is a challenge. Each time I work
I try to push myself just a little bit further.”
Dave spends approximately 45 hours a week in his studio at the
former Troy Shirt Factory, time that he credits as the force that
recently pushed his work to a higher level and gained his admission
into PSA. Full of energy and enthusiasm for his work, Dave also runs
life-drawing sessions for artists of all abilities in his studio on
Thursday nights from 7-9 PM. The cost is $10 per session.
On November 1-2, he will be a part of the open studio event at the Troy Shirt Factory on
November 1 and 2. Dave also recently organized and will be
participating in a pastels-only exhibition at Crandall Public Library
in June of 2004. Among those showing with him with will be Ron Peer, Trudie
Smith, and Harriet del Sole.
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