Colette Odya Smith of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin gave a three-day workshop for the Wisconsin Pastel Artists (WPA) beginning Friday, Octobe
r 3, 2025 through Sunday, October 5, 2025. The workshop included teaching, demonstrations and critiquing. Each day began at 9:00 am and ended around 4:00 pm. Here are some photos of the workshop and WPA members hard at work!
In her Artist Statement, Colette says: "Known for working in pastels for nearly 30 years, I am a painter of contemporary landscapes that often blur the distinctions between realism and abstraction. The driving force behind my work is my interest in finding and amplifying the beauty and mystery that exists quietly all around us, both obvious and hidden. I am always looking for ways that the humblest scenes reveal profound insights and offer wordless understanding.
My imagery often uses a close focus on water, rocks, and foliage. The inclusion of reflections and shadows, often without a horizon for reference, allows a range of interpretations and encourages the viewer to move beyond the literal with me. While my imagery remains grounded in the natural world, I alter or emphasize at will, reveling in the brilliant color and textural richness of soft pastels as they converse with my watercolor underpainting.
Colette has won numerous awards and has works in many corporate collections around the world. For more information and a review of C
olette's beautiful work, click here for her website.
