Marlene Wiedenbaum

Artist Statement

Working in pastels was a natural choice for me, I respond to the spontaneity and the richness of colors. Although historically, pastels have been used for highlighting and for studies, the Italian portraitist, Rosalba Carriera (1675-1758) worked only in pastels. Through my teaching and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Pastel Society of America, I have come to follow her tradition, with a goal of raising the stature of pastels to once again become an esteemed medium of self expression.
As a passionate realist, my excitement begins when I discover a subject and decide on a composition. My early years of working in the abstract helped me refine my handling of the medium and sharpen my understanding of shape and form. Describing what I see in a visual language I understand, is a challenging aspect of the process. As an artist, I am compelled to reflect the world I live in, to look keenly at my environment, the subjects and objects within it, and present it to the viewer in an engaging way. I am equally excited by the challenges and resolution of each shape, color and form that I face within a painting. Each resolve leads to the next, and just like the treasures of the Hudson Valley, some are discernible, some are hidden.