Pastel by Albuquerque artist Susan Roden. Courtesy/FLAC

FLAC News:

Albuquerque artist Susan Roden is coming to Los Alamos to share her techniques and tips in pastels. Roden aims to instill her love of the medium in her students by sharing her experiences with pastels and taking on accessible subject matter in a series of separate day long workshops hosted by the Fuller Lodge Art Center.

Roden has a distinguished career in arts, including dozens of juried and invitational art shows, and is a member of the Pastel Society of New Mexico. Her work is described as diminutive, vibrant and impacted with mood and color.  A long-time artist, Roden’s career began when she was young, but was interrupted by an 18 year hiatus as a successful Middle-Eastern dancer.  

However, unable to deny her passion for pastels, Susan returned to her art and has since made her living as working artist and art instructor, most notably, for the University of California, San Diego Extension and the San Diego Museum of Fine Art.

Roden maintains a private art studio in Albuquerque, from which she continues her passion for pastels.

“We’re excited to bring the resource of Susan’s talent and experience to the art community in Los Alamos.” said Fuller Lodge Art Center Class Coordinator David Daniel.

“She has a fun series of classes planned that should really go over well with our patrons, and help her students gain a good basic understanding of a pretty unique medium!” Art Center Director Ken Nebel added.

The techniques Roden  hopes to emphasize with students in her class are lights/darks, shapes/lines, visual rhythm and brush techniques, as well as the impact of color on composition. Students will complete a finished piece in each workshop as well as several exercises highlighting sketching and layering techniques.  

Upcoming workshops include Gestural Pastel Landscapes With Washes Sept. 17 and Portraiture in Pastels Oct. 22.

Roden  currently has work on display through October with the Los Lunas Heritage and Art Museum, and is the recipient of the first place medal of honor from the 98th juried international exhibition of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club.

To check out more of Roden’s work at http://www.susaneroden.com/ .  

To sign up for Roden’s workshops, call 505.662.1635 or stop by Fuller Art Lodge Center in downtown Los Alamos, 2132 Central Ave., open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  

For more information visit www.fullerlodgeartcenter.com or email info@fullerlodgeartcenter.com.