The Vibrancy of Pastel
Connie Lynn Reilly
SPS Master Pastelist, PSA, AWA, AAPL, IAPS-Medallion
Tuesday, September 23 at 7pm
Connie Lynn Reilly will share her years of experience painting portraits and her knowledge of the medium of pastel and its innumerable techniques and surfaces. She will also teach attendees how to improve flesh tones and overall color in portraiture in pastel as well as in oil. She will demonstrate painting a portrait in pastel.
Connie is the Founder and President of the Southeastern Pastel Society based in Atlanta since 1987. She is a Master in the medium of pastel and portraiture.
About the artist:
Connie Lynn Reilly, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, has been devoted to the art of portraiture since childhood. From the moment she could sit on her father’s knee with a pencil in hand, her passion for capturing the human spirit in paint was evident. Today, she is known for her classically styled oil and pastel portraits of children, adults, and animals—each piece reflecting her deep sensitivity, technical mastery, and timeless aesthetic.
Connie’s work is held in high regard by collectors and artists across the United States and abroad. Her paintings have won numerous national and international awards and are part of many prestigious private, public, and museum collections. Her pastel portrait Christine is featured in The Best of Portrait Painting by North Light Books. Her work has also been highlighted in International Artist Magazine, Drawing Magazine, Art Journey: Portraits & Figures, also four time Art Renewal Center Finalist 2014–2017, Pastel 100 Journal (2019, 2020), and various regional publications and news outlets. In 1999, Connie was commissioned by the Royal Alkalifa Family of Bahrain to paint a full-length portrait of Her Highness Sheikha Benna, wife of the Emir, as well as portraits of their two children. She has been a featured guest on several television programs, including Gwinnett Today, WTV21 Talk of the Town, the Fine Living national cable network’s “Back to Basics” series (which focused on her portrait process), and Gainesville, GA local TV.
A leader in the pastel community, Connie is the Founder, President, and a Master Pastelist of the Southeastern Pastel Society (SPSMP). She holds Signature Membership with American Women Artists, Pastel Society of America, American Artists Professional League, and is a Gold Medallion Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. She held Signature Membership with The American Society of Portrait Artists 1995-1998. Her other affiliations include the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America, Juried Member of the International Guild of Realism, National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society. In 2012, she was named “Artist of the Year” by the American Society of Pen Women. Connie Served as the Premier Portraits Artist for Primerica where she created over 60 formal oil portraits. Connie is also co-owner of Gallery on the Square in Gainesville, Georgia, where her original paintings are on display. As a master instructor in classical representational drawing and painting, she teaches artists of all levels and is an instructor for the Michael Wilcox School of Color. Through demonstrations, workshops and classes, she continues to inspire and mentor artists in their creative journey.
Guests are welcome.