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Tetyana Aleksenko

Tetyana Aleksenko is an award-winning artist who paints mostly in soft pastels and oils. Tetyana is specializing in seascapes, florals, and portraits.

After a 20+ years carrier in a biomedical field, Tetyana became a full-time artist in 2022 and had her first soft pastels Solo Show in 2023 at Degallery (Bryan, TX).  Tetyana has been serving as a President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas since January 2025 and as a Board Member of DEGA international Art Association since 2025. She is an Associate Member of The Pastel Society of America and a soft pastels instructor who teaches classes and workshops in The Woodlands and surrounding areas since 2023. 

Tetyana actively participates in local and international art exhibitions and plein air events. Among her recent awards are an Honorable Mention at Dakota Art Pastels First Quarter 2025 Competition, Best of Show and Best Floral at Conroe Art League 2025 Judged Show, and a Second Place at the International Juried Art of the Pastel 2025 Exhibition. Tetyana’s work is represented by Downtown Art Gallery in Brenham, TX and Degallery in Bryan, TX. Her paintings can also be found as a permanent exhibition at Hummingbird Tearoom in the Woodlands, TX, and in private collections in the US, Canada, England, and South America.

CAROL ARNOLD

"When you walk out your door and really look around you, the world is one miraculous Creation of light, texture and color. I see beauty everywhere, in the largest of subjects as in the sky, to the smallest of flowers hiding in the grass beneath my feet. My art is my attempt to capture that beauty that is found daily, and my hope is to encourage others to take time and have eyes to see the world around them." Carol Arnold has been painting for over 20 years. Her artwork is ever evolving. Awards and honors were earned in many exhibitions and publications. Carol lives in Kerrville, TX with her husband, Bill. Carol is represented by Slate Gray Gallery in Kerrville, Texas.

SHERRY BARBER

It is my love of nature that inspires the art. I feel a deep pull to represent the beauty that I see in all aspects of creation. The use of vibrant color is the one consistent factor across all subjects and medium. Color is the first thing to capture my eye and draw me to a subject followed by texture. I love to photograph locations during my travels and then recreate the experience once back in the studio.

RICHARD BANH

I was born in Vietnam. I moved to the United States with my family in 1975.  I was introduced to pastels By Denise Larue Mahlke during her art classes and was intrigued by the vibrancy of the medium. As I learned to paint with pastels, I realized that I could express my feelings and passion toward the subject(s) of my paintings best through pastels. It became my choice to use this medium to develop my art skills.

GLYNIS BURNER

Glynis Burner has been drawing and painting from an early age. Having worked in oils in her teens, the immediacy and availability of soft pastel was a revelation in finding time to paint while at home with young children. After a decade as a statistician with a research institute, she approaches her work with measured diligence and practicality. “Drawing with my children is how I came to remember my passion for art. I enjoy chasing realism while attempting to balance a looseness in my mark making and thinking about translating value with unexpected colors.”

YINGYING CHEN

Yingying has been a member of Austin Pastel Society for two years now. In the past, she has been enthusiastic about painting in acrylic. She started to learn soft pastel just over two years ago and fell love with it since then. Yingying joined multiple juried or non-juried shows in the past two years. Her painting "Snow Day" entered Arkansas Pastel Society National Juried Exhibition on Sept 2019 and won the Pets/Animals/Misc category. The painting "The Waves" was in the Richeson 75 International Competition Meritorious Selection Jan 2020 and was also accepted in the Great Lake Pastel Society Juried Exhibition.

SIGNE COX

Influenced at an early age by her architect father, Signe is comfortable with drawing and easily embraced pastel as her medium of choice. She strives to challenge the mediums attributes to take her skills to new levels. Early work life didn’t provide an immediate path to fine art, but graphic arts and publication design did. She served as the President of the New Mexico IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). Her publications garnered numerous national awards. She’s long held the belief that the best instructors are in museums. She is the current President of Austin Pastel Society and also holds membership in Pastel Society of America and Central Texas Pastel Society. She and her husband reside in Bastrop, Texas. 

JENNIFER EDWARDS

Jennifer is a visual artist, working primarily in pastels and based in Austin, Texas.  She's inspired by landscape, whether it's the stone and steam of Iceland or the windswept skies of West Texas. In portraiture, Jennifer imbues painterly qualities to reflect the spirit of the subject that can never be captured with a camera. More than anything, she is fascinated by the effect of light on color.  The flash of royal blue in the shadow of snow, the zing of tangerine edging a cloud.  
Associate Member, Pastel Society of America. Member: Austin Pastel Society, Capitol Art Society, and Pastel Society of Southeast Texas.

LYNN ERICKSON

JAN FRAZIER

Jan loves being outdoors, animals and gardening! Jan majored in art at the University of Kentucky. She fell in love with the pastel medium after moving to Texas with her husband. Her real growth came while living in New York and attended the Woodstock School of Art. There, Jan began to understand value, color temperature and relationships, aerial perspective, and painting plein-air in oils and in pastels. Jan's style has become somewhat impressionistic as she works in layers and often has a focus on complimentary colors. Jan's art simply reflects how she feels about the beautiful world around her, wherever they live or travel. It brings her peace and hopes it does for you, too.

Vicki Guess

DINA GREGORY

Dina is a native Texan, who has always loved being out in nature. Pastels are a perfect medium for plein air painting, which derives its name from the french equivalent,  "en plein air" or open space. Pastels allow her to paint fast in the constant changing elements happening each day. Her favorite painting locations in Texas are Big Bend, Palo Duro Canyon, and the Hill Country where she now resides. She is also drawn to landscapes in other soutwest states. Dina has a BFA in art from the University of North Texas. She has studied with Ethel Spears, Ramon Kelley and Lorenzo Chavez. Nicolai Fechin, Maynard Dixon and Mary Cassatt are some of her favorite artists. She draws inspiration from Albert Handell and Lorenzo Chavez.

ALBERT HANDELL

Albert Handell was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1937. At an early age, a favorite activity of his was drawing with chalks on the city streets. He began formal studies of drawing and anatomy at the age of sixteen. In 1954, he enrolled at the Art Students League of New York City to study drawing and anatomy with the late Louis Priscilla and the late Robert Ward Johnson, and later studied painting for two years with Frank Mason. From 1961 to 1965, Mr. Handell lived and traveled in Euorope. In Paris, he painted independently in his own studio, working from the model at L'Ecole de la Grande Chaumiere and at the Louvre, copying the old masters.

ALISON HIGHTOWER SUTTLE

Alison was introduced to pastels in 2020 after painting with acrylics for many years. She fell in love with the depth of color, texture, and freedom of the medium which is now the primary focus of her work. Stories of light, movement and pattern are now being told through her use of mark making, color, and watercolor underpainting. Alison's family time at the Texas coast influences many of her paintings. One of her favorite sayings is, “Life is about the messy bits.” Well, that’s what pastel painting is to Alison; learning and creating with the messy bits in her box of beautiful colors. Alision is the current Vice President of Austin Pastel Society and Program Chair.

SHERRY KILLINGSWORTH

RITA KIRKMAN

Since 2003, Rita improved her own style and technique with pastel through independent study and workshops with renowned artists each year. This effort has been consistently rewarded with major awards in national and international competitions. Her work was featured in the Pastel Journal and the Pratique des Arts Spécial Pastel, and published in many others. She is a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America and an Eminent Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies. Her portraits and paintings are in private collections worldwide. "I’m blessed to be able to find beauty in everything I see. My work has evolved into an observation of sunlight and shadow, and recently I’ve been playing with more adventurous ways to portray light with color, value, and temperature. Along with themed portraiture, a trendy subject with my collectors has been ranch animals. This works rather well because ranch animals are ideal models of sunlight, and as Claude Monet said, ‘The subject matter, my dear good fellow, is the light.’”

ANNA LISA LEAL

Anna Lisa Leal has been recognized by the esteemed Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Research Center where her work was on the Silver Anniversary poster in 2016. She has won numerous top-level awards and has been accepted as finalist in national and international juried events that draw thousands of entries. Anna Lisa was featured in Voyage Dallas Magazine in 2018 and in the Jan/Feb 2017 edition of Artists on Art Magazine for the article “The Educational Road to Becoming a Successful Artist.”

Sarah Leslie

Sarah is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Austin, Texas. Working primarily in soft pastel, pencil, and ink, she draws inspiration from storm clouds, shifting shadows, and the open road. Her creative lens was shaped by a midwestern childhood and profoundly expanded during a summer studying art abroad in Prague, where immersion in place and culture deepened her love of travel and observation. Sarah is also a vintage curator, substitute teacher, and mother of three. She views creativity as a daily practice. She is always looking for new ways to fuel her creative spirit.

Robin Lively

Robin is an artist living in Bastrop County, Texas. Local landscapes and native birds and plants are her favorite subjects to paint.Robin is an artist who is primarily self-taught. Most recently, her teachers have included Karen Vernon, Jacob Aguiar and Enid Wood. Her work is currently on display at: Lost Pines Artisans Alliance in Smithville Texas; Mosaic Art and Home in Smithville Texas; and at her website. She is a member of the Austin Pastel Society, the Central Texas Pastel Society and the Lost Pines Artisans Alliance.

Denise Malm

I've spent the first 39 years of my career teaching and directing nonprofit organizations. In 2020 when COVID hit, I was teaching public school. A year of isolation allowed me ample time to focus on drawing and painting, and individuals have been drawn to my "semi-abstract style." In 2024 I became intrigued with soft pastels; these pieces have been mostly portrait pieces. In 2024 I opened an art studio. I have since spent my time doing commissioned paintings and participating in local art shows and fairs. My artwork has been displayed at FaFa Gallery, Midland Community Theater, Midland Shared Spaces, Celebration of the Arts,  Septemberfest, West Texas Regional Juried Art Show & Sale/Kendall Art Gallery.

JODY MARTIN

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Jody is the daughter of Texas artist, Conny Martin. She graduated from Abilene Christian University, and went on to study painting under Daniel Greene. She is a Signature Member with the Pastel Society of America, an Associate with Distinction in American Women Artists, and a Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Jody has been published in numerous magazines and books including Plein Air Magazine, Pastel Journal, Southwest Art, Practique des Arts, North Light’s Strokes of Genius, and multiple Richeson75 books. Awards include the Bronze Award, Pastel 100; 2^nd Place, Plein Air Salon International Competition; Outstanding Pastel, Bold Brush International Competition; the Eleanor B. Coble Award of Figurative Excellence, Arizona Pastel Artists Association; and Best of Show, Austin Pastel Society. She is passionate about teaching adults and children to believe in themselves and to create from their hearts. She lives in Kyle, Texas where she spends lots of time with her grandchildren who are the subjects of many of her paintings. 

DEB MASON

Deb Mason is a mother of five, grandmother of seven and a retired occupational therapist. She discovered her creative side as an adult, starting with handmade books, colored pencil and pastel portraits, and then onto landscape oil paintings and the study of Tonalism. A return to pastels has led to a newfound excitement and appreciation for the journey of art! Deb attends painting workshops annually and most recently her studies in pastel have moved to online art lessons. She also draws frequently from the peaceful solitude and magical moments experienced at her home in the country, which she shares with her husband. It is Deb's intent that each painting conveys a mystery, a feeling or a mood unique to the viewer.

MARIBEL MAST

Maribel Mast loves stories and nature. She earned a BA from U.T. Austin, taking a few art classes which reinforced her love of drawing and painting. After teaching elementary special education in four states, she retired with her husband to Bastrop in 2016. A thriving art community and workshops have continued to inspire her and grow her love for pastels. Several of Maribel’s paintings have been juried into APS Juried shows, one receiving an award in the Austin Pastel Society 2021 Celebrating Pastels! juried exhibition.

Joycelyn Schedler

Joycelyn Schedler is an accomplished pastel artist known not only for her work, but also for her dedication to teaching and sharing the pastel medium with others. She leads pastel workshops and offers introductory classes in private and small-group settings. By invitation, she has served for several years as the Pastel Painting Instructor for the A.R.T. at Mo-Ranch Conference in the Texas Hill Country. Recently, she expanded her reach internationally, teaching her first pastel painting workshop in Assisi, Italy. Based in Wyldwood, Texas, Joycelyn continues to find inspiration in her local surroundings, while her travels across the United States and abroad provide an ever-growing collection of imagery and experiences that influence her work.  Joycelyn is past President of Austin Pastel Society and current member of the Pastel Society of America. 

 JULIE SCHMIDT

Painting is Julie Schmidt's therapy – it can be challenging but ultimately yields great rewards. As you look at her paintings, you will see what interests Julie – things that she holds dear, bring her joy and are humorous. There is always something in sight that serves as an inspiration for a painting, and she is always up to the challenge of turning an inspiration into a piece of art.

DENISE SCHNEYER

Denise Schneyer is a local artist in Lakeway, Texas. Retirement has allowed Denise to concentrate on this life-long passion. Denise studied art at CW Post College in New York and took classes from various artists. Her work is displayed and often purchased in many local and national venues. She works in pastels, acrylics and mixed media with subjects ranging from pet portraits to landscapes and abstracts. She hopes the viewers enjoy each piece as much as she enjoys creating it and sees something that reminds them of the world around them.

Julie Skoda

Julie Skoda is an award-winning pastel artist exhibiting her work nationally along with teaching online and in-person classes and workshops. As a teenager, she lived in Round Rock TX and attended Baylor University before moving to the Chicago suburbs. She and her husband recently moved back to Texas and live in Boerne. Julie is an IAPS Master Circle artist, a signature member of the Chicago Pastel Painters and the Great Lakes Pastel Society, an associate member of the Pastel Society of America, American Impressionist Society Associate, American Women Artists Associate with Distinction, Associate Artist with Unison Colour Handmade Pastels and President Emeritus of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA). www.julieskoda.com

SARAH TACKER

Sarah Tacker lives in Austin since moving from the Midwest in 2014. She has always felt a connection to the area since, as a child, her family frequently visited Texas Hill Country. Connecting with the artist community, including the Austin Pastel Society, provides balance with her career in finance at nonprofit organizations. Sarah's study of art began in school where she earned a minor in creative arts at Purdue University. She has always been fascinated by how the pastel medium interacts with your eye. That the same painting can be abstract up close and realistic at a distance. Sarah is inspired by light, color and space, and strive to make the subject of each painting dynamic and authentic. Sarah is the backbone of Austin Pastel Society. She has served in the role of Treasurer through two Administrations.

VALERIE WALDEN

Valerie retired from high tech work in 2006 and began taking art classes. From morning sunrises, to shapes of clouds and the shade of trees, Valerie is mesmerized by the simple and fascinated with the gradation of colors. Interpreting moments of nature is now her passion. Pastel paintings create an aura and sensuality through the varied application of strokes and values. She allows the viewer to get more involved in the emotional aspect of the scene. One of her first pastel landscapes was chosen for the 2016 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, “Where the Wild Things Are.” Adams Galleries of Lakeway represent her work. She also works on commission. Valerie is a member of Austin Pastel Society, Pastel Society of America, Central Texas Pastel Society, Plain Air Austin, and Oil Painters of America.

LINDA WELLS

A love of nature’s beauty is what inspires her to paint. The subtle colors and light of winter or the vibrant screaming reds of autumn are a thrill to her. She enjoys painting “en Plein Air”, outdoors on location, which allows her to get a better sense and atmosphere of a scene than working from photos alone. Although versatile and skilled in most media, she is comfortable with oils and pastels and moves back and forth between the two. Linda now splits her time between the Texas Hill Country and Santa Fe, NM.

ENID WOOD

Enid Wood lives and paints in Bastrop. After earning a degree in art, she taught violin for 40 years, mainly in England. Pastel painting is Enid’s second career. Her colorful landscape, floral, and abstract paintings have won numerous awards, and appear in collections throughout the world. Enid teaches pastel classes and workshops, and publishes articles about painting and painters in Pastel Journal. She studied portrait and still life painting with Don Doxey and plein air pastel landscape painting with Albert Handell. Enid holds signature status in Pastel Society of America and Pastel Society of New Mexico and has recently been recognized as a Master by the International Association of Pastel Societies.

TIM WOOLSEY

 Tim completed his doctorate in piano performance in 1976 and for 35 years taught undergraduate and graduate piano at Texas State University. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2009. He began taking art lessons after retiring from Texas State and began doing portraiture a few years ago. Having studied the portraits of Diego Velazquez, Rembrandt, and other great portraitists all his life, he tries to capture the “life behind the eyes" of those he has painted, which includes commissioned portraits. Tim has won top prizes from Austin Pastel Society, including First Prize for Portraiture in 2017 and 2019. His work has been accepted in many local and national level exhibitions.