The Beautiful Art Journey of Lynn Attig: Painting Pastelscapes

“I paint with pastels, luscious sticks of pure pigment which are magical, colorful, light-refractive and archival,” said South-Bay Artist Lynn Attig. “In my studio, I might as well be in a candy store, surveying the irresistible array of goodies before me. It makes me giddy to think of what I might create next.”
According to her website, lynnattigfineart.net, “pastel” comes from the French word, pastiche, which means paste or powder. It is pure pigment in a stick, with just a small amount of binder, and it can produce glorious color and light refraction. It is also extremely archival, standing the test of time for more than 400 years. Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt are perhaps the most famous pastel artists.

As a child in rural Washington state, Attig often sat in the tall grass, sketchpad and pencil in hand, while her horses grazed beside her. At age 11, she won a newspaper art contest with her drawing of a horse running along a fence, entitled, The Grass is Always Greener. She was inspired by her parents, who had immersed the family in fine arts, from music and dance to writing and painting. So, it was natural that art would pop up throughout her life in different ways.

In fact, Attig is sure she has always been an artist, even though her eventual career led her into writing and communications at Edelman PR Worldwide, where she worked as vice president (aka, press agent for Morris the 9-Lives Cat), and later as corporate communications manager for Nissan North America. In early 2000, as her career began to wind down and her kids started to grow up, she dabbled in art again. She served as a volunteer Hands On Art docent in their schools and took classes at the Palos Verdes Art Center and Kids’ Art in Redondo Beach. In 2007, and again in 2009, her parents invited her to join them at the Domaine du Haut Baran in Southwest France to paint en plein air and to study with legendary pastel artist, author and instructor Elizabeth Mowry.

Around this time Attig also attended the International Association of Pastel Artists (IAPS) Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She and two fellow artists, Margaret Lindsey and Bonny Botello, were so inspired by the quality of the workshops, the camaraderie with other artists and the beauty of the pastel medium, that they decided to start a local society of their own. Thus, the Pastel Society of Southern California was born and, 12 years later, has grown to 260 members who hail from California, other states and around the world.

“These influential experiences fueled my passion, and I began a regular life of painting,” said Attig. “A few years later horses would also re-enter my life, when my family acquired a ranch in the California Central Coast. It was a chance for me to return regularly to the country and paint horses, cows and the Western landscape.”

Her first solo show, “The Still Wild West,” at 608 North Art Gallery, Redondo Beach, in 2014 captured the beauty and traditions of California ranch life through 45 original pastel paintings, many of which sold on opening night.

In her latest endeavor, she founded and directed the annual Rejoice in Art! Fine Art Fair & Exhibition, which ran five consecutive years (2015-2019) at Riviera UMC in Redondo Beach, Calif. Today, Attig stays busy serving as president emerita and vice president of communications for PSSC and serves on the board of the Pacific Arts Group of the Palos Verdes Art Center. She is an associate artist at Destination: Art, Torrance; a former board member of Torrance Artists Guild and a previous member of the Redondo Beach Art Group.

She loves sharing her art with others and especially the medium of pastel.

“It is gratifying to be an active part of the art community in Palos Verdes, Torrance and the South Bay, where I have participated in many shows, festivals and art groups over the years, as well as continued to take workshops and classes to further hone my skills. An artist’s work is never finished!”

The recipient of many awards, her paintings are included in both corporate and private collections in the U.S. and Europe.

Currently, her artwork can be seen at the Promenade on the Peninsula as part of the PSSC 12th Annual Members’ Exhibition, and in January at the Malaga Cove Library as part of the “Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking” Exhibition.

Escape with me

I am a country girl at heart. Which is why plein air painting makes me tick. My best day ever is spent standing on a hilltop with miles of horizon beyond my easel, a rainbow of pastel sticks in my hand. Art is a transcendent experience, a virtual tour for my mind and soul. When I paint, I am galloping my horse through endless fields of wild oats, feeling the wind caress my face. Or crossing a footbridge over a tranquil pond. You might say I am a dreamer. And I am. I get to escape from the roar of the world, if only for a moment, and dwell in the places I have created. I hope when you look at my paintings, you will find yourself transported there, too.

Thank you for spending time in my Scapes. Please see my website: https://www.lynnattigfineart.net/

Blessings,

Lynn Attig