Tim Blackwell NW Fine Art & Photography

04/04/2026

I was very grateful to receive the Elsinore Gallery Award sponsored by Gallery Manager, Brent Allen, who selected my soft pastel painting “Fragrant Memories” to bestow the award to as his personal favorite in the Artists in Action “Spring Reveries” group exhibition. The Artists Reception & Awards Ceremony was well attended with an impressive & diverse display of artwork. It was fun to meet several of the other artists & guests visiting the gallery. The “Spring Reveries” show will continue through the month of April at the Elsinore Fine Art Gallery located at 444 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR 97301.

04/03/2026

Marilyn & I delivered 2 of my colored pencil pieces to the Keizer Art Association Gallery to be displayed in their April 2026 Colored Pencil Show. Both pieces, “Fruit of the Vine” & “Lavender Dreams” are from our home collection of artwork which hold a special meaning to us. I am looking forward to attending the Artist Reception & Awards ceremony this Saturday, April 4th from 2:00 - 4:00 PM. The show will run from April 2nd through April 28th. It should be fun seeing the variety of work/styles/subject matter submitted by the participants. The public, family & friends are all invited to stop by & meet the artists at the reception & enjoy the show if you are in the area. The KAA Gallery is located at 980 Chemawa Rd NE, Keizer, OR 97303.

03/30/2026

I am very happy to share that three of my soft pastel paintings (Springtime Morn, Sweet Pea Melodies & Fragrant Memories) have been juried into the Artists in Action “Spring Reveries” Group Exhibition being held at the Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery located at 444 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR. On Friday, April 3rd an Opening Night Reception will be held from 5:00 - 8:00 PM with the Artists Award Ceremony being held at 6:00 PM. The “Spring Reveries” Exhibition will run through April 30, 2026. If you are in the area please plan to stop by the gallery, enjoy the show & cast your ballot for the “People’s Choice” award. I am looking forward to meeting the other artists & visitors at the Opening Night Reception!

03/26/2026

“Gentle Swells” - 12” x 16” soft pastel on Pastel Premier/Italian Clay tone 4 ply board using a variety of pastel brands, Nupastel dry underpainting & pastel pencils. This scene is based on a personal reference photo taken in the rural countryside located between McMinnville & Carlton, OR. The gentle swells & rolling hills of this local farmland reminded me again of how beautiful the Pacific Northwest can be…simple pleasures…simple treasures.

03/18/2026

I am so grateful to have learned that one of my pastel paintings, “A Quiet Season” was selected by the very talented & gifted guest artist Lyn Asselta for inclusion in the February 2026 edition of Unison Colour’s new blog Eye Catchers. I enjoyed seeing & reading about each of Lyn’s 10 choices…her kind words made my day! A big thank you to Lyn & to Unison Colour Pastels!

To begin with, selecting paintings from a large grouping is never an easy task! However, I was thrilled to be asked by Stephen Fuller to take on the challenge of choosing this month’s Eye Catchers from the Unison Colour Soft Pastelling Community page.

03/05/2026

I was very excited and honored to receive this notification earlier today…it made an already good day even brighter! I am very grateful to have my work included in this show!

Dear Tim Blackwell,

We are thrilled to inform you that your artwork has been accepted into the Green 2026 International Online Exhibition.

This year’s exhibition will feature an outstanding selection of artists from across the United States and around the world. We look forward to showcasing pastel works exploring the theme of Green in our online gallery. A link to view the selected entries will be posted on the Red Rock website on March, 10th.

Awards will be announced during a special online event on March 19, with our esteemed judge, Tony Allain. Thank you for being part of our Green 2026 show. The exhibition was juried by the distinguished Tony Allain. The level of submissions exceeded expectations, and the selection process was truly challenging—curating a strong representation of both the theme and the pastel medium. After careful deliberation, the juror has made the final selections, and we are happy to share that your work has been chosen.

We know this is exciting. Please wait to post your accepted images on social media until the exhibition is officially published on the Red Rock website.

If you wish, you may share this acceptance letter on social media. Congratulations on your acceptance.

Cordially,

Dasha Jamison
Exhibition Chair
President, Red Rock Pastel Society of Nevada

03/04/2026

“Soft Shoulders” - 12” x 16” soft pastel on Pastel Premier/Italian Clay tone 4 ply board using a variety of pastel brands & pastel pencils. The scene is based on a personal reference photo taken near Anacortes, WA. There is something that appeals to me about traveling the backroads of the Pacific NW. With soft shoulders lining sweeping curves which lead into the rural countryside you never know what might be waiting around the next bend. A tilting barn now faded grey, a hidden beach with crashing waves, a doe & her fawns, a field of freshly bailed hay. Time to reflect & dream & often pray while worries & stress disappear & drift away. Traveling down country roads from now to then & back again, never far from family, home & treasured friends…sharing life together around each new unexpected bend.

02/22/2026

“The Drive Home” - 12” x 16” soft pastel on Pastel Premier 4 ply board/Italian Clay tone using a variety of pastel brands, PanPastels & pastel pencils. The scene is based on a personal reference photo taken on one of the many narrow gravel backroads between Salem & McMinnville, OR on one of my more memorable commutes home from work prior to my retirement from the corporate HR world. Reliving anxious moments from a day gone by while driving home chasing an
elusive amber Autumn sky. One-by-one the stressful moments disappeared, their significance fading quietly in my rear view mirror. Surrounded by patterns skillfully etched in fields of luscious green, the soothing sounds of damp gravel crunching lingered as evening winds drifted weightlessly through the tall oak trees. The drive home to my wife’s sweet smile & hugs & our shared dreams a welcome gift from God that provided His peace & love & calming relief.

02/15/2026

“A Quiet Season” - Winter rains, a hidden creek, drifting out of sight beneath the trees. A quiet season, gentle sounds, a landscape dressed in shades of amber, rusts & brown. 9” x 12” soft pastel on Pastel Premier paper/Italian Clay tone using a variety of pastel brands, Pan Pastels & pastel pencils. This scene is based on a personal reference photo taken outside of Rickreal, OR on a grey, Winter day.

02/02/2026

“Winter Skies” - 8” x 10” soft pastel on Pastel Premier/Italian Clay tone paper using a variety of pastel brands, PanPastels & pastel pencils. This scene is based on a personal reference photo which I took yesterday 1/2 block from our house located in McMinnville, OR. I noticed that the mist & fog & breaking clouds had hidden a portion of the rolling hillside which is visible from our backyard. This type of blustery Winter weather with on again/off again rain & sunshine helps make our corner of the world a beautiful place to call home.

01/29/2026

“Sleeping Vines” - 8” x 10” soft pastel on Pastel Premier paper/Italian Clay tone using a variety of pastel brands, PanPastels & pastel pencils. This scene is based on a personal reference photo taken after an overnight snowfall at a vineyard near Rickreal, OR. “Sleeping vines in winter white…rolling hills…frozen nights…at rest in quiet…still of day…hillside waves toss and churn and softly break.”

01/23/2026

“Rippled Tin” - 12” x 16” soft pastel on 4 ply Pastel Premier board/Italian Clay tone using a variety of pastel brands, pastel pencils & PanPastels. Created from a personal reference photo which was taken in Rickreal, OR. All of the different shades of grey & steely blue found on the rippled tin panels of this grain tower caught my eye glistening in the afternoon sun.