“Azure & Asphalt” Pastel Landscape Wins Director’s Award at NW Pastel Society
Ballard Hardware Building — “Atmopsheric, goregeous, and masterful design,” says juror Kim Lordier
Mitchell Albala is an award-winning landscape painter, workshop instructor, and author. His semi-abstract and atmospheric landscapes have been exhibited nationally and are represented in corporate and private collections. He is the author of three popular books on landscape painting: "Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice (Watson-Guptill, 2009), with 70,000 copies in print; "The Landscape Painter's Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color" (Rockport Publishers, 2022), which has been the #1 selling book on landscape in the nation; and "New Lessons in Landscape Painting: Key Concepts and Exercises in Color and Composition" (Rockport Publishers, 2026). Mitchell leads painting workshops in the U.S. and has offered plein air adventures in Italy. He is also a master mentor with the online mentoring community Mastrius. He has lectured on Impressionism and landscape painting at the Seattle Art Museum and has written for International Artist and Artists & Illustrators magazines. Mitchell also hosts a popular painting blog, which hold the #11 spot on Feedspot.com's "90 Best Painting Blogs to Follow in 2026." He is a Signature member in both the Pastel Society of America and the Northwest Pastel Society.
Ballard Hardware Building — “Atmopsheric, goregeous, and masterful design,” says juror Kim Lordier
What does “transcending subject” mean and how does it differ from ordinary prepresentation?
Atmospheric and linear perspective aren’t the types of artistic perspective. Tactile perspective can can also add depth to your work.
Key steps including compositional studies, notan, color, underpainting, and paint handling.
See the winning piece along with two additional entries in the exhibit.
How can we paint the same subject, again and again, and keep the work fresh and alive?
“Masterfully handled in its reduction of detail.” – Liz Haywood-Sullivan
Three examples from Mitchell’s collection demonstrate how an additional limited focus in the later stages can save a composition.
Through composition and color, we can move beyond the photo reference and make the subject our own.
Eleven paintings from the long running series: atmospheric, luminous, and abstract.