Congratulations!!!Fran received a $50 Gift card to the Arizona Art Supply, 1 yr's membership 2024-25, and the painting will be on the cover of the 2023-2024 Membership Directory. FRAN ODUM, PSA
As a child, Fran Odum’s passion for nature drew her to the beautiful countryside of her native France. Inspired by that beauty, she pursued an education in art. Over the course of her life as an artist, she has developed a unique style of pastel painting, which enhances the simple beauty of nature and showcases her acute sensitivity to her environment. Fran is known for her award winning paintings of wildlife and she approaches her work with enthusiasm. Her lifelong fascination with the outdoors has taken her on numerous field trips, as far as Idaho. Montana, Wyoming and British Columbia, In 1994 , she was commissioned to design the poster for the Fiesta de Los Vaqueros Rodeo, in Tucson. Memberships include the Pastel Society of America (signature member), the Catharine Lorrilard Wolfe Art club (full membership), the Pastel Society of New Mexico (signature member), the Pastel Society of the West Coast (signature member), and the Tucson Pastel Society. Exhibitions include Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale Arizona and Jackson Hole Wyoming, Bosque Art Classic in Clifton. Texas, Coors Western Art show, Safari club International, Ducks Unlimited, The National Art club, New York, The Salmagundi club, New York, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., Tucson Museum of Art, The Mountain Oyster Club, in Tucson, Western Art Spirit Exhibit, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, Wyoming and many more invitational and juried exhibitions. Her work has been published in Art of the West, Southwest Art , Paint Horse Journal, International Pastel Magazine, Master Artists of the World, Western Horseman Magazine and the Wildlife Art News Magazine.
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At the age of 3 or 4, I was drawing as a way to have my own identity in a family of 7. I continued to draw throughout my childhood and adulthood and am therefore mostly self-taught. I attended Pasadena City College with a major in Art but went no further as I was married and a son followed. Divorced after 6 years I became a single parent and found very little time to devote to art. I took some courses from Art Center School of Design in Pasadena and adult education classes. In 2003 I retired and moved to Oregon from Southern California to find a vibrant art community in the town in which I chose to reside. My art has shown at Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, Short Term Gallery, and the Dancing Elephant in Baker City, Oregon as well as The Blue Turtle Gallery and Arts East Gallery in La Grande, Oregon. This gave me confidence in my art, and I won some awards and sold several pieces. After moving to Green Valley, I found the Santa Rita Art League of GVR which has opened the door to some wonderful artists and allowed me to expand on my art and become a better artist. I am responsible for the Plein Air painters group and the Figure Drawing sessions once a month. I also teach Pastel classes at Quail Creek and privately. I participate in Tucson Pastel Society taking many workshops as well as Tubac School of Fine Art. I have taken workshops from Doug Dawson, Richard McKinley, Christine Debrowski, Leah Peterson, Lorenzo Chavez, Christine Ivers and Allain Picard. Since 2011 I have gravitated to pastel as my main medium. I have shown at Posada Java, CPAC Gallery, Green Valley Recreation Centers in various shows, the Ironwood Gallery at the Desert Museum and St Phillips Gallery in Tucson. |
Artist of the
Find each artist that is awarded the artist of the month/year during the Tucson Pastel Society Season. Archives
March 2025
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