Pastel Society of NC

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James Williams


1436 Poinsett Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919-928-9936
website: artofjameswilliams.com
email: jimwillart@mindspring.com

James Williams works primarily in soft pastels. Born in Baltimore, he showed early interests in drawing and in science, particularly chemistry, which like painting finds meanings in colors and color changes, and is a means of peering beneath the surface to discover and describe an interior reality or composition. He received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University, then worked in labs in the U. S. and in England, including a year working with the soon-to-be Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Prof. Roald Hoffmann.

Williams always has been interested in the artistic delineation of human behavior. He has studied drawing, painting and computer graphics in formal as well as informal settings. In particular he studied portraiture with Tony Ryder, and pastel technique and portraiture with Herbert Slapo, of the Pastel Society of America, here in North Carolina, and with Dorcas Moulton in Oakland, CA. He is past President of the Pastel Society of North Carolina; member of the Durham Art Guild, and the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh. His work is represented in private collections in various parts of the United States, Mexico and France.

click on the thumbnail pictures below to see the full painting

Upcoming Zoom Presentations for 2023

April 8th – Terrilynn Dubreuil
May 13th – Fred Fielding
June 10th – Regina Burchette
July 8 – Jane Steelman: “How to manage your PSNC google page”

Each meeting will from 10 am – Noon US Eastern Time

See more information about our programs.

Membership Information

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Shows / Workshops

6th Annual PURE COLOR: Online International Juried Exhibition of Pastel Paintings
View the online exhibit.



Two Upcoming PSNC Member Shows at Ambleside Gallery and the Imperial Arts Center
See more details.

View all upcoming shows.

Recent News / Announcements

If you are a current PSNC member and want to share your news, fill out the form here.

Member News, Kim M. Long

“Lazy Bun” Paint-Along, on Zoom, with Rita Kirkman

Celebration of Life Service for Helen Knapp

Member News, Betty Hendrix

“Fun with Feathers!” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman, on Zoom

Arizona Pastel Artists Association’s 2023 Open International Exhibition

“Don Keyfurry” Paint-Along with Rita Kirkman, on Zoom

© 2023 Pastel Society of North Carolina | 909 Fairgreen Road Greensboro, NC 27410