Local artist Susan Grimley will share her paintings and experiences in a show, “Pastels are NOT Pastel” at the Landrum Library on Friday, March 32 (aka April Fool’s Day) from 4 – 5:30 p.m. Her paintings will be on display at the library during the month of April.

Pastels are not as well known as oil paints or watercolors. They come in a wide range of colors, not just pastel shades, and allow the beginner to select a color and begin to draw or paint without worrying about mixing and matching or handling a brush.

Retired from the library a few years ago, Grimley credits her teachers, Dale McEnitre, Bill Ryan and Emmie Lou Grimley, as well as her constant and best art sponsor, her husband Erving Boggs, for giving her their support and knowledge. She says it’s never too late or too early to start learning to “read” with a painting or drawing tool, as well as with the eyes.

“Pastels are a wonderful way to enjoy art. Try to draw or paint what you see around you in your own back yard or further afield and you will discover more than what you thought you saw before,” says Grimley.

This area has many art classes and workshops, those at Isothermal Community College and Tryon Arts Center, to name only a few. The libraries in Spartanburg and Polk Counties have a selection of good art books and instructional DVD’s for the beginning art student, like “Pastel Workout” by Jackie Simmonds.