Wendy Bombelles

Wendy Bombelles is an artist based in Norfolk, Virginia specializing in pastel painting. She focuses on finding and expressing the beauty and spirit in ordinary landscapes by interpreting color, light and texture. Wendy found a passion in working in soft pastels. She particularly loved the colors of pure pigments and the variety of textures that could be achieved. In her earlier pastel work she used various papers, adding mediums such as watercolor, acrylic, and alkyd paints to create a variety of textures. Her current work starts with an underpainting on mounted UART sanded paper. She applies layers of color until she reaches the desired result. Wendy was recently elected a juried Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA). She has been an artist her entire life. After obtaining a formal art education at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Wendy had a long career as a textile designer, designing printed textiles and decorative products such as wallpaper, fabrics, gift wrap, and other products for major manufacturers in the home goods industry. After the decline in the manufacturing textile industry and emergence of computer-generated design, Wendy turned her focus to painting and drawing. She has always felt one of the beautiful things about being an artist is that the need to create has driven her to explore other forms of creative expression. While learning and practicing her pastel painting she managed a local ceramics studio where she shared her painting skills with the community. Wendy also learned hand-weaving on a loom as a member of Coastal Virginia Weavers which is a weaving studio in Norfolk. The meditative process of weaving combines her love of fiber, texture, pattern and color and fulfills her need to create, During the pandemic Wendy spent days enjoying the outdoors which brought new life and joy to painting nature and perfecting her technique in pastel painting. Wendy takes hundreds of photos which inspire her to paint She uses photos from her travels or from around the block that capture a memory or place in time.