Alain Picard earned a BA in illustration from Western CT State University and went on to study at the Art Student's League in New York City. Picard sites Sargent, Degas, and Sorolla among his artistic influences. A love of light and beauty are immediately apparent in his pastel and oil paintings. Alain's work has been featured in such publication as as The Artist's Magazine and The Pastel Journal . He has garnered top awards throughout the Northeast in esteemed exhibitions including the Portrait Society of America, the Hudson Valley Art Association, the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, the Connecticut Pastel Society, and the Pastel Society of America. Alain is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America as well as the Connecticut Pastel Society, where he previously served as President. In 2004 The Artist's Magazine highlighted Alain as one of 20 contemporary artists "On the Rise." He later won the Best Portfolio Award at the 2009 Portrait Society of America Conference in Washington, D.

C. A frequent workshop instructor and demonstrator for art associations, schools, galleries, and museums, Alain was recently invited to demonstrate a portrait in pastel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He lives with his wife and two sons in Southbury, Connecticut. Visit www.picardstudio.com.