Like the interplay of colors on canvas, 40 people are blending their respective strengths to create an artists’ association.

They call themselves the Yellow House Artists because a few of the painters first teamed up at a weekend show in a yellow house during last May’s St. Charles Fine Art Show. The name is also the title of the Vincent van Gogh painting of the home he and Gauguin shared as a studio in the south of France.

Such collaboration is at the heart of the new alliance, whose members share two common denominators: They all work in the mediums of oil pastels or oil sticks, and they all have studied with George Shipperley of Aurora or, more recently, with Carol Zack of Elgin. She has taken on his overflow of students, teaching at The Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles and the DuPage Art League in Wheaton, among their class sites.

“In organization, there’s strength,” said Jo Cawthra of St. Charles of the group’s promotional power. “Besides making art, we want to display it.”

Members’ work will be exhibited this May in the gallery at Peck Farm Park in Geneva, and beginning this summer, they will have their own exhibition space in the new tower at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. The dedicated display space was arranged by member Lillian Pagni of Hampshire.

Sandy Povall Smith of St. Charles explains the appeal of the mediums.

“You don’t need brushes or turpentine; it’s very portable, and the colors are brilliant and true,” she said, explaining that oil pastels don’t really dry and must be framed under glass, while works in oil stick develop a hard finish.

The professional grade of oil pastels was first available in 1949, having been developed for Pablo Picasso and Henri Goetz, said Deann Alleman of Sugar Grove.

The welcome gathering for the new group was held March 9 at the Geneva home of Fran Stilwagner, where Alleman presented awards of recognition to Shipperley, Zack and Janet Wickham of St. Charles.

A former member of the steering committee of the St. Charles Fine Art Show, Wickham organized last May’s exhibition by 17 artists, which drew 600 viewers to this added component of the outdoor show.

“I wanted to give them the experience of showing their work,” she said. “Some had never sold before. Deann said, ‘We need to keep this going.’ It just blossomed into this great organization.”

Zack said she appreciates being a member of the group, in addition to her teaching.

“The people are such fun to work with,” she said.

As for the mediums, she added, “It’s almost like dragging out your crayons. There’s no mess, no toxicity. It provides people an expressive medium.”

She writes for the Oil Pastel Society, of which Shipperley is the first signature member.

“We’re trying to promote not only our work, but opportunities for members’ educational experience and to become more recognized artists,” said Mary Enck of St. Charles, a Yellow House board member.

“You have no idea what a joy it is, as an instructor, to see the development of your talents,” Shipperley told the gathered group that designated him a lifetime signature member. The newest gallery to represent his works is Bridges, 305 N. Second St. (Route 31), St. Charles.

Later this year, Shipperley plans to mount an exhibit of the group’s work in Aurora at the Henrich Art Gallery, owned by his wife, Lois.

“I am so thrilled to be a charter member of Yellow House,” said Donna Faye Evensen of Geneva. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for George and his encouragement.”

Other area members include Anita H. Brechtel, Diane Fliehler, Ellen Shelhamer and Rysia Skirucha, all of Wheaton; Julia Reinartz of Winfield; Carol Gorman of Glen Ellyn; Carol Kazwick of Downers Grove; Dianne Petrini, Hollis Levine, Janice Rangel, Ruth Nunley, Sandy Antonelli, Sue West, Susan Bell, Teri Tossey and Tony Berardi, all of St. Charles; Ellie Bennish and Gracia Stuessy, both of Batavia; Eve Sofferman of Bartlett; John Carman of Elmhurst; George Bruce, Maureen McKee and Susan Bruce, all of Naperville; and Jan Dunteman of Addison.

Debut exhibit

The Yellow House Artists will exhibit “Beauty in Our Midst” from now through May 29 in the Peck Farm Park Orientation Barn at 38W199 Kaneville Road in Geneva, where an artists reception is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 18. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; call (630) 262-8244.