Some years ago, while on a visit to Lisbon, I had opportunity to see a retrospective exhibition of the art of Dame Paula Rego. For those who do not know about this artist, she is probably the most acclaimed Portuguese artist living today. She has, however, lived in London since 1952, when she moved there to study at the Slade School.

It is notable that, back in the 50s and 60s, when she was starting her art career and abstraction was the favoured style, her work was monumental, figurative and narrative based, often with a noticeable edginess. It still is. Although I knew of her work before seeing the retrospective, I only then realised that her immense creations are typically, pastels on paper, some being as large as five to six feet square.

Last year, in September 2009, a new museum dedicated to her work was opened in Cascais, near Lisbon, and this year, she was made a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours. She was so honoured for her contributions to the visual arts.

On a recent visit to Pastels X, the tenth anniversary pastel exhibition by Sharon Wilson and her students, which, this year is taking place at the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard, Paula Rego was much on my mind, for I see affinities between Sharon Wilson's pastels and Dame Paula's. Ms Wilson's pastels are often figurative, and narrative-based as well. The major difference between them, as I see it, is that Ms Wilson's are rather more modest in scale. That is not to say that Sharon Wilson is incapable of working large, I know otherwise, although I have not seen work on that scale by her in recent years.

Sharon Wilson is widely recognised as one of Bermuda's most accomplished artists, and she is also an inspiring master teacher. Her students, including some who have studied with her for many years, are often faced with challenging assignments and this year is no exception. Recently, they have been working on the recreation of metallic patinas and other aged finishes. Additionally, they have also worked on a variety of grounds, such as watercolour paper, as well as traditional pastel papers.

Memorable in this exhibition is Chikako Hoshina's Drapes of Serenity. In this pastel, she has convincingly recreated the impression of aged bronze. Additionally, her rendition of drapery is, likewise impressive. Obviously these folds are from a bronze sculpture, which, I suspect, is a detail of a Buddha.

Note also Pauline Monteith's Fear #1, which depicts a monochromatic, abstracted violin-like instrument in shades of ochre.

Another pastel that recreates a sense of the antique is Vanessa Turner's Quetzalcoatl IV. This ancient Mesoamerican deity was usually pictured as a feathered serpent. His likeness can be found in ancient Central American murals, as well as in religious sculptures on temples.

The Excitement of the Journey by Monica (Smith) Jones, is a diptych in pastel on watercolour paper. This is a freely rendered depiction of a sailing regatta, or so it appears. This work is exceptional in this exhibition, in that it does not attempt to simulate aged finishes. Instead it conveys a sense of wind and splash, as may be experienced in sailing,

Although this is largely a pastel exhibition, Sharon Wilson also paints with encaustics. This is a method of painting that goes back at least to ancient Egypt. It consists of pigment mixed with molten wax. Several of Ms Wilson's paintings are in this medium. One that stood out for me is Boy in Copper and Blue. What appeals is the freedom in which Ms Wilson lays down her paint, but at the same time, she seems to be in complete control of each brush-stroke.

This is a large exhibition with 94 pieces by 14 artists. The artists are Pauline Monteith, Andrea Peets, Sharon Nannini, Monica (Smith) Jones, Linda Fowle, Frances Furbert, Meredith Smith, Francisca Ward, Charmaine Friday, Frank Dublin,Vanessa Turner, Chikako Hoshina, Sharon Wilson and April Branco.

For those who wish to see images of the work of Dame Paula Rego, the Internet is a handy source. It is likewise useful for researching the art of Sharon Wilson.

The exhibition ends on Friday, October 22, 2010.