African Goats in the Snow

 

I LOVE when these African goats come to visit - they are so paintable! It has been years since I've played in the pastels, and I'm a little rusty.  I sketched my scene first with a pastel pencil, then laid in the masses with my pan pastels.  I chose a red oxide sanded paper because I thought it would compliment my scene, but I feel like I was fighting it.  I found it hard to bring the lights out of that dark beginning.  Next time, I'll choose a lighter color and see if that helps my process.  My daughters were asking about learning pastels, so I thought I'd better get them all out and clean them up.  Now, I'm thinking of all the animal paintings I could use them for!  Painting number 5071 in 5071 days. 

Freya

 

I was working on this while introducing all my daughters to pastels!  It's been MANY moons since I've picked up a stick, and it sure was fun to explore the medium again.  I sketched my composition first with a pastel pencil, then a base layer with my pan pastels.  I followed with hard then soft pastels, and will hit just a couple more spots before framing.  I like the paper tortillions for blending, so far.  Who knows where this adventure leads? Painting number 5069 in 5069 days.

Hollyhock Garden

Hollyhock Garden
Pastel over watercolor on paper, 7x10

We had a wonderful workshop today hosted by our Tri-County Art League.  Cathy Kline shared her technique of pastels over watercolor.  I used 140lb cold pressed watercolor block, and first marked out the whites with a white crayon - for sparkle later.  Next, I used the drawing gun as a resist, applying this with a plastic palette knife.  I started with my darks, then worked into the various colors of the garden with my watercolors.  Most of these were painted in transparent colors.  Once dry, I removed the drawing gum and painted the highlights in.  After this was dry, I popped in a little pastel color - dry, right over the top.  It gives a wonderful dimension to the painting, especially because it visually sits on top.  This was so fun playing with my mediums in a different way!  I think I'll be taking these with me out of town - fast, compact, and fun!  I do love to experiment!  Painting number 901 in 901 days :)

at the workshop...

Arms Full of Love

Arms Full of Love
Charcoal and white pastel on mi-teintes paper

Tonight I am playing with my childhood friends, the charcoals!  I don't think I have ever even used the white charcoal before tonight, and honestly, I am unimpressed.  It simply didn't have any real highlight power, when laid on top of the black charcoal.  So, I pulled out one of my white pastels to push a little light in.  I feel like I am just beginning to learn how to work with these charcoals.  I think I will much prefer working on art spectrum sanded paper - but I simply don't want to take the time to dig it out.  If I am going to start using the charcoals frequently, then I need to do a little exploring down the paper isle at the art store.  I am using simply what I had on hand - and I'm not sure why I even bought them in the first place.  I plan to use this charcoal drawing as a study for an oil painting.  For the painting, I think I will crop in a little closer - to add a little more drama to the piece.  That is the great thing about drawing the study first - I can clearly see the needed adjustments.  This is artwork number 176 in as many days :)

Longhorns in the Pasture

Longhorns in the Pasture
Oil over acrylic with pastel, 16x12

These longhorns are just down the road from me, and they beg me to paint them each time I pass by!  Finally, I have painted them today. With this painting, I am working on loosening up my brushwork.  Especially when I work with animals and people - I tighten up those strokes to follow each and every curve.  So, in a real effort to be more impressionistic, I have painted this with broad strokes.  It is fun and liberating to treat this is such a manner!  I guess my resolve to do a figure a day only lasted one day!  This is painting number 170 in as many days :)

Reflections of Klondike

Reflections of Klondike
Oil over acrylic with pastel on panel
Klondike Paint Out
unavailable

The water of the lake here at the Klondike State Park is so clear and icy blue.  The white sands surround this gem - and the whole landscape begs to be painted.  I started this with the early morning light - on a panel I had primed for a nocturne.  So, I had to first wash over the dark surface with a blend of white and yellow acrylic before I could sketch out my composition in pastel.  I wonder what would have happened if I started this directly on the dark surface instead?  I am going to have to try that one day soon!  This painting makes 116 in 116 days :)

On location