"Cantaloupes" 6x6

"Cantaloupes" 6x6

Here's my take on some cantaloupe slices. I took this image in the late afternoon before dinner. The sunlight came streaming in just right, making the cantaloupe glow from within. Again, I'm using broken color for a little fun. Below, I have provided the steps in which it took for me to create this small piece. Comments welcome!


Sorry about the glare in this photo...
First I started out with a pastel pencil sketch and underpainting of Createx paint in the complimentary colors of the final piece. These odd shapes and colors look funny and it is very hard to understand this step, but rest assured, it will turn out...well, I'm hoping it will turn out! You may notice a "ghosting" of squares from a previous color study just underneath the under painting. That's because I'm re-using some paper (going green here) by rinsing off the offending work. It may affect my work, but I'm not too worried here because the pastel does cover most of it anyway.


Next, I begin to block in with broken color marks, working on establishing my lights and darks. It is a pretty offensive piece right now...yuck!


At this point, I begin to get the color established by filling in most of the cantaloupes with an orange and some really intense reds. I'm also thinking where the highlights will go, or just what is my focal point. I begin to notice that my subject not correctly drawn, and the shapes are a bit off. I have to go back and fix this....


Here I have made my drawing corrections. Can you tell from the previous image? I'm now interested in getting that glowing orange from the sunlight and making sure my shadows are correctly in place. Almost done...


Darkening the background makes it look a little mysterious doesn't it? Because the two farthest background cantaloupes are in the back, I dull the colors by adding the compliment green back on top of the reds. This makes them recede out of the focal point. I do this so the highlights and bolder colors of the focal pieces come forward, giving the piece some nice depth. I think the image is done!

"Yellow Bowl of Cherries" 6x6

"Yellow Bowl of Cherries" 6x6

On a roll now with my color studies. My work seems to be taking on a different direction, one with looser markmaking, broken color and lack of definite detail. I've struggled for years to get my work to break from pure photographic realism believing that art should look like it is art, not a photo. With these broken color studies, I'm finding so much more joy out of the process. Here, I have taken a reference photo from the Reference Image Library from WetCanvas, posted by Rosemarie. I was struck by the cool light coming in from outside and the mix of cherry varieties in this little bowl. As usual, I have posted my painting process. Comments welcome below.


First, I started with an underpainting of Createx paint in the complimentary colors of the intended piece. I'm not paying attention to the values of the underpainting like I should have. You may notice there is some ghosting in this underpainting and that is because I've re-used a previous project and am painting over it. I guess one could say I'm being green...


This is the "ugly stage". At this step, I'm establishing my values, but not all of them are placed. It's a process I go through, juggling the values all the time. My main objective at this stage was to get the "light" right from the window, hoping to establish a mood early on.


Filling in color, and correcting as I go. I like the dark cherries, but have so much more to do.


Wow! That pop of red really screams! I'm noticing trouble with the shadow of the bowl. Because a cool light dictates a warm shadow, I"m not necessarily following that rule here. I'm not so sure it's working for me. I will let value dictate over color here. Don't want to over work it, keeping the fresh feeling of broken color.


Details, but not too much! Just enough to keep it alive!
Now...go eat a cherry!

"Pears 3" 6x6

"Pears 3" 6x6

I'm wanting to get back to my color studies again that I first started back in December of '07 and here it is almost May! So, here is a broken color study I did tonight with steps. I really used some fun colors in this piece and tried to capture the freshness of the image. Oh, the original image was taken from the Reference Image Library on Wetcanvas.


I decided to paint a blue underpainting this time around simply because the reference image has a cool tint to it which I originally was attracted to. Here, I have done a light sketch with a dark pink pastel pencil.


This is what I call the "ugly stage" of the piece. I'm blocking in the values to define the shapes. This includes the background too.


At this stage I'm giving the pears their shape by shading in their girth and also beginning to give them the color they really need. Lookin' good so far from here...


And now for a punch of bold color to give it the excitement it needs...because pears can be boring. I also finished up with a few details of pear spots. Details, details.

Orphan Works Bill

This was posted (with permission by David) by my artist friends David Patterson and Paula Ford, so the word is getting out...read on!

This will strip every right to everything we create (PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE WORKS)! We will each have to spend thousands of dollars to register every piece we create in registries that have NOT BEEN CREATED YET, whether it be a sketch, a painting, a doodle, a sculpture, photographs, pottery, glass work, clothing designs, craft work, architectural designs, EVERYTHING!! The government leaves it up to us to create these so-called registries. What is even more of a burden is the time and effort to photograph everything you want protected for these registries!! That means less time to create, and more time protecting the rights to your creations.

ANYONE will have the right to STEAL every piece of our work and it will be up to each of us to research whether there are any infringements!! That means it is our responsibility to search database after database to see if people are stealing our work. Then, if we find people stealing our work, we will have to hire attorneys to go after them and prove it is OUR WORK. Now, that means we would have to spend countless hours, day in and day out, to figure out if others are stealing our work!!!

At this time, the bill does not have a number, so you can't write to your congressmen. They will not listen to anything without a number to refer to.

The only thing you can do is sign up to receive emails keeping you up to date about this issue and then when the bill number comes out, you can fax and call and write your congressmen to STOP this bill.

To get emails to be kept in the loop on this issue, click here and add your email address. http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/

If you have an hour, listen to this interview. It will tell you everything that is happening about this issue. http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html

This is going to happen very quickly!! STAY INFORMED OR LOSE EVERY RIGHT TO EVERY PIECE OF ART WORK YOU HAVE EVER CREATED!!

Yes...I'm "screaming" this message, it's too important to sit back and assume others will fight this possible injustice for you.

"Beaverton Creek" 12x9

"Beaverton Creek" 12x9

The weather was cooperating for a couple of days so a few of us artists in my community ventured out to dust off the winter cobwebs and paint en plein-air again. Boy, was I rusty! I spent a good 20 minutes fumbling with my new easel which takes up valuable painting time. But, before I begin painting, I've gotta eat a snack! Painting makes me hungry! I wonder if it is just me stalling....Looking at this, I can find many adjustments that are needed, but I'm feelin' a bit lazy and just wanted to post it for now. I was glad to get back inside after this 2 hour session. My hands were pretty cold!

NPS Members' reception

Last Thursday evening the Community Center at Mercer View (on Mercer Island in the Seattle area) hosted the NPS Members' Show. Here I am with my piece "Cafe' Seating". Now, after looking at this photo, I realized that my piece looks kind of small there up on that wall, doesn't it? Anyway, when I arrived I found that my artwork was used in conjunction with two other pieces for the show postcard! I was delighted and surprised to find this out as I pinned on my name tag. The caliber of the work represented was incredible and I feel really grateful my work hung with such successful pastelists. I'm now waiting to find out if my work was selected for the NPS International show. Hoping, hoping...

"Boats With Ropes" 18x12

"Boats With Ropes" 16x12"

I just finished this piece today! Well at least till I take a long look at it and find something more to fix! I'd like to enter this one in the NPS Open International along with "Buoy Dance" with hopes they both get in. This painting may look familiar from prior posts, that's because it is a larger format of the "Boats and Ropes" that I posted earlier...below. As with most of my posts, I have included the steps that I took to get to this point. Here they are....



First, I start out with a "blaring" orange underpainting of Orange Createx paint (pure water-based pigment). I used orange because it is the compliment to blue and this painting will be a predominately blue and purple piece. I lightly sketched my image with a blue pastel pencil.



Then I "block-in" my basic colors. Most of the orange will be covered when I'm done, but specks of it peek through the pastel, giving it a unified look. I try not to paint any details yet at this point...hard to do.. indeedy-do.



Here, I'm beginning to work on the water. At this stage, I have used some yellows and blues and am beginning to define the cloud formations in the water. This seems to be a tricky thing to paint. I am often undecided on how I want the water to look like. Do I want it wavy, dark, with or without clouds? Lots of questions....it eventually evolves later. I have also begun some detailing in the boat on the right, and the feeling of light in the distant hillside. I begin to add detail in the dock woodwork but, because it in the foreground, I should keep this detail at a minimum. I'm checking and re-checking my values throughout the process.



Now, my painting sessions get longer, quieter, as I begin to breathe life into the piece. Attention to detail and constant evaluation of the water is what I am focusing on at this point. Asking myself about the values of the colors, is it pulling together? Quietly thinking, "What do I want to communicate?" This is my favorite part of the piece because I can see it coming along....almost done....



Ropes, ropes and more ropes! Here, to make the rope reflections (and the big yellow rope), I have taken the side of my pastel and just lightly dragged it down the surface of the painting, sometimes intentionally wiggling it, sometimes not even making a mark to give the water a wet look. This is my favorite part to do. It's like putting the "highlight" in the portriat of a childs' eyes! I might want to check the reflections for accuracy, but for now, I'm done!
Giclee' print available through Imagekind

End of a Great Month!

Me with patron Yvonne Webber with her new purchase "Reflections On Green".

Today marks a huge finish to a crazy month in terms of sales. With 3 shows in March, I added up the sales to 14 pieces of original art, and one large Giclee' as shown in the photo above. I would have never guessed! The Doll Gardner Gallery, The Celebration of Creativity, and the Pittock Mansion were the 3 venues...all wonderful places to hang work, all gracious to artists. Now that I'm done with these shows, I'm planning on my next solo show which will be at the office of Commissioner Dan Saltzman in Downtown Portland in June.
But before that, I will have to shuttle a recent piece "Cafe' Seating" which I painted back in January up to the NPS Member's Exhibit to be held at the Gallery at the Community Center At Mercer View. This show will be featuring only pastel work from the members of the Northwest Pastel Society. I'll post more on that later.

Unbelievable Elephant Art!

I saw this on Youtube, and it blows me away...Watch and you too, can say it has "Elevated" art to a new level!
Enjoy!

"Hay Rolls" 4x7.5

"Hay Rolls" 4x7.5 Pastel

Last summer I went on a painting "holiday" with the Northwest Pastel Society to friendly Lopez Island. Lopez is located in the Puget Sound between BC, Canada and Washington. Everywhere you looked was another beautiful scene to paint! There were many picturesque farms on the island as well my favorite shoreline scenes from which to paint. I'm offering this little original pastel study framed in a simple, black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard. Shipped Priority Mail the next business day to continental US locations only. Monitor colors may vary.


FRAMED: $75.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only.

"Paulina Marsh" 5.5x4

"Paulina Marsh" 5.5x4

On the same trip to Central Oregon as the previous post below, I came upon a beautiful lake that was formed by volcanic activity. Paulina Lake has a lot more bluish-greens than most lakes because of the overgrowth of algae and offers interesting edges on the shoreline. I'm offering this little original pastel study framed in a simple, black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard. Shipped the next day to your continental US location. Monitor colors may vary.


FRAMED: $75.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only.

"Sky Over Bend" 3.75x5

"Sky Over Bend" 3.75x5" Pastel

I made a trip to Central Oregon last summer and this is a view taken from the passenger seat of our car. It was a beautiful blue sky that was wide open, clear, and clean...a view you just don't often see in the city! So, I painted it! I'm offering this little original pastel study framed in a simple, black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard. Shipped the next day to your continental US location. Monitor colors may vary.

"Boats and Ropes" 5x4

"Boats and Ropes" 5x4 Pastel

Moored by a small rope, these resting boats at the end of the day evoke a sense of quiet calm. I'm offering this small original framed pastel through Dusty Fingers for a limited time for $70.00 + $8.00 shipping. Framed in a simple black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard, shipped US Priority mail the next day. Colors may vary due to monitor settings.


FRAMED: $70.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only.

Marsh's Edge 4x5.5

"Marsh's Edge" 4x5.5" $75.00

Well, I finally had time to get a few pastel studies completed (some from my Open Studio show last October) and am now going to offer them up for sale on Dusty Fingers for a limited time only. Transactions will be through secure PayPal and I will only be offering these pieces in the continental US. Expect shipment to go out the following day, unless otherwise noted. If I find enough desire for these small works of art, I may offer them up more regularly. "Marsh's Edge" measures 4" x 5.5" and is framed behind glass in a metal black frame with an Antique White mat. Frame measures 8" x 10". Colors may vary due to monitor settings. More to come...


FRAMED: $75.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only.

"Midmorning at Jenkins" 12" x 9"

"Midmorning at Jenkins" 12" x 9" sold

Last night was the "Celebration of Creativity" reception and what fun! I'm done with receptions for awhile now, having had three in a week! All this hard work has paid off this time around having had two paintings sell last night. "Lavender Afternoon II" being one of my favorites, and "Midmorning at Jenkin's". I'm beginning to wonder if there really is a "recession" after having sold 9 paintings total this week. And so many joyful friends were there; artists, patrons and family. It was also my 21st anniversary with my wonderful husband Joe! Bliss! I'm now focusing on getting my entries into the Northwest Pastel Society's upcoming shows and finding time at the easel again.
Giclee' print available online at Imagekind.