A Pastel Portrait for Today

"Les"

9" x 12"

pastel on Wallis sandpaper

Hubster walked by this morning while I was on the computer.  He asked what I was doing?  "Getting inspiration!" says I.   I have been looking at lots of portraiture lately...had this great photo of my stepdaughter and went for it.  Looking at it now, there are a few tweaks I will do.  Pastel is my one very true love in mediums - because it's my old favorite and I know what it will do and what it won't do for me. 

Where I Stand Sunday

No photo...was in KC visiting family this weekend, so was in the road to home yesterday.  Quick trip, but my current 'day job' is very unpredictable.  I will be 'grain scaling' at the local grain elevator during harvest so whenever the 'harvest gods and goddesses' decide it's time, it will happen. 

Studio for awhile this morning - on call this afternoon.

A Work in Progress

Very first today, I want to thank those "followers" that have returned and been visiting this blog lately.  When someone stops blogging for awhile, you wonder what is going on??  Are they done?  Are they away for who knows how long?  Are they lazy?  or are they just so busy with other things right now.  Thanks for not giving up.  Life happens - we got busy, believe me I yearn to paint ALWAYS - but other things take over.  It seems to be seasonal for me this year.  I paint because I want to and can think of nothing else that is that satifying to my soul. 

Today on the easel...

Acrylic - not sure of a title yet...will have to see it a little more completed.  I am liking the purple over the red..

Where I Stand and Horse Oil Painting

Standing at the easel some today...

Wet paint causing glare - will photograph it again in a few days.

Rephotographed...

"Afternoon Watch"

8" x 8"

oil on wrapped canvas

(Interesting how it looks a bunch looser than the last one...I think that's because of my absence in the studio.)

Mare and Colt Oil Painting

"Staying Close"

9" x 12"

Oil on Raymar canvasboard

It's been almost 2 months since I posted any art.  It has been a whirlwind two months.  I feel reconnected again with my surroundings and am back at the easel...paining (and painting) away my frustrations of being away too long.  Yes, it takes awhile to get back into it, but as I sat these last few days, I reviewed (straight from my notebook I keep) those little quips about - what to do when it's not working...it's kind of like plugging back in and readjusting.  There are things that usually work when I am in a rut at the easel.  One big one is over-relying on my 'value scale'.  This photo was so dark where the mare was concerned - that later afternoon direct sunlight on the backside of them...I wanted to come up a value and show more color to make it more interesting.  The value scale helped me bump it up one notch into the light and not lose the effectiveness.  I could have done it with Photoshop, but I had already made a copy of the photo to work from and took the challenge. Done from my own photo of the wild horses on "Wild Horse Mesa" near San Luis, Colorado.

This painting is for sale at my Etsy store.

Where I Stand Sunday

Popcorn Harvest - I waited about a week too long...bugs had begun to devour it.  A lot of it was ruined.  While we were gone the weeds grabbed the little mini-gourd vines and hid them along the ground, I tried to get them unhooked, but some were vines were torn.  I guess we left at the wrong time...but is it ever the right time, when you are growing food?  Stickers have taken over. I found a little grey bunny living amongst it all.  It doesn't appear to be a wild rabbit...wonder where he/she came from? While hiding there he/she is safe, nothing would go into the mess of stickers.

Had to harvest a few minis...they were real small. 

You can see them laying on top of the popcorn.

Where I Stand Sunday

Oh my aching back...pushing this rock around isn't what I figured I would do today, but I am.  We are almost done with the driveway amount - then we need to add some to the quonset hut floor before we are done.  We will need some more rock to finish more driveway than the amount you see...

but that is another story.

It will be interesting to see how long this stays in place as it is today...ha!

On the Way Home

It will be 21 days, I think, since we left our home and went on an RV excursion to the western U.S.  It has been a whirlwind of a  great time.  I think I have over 1,000+ photos on my cards which should be enough to get me painting when I get back.  Luckily - we had no major issues with the RV - seeings how it decided to take a crap on us before we left.  It has to go in the body shop when we get back as the guys who worked on it prior to us leaving, backed it into a truck in their shop.  (Go figure..)

Dogs are sleepy here, but never too tired to go outside and explore. We have been in some places where there are just too many dogs competing for the fun outside the RV's and campers.   They have been pretty good boys on this trip.

The skies, the geology/geography of the West is awe inspiring. My photos  - a lot from the RV window - should be fun to review and Photoshop.  Each area had it's own uniqueness in view and activity. The weather for the most part was just what we needed.  Less warm days - cool nights.  Less bugs.  Different people.  A couple of spots with way less human activity and more wild animals than others. 

Our last stop has been near Valentine, Ne...but the 2 nights prior to that we were all alone in Keyhole State Park (above) in NW Wyoming sitting on a ridge above the lake.  Lots of deer.  The area was so dry, no campfires allowed,  but that didn't matter, the trillions of STARS were the viewing of the evening.  There were several spots along the way that no campfires were allowed.  Very dry summer out there this year.  But we did enjoy the evening campfires in Yellowstone.  Made some acquaintances with nice people. 

I can't wait to tell you more.  Will do so when we land back in Kansas...get unloaded...take care of all the business that awaits us.  I have a new PT job at the Grain Elevator office during harvest when I return - corn, milo and soybean (that's how we are able to make these trips - and altho gas prices are supposed to be lower...they are still high to us - diesel wise).   I have such a connection with the West...in my art and my thinking - but one of these days we shall have to journey to the East.  

Stay tuned.