Daily Painting in Pastel - of Two Calves

"237 and Friend"

6" x 8"

pastel on primed Gatorfoam board

Purchase INFO HERE

The colors didn't come out right on my photo,

that foreground is a nicer green than shown, 

but - got one done today.

These calves live right across the road, among many others

and I like it that they are friendly.

A Pastel of a Yearling and a Mare

"The Nudge"

6" x 6"

pastel on pumice primed and tinted Gatorboard

 

More in the ballpark today.  I feel 'luck' striked a

homerun on this one.

Here is a photo of the value study I did to start.

A Pastel of a Moose

"Moose 2"

6" x 8"

pastel on primed Gatorboard

Purchase INFO HERE

Here are a couple of the first steps, but I forgot

to take more as I progressed.

I was really into this painting today.

This is the Quinacradone Azo Gold surface with some added primed areas.

Adding more tinted pumice gel, this one is Mars Black.

This moose was in the Colorado high country where we were camping a few years ago.

I loved the photo and wanted to add some MORE light.  I actually like this second step the best (even better than the finished piece - I think it's the simplicity and that it says everything I wanted the finished piece to say.)

Priming and Sorting

I finally finished my pastel sort.  I don't have a Heilman box (a great wooden carrier for pastels)..but I am saving my pennies to get one.  I have used SOOO many other things to organize my pastels. What works for now are these great plastic drawer organizers I found at IKEA (I have used wooden trays, boxes that I cut apart and compartmentalized, trays, etc.)  Since I have always left the wrappers on my pastels, I needed to catalog what colors I had and make a color chart with name, manufacturers and sample - first, then (ooo, this slays me) break them into half or less in some cases. Here is a photo of all that I have been up to along with priming the gatorboard with Golden acrylic Quinacradone Azo Yellow Gold mixed into Golden's  Fine Pumice Gel.

Next a close-up of my pastels by value and then temperature.

This was a daunting task, but I learned alot by looking more closely at the

pigments, getting to know each brand better, since I would no longer

have their label to go by...

While I am at it - I would like to share 2 of the 4 works that I did at Rita's workshop

two weekends ago.

This is Danni's cat in Oregon. He is no longer with us, and his photo

I have had for some time, I could no longer resist.

"George"

6" x 8"

pastel on primed Gatorboard

This is my cat, Meeka.

"Meeka"

6" x 6"

pastel on primed Gatorboard

And lastly - I always hope to collect paintings 

from those I learn from. I LOVE this painting

that Rita demo'd on the first day of class.

I named him "BOSCO"

"Bosco"

5" x 7"

pastel on primed Gatorboard

by RITA KIRKMAN

Honestly, I never thought I would ever meet

Rita, much less take a class with her.

It was quite a boost for me, I hope to see

it after much practice on her technique.

P.S. Several people have asked where I purchase the Gatorboard.

FoamboardSource.com

Pastel Surface Prep

One of the important things I learned at Rita Kirkman's workshop last week was how to use Gatorfoam board for pastels.  

I was so excited I couldn't sleep last night as I 

received 10 - 16" x 24" Gatorfoam boards from
FoamboardSource.com.  ART BRAIN really kicks in, when new stuff arrives.

I took three of them and cut them down into usable sizes

6" x 6", 5" x 7", 6" x 8".....and 4" x 6" (which were what I could get out of

the leftover pieces).  The total waste is in the top right hand corner of the next photo.

Next step is to prime them with tinted acrylic color and pumice.

Art supplies really turn my crank!

I have been working on the 'pastel sort' by value - it is in it's final stages

and I realize I need to win the lottery to enhance my

collection.  I have been painting with the dregs for too long.

P.S. If you would like to see how it looks further on, and can't wait

for me to share it, go to Rita's blog HERE.

In the Meantime - HAPPY EARTH DAY!

These were taken of my Cherry Tree yesterday.

'Perfect photo taking sunlit' late afternoon.

Hit the Refresh Button - As Often as Possible

I was fortunate enough to have the time and the inclination to take a recent workshop with Rita Kirkman while I was visiting my Dad in KC.  If you are not familiar with Rita's beautiful works, you should visit her site HERE.  

Just as most any profession, being an artist - one always needs to keep fresh with new insights, new techniques, ideas, inspiration, and rekindling of the 'art brain' and mojo.  This particular workshop was just right for me. The timing was perfect.

I would like to share with you some of what I learned in the workshop in the posts ahead, but first things first.  I have a 'several drawer' piece of furniture in my studio,

within which I TRY to keep my many pastels organized.  

They are in a mess right now, as I packed my "Roz Box" with the pastels I thought I might need for the class.  Bottom line, I usually find what I need based on the organizing by COLOR.  As you can see that second open drawer has warm colors like red and yellow and orange in it.  The values of the color go from lightest on the top drawer to darkest (which you can't see) on the very bottom.

In the next few days, I am going to organize the total of my pastels in a complete VALUE range first  and TEMPERATURE range - second, like this...

This is Rita's traveling Heilman box nicely sorted from the lightest lights to the darkest darks, cool colors on top and warmer colors on bottom.

If I could get something close to this in my pastel organization, life at the easel would be

SO much easier.  I don't have a Heilman box, but I have a few ideas for something close to it.

I have tried MANY items in the past, from wooden trays, to my own 'pseudo Heilman' reinforced 'cut down' boxes.  Stay tuned - as I will share with you my finished arrangement soon!