There - but NOT There

Since March, I have done my best to 'stay safe at home'.  I go into town only for mail and groceries.  I entered my latest gallery show at the end of June.  The Opening Reception for the artists and the show has occurred for the last two shows, with masks, social distancing and sanitizing.  Not wanting to be in an enclosed space with others (some of who might not wear masks) I have not attended either of these openings, but my ART is still there, hanging on the wall.  Each month they have a People's Choice competition.  My piece submitted this month, won a 2nd place award in that category.  Woohooo!  I discovered - it seems the world is still revolving for art and artists in small ways.  Between, taking this photo on iPhone, transferring it to PC, it isn't quite what it looks like.  It's not this bright...oh the dilemmas of photo upload and transfer.

"Yucca"

16"x 20"

pastel on Canson burgundy paper

Using Up the References

'Mark making' with pastel has always been my favorite medium.  I think I was about 12, when I got my first set.  I still have SOME of those pastels...and many many others.  I have a favorite.  Terry Ludwig , in Littleton, makes THE best..they are true butter in your hand and on the paper..just a little pricey when I consider all the other medium I have and use.  I have a few pieces. So, someday soon, I feel - life is short, I am reminded often.  I also use pastel pencils - my favorites are the colors, more than the brands. 

Stick pastels are sorted into colors and dark to light.  Pencil pencils live in cups within general color together.  This is the way it has been for it seems a lifetime.

I have several reference photos from a 'reference seeking' journey and place to plein air paint that I took on a road close-by. This is the tree stand off of Sampson Ridge Road.  I did some plein air painting up in that area, last year.  I never leave an eye catching place, until I get photos of every angle and view around.  It's like sampling candy at the counter.

"Sampson Ridge Meadow"

pastel on sanded paper

12" x 9"

A Pastel Painting of a Chicken

"Nine, Ten, Big Fat Hen"

7" x 4"

pastel on Wallis

Painted and painted the last several days `

in pastel.  I think my 'pastel mojo'

is hiding away somewhere.

New Pastel

"Sun Bee"

pastel on Canson pastel board

8" x 10"

.

Have been trying this pastel board made by Canson (it's not new, but I have 

a big pile of it to use).  I love their Mi-Tientes paper!

However, I use the wrong side of the paper, 

the side without much

'tooth' - the thing you need in a pastel surface to pull off the pastel and make it sit down

on the that surface.  Pastel hardly ever works on a slick, smooth surface.

This board utilizes the tooth that is found on the right side of that

familiar paper - a little too much tooth for me.

If you click on the photo, you will see what I 

am talking about.

I know that a surface definitely shows it's done in pastel

by virtue of seeing some of the tooth, but

I don't like that look. That's why anymore, I prefer

sanded pastel paper or board.

So I scumbled and scumbled this painting.

It had to come to an end.

I was even using a brush with

Gamsol on it, to brush the 

pastel down into the teeth

but still didn't achieve what I was after.

Live and learn - maybe I will use all that board

for trying colors and mixing colors up against

each other...my 'try it' board.

A Pastel Portrait - Finished

"The Red Toybox"

11" x 14"

pastel on aubergine Art Spectrum sanded paper

This one was so much fun!  Long ago, I used to do long 6" x 12" of children's names surrounded by the then popular 'Care Bears'. Doing these stuffed animals reminded me of that time, although these are not 'care bears' - there may be one in the mix somewhere.  My daughter kept most of her stuffed animals from HER childhood in the attic - to give to her children at later time.  Notice the MS. PacMan pillow - oh my!  I denoted a little "PP"  tag showing down deep in there, I know that was a 'Pound Puppy'.  This toybox sits under the open stairway at the home Scarlett now lives...it is  often cordoned off with a blanket - to make it a fort or a house or anything you can imagine.  What fun!