A Pastel Work in Progress??

"Ol' What's His Name"

(on a boat on Blue Mesa Reservoir, CO.)

6 3/4" x 9"

pastel on blue Canson paper

Surprised by the title?  This is a pastel, 

that I felt done with...when showed to the person of who it is... 

DH of course, he tells me it's not him.

Well, as far as I see it - IT IS!!

If you know him, maybe you can leave a message 

below of what YOU see as

the issue.  He says his nose is wrong..I say it isn't.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - but

I guess I see the beauty differently.  

I see the purple is reading wrong around the ear, 

so I will fix that by toning it down - muting it some.  

Photos can be so truthful in some cases.

I love painting BRIGHT sun photos with pastel, 

there are so many good choices on color matching.  

So if it never makes it to the approval mode, 

I am OK with that - 

it was a 'portraiture in pastel' lesson

for ME.

An Oil Painting Commission

I have been painting and painting and painting on this one. 

It is small (9" x 12") - almost too small for the detail that was needed.  

I have never painted anyone in the dark before.  

This one will be a  part of a special occasion, 

from the sounds of it.  

It was interesting.  Having a 'drum set' myself, 

I very much understood what I was seeing

even in the dark of the photo that was supplied.

Headed to the client, as soon as that dark paint - which is thick, dries.

As this photo shows, it's still very wet and shiny in parts.

Next?  I have such a great collection of pastels and 

I like how they make portraiture pop.  

That's what my next focus is - 'human' portraits

and color.

Have gone back to using pastels - at least giving it a try again.  

I have really missed them - but cough, cough...wow.  

I am looking into ordering a Totobobo mask today.  

In the meantime, a painter's mask will do the trick.

iPad Painting of an Airedale

This is an iPad painting done in an app called iPastel. It was the first time I had used it.  I would like to explore it more, as some use it so there are soft, soft edges.  It's possible to 'trace' in many painting apps...but I usually don't go there. This one is freehanded.  I couldn't find the color I needed just below the collar, so I got frazzled and scribbled it in any color..ha!

I have had some dental work done a few days ago, it has taken me for a whirl.  

Feeling much more like myself today...back to it. Have a commission of something I have never done on the easel right now - love the challenge.  Several to mat and frame and ship tomorrow.  Yay!

Don't forget to visit my painting gallery at Daily Paintworks HERE.

A Showcase of Pastel Work by Pattie Wall

I have been thinking about pastels lately.

Haven't done any in a LOOONG time.

It may be time for some - coming up soon.

Here is a collection of some I have done.

(Collage made with picmonkey)

iPad Painting

"Cheery Toms" painted with Auryn Ink app on iPad with Wacom Bamboo Stylus

Today was the first anniversary of my stepping out the backdoor onto black ice when a mat gave way to the ice - I went legs akimbo - ankle FELL off of my talus bone..broke two out of three bones..my ankle doing a 90 degree turn from it's usual working spot.  I saw a lot flash before my eyes that day, including, will I ever be able to walk again?  I am walking - not the greatest still, after two surgeries - pins and plates and tissue and bone removal/clean-up and a year of healing and exercise and special care.  What an experience. I really hope ALL of you are careful when on ice or suspected ice.  I plan to make this particular anniversary the last to be 'needed to be remembered'. 

Anyway, stayed inside - even though I can maneuver ice with my ice cleats.  Made an afternoon of it with the iPad painting programs I have.

A Painting of Zebras in Oil by Pattie Wall

"Yipes! Stripes!"

12" x 12"

oil on wrapped canvas

This is done from a photo off of Paint My Photo website.

It appealed to me because of the little one's mane,

reminds me of a mohawk.

Still have to paint around the deep canvas edge, 

a continuation of the scene.

Spent more than a day on this one and it feels right.

A Day of Fixin's

Painting 30 paintings in 30 days - was exciting and fun and now for some serious "tweaking" of three of them...one to finish the edges, one to readjust some features and colors and one to change the background..and naturally while I was at it, I found some more to do with the dachshund, as well.  A productive afternoon.  Felt good to be at the drawing table once again.  

Here are the additions to one and 'before and after' photos of two.

Remember "Snow Dog"?

Well, it is a deep canvas and needed it's edges painted - so if it hangs without a frame - which it can now..it is finished.

The other sides have snow continued on them - no biggie.

Then the kitten portrait needed much fixing...although small, it has lots of information in it.

BEFORE..

and AFTER...

it needed warming (color wise), the bottom cat wasn't right, the top cat needed some more work...but the owner said it's eyes were right, 

so I left them alone.

It was getting to the point where I said a big 'NO' 

every time I looked at it.

It just wasn't finished.  A day wasn't enough for many of my paintings I did.

And on a few of them I spilled into the next day.  

The next one is my own painting (NFS) - 

"Chaco-matic"

needed some serious change of the background.

BEFORE...

and AFTER...

worked the face some more..and what a difference 

the change of background made.  For some reason,

there is still something wrong with it..but I will stew over it in time.

Maybe the under the chin and neck needs a difference in 'highlight shine'.

I am not one to paint every little hair.

Did some major varnishing...also.  I did a test of one 

that was painted on the Arches oil painting paper to see

how the surface accepted the varnish.

Don't know if I need to varnish those or not, since I sealed them

underneath with my 'acrylic undertone'.

Maybe someone else who paints on this surface can share with

me what they do to finalize the surface..

"varnish or no varnish?" - 

that is the question.

A Collage of MY 30 Days of Painting

It's official -  (all together NOW)

30 squares are filled in with 30 paintings I did in 30 days.

And some 300 people participated.

Listening to the program yesterday 

on 'Artist's Helping Artists'blog - 

there is was a lot of learning going on in the 

'painting world' this month..and it can only get better!

Thanks for visiting - come back often, please!!!