A Pastel for Today by Pattie Wall

"Provisions"

14.5" x 19"

pastel on Canson pastel board

Finished this one today - lots of work in that basket...what was I thinking?

Cut the mat for it and have an 18" x 24" frame for it.

Getting ready for 6 to 8 inches of snow tomorrow.

Spring is near, I can tell.

And more snow...

Looking out the window there is just what was predicted...a blizzard - this Sunday morning.   I think we are slowly catching up on some moisture - 

maybe the spring will be very green - and if the weather patterns hold,

maybe a wet spring.  I will take that - over a drought any day.

Pastel Work in Progress

Work in progress 

in pastel on Canson pastel board -

large-ish -

haven't measured it yet.

While cleaning out some portfolios and loading things into my flat files, 

I found a piece that I started many, many years ago.  

There was a reason I held onto it.

It had a vision from the 'get-go'.  

I loved that mad chicken.  

It makes the painting.

So, I got 'back to it' a few days ago, 

knowing that I would eventually 

be left with painting that lovely handmade basket.

Not a problem, I know baskets -

my mom taught me how to make them, 

also many moons ago.  

It's just going to take some more days to get it done.

Bad news - I had to almost RE-DO the commission of the drummer -

see a few post ago.

I attempted to varnish it, 

knowing quite well it was not ready for it.

It schmeared some of the lighter colors across the surface.

Not good on that dark background and lighted figure.

Been there, done that - 

mad because I knew it would.

But glad today I fixed it back to it's original colors 

and it's now - even better - than it was.

Now it just needs to dry AGAIN.

Oil paint drying time can be very unpredictable.  

I have started using Liquin mixed with the oil paints

IT HELPS WITH DRYING - 

but hadn't done it on this one ~ but I have now!

Learn by doing - learn from mistakes.