Pastel Make-It-Take-It

December is Make-It-Take-It month at Town and Country Decorative Painters. I am teaching a small pastel. I hope folks like it. The piece is 5x7 and is painted on Mi-Teintes paper using soft pastels.

More Baskets

It seems that this has been a month for baskets. I just finished 3 baskets that will go in an open cabinet in my kitchen. They need to be stained, but aside from that they are finished and they fit perfectly. Now I can put the basket making supplies away and start on some colored pencil and pastel projects.

Baskets for the gallery

I have spent this week making baskets that will go to the Artworks at the Depot in Kane, PA. Since these are the first baskets that I will be showing there, I made smaller ones, I hope they do well.

Getting Ready for the Basket Luncheon

The annual basket luncheon for Town and Country Decorative Painters is this Sunday. I;m busy packing everything up and making sure I haven't forgotten anything. The theme for this year is A Victorian Tea. My friend and I are making a theme basket. We have a tea set with a rose pattern as the centerpiece of our basket. My job was to paint a cookie plate to match. Here is one of the teacups and my cookie plate. The cookie plate is wood.

Where has the month gone???

I have spent most of this month supervising our kitchen renovation. It is almost finished and I am actually able to cook in the new kitchen. In between my supervisory activities, I have done a little painting and made a couple of baskets. This basket was made as a wedding gift for my cousin. The weaving is in a twill pattern. It is built on a slotted wooden base. The overall size is 10x14x10-inches-tall.

A Fun Font

Sometimes you find the answer to a problem in an unexpected place. One of my baskets for the luncheon is a basket of games. All sorts of games: jacks, pick-up sticks, a yo-yo, a cube puzzle, a deck of cards, dominoes, a wooden puzzle, and a glass chess set. In addition to these items, every basket has to have at least 3 painted items and I was really struggling over what I might paint. The container for this basket is a canvas storage bin. While I was noodling over ideas for painted items, I came across a font in MS Word called Game Night. The font consists of Scrabble tiles for each letter of the alphabet. PERFECT!!! Here is what the canvas storage bin looks like now.

Playing around

I have to come up with several painted items for my baskets for the Town and Country Decorative Painters annual basket luncheon. One of my baskets has a tea theme. This is a journal with a papier mache cover. The design is created using watercolor pencil overlayed with colored pencil. The journal is about 6x8 inches.

Winston is finished

I have Winston finished. He is such a cutie.

Winston's coming along

I've been working a bit more on Winston. He is really a charming fellow.

What's on my easel

My studio is finally a place to do a little work and not just to shove boxes around in! I was able to put in some actual creative work time today. Here is what I am working on. This is Winston. He belongs to the barber whose shop is next door to my chiropractor and he is the shop dog. I took this picture about a year ago. Winston was napping outside the shop on a bright sunny summer morning.

This work is pastel on PastelMat paper. The size is about 9x8.

A little time for work

Finally! I was able to carve out a little time to play with my colors. I got some new pastel paper called PastelMat and wanted to try it out. It is a slightly velvety surface, but does not have a deep a nap as velour paper. So far, I really like it. This is not a terribly involved piece, but I wanted a stylized flower in a vase. I wasn't going for highly detailed and realistic. This little piece just might work for a 4-hour retreat class or if I make it smaller it could be a make-it-take-it, perhaps. The piece is about 7x10.

Move is over--finally!

The never-ending-move is done! Everything is in one place. Now the unpacking begins. That is every bit as bad as the packing becasue we have moved to what we call "The Itty-bitty house" Still, I hope to be back to work in my studio soon. Especially, if Miss Windy keeps helping with the unpacking!

Best Laid Plans

My student came today and we worked together on a couple of different projects. I need to come up with a make-it-take-it to be taught in December. I worked on this little piece and thought perhaps it could be done in 2 hours. Well, I was wrong. There is much too much for students to accomplish in 2 hours. So it is back to the think tank. Still, this was a fun little piece to work on. It is done in pastel on velour paper. The size is 8x10. I think it could be a nice 4-hour class at a retreat.

A little bit of painting time

I was able to spend a couple of hours today playing with my colors and my student. It was such fun. I do miss my studio time. I can't wait until this move is completed and I can get back to work. Here is what we are working on. It is the Maine coast--11x14, pastel on a sanded surface.

Still sorting and packing

I can see the end of this project. I will be so happy when it is over and done with. In the meantime, I thought I would share the beginning of a pastel painting that is in progress--calling to me. This is from a photo that I took in Maine when I went to the TEAM conference in June.

I miss playing with my colors!

We are getting closer to actually being all in one place. I am at the sorting things to keep and those that are going to be sold. Fortunately, the sell pile is a lot bigger than the keep pile. We will be fully in our new home before August 15. Meanwhile, my colors are calling to me and I can't carve out time to play with them. I can't wait to get my new studio space set up and start back to work.

Studio is quiet

We are in the middle of our move. The movers came on Thursday and loaded up. they delivered yesterday. Now we have to look at what of the remaining items go into storage and what get put up for sale. This move is stressful and challenging. We are taking the opportunity to cull our belongings--having a huge "hoe out" as one of my friends used to say. It makes for a difficult moving process. I will be happy when it is finished and my studio is set up in the new house so that I can start playing with color again.

Geisha is finished

I have put the finishing touches on the Geisha statue. I hope my client likes her. I will be calling today to see if I can drop her off. She is pastel on grey Hannemuhle velour paper. The size is about 11x14. I must say I did enjoy working in the garden. There were enough positive comments about having an artist in the garden that the Garden Club wants to do it again for the next tour. They do this program every other year. A lot of people took my business cards and perhaps there will be some additional work as a result. These kinds of activities are what I call "planting seeds". You don't know the results until sometimes months later when you see what "grows".

Work in Progress

Here is the second pastel painting I worked on in the garden. This statue is part of the gardenscape. She is far from finished, but as soon as she is done, she is sold. This one is pastel on grey Hannemuhle velour paper. This is a surface that I like more and more as I use it for different projects. It does take a little getting used to, but it really is a nice surface to work with.

Painting sold

I participated in the Franklin Garden Club's House and Garden tour today. I sat in one of the gardens and painted. Earlier in the week I visited the garden to take pictures so that I could be painting something OF the garden and not just an unrelated subject. One of the features of this garden was a goldfish pond. I was able to get a nice few pictures of the pond and that is the subject I chose to paint. This piece is pastel on black velour paper. When it was finished, the homeowner bought it. I was very pleased.

Doing a good deed

I had promised the Franklin Fine Arts Council that I would donate a painting that they could use as a fund raiser. I wanted to make sure it got done before we move, so I worked on this little piece last week while I was in Maine. It is based on a photo that I took of the downtown streetlights during the Christmas season. It is pastel on velour paper, 4x10. The framer has it and as soon as it comes back, I will take it to the Arts Council to do with as they wish.

Everglades Kite Snails--Finished

Today I finished the Everglades Kite Snails. Finished size is 3x9. It is off to the framer this afternoon.

Everglades Kite Snails--Making progress

Well, we are still working ont he Kite Snails. They are coming along pretty nicely. Another week's work should finish them up.

Newest Pet Portrait

Finished this yesterday and the "Gramma" picked it up today. She was very happy. I hope the Mommy and Daddy are equally pleased. This guy is a 5x7 portrait done in colored pencil. He is a Brown Boston Terrier which is a very rare coloration.

New on the easel

We started a new little painting today. These are Everglades Kite Snails. The only place they are found in the whole world is in the Everglades and they are an important food source for Kites (birds). They live in hollowed trees and are beautifully colored. I am so glad my friend goes to Florida and gives me photos to use for paintings. This piece is about 4x10 and even at that size the shells are many times larger than life-size. It is being done in pastel on velour board. This is just the beginning stages of the painting. Much more work to do.

Everglades Turtle--finished

We finally finished up the turtle this morning. I am anxious to get him in a mat and frame.

New Make-It-Take-It

I had to come up with a make-it-take-it for the conference in Maine at the end of June. This is a little pastel piece done on Mi-Teintes paper. The background is softened with denatured alcohol and then the purple cone flowers are painted over the top. The piece is about 6x9. It certainly isn't a fancy piece, but will frame up nicely and there is a good bit of learning to be gained from it.

Not much to show right now

As we are getting ready to pack up to move, there is not much time to work on art. Much of my time is spent sorting, pitching, and dividing into "store" or "move" stacks for packing. Today three friends came to help sort through my studio. I am donating a lot of supplies and surfaces to the decorative painting club to use as door prizes for retreat or basket luncheon, large raffle items to be painted for retreat, and other club uses. Even after we filled up two vehicles, there is still a lot of stuff left behind. I think there will be a porch sale for art supplies. I am going to get down to materials I will actually use--colored pencils, pastels, and appropriate tools and papers. I will only keep a small amount of acrylic paint and brushes and a very small supply of watercolors--just in case. We had a nice visit, worked hard, and had a good time. Everyone was very tired at the end of the day.

Turtle Progressing

Worked onthe turtle a bit more this week. He is almost finished. One more session and I think we will be able to call him done. He still needs work on his shell and then adjusting values. In this photo, you can see the reference photo in the corner.

Current Project

I am working on a turtle with my student. She took the photo in Florida on a very bright sunny day. The turtle is sitting on a rock in shallow water with a reflection that is absolutely exquisite. Last week we blocked in the turtle. This week we worked on the reflection and the rock. He is coming along nicely, but there is still a lot to do. He is about 8x10 in pastel on Art Spectrum Colorfix sanded paper.

Pastel Lesson

Today I went to see my teacher and start on a new project. I am doing a pastel painting of Miss Windy, my Lakeland Terrier. This is a big challenge. The idea of starting with pink and blue and purple--oh my! There is still lots of work to do. The likeness is there, but I am struggling a bit with how we get from this sort of psychedelic doggie to a very realistic finished work. This piece is bigger than life at 16x14 and is being done on gold velour paper.

An experiment

I recently had an opportunity to buy some velour paper from a different manufacturer. There were a variety of colors including a bright orange. I bought a number of sheets of the tan, blue, and gray that would most typically be used with pastels and I also got some dark brown and some orange. The orange intrigued me because I wondered if you could get the same sort of luminous results with pastel on orange paper that Robert Warren achieves with his orange canvases. I played with the orange paper a little. These eggs are certainly not finished, but I did enough to figure out that for some subjects, the orange paper just might work. More playing is required, though. The eggs are actually more colorful than they appear in the photo. My scanner picked up a lot of the orange undertone and ignored the blues to a large extent. Watch for more.

Country Barn

I don't usually do landscapes. They don't flow out of my hand easily and, while I appreciate them, they are not my favorite subjects. That said, sometimes it is important to stretch yourself. Today, I stretched. This barn is done in pastel on 8x10 velour paper.

Catch of the Day

I thought I had posted phase one of this piece, but I guess I forgot. My student brought a couple of photos that we combined to develop this composition. The fish is a Cutthroat Trout. The piece is done in pastels on Hannemuhle velour paper. It is about 8x11.

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright....

I had a lesson last week just before I left town for the weekend. We worked more on my tiger and got him ready for the fine details. I've done a little more on him since I came home, but he is not totally finished yet. He needs a little more fussing. He is approximately 15x20 and is done on Hannemuhle Velour Board.

Latin American Church--finished

My student was back today and we finished the Latin American church. I am very pleased with the sky. Skies are a challenge for me and this one turned out very well. The finished size is a little less than 8x10.

What's new?

Today I completed a small commission piece in colored pencil. It is 5x7 and done on grey-blue card stock.

New Project

Today I started a new project with my student. She wanted to do a building, so we chose a photo of a church that my husband took somewhere in Latin America. It was a while ago and we can't remember exactly where it was. In any event, we are working in pastel on tan velour board. The piece is about 8x10. There is a lot of detail in the building and at this size, some of it will almost certainly be lost. The finished piece may be a bit more impressionistic than detail-perfect. It is coming along nicely, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Happy Easter

Here is a little Easter bouquet of pansies and m&ms. Have a wonderful Easter with family and friends.

Downy Woodpecker

This morning we finished the Downy Woodpecker. In the right kind of frame, he'll be pretty cute.

New Project

Today I started working with a pastel teacher. I am absolutely thrilled! I was lucky enough to find someone who specializes in animals and works in a realistic style that is a good match for what I am doing and want to do better. We started working on a tiger today based on a photo that my husband took at a zoo. We accomplished a lot in 3 hours. I can't wait to go back again next month.

Bird House for Bike Trail Benefit

I finally finished my bird house for the Bike Trail Benefit Auction. The birdhouses are given to artists to paint and then they are auctioned off during May Mart, Franklin's garden mart held the first weekend in May in Fountain Park. I really struggled to decide how to paint it this year. I finally found a design on the Plaid website that provided my inspiration. I still need to put varnish on it, but it is done and I can meet the end-of-March deadline. This one is much simpler than the one I did last year, but it is sort of cheerful. I hope it does well in the auction.

What's on my easel?

My student and I are working on a Downy Woodpecker in pastel. This is about 7x9 on Colorfix sanded paper. The paper is a sort of greyed lavender color so it helps provide a good base for the sort of wintry looking piece. Last week we just laid in a background and worked on the wood siding. Today we started on the little bird. He is coming along nicely, but still needs a lot of work. The background was scrubbed in and then blended using a soft brush and denatured alcohol. Once the bird is finished, the background will need some additional attention.

More Splashing in Paint

Once again today I played in paint. I had to paint a large raffle item for the retreat. I chose to paint a pair of nesting boxes. The large box is a design by Connie Parkinson. For the smaller box that sits inside, I used a part of the original design. The result is that you see the river and the bridge on the large box and then when you open the box, you are taken down to the river's edge. It turned out pretty well.

Playing in Paint

Today I played in paint for the first time in quite a while. I had a wooden lid for a glass bowl that I had to paint for the Town and Country Decorative Painters retreat in April. This year's theme is Candyland and the bowls are the centerpieces for the banquet on Sunday. For my lid, I used a design by Connie Parkinson. I am very pleased with the piece. I really hate to give it away. Tomorrow I will varnish and then it will be ready to deliver to the banquet chair.

More from the beach

Here is another of the little pieces that I worked on in my free time in Ocean City last week. It is pastel on Mi-Teintes paper, about 6x8.

Chocolate in Pastel

Not only did I do the bunny in colored pencil while I was in Ocean City, but I also took some time to do him in pastels. The biggest difference in the appearance of the two pieces is that the colored pencil version literally shines because the pencil is wax based and when burnished it is somewhat shiny. The soft pastels have a mat finish. Both the colored pencil pieces and the pastel piece were done on the same color Mi-Teintes paper. The pastel version also has a few more areas of reflected color--tints.

Chocolate bunnies

While I was in Ocean City, I had time to play with my colored pencils and my pastels. I had taken some pictures of a chocolate bunny that I wanted to do as a set and I packed the reference photos so I would have something to work on if I had time. I completed the set in colored pencil on grey-brown Mi-Teintes paper. The size is approximately 5x7. Sadly, the bunny was sacrificed for the good of the project--and a tasty bunny he was, too!

Back home!

I feel like I have been away forever, but it was only a week. The retreat in Ocean City was very nice. My class was small, but the students were happy when they left and gave me ideas for things to submit for next year. That's a good sign. I made a friend at the hotel. Seymour kept coming to my balcony and right up to my sliding door to see what was going on in my room. I took a lot of good photos to use for reference.

The weather was perfectly horrible. When I left yesterday the ocean was angry--grey, big waves, loits of noise.