Pastel plein air

Oyster Creek Park

7" x 10"

pastel

      Lovely cool morning sketching in the shade with the Heatstrokes plein air group.  We talked about how casual painting with pastels is.  Easy to toss a few supplies in a bag and go.  Took photos of this scene for someone who wanted to finish at home.  The photos just didn't capture the atmosphere and colors of being there, but I'm sure she'll remember.  I signed it while there and let it go.  Sometimes, the hardest part is knowing when to stop.  I let it be a sketch... an impression of a few hours in time.  A Monday morning with friends, captured with calligraphic strokes representing the sound of artistic chatter and the distant hum of a lawnmower on the cricket field.

Leo vs Mike

After da Vinci's Horse

40" x  60"

acrylic on canvas

      Each year, the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center chooses an artist to celebrate.  VAC member artists reproduce works of the masters to donate.  These paintings are auctioned off to support the center.  Last year it was Toulouse Lautrec, this year it's Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, thus "Leo vs Mike."  My inspiration was da Vinci's Horse.

      Leonardo worked on this horse for seventeen years and created a twenty-four foot tall clay model.  It was destroyed by the French in 1499 when they invaded Milan.  A twenty-four foot bronze cast was created by Nina Akamu in 1999 for the Milan Art Museum.  Influenced by these works, I painted my horse running along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico during the oil spill of 2010.

     

Pastel Portrait

Roger San Specs

11" x 8"

pastel

And another one of Roger, this time without his glasses.  Miss the glasses, they give him so much style and character.   Venice portrait studio's taking a vacation until October.  This sketch on toned (with dry pastel) white Canson MiTentes paper using smooth side.

Portrait

Girl with Earring

8.5" x 11.5"

pastel

Another pastel experiment (every painting is an experiment).  First layer was sketched on Canson Mi Tentes gray toned paper with hard pastels.  At that point, I liked the way it was going.  Then took a brush and rubbing alcohol to blend each color section for an underpainting.  Found this technique did not work with the gray toned paper.  The colors looked dull and muddy.  Finished with hard and soft pastels on top, attempting to save the portrait.  Oh, well.  It's all practice for the next one.

Boca Grande

Boca Grande Passing Shower

6" x 8.5"

pastel

Sketched on beach last Monday for the Heatstrokes Plein Air group.  View from the Boca Grande Lighthouse.  Both the bridge fee and the park fees have been raised this year.  This Monday, heavy rain, so unless I paint inside my van, the Heatstrokes will not be meeting.  Working in my studio instead... a huge horse painting, acrylics for a change.  Will post soon.

Venice Portrait Studio

Roger!

11.5" x 8.5"

pastel

Roger is a familiar model and artist around the Venice Art Center.  He has been painted by so many people that we're thinking of doing a Roger Show.  He's so full of energy he can hardly sit still.  I struggled with this portrait.  The original sketch had his head inside the frame, but "exploding-head-syndrome" caused it to break out of the edges.  May have been caused by changing my site points, the cap and glasses threw me off.  His eyes only glanced over in my direction a few times... I loved the sparkle in the corner of his eye.  Caught the same expression the last time I painted him, in oils instead.  This time I almost gave up and just pounded the pastels, forcing the color and letting the calligraphy write the story.  Sometimes, I do my best when I think the piece is lost... then I let go and paint without thinking.  In the end, the magic pastel dust did its job.

Pastel and Music

Guitar Player

11" x  8"

pastel

We were treated to guitar strumming the entire time this model posed for us at the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center portrait studio last week.  Live music inspired a lot of lively drawings.  The room was filled with the sounds of artists scribbling along with the rhythm. This pastel is on Canson mi-teintes paper, wrong side, don't like screen-door texture of right side!

Venice Beach, Summer

Beach Grass

8" x 11"

pastel

Sometimes, it's not easy.  Sure it's a beach scene and the colors are just right.  A few people walked by, grasses waved in the breeze, and I had fun painting next to my artist friends.  This drawing's like a stage set waiting for something to happen.   Every drawing and painting is an experiment anyway, but something can be learned from each attempt.  Next time... more drama! 

Gulf View

Sea Grass

7.50" x 11.75

pastel

Non-oily view of Gulf.  Even on the hottest days there are great spots to paint in the shade.  Secret place... Only OUR Painting Spot, or OOPS!  A few of my artist friends know about it and I'm not telling.  One of us is brave enough to chase the occasional tourist away.  We need to plant a sign... Artists Only!  Tourists Beware! 

Pastel on Arches watercolor paper with Golden Pastel Gesso for tooth.  Watercolor underpainting.

Venice Portrait Studio

Woman with Long Hair

12.50" x 9.50"

Pastel

 Hard and soft pastels on La Carte Pastel card, Sennelier.  Blended only on the underpainting and kept final strokes crisp.  Happy with the hair and light on forehead.  I don't like to use my fingers for blending, especially on sanded paper.  La Carte is smoother than Wallis sanded paper, but still has plenty of tooth.  I use a piece of foam pipe insulation, six foot piece about 98 cents at hardware store for blending.  Cut on the diagonal into small pieces... will last me about a year even after giving pieces to friends and students.  This foam pushes the pastel into the paper much like a finger, instead of wiping it off like a paper towel does.  And the sharp diagonal can get into smaller places than a finger.  

100 of 300!

Another Florida Sunset

5.25" x 8.25"

pastel

This is the one-hundredth painting posted for this year and the three-hundredth blog post since I started this blog!  Few postings for this July... family visit, and teaching.  Whew!  But had wonderful visit and great birthday party celebration which lasted the whole month.  Last guest flew out today.  But now I get a chance to use my new Heilman Backpack pastel box, my birthday wish came true thanks to a lot of heavy hinting.

Value Demo

Sandy Values

pastel

4" x 5.5"

Using the same reference photo from previous demo, had the class do a monochromatic pastel underpainting.  This one was done in shades of purple which is a good compliment for sandy paths and beach scenes.  The underpainting was dry, blended pastel, while the overpainting was done with unblended strokes of color placed next to each other.  A scumbling or scribbling technique.

Workshop Experiment

Compliments

pastel

3.5" x 5.5"

Had class experiment with compliments, red as first layer under green trees, yellow-orange under blue sky, purple under sand, etc. as a way to visualize vibrant colors in landscapes.  In other words... green trees don't always have to be green.   Also had students work with photos, not to be copy-machines, but to be creative and inventive.  Change things around, horizons, colors, trees, paths.  One student did a fine job of changing the trees into palm trees.

Plein Air Show

Punta Gorda Early

pastel

8" x 11"

Worked on location until lawnmower drove me away.  Finished in studio.  Now on exhibit along with many other paintings at the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center Plein Air Show in the Goff Gallery. 

Snake!

SNAKE JAR

pastel

4" x 6"

 

Snake! (Warning, not for the squeamish)

 I’ve had many snake encounters (not including the human-kind) but this was the first time I had to kill one.  Last night a snake was in the front hall.  Red, yellow, and black... could be poisonous!  Home alone, couldn’t call for help!  First thought was for my dogs... they sensed my fear and were extremely obedient as I let them out the back door.  I grabbed a broom and went back to the front hall, relieved to see the snake still in the same spot.  Opened the front door and thought I’d be able to whisk it outside.  Snake only wanted to race towards the clutter of my studio.  I  trapped it in a corner with the broom.  “Red and black will kill Jack, red and yellow, a friendly fellow...?”  Didn’t matter, couldn’t have a snake in the house.  Would give both my mother and myself a heart attack.  Snake was wiggling out of the broom bristles.  I wasn’t brave enough to grab its neck.  Nothing nearby to catch it in.  Couldn’t catch it, couldn’t let it go.  Only thing I could reach was a heavy bronze plaque engraved with “On this site in 1897 Nothing Happened.”  Now I’ll have to add... snake killed here.  Sorry.  It wasn’t the dangerous coral snake after all... it was a non-poisonous, scarlet king snake.  I feel terrible about killing it, but there was no time for research during the moment.   A necessary accident.   For future reference... “Red and yellow will kill a fellow.  Red and black’s a friend of Jack.”  

Dam Ships

Frank

pastel

8" x 6"

Started in my pastel class as a demo and finished later.  Frank was a student from a previous class and is a good artist buddy.  Have spent many hours plein air painting together.  "Dam Ships" is a term used for Holland American line ships, like Statendam,  Amsterdam, etc.  Frank said, "Damn, you captured the old guy realisticly."

Floridian Pirate

Pookie

pastel

11" x 8"

Experimented with watercolor wash underpainting on pastel paper.  Prepared the paper before I knew what the subject would be.  Splashy effect worked well for a pirate.  Used Rembrant, Nupastels, and Mt. Vision pastels...  perfect red for the scarf.  Pirate modeled at the Venice art center.

Nokomis

North Jetty

pastel

8" x 11"

Steamy, early morning plein air pastel.  Only a whisper of a breeze.  A few fishing boats motored out.  A couple of kayaks paddled by.  A man nearby, shouted obscenities into his cell phone for nearly half an hour.  Another sat a picnic table behind us, belching breakfast beer.  We worked fast and left as soon as we could.  How we suffer for our art.

Floridian Sky

Left On Winchester

pastel

8" x 11"

On the way home one night, I took some photos while my husband was driving.   We don't have mountains down here, but the big sky is a wonder.  This was just before sunset, the Golden hour when the fleeting effects have to be captured with a camera.  I liked the way the signs worked... one lighter than the sky, the other dark against the cloud.  Also love the arrows!  Have moved out of Florida twice but have always returned.

Delicious Demo

Pink Cake

pastel

6" x 8"

Small demo for my pastel workshop at the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center.  Stopped off at the bakery on the way to class and picked out the most colorful cake I could find.  This one was a lovely hideous pink.  We each got a slice to draw and a chance to use those vivid pink pastels.  When finished...  we got to eat our still lifes.  Yum.  Tasted pink!