Friskett And Alcohol - What does That Have To Do With pastel painting?

 

 

"Last Summer", 15 x 19, pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes Art Board.

 

 

I borrowed the concept of using frisket from my watercolor days. Before starting out on this pastel painting, The first thing I did was to cut out freehand shapes from ordinary masking tape and arranged them into what looked like an interesting placement on my canvas, one that helped to create and establish the composition and flow I wanted to achieve. In this case a loose x composition. My first layer of pastels were done in complimentary colors. I used my color wheel for this part.

 

Complimentary colors I used in this painting.

 

 

Detail of some of the places where I placed masking tape. Others not shown.

 

Once my complimentary colors loosely covered the paper, I did an alcohol wash using rubbing alcohol. I heard of one artist who used vodka ( a little for the painting, a little for her or maybe more) on second thought maybe not a bad idea. Then I proceeded on with the regular colors. Somewhere about three fourths of the way, I very gently removed the making tape as it has a tendency to pull the paper layer off with it. You want to preserve the integrity of the canvas below as it had an acid free coating on it for the preservation of the paper. Once done, I decided I liked the effect it created so I didn't apply any pastel over it. Now I proceeded to finish the painting. Btw, I felt like drinking some alcohol at times as I battled through this one.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 





New Years Resolutions and Catching Up

 

January Day Dream, 16 x 20, pastel on Pastelbord

 

This is my first completed painting of the new year. Lets see, if I recall I started it last summer for demonstrating on at my home studio during Sierra Art Trails open studio event here in the foothills of Yosemite. After Art Trails, I lost interest and put it aside. After my class started up again a couple weeks later in October I assigned my students to paint it and they did a great job. I didn't continue on with my painting because I was turned off by it and had no interest in continuing on with it at this time in fact I turned it over and leaned it against a wall in my studio. I got minor pangs of guilt whenever I noticed it. Something in me felt like it was an uncompleted goal. I felt disappointed in myself but I didn't feel guilty enough. OK now it's the new year what with setting goals, resolutions and all that. I didn't make any, never do anymore. But I did feel that this painting's time had come. With fresh resolve I turned the canvas over and ughhh didn't like my beginning, too dark a pallet, "I know" I said to myself, I'll start over or go over this dark and unappealing beginning with a light and bright version. Since it was Pastelbord I was working on, no problem, the new layer of pastels took over. I had completely covered over the first layer and feeling better about the painting it seemed to go non stop until I finished it a few days later.

 

Here are my new works done since my last blog completed mostly from their beginnings as demonstrations for my class.

 

 

 

"Stormy Sky Over Oakhurst, 11 x 14, pastel on Pastelbord.

 

"Scintillation at Hubba Creek, 9 x 11,

pastel on Pastelbord.

 

 

"Pastel Juices Flow, 9 x 12, pastel on Wallis Museum paper.

 

 

 

"Sidebar Dance, 8 x 10, pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes Art Board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Possibilites of Using two pastel sticks

"Shadow Intrigue" 8 x 11, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper.
(Painting done with a limited pallet but with more than two sticks, see below for two stick paintings).

 

Yipppeeee I am able to post a blog after a frustrating time getting my images to upload so I have some catching up to do. Class is well under way. We have been studying values and gradations of pastels by limitting our pallets to two sticks in order to see how many values can be created under such limiting circumstances and how we can acheive these values by the amount of pressure we put on our pastels. I used my fingers, kneadable eraser, pipe insulation and cortillan pencil among other blending tools to acheive the various values and color blends.

 Limited pallet paintings from my demos in class 

 

 

Limited Pallet, 8 x 11, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper.

For this painting I chose pink and blue.

 

 

At The Edge, 8 x 11, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper.

For this complimentary themed painting, I chose a  violet and yellow stick.

 

Untuitled, 8 x 11, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper. For this painting, I used black and coral.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

That Old Excitment

 

"After The Rain", 8 x 10, pastel on Pastelbord

 

Well its a while after Sierra Art Trails open studio event. It was quite successful and enjoyable. As an artist getting on in years, I have cut back on participating in art events and traveling like I once did. I was represented in galleries throughout the west and had an active full calendar with shows, workshops and demonstrations. Nowadays I no longer show in galleries except at Timberline Gallery http://www.timberlineartgallery.com/ in the lovely town of Oakhurst some few miles outside the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Don't get me wrong, I love where I live and while I don't do as much as I once did, I get tremendous fulfillment living where I do. I have my home gallery and studio where I teach classes and private lessons. I enter into a few local art exhibitions every year and love that and I have Sierra Art Trails every year in October. I have to admit I get a twinge for the more active life as an artist so when Sierra Art Trails http://www.sierraarttrails.org/ comes along I feel that excitement. I love meeting the people and talking about art not to mention the motivation it gives me. It recharges my batteries and spurns me on in my creating journey. I love being and artist. I love my career. How many people can say that about what they do? My time clock runs 24/7.

 

Just a few days ago I painted "After The Rain" and posted it on Facebook when a day or so later actually it was sometime in the early morning hours I was awaken by a dream or thought that came to me ....You have already done a painting called "After The Rain". Oh well, now I have two. Here's the first one.

 

"After The Rain", 11 x 15, pastel on sanded paper.



Sierra Art Trails 2013

 

My set up and start of painting.

 

So tomorrow begins the Artist's open studio event that takes place once a year here in the foothills of Yosemite National Park. This will be my 9th year and I'm still as excited as I was the first year. I will be demonstrating throughout the day for this 3 day event. Paintings I created during this past year will be exhibited, many for the first time. Lots of work goes into this event for me as well as the other 100 plus artists participating in this event. Cleaning and organizing my studio and home takes a lot of work and planning. It also gives me a lot of pleasure. Hope to see you over the weekend.

 

For more information

http://www.sierraarttrails.org/

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

is a big part of the work entailed, then there is marketing,refreshments, signs and a myriad of other detail that must take place. 

 

The Naked and The Dressed

 

"Lilly Pads Jammin", 11 x 14, pastel on Pastelbord.

 

I've been very busy getting ready for Sierra Art Trails http://www.sierraarttrails.org/  open studio event here in the foothills of Yosemite National Park. It opens three weeks from today.  Holly moley! That's not a long time when you consider all the things that must take place for example, cleanings one's studio and home, curating and hanging, making title and price cards, marketing, sending out post cards, telephone calls, food, and what ever else comes up during the countdown time. What makes it all worth it? For me it's an opportunity to share my passion and my creative process. It's the culmination of a years creativity. I created my last two paintings "Lilly Pads Jammin" and  "High Country Lilly Pond" (see my last blog)  too late to go to the framer but I will include them in my show naked so should anyone be interested in buying, they will have the pleasure of dressing them up anyway they want.

 

 

From Smart Phone to Smart Art

 

High Country Lilly Pond, 11 x 14, pastel on Pastelbord.

  

Wow, I've really gotten away from blogging. Maybe it was the heat or vacations or a setback with a blood disorder I have or maybe I lost my incentive or motivation. Whatever! I took a leave of absence which artist's too have a right to do. In my absence I traded in my three year old smart phone (which wasn't so smart anymore) for a new one. It's been an adventure for me . I don't have a grand kid living nearby to help me with it so I've been hounding the customer support folks. It's a good thing a new person comes on every time so they can't say "Oh No! It's her again". Glad of that. But it's been good for me going through the growing pains. I was reminded that I love learning whether it's a smart phone or in my art. I can and have put myself into my own box when it comes to art but like the cell phone it becomes not so smart anymore. With this painting, I went back once again to my old subject of lily ponds. It's been around five years since I last painted one. I discovered in the process some new thought processes,and some newer freedoms of expression that have taken place since I last journeyed there. I've also rediscovered my love for this subject matter. More to come.... Here are some older paintings I've done on the subject.

 

 

Purple Lillies, Yellow Pads, 18 x 24.

 

 

"Lilly Pond, Statue and Gardens", 18 x 24.

 

 

"Koi and Lilly Pond", 18 x 24.