"Watching the Stream" pastel painting

I turned on The Magic Flute and sang along while I finished this.  It is funny, I was doing the dashes and dots of the white water to the music.  Then, after that song, I realized I overdid the dots and dashes!  So I had to go over them with color of the stream bed. 

Trying to get back into painting little by little

For the last 2 mornings I have dabbled with this painting.  This was the one I started while at the Albert Handell workshop - the one where I blocked in the watercolor underpainting and then was visited by two large dogs, so I stopped.  It is good to be painting again!  But, after a month of not painting, I feel slow as a turtle, deciding what to do and with what color.

Pixie was sooo happy I was in her area of the house, that she was scampering all around my feet and the easle, jumping in the air doing bunny binkies.  Poor bun, she has been so lonly back there with my working all day, every day in other parts of the house.

Oh, my goodness! Signature Status!

I just got word that I was granted "Signature Status" for the Sierra Pastel Society!  I am soooo flattered!

Some may be scratching their heads saying "what does that mean?"  Certain art societies have a system like this where if you are a member and have a) placed in a certain number of society shows, or b) your work was submitted to the society and voted ....  In the pastel societies - signature status makes me eligible to be in a pastel show exclusively for the signature members. 

This means - I better get busy in my new studio, because a signature show is coming up and I need to have something to take in a month!!!!!  Yikes!  (Gasp!)  Calm down!  Deep breath, exhale slooooow.  Tune out the tractors in the backyard moving boulders and dirt around....just missing the house.  Ignore the carpenter in the bedroom putting up crown moulding.  Don't answer the phone - it is probably the landscaper asking more questions.  Let the second guy figure out how to fix the pergola that went in wrong and crooked.  Hide from the mason who is putting in the barbecue......

Think art....beautiful scenery.....art....painting....

Recent pictures of my art studio

I am so anxious for things to settle down so I can use my new studio!  But details, deliveries, repairs to furniture that got damaged in the move, window coverings and drapes, landscapers, and the like, have interferred with my time!  I clearly need a window covering of some kind in that big window.  The sun comes right in and it is hot and bright.  Time to take measurements and bring out the sewing machine!

Here are some recent pictures of my studio - complete with studio bunny, checking out the new digs.  That is Pixie and she loves to run around her room and the studio.  The white bunny on the chair - that is actually a puppet!

The little dresser with mirror I just could not part with - so it has a new use - storing art supplies.

If you paint outside, they will come....

Um, are those sugar cubes in that box per chance....?

Thank you Ida, for taking pictures of me and my fans! I must have been so flustered with all the attention I got (at one time all three muzzles were sniffing at my box), that I did a poor painting.  So, below, behold my sky and foreground grasses!  (The rest are bold edits by Bill, which made it look a lot better!)




"Sierra Valley View"



Painting at the Stream's Edge

"Stream's Edge"

I really like painting streams now!  It is very fun, and I think I have developed a method.  HOWEVER, as I progressed up the page, I was getting PRETTY tired of painting all those dang rocks!!!!  Enough is enough!  So I left it a little unfinished looking....to Bill's dismay.  He gave me a hard time about that!

Learning to work with a different paper

"Indian Paintbrush on the Ledge"

Another thing I struggled with to learn - was to use different paper than I'm used to.  This is Canson "Twilight" colored paper.  I just need to pile on the lighter pastels because my paintings come out too dark.  Again, after the sun moved, I found myself being blinded by reflected light in front of me, blinding me.  I realized it a little late.  Better late than never.

Hike down to the Falls

"The Falls"

One day we hiked down a steep ravine on the Pacific Crest Trail to a waterfall.  It was VERY LOUD!  This is my attempt to do the water, but I didn't finish it as you can see from the sketched in rocks.  I learned something this day.  I learned about how the light reflects off the rocky walls of the canyon and how it blinded me.  I could no longer see what I was doing.  Now I know what I SHOULD have done.  I should have turned my easle 180 degrees around and stood on the other side so my back was to the "back-lighting".  Lesson learned....

Alpine Lake Scene

"Salmon Lake"

One day we went to a little lake to paint.  We were all told to bring our swimsuits if we wished.  So I did and I enjoyed the cool, refreshing waters since I wilt in the summer sun and heat.  Afterwards, I sat in the shade and used the back hatch of my Subaru as a desk and sat in my folding chair in my wet swimsuit and did this painting.  My plan was to do more bold "light" areas (the grassy areas cascading down the slope).  I think I succeeded, but compared to others, mine still looked pale and wimpy.  Another thing I've learned by watching Bill, is using the edge or the flat side of Terry Ludwig pastels to suggest light on the granite rocks.  He does it so well ---- maybe with practise....

Another practise at the stream

"Stream and Rocks"

This was painted totally by me!!!!

Some Mountains Need Editing!!!!!

"Sierra Buttes Meadow"

One morning, we drove down the road and went into a lush meadow with a terrific view of the Sierra Buttes.  I happily painted away (as did others) of these rock formations with snow in the crevaces.  Once I worked my way down to the trees and the meadow, I got so frustrated with my dumb looking meadow and willow bushes.  I was so absorbed with them, that when Bill came by I asked if he could help me with the meadow - my attempts weren't working well and I wanted to see what he would do.  Swipe, swipe, swipe and he was done.  Very simple, but so much more effective than my rendition.  Then, he mentioned that the mountain looked like a big hand with curling fingers like claws!  He was right!  The mountain really did look like that!  Just goes to show that nature doesn't always make a good subject to paint literally as it is!

Observing Light Hitting Water Ripples and the Rocks Under Water

"From the Bridge"

One thing Bill paints that is so amazing, is streams and lakes where you see the rocks below the surface.  I hope I can learn to do it as well, although I seem to have a different style than he does.  Here is one of my attempts.  When he came by, his critique was that I did not have enough color and light on the rocks, so he added a couple of strokes of orange.  When I look at my paintings from this workshop, I gave him permission to make a few strokes or corrections on my paintings.  That way I can see the difference.  I can actually see the part I did , and the part he did and the difference.  His strokes are bolder and simpler.  This is what I seem to need to do.  I have a habit of doing little whispy strokes.  Good learning experience.