It is a new age - downloading art magazines

Watercolor pencil, watercolor wash, and colored pencil

I recently was contacted by a new art magazine Colored Pencil Magazine, asking if they could feature one of my colored pencil drawings in their new magazine.  After checking it out, I agreed, and they requested the above drawing "Barrel Cactus".  My picture is in their "Gallery" section of the September Issue!  I have ordered the download and the printed version for my portfolio.  They found me through the blogs that I posted this drawing from my sketchbook!

Colored Pencil Magazine is a very nice magazine.  The featured artwork they have is amazing.  What you can do with colored pencil - for example - photorealism - is done by more artists than I knew existed.  One nice feature with this magazine, is that you can order only one issue at a time, and the download is less expensive, and it gives you a chance to see if you want to be a regular subscriber.  I encourage you to check it out - I included the link above.

Finding out about this 1-1/2 year old magazine opened up a new world for me.  It is published by HP MagCloud - a service that will provide download magazines you put together, or print and mail them to the people who order them.  Fascinating!  They do brochures and other printable things for small businesses.  I might use them in the future!

Did you (all you artists out there) know that the American Artist Magazine is no longer being published?!!  Soooo sad - that magazine has been collected by public libraries for many, many years.  Maybe that is why I never subscribed!

When I get my issue in the mail, I'll scan my page and post it!

Some exciting news

Some exciting things...

The International Association of Pastel Society's show in Brea, California has a slideshow of all the paintings (including mine) on their website.  Here is the link.  Scroll down to the slideshow.  I'm delighted they have this slideshow because it was too far for me to go to see it.  I was so impressed with the entire show.  What fantastic variations and effects and methods these paintings show how versatile pastel is!  It is a gorgeous show and I am so honored that my two pieces were in it with them!!!

Although my paintings did not win any awards (that is OK - the winning paintings were WELL DESERVED!), I did sell my painting "Desert Boulders" there!!!

Earlier this month my pastel painting "Feeding Time" sold too!

Almost Done - and my plans for this painting

I am very, very close to being done with this painting.  What I've been doing since the last post:
- finished the crinkle shadows in the petals
- finished softening the background flower using the wet first, then scrubber after it sinks in
- I used a little bit of deep crimson and dark green watercolor pencils in the base of the stamens, then softly brushed them with an almost dry brush
- I wet the background in sections and dropped in some of the same colors as well as the petals in shadow, to deepen them

The only thing I might adjust in the painting is to deepen the background in certain areas again.  When the paper dries, it can still be too light.

There is a Sierra Watercolor Society Show coming up the weekend of the Balloon Races in early September.  I'm going to enter it in their show, as well as enter it in the call to artists for the next consecutive book of "Splash".  What the heck - what do I have to lose by entering, right?

Progress on the Prickly Poppy painting

I am adding a little here and a little there.....
- I am adding some angular shadow shapes on the white petals to show the crinkly, paper-like structure
- I added deeper shadows to the right side of the yellow poofy stamen cluster
- I did a little negative painting to the leaves and stems at the left side
- Then I deepened the colors of the poppy and leaves on the left to make them in shadow
- I used a "scrubber" to soften the left edge of the shadow flower to see if it worked before I do the rest

No more shows to enter....time to play!

I am having fun taking a break from painting pastels to enter shows....here is a watercolor I am working on:

Mojave Prickly Poppy is the name of the flower.  First I drew the shapes and filled in with liquid mask.  Then I poured, brushed, dropped in, various deep rich background colors.  Before it was dry, I used a spray bottle to spray some droplets of water on it, and it made little "stars" for texture.

Next, I removed the mask and then painted the yellow center with a light yellow wash.  After it dried, I did strokes of liquid mask to look like the stamens catching light.  When it was dry, I did a darker gold and orange wash over the yellow center.  I repeated this step so I could add another darker wash over again.

Next I started doing soft shadows on the petals on the right, and then I put a light wash on the background poppy that is in shadow on the left.

Stay tuned....more to come!

"Cool Waters" pastel painting

14 x 11 pastel on board

Today I finished this painting.  I am so happy, this is my last painting I am going to submit to an upcoming show....then....that's all!  No more shows for a while!  The pressure is off.  Whew!  Now, I can relax and do some watercolor flowers I have been wanting to do.  I also want to go back to painting in oil to experiment with that too.  So nice.....

"Morning Light" pastel painting

pastel on board 11 x 14

I used a plein air field study to "bring me back to the place" and my photographic reference to do a larger studio painting here.  I made a few composition changes in this one.

An artist can change things around anyway that looks good.  Clumps of trees can be changed and moved.  Rocks can be changed too.  I might do another painting from this again....the thing I want to accomplish in all of them is the morning light, the colors, the mood.

One idea I have is to have more background showing, and open up the view.  (Sorry trees, some of you have to go!).