Geranium Painting Begins

This stage never looks like much. I blocked in my darks and used turpenoid to work it into the paper surface. Tomorrow in class I'll start with the first layer of color. I haven't been doing much art these last two days because I've been doing assignments for class and also some reading. I got Margot's book in the mail yesterday "A Painter's Guide to Design and Composition" by Margot Schulzke. I'm hoping to improve my compositions by taking her classes, and I am very impressed with her - she is a great teacher. I'm also picking subject matter with architectural elements since I am weak in that area, and Margot is very talented there. You can see her work at www.margotschulzke.com

New Drawing

Yesterday and today I worked on the sketch for my next pastel painting. I did a lot of changes in the process. I think I'll settle with this. It may not show up in this sketch, but there is a shadow pattern from the plant and grill on the wall. I was charmed by the geraniums in the window grills when I visited Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, CA. (www.alliedartsguild.org) In fact, the whole place is wonderful. These Spanish Colonial buildings amid beautiful courtyards and gardens were created in 1929 specifically to be an arts guild. The proceeds go to support the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.

Something is Coming...

I was close to finishing this yesterday, but decided to wait until today to post it as a finished work. This is my first "mixed media". It was an experiment. I'm pleased with how it came out. When I take risks and work outside my comfort zone, it is fun. I feel a sense of freedom from my own expectations, because...I don't know what to expect!

Lake Castle is Done!

I am happy how this painting came out. I finished it in class. It is really great having a teacher give pointers at the end so I don't overwork it. A little history on this location: Back in the early 1930's George Whittell built this estate called "Thunderbird Lodge" (http://www.thunderbirdlodge.org/index.html) right on Lake Tahoe. He was an eccentric millionaire and would hold parties here for the rich and famous. He had a pet elephant and lion which he kept on the premises and paraded out for guests. This picture is of a separate little house called the Card House, where he and his friends could play cards. If he didn't like the company, there was a secret passageway from this house to an underground tunnel to the boathouse, where he would escape in his "woody".

Lake Castle in the works

I had fun working on this today, listening to opera. I've done Lake Tahoe rocky shores before. Sometimes those rocks move around and change shape on my paper!!!! How do they do that?? *?##!! Tomorrow is my class, and again I am so fortunate the weather is clear to go over the pass. I am such a wimp! To think I commuted to a job from Truckee to South Lake Tahoe for 3 years, year round. It was a gorgeous drive all along the lake....but I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore!

Something's Coming

This leopard (our guide referred to him as "the fat boy") was enjoying an all-day nap in the grass not far from his tree where his unfinished feast was on a branch. We waited and waited while he just rolled over, napped som more, got up, took two steps, plopped down again....Then, something caught his attention. This picture was that moment. We didn't know it, but the leopard did; a hyena was skulking around the brush, headed toward the leopard's kill tree. I'm still building up the watercolor. I'm almost ready to start the pastel over it. His head needs a little darker color first.

Lake Castle

Today I worked on Lake Castle. I'm building up the darks and putting highlight notes in so I can work within that range to keep everything in balance. I like this composition so much more than the original plein air quick painting I did last summer.