"Sentinel" from Richard Wilson Paint-Along

 

"Sentinel" from Richard Wilson Paint-Along (pastel, 9x12 inches) buy here

Yay! Thanks to Richard Wilson, I feel like I can now paint trees, fairly successfully. With trunks. And branches. This subject has been my bane for ever, and after this paint-along I'm feeling much more comfortable.

Richard gave a wonderful demo of this tree-lined river during Pastel Live, which I painted along to. See some progress pics and read about my thoughts here.

This painting will be with me at the Midland Septemberfest Art festival Sept 9-11, 2022 (unless it sells first.)

Frederick, Maryland Riverwalk - A painting challenge

 

"Frederick, Maryland Riverwalk" (pastel, 9x12 inches, $475 framed Buy here)

This urban scene was a double challenge; for two separate pastel societies' monthly challenges. One was to paint an urban scene. The other was to paint in the style of a favorite artist. I decided to do both at once!

 Well, since Monet was not known for his urban scenes, I chose this river city scene and was inspired by another favorite impressionist, Alfred Sisley. My photo reference was one I took in Frederick, Maryland on a family vacation years ago. I really liked the composition of the photo just as it was (makes my painting job easier!) and I loved the early evening twilight glow.

To help me catch the impressionist style of painting in such a small pastel (9x12) I used a heavily textured paper, Sabretooth, a very bumpy sanded pastel paper. No underpainting this time, just dry working on the white paper with lots of blending of base layers. It took me about 4 hours total work time.

View the reference photo, along with some progress pics and the inspirational Sisley painting, on my public Patreon post here!

 

Twilight Road

"Twilight Road" (pastel, 9x12 inches) $475

The one landscape I actually finished from Kim Casebeer's workshop a couple weeks ago. Watching her was a real treat! Her color shifts are so subtle and her skies are luscious. I learned a lot!

I'll be adding this one to my display at the Carriage House Gallery in Boerne TX, to help represent my work for our August show Celebrate Creative Diversity, along with the work of Linda Chalberg and Donald Darst. Reception is this Saturday, August 10, 2019. Read more about it here!

Hope to see you!

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Arroyo

"Arroyo" (pastel, 9x12 inches) $475 framed

This was my painting from Lorenzo Chavez's workshop at the IAPS convention earlier this month. I'd had no time to come up with any photo of my own so I used one of Lorenzo's pics that he graciously supplied to his students.

Lorenzo is a wonderful teacher, and gave the most creative demonstration of reflected light I've ever seen, using a rainbow umbrella and a white cloth and a fountain in the courtyard of the Hotel Albuquerque. I highly recommend his workshop to anyone wanting to improve their landscape painting!

I did get some photos of Lorenzo's demo, which I've posted on my Art Journal Blog.

Here's my attempt:

Thumbnails... an excellent tool!

 I'm not usually a thumbnail kind of artist, but for landscapes I'm learning that a few thoughtful thumbnail sketches can go a long way to simplifying a vision and improving composition. Most landscape photos have more information that a good painting really needs...

It was the red wall of the arroyo that first caught my eye in this photo of Lorenzo's. So I honed in on that rather than try to include the mountains, the plains, the plants, and the arroyo equally. (Though the photo is gorgeous as is, and would also make a beautiful painting with much less editing..)

At end of workshop

Tweaked a little at home.

  I enjoyed Lorenzo's workshop very much... except for the fact that he uses Canson paper. I grew up on Canson in my early years of pastel, and thought I would take right to it again, but I found it a little more challenging than I anticipated, after so much time using sanded surfaces. I guess one likes best what one gets used to over time. I do like my result with this painting, but I'm eager to try more landscapes on some sanded papers!

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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Tarts-scape

"Tarts-scape" (pastel, 9x12 inches) sold

My Wednesday painting for the Two Rivers Plein Air Festival last week, at the 2 Tarts Bakery, downtown New Braunfels, TX. It was kinda rainy so I decided to stay in! I managed to last until the painting was done, before I ate that cupcake on the upper right...

And since I didn't get a chance to post this until after the event, I'm able to brag now that my other painting "Passing Through" won Third Place! Whoo hoo!

scoping the location...

...and honing in (photo)

drawing

under-colors

Washing in the under-painting...

 And more dry pastel...

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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Passing Through

"Passing Through"  (pastel, 9x12 inches) $450 framed

This was my Tuesday morning painting in downtown New Braunfels for the first Two Rivers Plein Air Festival. I painted another location on Wednesday morning, which I'll post tomorrow, if I have time...
I'm a little bummed that I couldn't finish out the week. Friday is their judging, quick draw, and big event in the evening. I'll be on my way to the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson TX (Dallas area) for this weekend, May 4 & 5.

"Passing Through" will stay at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery through Friday May 3. If you're near New Braunfels, do stop in and see all the amazing paintings by participating artists from all across the US. Some really incredible talent came in for this event!

If you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth area this weekend, please do come to the Cottonwood Art Fest and see me and all the other great artists showing and selling our work! :)

scoping the location...

Decided to use my new Lyn Asselta pastels for this one, before I incorporate them into my travel box. Jack Richeson & Co. donated the gift certificate that I won at the Austin Pastel Society for "Persephone", and they asked my to share my accomplishments with these sets!

Thanks for watching! Please share!


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