Cici

"Cici" (pastel, 6x6 inches) $249 Available at The Gallery at Round Top

Another little sheep from the current batch that I just framed up today for the Rockport Art Festival this weekend, July 4&5, 2015. Hope you can make it by if you're in the area!

Don Keiran (and a new Brag!)

"Don Keiran"  (pastel, 20x10 inches) sold

Here's that donkey I was not sure if I'd be able to finish before the weekend. but I got out there to my studio this morning and Just Did It! Yea!

Don Keiran will be with me at the Rockport Art Festival this weekend, July 4&5.

I also have an awesome Brag (with a capitol "B"!) I have been invited to be one of the International Featured Artists on the China Pastel Network website! This is the premier pastel organization in China, similar to our Pastel Society of America. See my page on their site here! (I have 2 pages of images; at the bottom, put a "2" in the box and click "go" to get to the second page!) Browse the other big names in pastel on their International Featured Artists page! I'm moving up in the world! ;)

And here are some progress shots of Don Keiran:

Thanks for watching! Please share!! :)

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Celestia (and the Hottest Art Festival in Texas!)

"Celestia"  (pastel, 6x6 inches)  $249 Available at The Gallery at Round Top

Almost back in the swing of things in the studio! I finished 3 new little lambs over the weekend, along with yesterday's fawn. I prepped up a 20x10 donkey underpainting but am not sure if I'll have time complete that one before the Rockport Art Festival this weekend. All these new ones will be with me there, July 4&5, 2015. Whatever I don't finish I'll probably take with me to 'demo' while I sit by my booth... always a great attention-grabber!

I've also donated another little painting to the silent auction benefiting art educational programs; one of my recent little bunnies "Clover"...

Speaking of "little" paintings, my California Workshop still has some spaces left! This is my classic pastel workshop, focusing on painting small and often. For beginner to advanced! Click the flyer below for a closer view, and visit my workshop page for more info and a convenient Paypal link!

Hope you can make it by to Rockport this weekend if you're in the area! (Yea, it's always hot! But so is the rest of Texas, so you might as well spend the weekend in Rockport!)

Meanwhile, here are some progress shots of Celestia:

 I start with an underpainting of acrylic-based pastel primers. These are a gold color and a terra cotta color. The gold one is Quiacridone Nickel Azo Gold fluid acrylic color mixed into Golden (brand) Fine Pumice Gel. The gel is clear, so the color mixture is semi-transparent, and gets darker on each application. Then I add Art Spectrum (brand) Pastel Primer in the terra cotta color. I lay it into the darkest areas, then scrub and dry-brush it into the medium values of the gold to continue the value scale and add more depth to the monochromatic underpainting.

 After working up a whole "batch" of underpaintings, I'll do the pastel part on each, one at a time..

 I used to work strictly "Dark to Light" as is best with pastel as a general rule. But after several workshops with various artists and lots of experience, I discovered...

 that one can work the darks and lights of pastel in whatever order one wishes, as long as the...

 main value categories (light, medium, and dark) remain separated and don't intermingle in the way that...

 colors in the same value categories can. Within the same value categories, where colors are layered up, there one builds the values from dark to light. (It helps to catch my main value categories in my underpainting!)

Thanks for watching! Please share! (I'd love to FILL my first California Workshop! ;)

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A New Day

"A New Day"  (pastel, 20x10 inches)  $800

Finally got back in the studio! Here's a little cutie I've been dying to paint for a long while, thanks to a friend I met in a workshop in south Texas earlier this year who very generously shared this photo with me. (Thanks Pam!) I was instantly captivated by this little one's blue eyes and dainty front hoof.

This painting will be with me this weekend at the Rockport Art Festival (unless she sells before that..)

On another note, the 100@100 Event on Saturday at the Wimberley Texas Community Center exceeded all expectations! Over $40,000 was raised for the Barnabas Connection, benefiting the Wimberley flood victims. (See my posts from last week, if you're new to my blog.) The Wimberley Valley Art League members pulled off an amazing organizational accomplishment in a very short amount of time, and deserve the gratitude of all of Wimberley for the success of their efforts. As I overheard one member saying to another "This is what this Art League was created for!"

Meanwhile, here are some progress shots of "A New Day":

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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Creek Bend (and Benefit for the Wimberley Flood Victims)

"Creek Bend" (watercolor and pastel,  12x9 inches)  Donated

See this painting and more than 250 other works of art at the Wimberley Valley Art League 100@100 Benefit this Saturday, June 27! The event is at the Wimberley Texas Community Center from 2-6pm. Most works will be available for $100. There will also be a Premier Silent Auction for more valuable works, and tables full of unique items valued at under $100.

All proceeds will go to the Barnabas Connection for the victims of the recent flooding in Wimberley. Come on out for a one-in-a-lifetime chance at these artworks! Wimberley needs you! (Scroll down for some pics of the show!)

 I stopped in this morning for some quick shots: the show looks great, and ready for lots of guests!!

Merilda Braiding (For the Wimberley Flood Victims)

"Merilda Braiding"  (pastel, 10x8 inches)  Donated

Another old portrait that I've donated to the Wimberley Valley Art League 100@100 Benefit this Saturday, June 27. The event is at the Wimberley Texas Community Center from 2-6pm. Close to 250 works of art will be had for donations of $100 +/- ! There will be a silent auction for works of a higher value; this one might be included! All proceeds will go to the Barnabas Connection for the victims of the recent flooding in Wimberley.

This one doesn't quite fit into my Renaissance Portrait series because there's no sunlight on her. She was sitting in the shade, so the light is more subtle. And I just now realized that I had done some touch-ups on this piece before another show last year, and forgot to get a new photo of the changes! It was mostly to soften the harsh edges of the braids and other areas, but I guess you'll have to come to the show on Saturday to see how much Merilda has improved!

See many of the donated works so far on the Wimberley Valley Art League Facebook Page, and all together on this Pinterest Board. Check back! More works added daily through this Friday!