Just About Finished with Artichoke Study

"Artichoke Tuesday - A Study" 9 x 12" pastel on Colorfix Sanded Paper

Yes, it became Artichoke Wednesday as well as Tuesday since I worked on this in the studio this morning. I still have some work to do on the highlights but will work on that tomorrow.

These studies are wonderful learning tools..I highly recommend them. Approach them as you would a finished painting. Pay attention to set up, lighting, composition, color, value, texture just as you would working on a more complex set-up.

Artichoke Tuesday....Another "Clump" Study...WIP

After learning so much from the "Green Grape Study", I decided this would be "Artichoke Tuesday - The Study".


It's hard to do a composition with just AN artichoke, so I tore off a couple of leaves from the backside and used them to set up a simple composition.


This first photo is the color of the 9 x 12" Colorfix paper. It's supposed to be a dark gray, it looks a little blue here. I have drawn my Dynamic Symmetry grid and found the lower right mean (see the tiny little mark?) My focal point (the lit side of the artichoke will be placed along that line. The small leaves are placed on one of the DS construction lines. This is believed to make the angle/the painting more pleasing to the viewer in terms of composition.

Dynamic Symmetry Grid with Right Mean Identified

Using NuPastels I have sketched in the major shapes of the artichoke and it's leaves. Starting to lay in the darks.

Major Shapes Sketched and Darks Being Added

Here I have the major shapes in and have been laying in color, constantly tweaking the shapes. You can see that the top right of the artichoke will be mostly in shadow. I got tired and lost focus today before I could get to the artichoke...will have to tackle that tomorrow.

"Artichoke Tuesday" 9 x 12" pastel on ArtSpectrum Colorfix sanded paper (Work in Progress)

Although I work from life and thus my viewpoint is a bit different than what you see here, it does give you and idea of what the setup looks like.

Photograph of Artichoke for "Artichoke Tuesday - A Study"

Green Grapes Study - Finished

Green Grape Study 9 x 12" pastel on ArtSpectrum sanded paper

Available for Purchase at Littleton Studio

I finished this piece in class on Thursday night by adjusting values and adding a few specific edges, especially in the left shadow area.

"Why would one do a study?", you might ask. My opinion is for the same reason a pianist practices with scales, or a figure skater practices their jumps....until those small components of your art become second nature, or you have solved the small problems. Only then is one able to put the pieces together into a "long" program where ones' emotion and passion creates something complete and whole.

Who knows what's next for a study?? Eggplant, artichoke, plum....guess it will be whatever is in season at the grocery store ;-)

In "Green Grapes" I wanted to practice painting a "clump" of objects where not every component needs to be defined. Which is why I think an artichoke might be a good next subject...it's also "clumpy".

Green Grapes Study...Work in Progress

This is a study I started working on...it's 9 x 12" pastel on ArtSpectrum sanded pastel paper. I didn't like the paper for my stroke-y application as much as I like Wallis, but I did eventually figure out how to get it to work.

Here is my Dynamic Symmetry grid drawn right on my paper with a pastel pencil. The focal point of the grapes is placed right on the right mean line (if you look you can see the little green x with a grape drawn on top. I've learned that line is called the Root I line....since the whole Dynamic Symmetry concept is based on root numbers. That's as far as I can explain it ;-)

I've also started to lay in my dark structures.

Here I am starting to lay in the color mostly in the midtones and light areas. The paper didn't take the strokes very well so I ended up using a softer pastel (Rembrandt) to lay some color down, then "smush" with my fingers. Then the strokes would go on top of that.


This is where I am currently...with just a little more work to do on the cloth and then maybe on the shadow area of the bunch of grapes on the left side. But we'll see. I'll take it to class tomorrow night and see what the consensus is.

Our Studio Group's exhibit is opening tomorrow night...if you are in the area stop by and have a glass of punch or wine.

Pears on Sateen...more work

The April Version of "Pears on Sateen" came out of the closet this week for another look.

I decided a couple of things:

1. The pears looked really flat, plus there were not enough darks to give them much form.

2. The colors used in the painting were all isolated....no reflected colors bouncing around.

3. Although I did set up the still life, I worked from the photograph rather than real life.

So this week I bought a couple of similar pears, took the painting into the studio and set up the lighting and a piece of fabric of similar color.....and proceeded to work on this some more.

The pears have much more form now and strokes are even more pronounced than they were on the earlier version.

I'll have it critqued on Thursday night in class (so it may not be done), but I think I'm much happier with it.


12 x 18" "Pears on Sateen" Pastel on Wallis
(click on the pic for a larger version_

Upcoming AUM Exhibit

Lemons and Blue Glass, 12 x 18" pastel by Cindy Haase

AUM Gallery is proud to present

Work by the artists of the

Deborah Bays Studio

and Special Guest

Terry Ludwig

November 13, 2009 - January 16, 2010

Opening Reception

Friday, November 13, 2009 6-9pm

AUM Framing & Gallery

2227 East Colfax

Denver, CO 80206

303-394-3362

Hours: Monday - Saturday 9am-5:30pm

Participating Artists:

• Barney Alexander
• Karen Carlston
• June Davis
• Julie Fisher
• Pam Poll
• Amber Schneider
• Linda Schneider
• Kang Lee Sheppard
• Rhoda Singer
• Gene Smith
• Valorie Snyder
• Judy Steininger
• Tracy Wilson
• Cindy Haase

Cream & Sugar - Almost Finished

Close up #1

Close up #2

Cream & Sugar, 12 x 18" Pastel on Wallis (High Key....Work in Progress

It's getting there, and more importantly I think I'm almost done with the flutes on the pitcher. Now it's a matter of edges, and adjusting...a little specific here, a little blurred there.

Already thinking about my next piece. I will be doing another high key but this time I'm going straight for the color first and not messing around with grays and neutrals.

(These pics are taken with my camera phone so they are a bit blurry.)

We've had an especially good time at the studio this week. Several of us working at one time...several are starting new pieces so lots of kibitzing about set-ups. One is finishing a piece and we're threatening him if he changes a thing...he tends to do that. Lots of talk of framing before our Studio Artists Group show, which opens on Nov 13.

Critique at LAC on Saturday

"Peaches and Blue Cup", 10 x 7", Colored Pencil on Black Illustration Board


We have a quarterly critique at Lakewood Arts Council's Community Art Center and Gallery, and Saturday was my day to lead the critque. (I'm getting warmed up as I'm also doing an evening critique on Nov 4th for the Mountainside Art Guild.)

I wanted to provide a framework for the critique rather than "I like it" or "I don't like it", so what's better to provide the framework than the 5 elements of design?

1. Line (includes edges)

2. Texture

3. Shape

4. Value (contrast of light and dark, usually on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the darkest)

5. Color

Every painting will employ most, if not all ,of the 5 design elements, however some elements will be stronger than others. If you think of them as tools, you can even plan the execution of your painting such as "I'm going to employ color and texture in this painting", or "I'm going to use values and make my painting high key".

As we critiqued each painting, we talked about which tools were the strongest in play, which ones needed to be strengthened, and how one might improve their understanding of the the elements.

For instance, if you really want your work to be about line, study techniques employed by pen and ink artists, or calligraphy, or Asian character writing. If you want your work to be more about color, study color theory until you see colors in your sleep. Just as you would learn to use a screwdriver to drive a screw (you wouldn't use a hammer!), learn to use the elements available to you to make your work more accomplished.

I am watching a DVD by David Leffel on still life painting and one of his remarks is something to this effect "...your paintings are only as good as your understanding of the elements and techniques...."

Fun Week at the Studio

Another picture of the studio with my space on the right. Two other artists are on my left and one more is on my right. There are 8 of us in all.

My dear friend June is across from me at the studio and we try to paint together whenever we can. She is an awesome artist and I so appreciate the energy she brings to our studio experience. Her painting is red silken shoes and purse with a gorgeous fringed drape.

"Cream and Sugar" 12 x 18 Pastel on Wallis (Work in Progress)

Struggled with the flowers all day yesterday and today....till about the last 20 minutes and then I seemed to make some progress. I was trying too hard to "render" them rather than "paint" them. I also sketched in some flutes and put more color on the orange sugar bowl, as well as working on drape in front.

Another Studio Day - Update on Cream & Sugar

"Cream and Sugar" 12 x 18 on Wallis (Work in Progress)

Great day at the studio, alot of opera and Starbucks. I'm exhausted, I'm not used to standing for hours on end. But I'm having a wonderful experience.

You notice how I'm dancing around the flutes on the white pitcher and the saucer ;-) Not only that the sugar bowl has a laurel pattern around the top!