Little Brown Jug - Work in Progress

"Little Brown Jug", 9 x 12" pastel on paper, (Work in Progress)

The crabapple trees in front of our new townhome have started losing their leaves, and the apples are everywhere.....but when life hands you crabapples, make a painting!

I still have a few areas to resolve, but hope to finish in the next few days....

Silver Pitcher and Teacup - Finished with Final Title

"Silver Pitcher and Teacup", 10 x 16" Pastel on Paper

Well, it's been a looong time coming, but I think this one is now finished. It started out with appleblossoms, then a dried rose, and today I decided it just needed a little greenery. So out to the rose garden to get a few cuttings.

Pitcher and Tea Roses - Work In Progress

This piece is 10" x 10" on Wallis White Sanded Paper using NuPastels, and a few Ludwigs.


Initial Sketch and Blocking of Light and Shadow
At this point the sketch is used mostly for placement

on the paper.

First Layers of Color

More Detail on Pitcher and Blocking in Rose Colors
(Light Sides and Shadow Sides)

This work in progress is to help illustrate moving from non-specific to more specifics and details. I don't paint details until near the end. The next specifics will be the roses, and then the leaves and finally the doily.

Teacup and Tiny Roses - Finished

" Teacup and Tiny Roses", 6 x 9" Pastel on Paper
Available on my website

Estes Park Exhibit

"Mexican Pitcher & Cuties"
11" x 16, Pastel on Paper

"Chopsticks & Tulip Bowl"
12 x 16" Pastel on Paper

Woohoo! The two pastel paintings shown here were accepted into the Estes Park 14th Annual "Lines into Shapes" Multi-media Art Competition and Sale, October 29th-November 14th, 2010.

The exhibit will be at the Art Center of Estes Park, 517 Big Thompson Avenue, Estes Park, CO.

Website for the center.

Teacup & Tiny Roses - WIP

"Teacup and Tiny Roses", 6 x 9" Pastel on Paper
(Work in Progress)

I love porcelain teacups, and I enjoyed painting the one in "Silver Pitcher and Dried Rose". So I thought I would try another teacup, this time with tiny little roses from outside our studio.

When I set this up (including lighting) I photographed it as a whole and closeups of the components. I still have the teacup set up in my still life box, but the roses didn't make it through the day. I am painting from life as well as the photograph, which is tricky because the colors change from real life and as seen through the technology of the camera/computer. I try to use the shapes from the photo and the color harmony from the real life set-up.

The painting is 6" x 9" on White Wallis paper. So far I have captured the light and shadow shapes, blocked in some basic colors and blended a bit....a bit more blending on the teacup.

A ways to go to finish, but a good start...

Change in Title - Still a WIP

"Silver Pitcher & Dried Rose" (Work in Progress)

10 x 16" Pastel

This has been on the back burner forever, mostly because I got hung up on painting the apple blossoms. Then it hit me, with a little help at a critique......get rid of the apple blossoms and paint something else that does work. So I brushed out the offending little blossoms and have blocked in a dried rose. I like the colors and shape much better.

I also smooshed a lot more oranges and rusts into the midtones, more greens and browns into the shadows, and more yellows and light peaches into the lights. Today I began putting in the specifics that will help the form of each object. The silver pitcher and the teacup are pretty much finished.....still working on the mini jar, the dried rose and the foreground.

Slowly but surely, I am getting to the end.

Berries and Mini Jar - Finished

"Berries and Mini Jar" 6 x 9" Pastel on Paper
(available at my website)

The September Give-Away Begins

I have posted my September entry , "String Theory", for the Bold Brush Online Competition. If you haven't ever checked out the quality of the artwork in the competition, please do. There are some fabulous pieces in the July award winners. August winners will be announced by Sept 20th. When you click the "like" button on the webpage, then please leave your name here at my blog in the comments of this post. I will start putting names in the "hat" for September. Last month we had 40 people in the running for an art note card. So I decided to do two cards. If we get 40 this month we'll do two cards.

For my artist statement on this colored pencil painting check out my website.

The art note card for September's give-away will be my most popular image, "Tea & Sympathy".

Good Luck!

Winners in the August Give-Away!!

Congratulations to the two winners in this month's give-away, Julie Sorensen and Aura Leigh Ferguson.

I appreciate all the support from my friends and art followers for voting for my painting in the Bold Brush Online Competition. All of those who "liked" my painting had their name put in the "hat" to win an art note card of my August entry, "Red Rocks". My painting ended up #23 out of about 425 paintings in the Popular Entries category.

You'll have a chance to play for the month of September as soon as I post my entry, I'll let you know.

Cheers!