McDonald Fine Art Work

Mingo Flats demo

2012-01-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

In the second of a series of Saturday workshop I demonstrated "Mingo Flats Road". First, the students were asked to study the reference photo and see how I manipulated the image to create a better composition.
Here's the reference photo, the sketch and the final pastel created for the step by step demo.
I chose to move the large trees and the house back into the middle ground closer to the background to give room to the mountain and create a sense of the largeness of the mountain.
However, I strayed from the value study of the sketch by making both trees the same value. If I stayed true to the value sketch the tree on the left side of the road would have appeared even further back into the picture plane. And in the value sketch the further back mountain looks as if a storm has darken it with the foreground still in sunlight.
I may have to try this again and I do like the telephone poles - also eliminated from the final piece.

"Mingo Flats Road" 8" x 12" demo on LaCarte sanded paper

"End of the Day"

2012-01-24T12:47:00.000-08:00

"An artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep." Paul Strand
As you know I love working at Shaker Village Pleasant Hill, KY. Last fall I snapped the photograph for this scene and after looking at it often I've finally decided to take it on. I'm interested in the evening light at the end of the day and how it plays along the edges of the horses and buggy driver with the dark barn in the background producing a perfect contrast to the light.
This piece will be in my one person show at Artists Attic in February 2013. My goal is to produce at least 2 new pieces per month along with the pieces I have to create for the art fair circuit this year. That's why I'm starting now!

"End of the Day" 18" x 24" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

Mingo Road color studies

2012-01-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are." Oscar Wilde
For my next workshop I'll be demonstrating "Mingo Road Maple" and today I created some color studies of the scene as well as small b/w pencil studies of values.
I"ve started the final piece and will post the steps tomorrow. Can you guess which one I"ll chose ? Kind of an easy question when you see which one I work on the longest.
The upper left was a complementary red/green study and the top right was a orange/blue study but the photo looks more red than orange.
The lower left image was an orange/blue complementary study with more subtle exploration of blues.

"Mingo Road Maple" color studies

Mariposa Grove

2012-01-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau
Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park contains a beautiful grove of hugh Giant Sequoias trees and it's easy to understand why the Native Americans worshipped here.
The museum cabin sits at the top of the mountain which is a 2 miles hike up but well worth the trip.
I included the cabin to give scale to the trees. The October sun was illuminating the tops of the giants but the forest floor was sinking into shadow.

"Mariposa Grove" 12"x8" pastel on LaCarte sanded paper

Passages Evening Light

2012-01-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

The last 20 minutes of evening light can produce startling color and contrast. "Passages - Evening Light" is about that last few minutes when the orange colored sun flashes the landscape with brilliant color.

"Passages - Evening Light" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

Llama fun

2012-01-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain

Winter doldrums. Time for some fun.

I've been reading Ian Roberts' book on composition and Marla Bagetta's article on thumbnail sketches and color studies which I'm trying to apply to my pastel landscapes. But all that studying can be tiresome and Gallery B's next group show is "Animals" so I created 3 funny llama portraits to submit to the show. I'll let you know if all 3 are accepted. These llamas belong to an artists friend, Debbie Westerfield, who creates the most original clay pieces and the llamas' goofy attitude seem to reflect her wonderful imagination.

"Mahelia Too" 14"x11" pastel on sanded paper made with pastel primer

"Smilin" 14" x 11" pastel on sanded paper created with pastel primer

"Suki" 14"x11" pastel on sanded paper created with pastel primer

Dogwood Creek oil painting

2012-01-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

"Don't be an art critic, but paint, there lies salvation." Paul Cezanne

I belong to the Plein Air Painters of the Bluegrass and since it's difficult to plein air paint in Kentucky in the wintertime, the group gathers at Artists Attic for a paint in.

A couple of years ago in the middle of a very cold winter I was tired of pastelling in the studio so I put on all the clothes I could find plus foot and hand warmer and brave the cold and snow to work for about 45 minutes on some plein air pastels. Here is the image from February 2010.

Well, I also took photographs and used one to work on this oil painting this week in the warmth of the studio at Artists Attic.

As much as I enjoy working in oil I still prefer the soft edge and color control that I have with pastels, and no drying time!

"February Freeze" 7" x 10" plein air pastel

"Dogwood Creek Winter" 11"x14" oil

Pleasant Valley steps

2012-01-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

"The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel." Piet Mondrian

I had the students in my pastel workshop at Artists Attic create two images in one day. Yes, I had them working hard. :-)

The afternoon project was "Pleasant Valley" and here are the steps for that project. I've created images of this valley before but this time I wanted to emphasize the mowing lines in the field as a compositional element that leads the viewer's eye from foreground back to the shed and house area which is the point of interest.

As in the "Water House" demo, the little dots at the top of the image a for teaching purposes and will be matted off when the piece is framed.

"Pleasant Valley Evening" 8" x 12" on LaCarte sanded paper

Waterhouse demo steps

2012-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

"He who has imagination without learning has wings but no feet." Joseph Joubert
My first winter Pastel Workshop was last Saturday and I had 14 terrific students who worked so hard and created some really terrific drawings. I'm syked about having another workshop which will be Jan. 28.
Here are the "steps" for the "Water House" demonstration. I start the class with a less complicated image so the students can concentrate on layering colors over colors, focus on using the side of the pastel, and learn much pressure will create different thicknesses of the application.
If you'd like to create your own "Water House" using my steps, go for it!
Tomorrow I'll post the steps for the landscape demo that we all drew in the afternoon.

Draw basic shapes

Add shadows with indigo and denote sunny area with yellow orange

Layer in local color but keep it dark so the next layer will have something to play against.

The last layers of color are the lightest, like drawing with sunshine

Waterhouse Shaker Village

2012-01-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." Henri Matisse

This quote reminds me of Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, a truly lovely place. I love drawing there - it's so peaceful. The waterhouse is one of my favorite buildings and I've drawn it many time which is why I thought it would be fun to use it for the demonstration for my pastel workshop on Saturday. I'll post the "step by step" tomorrow.

If you remember my drawing of the waterhouse from last year you'll notice that this version is stylized as more of a children's book illustration than a realistic drawing. It's fun to change subject matter and make it your own. The little colored dots at the top of the drawing are part of the instructional demo for my class but I like the dots, so maybe I'll expand the dots all the way across the top and bottom.

"Waterhouse" 12"x8" on sanded pastel paper

Winter Scene oil painting

2012-01-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes imagination pounces; mostly it sleeps soundly in the corner, purring." Terri Guillemets

I attended a wonderful oil painting workshop conducted by Dan McGrath at Artists' Attic this past Saturday.

Here's the finished 8"x10" oil from the day of work. I started another one but it's only 1/2 finished and not "ready for prime time" yet.

I"m also going to try this scene in pastels. Bet it'll be better than this -- hope so, but the class was great fun to share time with other artists and be the student instead of the teacher.

"Dogwood Creek - winter morning" 8"x10" oil

2012-01-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

"The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real." Lucian Freud

The three biggies for a successful painting are 1) Composition 2) Color 3) Content

Today I worked controlling a mood through color choices.

The first of "Frank's Sheds" is suppose to convey a bright sunny morning with an upbeat mood using analagous colors of blue/green/yellow/orange range.

In the second one I tried to convey a quiet, hazy, thoughtful mood by using grayed colors in a split-complement color combination of blue/purple and a gray-green and a bit of accent color pink.

"Frank's Sheds 1" 12" x 8" on LaCarte sanded paper

"Frank's Sheds 2" 12" x 8" on LaCarte sanded paper

Going Down to Mingo

2012-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." Edward Hopper

Today I attended a "Winter Images" oil painting workshop with Dan McGrath held at Artists' Attic in Lexington, KY. Wow, that was a powerful workshop and Dan's a great teacher.

But because I was painting in oils all day, I don't have a "Pastel A Day" to post.

Instead I'll post an image of the piece I have donated to the Living Arts and Science Center's fundraiser which will be held at Big Ass Fan's home office on February 11.

"Going Down to Mingo" 16" x 24" framed pastel to be auctioned at LASC fundraiser

Pleasant Valley demonstration

2012-01-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

I'll be teaching a pastel workshop at Artists' Attic next weekend. In preparation for the class I create an image in advance and take digital photos to provide a step by step hand-out for the class. This is the landscape image for the class.

"Pleasant Valley demo" 8"x12" on LaCarte sanded paper

Pisgah Pike Sketches

2012-01-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

"Don't expect anything original from an echo." -Author Unknown

Funny quote. Here are the black and white thumbnail sketches that I drew to explore the composition. Then I created color thumbnails, actually about 3" x 5", sketches to explore color relationships.

Notice that in the final pieces, which I posted in last night's blog, I left out the telephone pole. It was too dominate as an element and took the viewer's attention away from the road.

Pisgah Pike - Three Studies

2012-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

"He who has imagination without learning has wings but no feet." -Joseph Joubert

"The well laid plans of mice and men." I don't know who said that but it explains my "Pastel a Day" concept falling flat after just one day. So tonight I'm posting 3 images to make up for my laziness last night.

I recently watched a wonderful video by Colleen Howe who talks about preplanning your pastel and we all know how important thumbnail studies are but so few of us do them. These 3 pastels were created after I did color thumbnails which are creatively freeing. As an artists you have only time invested because no one is going to see them, so you can be more free to experiment with color. I actually like the little studies even more than these 3 but I'll have to post the studies tomorrow.

Which one do you like better?

"Pisgah Pike 3" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

"Pisgah Pike 2" 8" x 11" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

"Pisgah Pike 1" 8" x 12" pastel on sanded paper

55 days of New Pastels

2012-01-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" Pablo Picasso

I've used this quote before but I love it so much that it's a good start for my next run at "Pastel a Day". For the next 55 days, which is how many days I have before "Kentucky Crafted The Market", I'll create and post a pastel each day. I did 60 days last winter and it was a great motivator to explore and produce.

This is a scene from Shaker Village which I have reworked again because it seemed too dark when I showed it at the last art fair. Sometimes it takes framing a piece and then standing back and just looking at it for awhile to make decisions about it's future. Too many times I've overworked a piece to be disappointed that I filled up the texture of this paper which I create using Art Spectrum's pastel primer. The great thing about this paper is that if I overwork the paper I can wipe off the too heavy application of pastel with a baby wipe and go all the way back to the color pastel primer and then start more carefully adding layers of color.

"Shaker Fields Dusk 1" 16"x20" matted on sanded paper created with pastel primer

Still LIfe set up

2011-12-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

For my class tomorrow we're working on a still life set up and here's an idea of how to create an environment for light and shadow to illuminate your still life.

Take a box large enough to display your still life objects. cut a hole in the box for your personal light source to shine through the hole. Find your personal light source. I used a small flexible arm reading light.

Below are also 3 different still lifes using fruit. And the final shot is the box set up with light source

Still Life #1 - 5 pieces of fruit but a boring arrangement

Still Life #2 has a more interesting arrangement of fruit and objects as well as light and shadow

Still life #3-I like the light and shadow of the box sides and the shadow from the fruit

Still life set up with flexible arm reading light and medium size box

Merced River Reflections

2011-11-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

This is the second demonstration of water reflections which involves moving water. My art is not a photo realistic but more of an impressionistic so my approach to moving water is to try to grab the feeling of rushing white water but not every detail.

Step 1 I draw in the shapes and block in some of the darks with the pastel pencil. Notice the light lines dividing the paper into 1/3s. This approach is an aid in drawing and composition.

Step 1- Draw in basic shapes. A good time for drawing corrections if needed

Step 2-Start blocking in darks and lights

Step 3 - Continue blocking in shapes but because this water is moving I am adding more horizontal strokes earlier in the drawing process

Step 4 - Push the color to get some expression of the scene and not just copy nature

Step 5 - Add the final light areas of moving water using expressive strokes of color

Yosemite Valley Reflections

2011-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

"Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. " Salvador Dali
This blog is for my Tuesday night pastel class. Hi class!
I thought it would be fun to post the step by step for our class, "How do we paint water?"
I read once that the least you do to water the better. In other words, try to get down the essence of water and then quit messing with it. I like to create a vertical stoke of color because reflections are a large part of what makes water look wet. Those shapes are a reflection of the vertical objects from above the water.
I know it's a bit complicated drawing - lots of shapes - but I'm excited about my trip to Yosemite so I just couldn't help but create an pastel from my trip. In class we may take just a part of the image and work on that.

So lets' start with drawing in the basic shapes. (Wolf Kahn doesn't like drawing in the basic shapes but that's for another lesson"

Step 1 -Draw in the basic shapes

Step 2 - Add local color

Step 3 - Block in reflected color.

Step 4 - Add more vertical strokes of color. That which is dark above will be reflected a bit lighter and the light colors will be reflected a bit darker creating reflected color which is closer in value.

Step 5 - Add lighter areas to water and horizontal strokes to depict movement

Plein air on gray

2011-10-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blogs you know I'm not excited about a gray day. I prefer strong light and shadow but today our Plein Air Painters of the Bluegrass group met at a friend's farm in Nonesuch, KY and the day was gray. I went mostly to photograph her llamas but Dan, who really appreciates tonal values, talked me into trying the more subtle view of the fall colors.

"Subtle Fall" 12" x 8" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

This next one started out to be just a very small study of the upper part of the vista but since I had more paper on the bottom I just kept recording the foreground texture. I'd like to go back tomorrow and just do studies of the abstract texture of the foreground weeds but it's suppose to rain and I'm o.k. with gray but not with rain.

"Fall Layers" 12" x 8" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

I like the textured bramble better than the vista which brings up another topic.
Why do we work outdoors?
1) to finish an actual piece recording all the visual input of the moment.
2) to study a scene whether it's the color, shapes, or values
3) to practice working quickly to record the feeling, not just the information.

Following the setting sun

2011-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

...everything is vague, confused, and Nature grows drowsy. The fresh evening air sighs among the leaves - the birds, these voices of the flowers are saying their evening prayer. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Shaker Village is even more special as the sun sets and the fields grow orange-golden. Plein air painting is even more demanding when the sun sinks so quickly. So today, I knew exactly where I wanted to set up and I knew what I wanted to capture, but doing that is always more difficult in reality then in my imagination.
This is a series of sketches that I hope to use as reference for a large pastel, however the more I study the images the more I think that trying to incorporate all will be too much information and not a clear focus. It may be best to develop 2 pastels, one of the sycamore and the other of the orange field.

"Sycamore and Fence" plein air sketch

"Chasing the setting sun1" plein air sketch

"Chasing the setting sun2" plein air sketch

Hayrolls

2011-08-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

"The best laid plans of mice and man." ??
I don't know who said that. It's such a common saying that the author has faded in the glare of an overused saying. But my point is that no matter how many times I tell my students, "Don't put the point of interest smack in the middle of the drawing" here it is, right in the middle. Using another overused saying "make lemonade out of lemons," I named this piece "Front and Center" to beat my critics to the punch. Yes, I know it's right in the middle, and I I still like it :-)
Maybe some creative cropping would help?

"Front and Center" 12" x 8" plein air pastel on sanded paper

Let's try a square?The 2 hayrolls if viewed as a unit are still in the middle but the large one is more to the right side and in this version the hayrolls are unmistakenly the point of interest.

"Front and Center, Square Up"

I like viewing the images small. I can see design flaws more easily, like the strong diagonal of the fence row needs to be counter balanced by a stronger angle to the blue mountains. I'll try some creative photoshopping.

Yes, I like that better, but now I have to get back to matting/framing for the Woodland Art Fair, in Woodland Park, Lexington, KY this weekend.

Rectangle or square

2011-08-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. " Pablo Picasso
I've drawn this little outbuilding before but from a photograph. This one was created en plein air this week.
But what I want to talk about is how convenient working with pastels and pastel paper is compared to dealing with a stretched canvas.
While preparing this image for tonight's blog I accidently cropped it as a square and I like it much better. With pastel paper all I have to do is just cut the paper before matting and framing but if it was an oil painting on stretcher bars then it would just have to stay as is.
What do you think? Which format do you like better?

"Shaker Outbuilding" 12" x 8" pastel

"Shaker Outbuilding Two" 8" x 8" pastel

Shaker Light

2011-08-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery." Francis Bacon
Shaker Village has a special feel that is almost beyond words. There's a quiet there, a feel of contemplation and safety.
The afternoon light was clear and bright as I headed to Shaker Village and while viewing the light and shadows on the buildings I felt like depicting them not with all the detail but to try to infuse the structure with a more ethereal feel without the pale colors typical of spirituality.
I may follow this series further.
This one is going somewhere but not sure it's even 1/2 way there. I may try it again with other colors or try other structures. When leaving the area I spotted some barns and outbuildings that would be good in the morning sun.

"Shaker Light" 8" x 12" pastel on sanded paper

"Mingo Flats Evening"

2011-08-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." Edward Hopper
This view always takes my breathe away. I'm looking to the west over Mingo Flats, West Virginia and it hasn't changed since I was a child.
Late in the evening, the golden hour, the mountains turn a dusty blue and the setting sun casts long shadows over the valley. I can hear a dog bark and wind in the grasses, maybe a tractor but that's about all. "There will be peace in the valley...." hymn.

"Mingo Flats Evening" plein air 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

August 2011 Polarization

2011-08-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye.. it also includes the inner pictures of the soul. " Edvard Munch
Yesterday morning as I stared at the two barns on the hill I was struck at how opposite they were in color, size, and shape. They reminded me of the polarization in our world on all fronts....nobody is getting along with anybody.
"Polarization" is my artistic interpretation of the state of affairs for August 2011.
It's pretty homogenized but the barns are opposites that reside together on the same hilltop.

"August 2011 Polarization" 8" x 12" pastel on wallis sanded paper

"The Bridge"

2011-08-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." Edgar Degas
Another day of beautiful summer weather and plein air painting on Frogtown Road - not a very pretty name for a place.
When painting from nature I'm always conflicted by "what makes a good painting and what makes a good plein air experience?" In other words, plein air for me is observing nature, being inspired by the light, or the color or contrast, the composition, movement of shapes as they descend towards the background. And how does an artist adjust all those things to create a striking piece without strongly altering what is observed?
One way is to create the piece while observing nature and then use the piece for inspiration when back in the studio with controlled conditions and space, both physical and mental, to change what needs to be changed.
Marc Chagall said, "Great art picks up where nature ends."
Something to ponder.
Meantime here's one of my pieces from today.

"Shadwell Farm Bridge-late afternoon" 12" x 8" pastel

"Joy's Drive"

2011-08-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

"The hurrier I go the behinder I get" Amish saying
I've moved my studio at Artists' Attic which has taken 3 days of my creative time which I should be using to get ready for Woodland Fair, but I just want the new studio to be "right" so it feels good to work in and looks nice for visitors.
Which means I didn't get to work on any pastels again today.
This is "Joy's Drive 3" from my trip to West Virginia and yes, I've drawn Joy's drive before but this is farther up the road and my point of interest is the bright area at the end of the road before it bends to the right. That can be a tricky composition because I'm putting the point of interest in brighter colors in the background which is an area that should have atmospheric lighter bluer colors to make it fade away instead of hop forward. Do you think the drawing works?

"Joy's Drive 3" 8" x 12" plein air pastel on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Frogtown creek

2011-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

"Good food, good wine, good friends and art - can't get much better than that." me
The Bluegrass Plein Air Painters met at Frogtown Road off Parker's Mill Road close to Versailles Road - in case you ever want to go there. (Oh yes, and after painting for 3 hours we met at Ramsey's for dinner--really fun evening.) The creek that runs along the road is beautiful - small, but with the cleanest water I've seen in Kentucky. The creek apparently runs through only horse farm fields because it has no mud or silt in it.
Today, we finally had a decent summer day without the horrid humidity that we've had all summer long and the sunshine was bright creating long dark bluish shadows as it set with golden light.
This piece will probably get some touch up tomorrow after I'm away from it which always helps one see what really happens while working on it."The mountain is clearer from the plain." Kahil Gilbran

"Frogtown Road creek" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis paper

VanMeter Road

2011-08-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

No quote today. I had a follow up from cataract surgery laser procedure on my eye so I'm taking it a bit easy.
"VanMeter Road" was created in July as part of my prep sketching for the Run for the Bluegrass mini-marathon poster so it's technically not a "Pastel a Day".
I'll be drawing with the Plein Air Painters of the Bluegrass tomorrow night. Hopefully I'll have a piece completed that I can post.

"VanMeter Road 2" 20" x 9" pastel on textured pastel paper

Water house Shaker Village

2011-08-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

"You are the sunshine of my life," Stevie Wonder
My daughter left today to work at the American School in Barcelona, Spain for 2 years. She's my sunshine and I'm going to miss her so much, but art is a great way to go someplace without leaving. So I go into my art and will seek the sunshine even more.
Here's the other piece that I created down at Shaker Village during the Plein Air Painters of the Bluegrass on the paint out.
I love this little water house building. It's the Shaker version of our modern water tower and inside was a large water storage tank that was supplied with fresh water from the pond below and the horses somehow by walking in a circle, hooked up to a wheel pumped the water up the hill and into the water tower. The funny little projectile coming out of the top of the building rises as the water rises. The Shakers were extremely cleaver especially for 1820.

"Water House" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

Shaker Village Plein Air

2011-08-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

"Almost heaven West Virginia" John Denver
I've been on vacation to my favorite vacation spot, Mingo, West Virginia, but today's image is from a plein air paint out that the Bluegrass Plein Air Painters had today at Shaker Village. Early in the day the sky was gray and trying to rain. I couldn't get inspired by anything because my interest is light and shadow. Finally after lunch when the sun shone, I created one piece that I liked and then another late in the afternoon. Late afternoon is really the golden hour when light and shadow produce luscious colors.
I've painted this house before but each time I try to capture the essence of afternoon light on the limestone building.

"Shaker Home August Afternoon" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

July has been busily distracting but now it's time to get back to business with Woodland Fair August 20-21 and then 3 fairs back to back in late September and early October.
Last winter I produced a "Pastel a Day" for 60 days and that was a very productive time, so I've decided to try it again starting with today's image. I'll also post some of the pieces from my trip to WVA in July.

"Flora's Field Morning"

2011-06-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

"Morning dawns rosy fingers...." anonymous
The Bluegrass Plain Air Painters met at Flora's farm for a Wednesday paint-out and of course I took my pastels instead of paint - they let me be a member anyway. :-)
I created a small sketch on Uart sanded paper to which I had applied a golden orange underpainting. The sketch was more horizontal and the format of the trees needed to be more square, so the next day I created a new larger version on a square format. The original little sketch is my favorite of the summer, so far, and I'm not going to sell it. I have a closet full of favorites and one of these days that closet is going to get too full......
I'll be showing this piece as well as lots of other new pieces at Francisco's Farm Art Fair, at Equus Run Vineyard, 1280 Moore's Mill Rd. Midway, KY June 25-26.

"Flora's Field Morning" 22" x 24" framed $650

"Woodford County Purple Barn"

2011-06-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

"When I grow old, I'll wear a purple hat." or was it "I'll wear a red hat and purple shoes."

Whichever, I love purple and many of my customers ask, "Was that barn really purple?" Well, no, but it feels purple and beside black barns are boring.

I'll have this barn at Summerfair along with 2 other purple barns all lined up on the same wall. Hoping to get some attention. :-)

If the posting of this info and image isn't looking correct when it gets to my website I may have to start using ArtSpan's blogging site. Oh goody, something new to learn.
Between learning my new iphone and The Square which is a merchant credit card processor that hooks into the iphone (and yes, it's really something else!) my poor little brain is about fried on learning new things.
Back to the best part of my job, creating new pastels for my next show.
I'll have 2 more shows in June. June 17-19, I'll be at Nashville's Centennial Park with the American Artisans Art Fair and June 25-26 I'll be back in my home territory at Francisco's Farm Art Fair at it's new location of Equus Run Vineyard in Midway. Wine to enhance your art experience - now that kind of change I can go with.

"Woodford County Barn" 16" x 20" framed on textured sanded paper

Tuscany images

2011-06-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

"Good things come in small packages"

o.k this site isn't working quite right. I don't know what happened to my previous posts. So I'm going to add another post to see if it links ok. yep, I love changes.

At my art fairs I like to have a good range of sizes and prices. These are little framed 10" x 10" images from my trip to Italy last fall.

"Dogwood Creek Morning"

2011-06-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

"When morning glides the sky, my heart awakening cries" hymn

It's been awhile since my last blog partly because something has changed with eblogger from Google and I had trouble finding it and signing in. Love changes.

So I'm off to Summerfair in Cincinnati at Coney Island off I-275 and Kellogg Ave. Booth 29K. The breeze will be blowing cool off the river and I have 2 great little fans that run on 18 volt rechargeable batteries from Home Depot.

This creek runs through our park which I run/walk through in the early morning and on this morning it was so beautiful that I had to walk back home, sweating all the way, and grab my camera and sketch book. Later in the week at my studio in Artists Attic using these two references I created "Dogwood Creek Morning."

I'm still in a quandary about the best approach - pure plein air-creating the piece entirely on site or using reference photos and black and white sketches to help me capture the essence of the scene. I'll continue to battle with plein air to get that interpretation of the scene instead of just reporting what I'm viewing. On this piece I used an oil wash for the initial underpainting which is another goal - to be able to create an underpainting that is satisfying in it's own right, so I don't end up covering up all the underpainting with pastel.

"Dogwood Creek Morning" oil wash and pastel, framed 24" x 30" $850

Red River Gorge Rocks

2011-05-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams
My daughter climbs rock, very tall rocks, just for the fun and challenge of it. I don't get it but this quote reminds me of her recreation and there are no mistakes in rock climbing.
These 2 drawings are for a friend who is developing a product and needs drawings of Red River Gorge rocks.

"Red River Gorge Rocks" 10" x 6"

So what do you think, Baesha and Kathy? Like either one???

"Climbing the Gorge" 10" x 6"

Color-Barns

2011-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

"Color thinks by itself, independently of the objects it clothes." Charles Baudelaire
I started using pastels in 1983 because my watercolors were whimpy in the color department. I took those vibrant pastels and colorized the watercolors which improved them a great deal.
I've always been in love with color - who isn't, vibrant, rich and highly contrasting colors. I can still appreciate a piece of art executed in monotones (if drawn well) and tonal coloration but I'm always pulled towards brightly colored pieces.
When you think about your own "visual voice" as an artist, think about how you feel about color and put that thought into your artist statement.
Here's two images of the same barn in different colors. Which one are you drawn to?

"Purple Barn - Barren County" 8" x 12" on textured sanded paper

"Red Barn - Barren County" 8"x12" pastel on textured sanded paper

Not only is the purple barn smaller on the picture plane but the purple color seems to recede and the red barn comes forward. Hans Hoffman was an artists and wonderful teacher in the early to mid 20th century. He taught how colors move forward and recede and how objects have a push and pull against each other and within the picture plane. One of my favorite artists Wolf Kahn studied with Hans Hoffman.

Raven Run May

2011-05-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

"With winter's blast can spring be far behind?" anonymous
Do you remember last February? Well, spring is finally here but we've had so much rain that I haven't been out working en plein aire and consequently I missed the Blue-eyed Marys which blanket the forest floor at Raven Run Park in southern Fayette County.
But the glorious sun was shining today and the sky a bright blue. This hiking trail is covered with flowers in April.

Raven Run with "Raven Run May" in lower left corner

Bath House at Shaker Village

2011-04-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

I like producing work in "twos" Sometimes a customer will want something to go along with the piece they're attracted to. These 2 examples have different coloring even though it's the same building but in morning light and afternoon light.
This bath house at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill has always interested me and I've drawn it 3-4 other times, each with a different take. These 2 are on the textured paper created with Art Spectrum's pastel primer.

"Shaker Village Bath House 1" 6" x 6" on textured sanded paper

"Shaker Village Bath House 2" 6" x 6" on textured sanded paper

Spring Rain

2011-04-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

"Rain, rain, go away" nursery rhyme
If you live in Kentucky, you know what I'm taking about. We've had the wettest April in history; with today's rain it'll top out around 12" for the month. No plein air painting this month.
So here's a pastel created this winter from a rainy evening in Florence, Italy.
This weekend I'm headed to Cherokee Triangle Art Fair, at Bardstown Road and Cherokee Parkway, in Louisville, booth #206. Come see me if you're in the area.

"Rainy Florence Evening" 12" x 8" on Wallis sanded paper

Lexington Tulips

2011-04-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

"With winter's blast, can spring be far behind?" anonymous
Finally, spring is here and I went to Lexington Cemetery to draw the tulips. All winter my backpack sat in the corner of my studio loaded with pastels and paper and today, at last, I plopped it on my back and walked the cemetery grounds looking for that perfect spot to view the tulips.
The Lexington Garden Club plants the flower beds every fall with fresh tulip bulbs and the spring display is gorgeous. Today many viewers were out taking photo of the tulips especially with little kiddos posing in front of a background of beautiful tulips.

"Lexington Tulips" 8'x12" plein aire drawing on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

"Italian Rhythms"

2011-03-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Pondering yesterday's disappointing drawing, I looked at which ones were working and which seemed lost. Rhythm was the common denominator of those I felt were more successful. I'm more interested in the rhythm of the shapes and colors. Rooftops, buildings, shutters, things that repeat but vary.
Late last night I read an article in American Artist Magazine May 2011"Escape to the Outer Cape: Landscapes of Brenda Horowitz" where Brenda talks about her admiration for Mark Rothko's "pure and bold" color and Hans Hofmann's "Vibrant and fresh" color. "Pare down pictorial compostions to essential elements of color, line and form," she says.
That's what I'm looking for.

"Rooftop Rhythms" 8" x 12" on Wallis sanded paper

Which one is the plein aire/on location drawing from Italy and which one was today's studio piece? Too easy, isn't it?

"Florentine Rooftops" 8" x 12" on Wallis sanded paper

After filing my taxes today, I think my trip to Italy was well worth the expense and needs to be repeated. SOON! There's nothing like working on location.

"Cetona Flowers"

2011-03-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things but their inner significance" Aristotle
I'm still struggling with images from Italy. The experience was so wonderful that I can't seem to make my images equal the feeling of the trip. I worked on this one yesterday, wiped out half of it and reworked it today but am not satisfied. I feel like I'm totally missing the point. Aristotle has the right idea, but why can't I seem to even get close to that.
Frustration.

"Cetona Flowers" 10" x 7" on Wallis sanded paper

This is closer, but still not there. It's a poor attempt at realism and shouldn't even be realism. It should be expressionism or abstraction.

"Cetona Flowers" - close-up

And yesterday's question. Which drawing was plein aire and which was studio created? "Cetona Pink Pants" is the studio piece. I bet everyone guessed it correctly.

"Cetona Streets"

2011-03-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby. Ain't nothin' like the real thing." who sang that?
So here's my dilemma. I created 30 plein aire drawings on my trip to Italy, but to me they are the essence of my trip and I won't sell any of them. However my 5 friends and I are having a show of our work and I'm creating new pieces for the show.
Here are my two drawings. Can you tell which one was drawn on location in Italy and which was was drawn today in my studio with the reference photo as my inspiration?
The answer will be in tomorrow's blog.
Which one do you like better?

"Cetona - Pink Pants" 12" x 8" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

"Cetona Backstreets" 12" x 8" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

"Daffodils"

2011-03-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

"I am no greater for one man's praise, nor less for his criticism." anonymous
One art fair down and 11 more to go. Let's hope the others are better than this one, but I always say, I'm there advertising my work and you never know when someone will think about something they've seen and decide they can't live without it; buying it at the next fair.
So here's little piece of cheery spring from 2010. I'm looking forward to getting back into plein aire drawing in the coming weeks.

"Daffodils" 8" x 12" on Wallis sanded paper. Plein aire drawing

Day 60 "Corn Rows 4"

2011-03-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Pray for Japan and all the people who are suffering. They are amazing people. If you wish to give money be sure it's a legitimate website. There are always lots of scammers out there during a crisis.

I made it. It's day 60 of my 60 days of "Pastel a Day" and it's the last day of work before leaving for KYCrafted the Market. Wholesale days are March 17 & 18, and retail days are 19 & 20 at KY State Fair and Expo Center in Louisville, KY.
Talk to you all next week.

"Corn Rows" 6" x 6" on La Carte sanded paper

Day 59 "Piggies 4"

2011-03-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams
Continuing the "Animal Quilt" series is "Piggies 4"
No time tonight for writing.... how did I get so behind to be ready for KYCrafted?

"Piggies 4"

Day 58 "4 Chics"

2011-03-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

"There are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination." Ralph Waldo Emerson
With the "Quilt Animal" series I want to create colors that vibrate.
I'm heading to the end of 60 days of "Pastel A Day" with 60 new pastel drawings as my goal to have ready for KYCrafted the Market.
"4 Chics" is part of the small series of drawings to fit into 10" x10" frames. Although creativity is an essential element of the creative process I also have to be practical because this is a business which partially supports our family. I have five 10" x10" frames that need new images, so the smaller version of "Quilt Animals" series is born.

"4 Chics" 6"x6" pastel on salmon colored La Carte sanded paper

Day 57 "Hiking Among Giants 2"

2011-03-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere" Carl Sagan
Olympia National Park has 3 biospheres within one park. My drawing depicts the southwest corner of the park around Quinault River. This area contains the world's largest Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar.
I wanted to depict the enormous size of these trees in "Hiking Among Giants 2". This is a large pastel and I've worked on it on and off for a couple of months, but finally it's finished and ready to go to KYCrafted The Market.

"Hiking Among Giants 2" 24" x 18" pastel on Uart sanded paper with oil wash

Day 56 "Mingo Flats Eve" final

2011-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

"To live a creative life we must lose the fear of being wrong." Joseph Chilton Pierce
Well, here's the final version of "Mingo Flats Evening" and I've included the plein aire piece I drew in West Virginia last summer.

"Mingo Flats Evening" 16" x 36" on sanded paper created with pastel primer

This is the original sketch which included a hazy reference to the forest that lies in front of the field.

"Mingo Flats" plein aire sketch

Day 55 "Mingo Flats Evening"

2011-03-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

"What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit." John Updike
Mingo is my breathing room.
I think "Mingo Flats Evening" is finished but it's always helpful to see the image small on the computer screen. Composition and strength of color and contrast become more evident when the image is small.
I'm not happy with the forest in the foreground and although the valley does appear this way, as an artist I need to make a change. Just not sure what that will be.

"Mingo Flats Evening" 16" x 36"

I'm tempted to eliminate the foreground forest completely.

"Mingo Flats" - photoshop

Photoshop Elements is a great tool. I think tomorrow I'll eliminate the forest because it is creating a barrier between the viewer and the meadows. I should have done some thumbnails on this one even though it worked in the plein aire sketch. As Scarlett O'Hara said, "I'll think about that tomorrow."

Day 54 "Mingo Flats Evening" detail

2011-03-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

"You, at least, know that it (solitude) exists, and that it is the source of peace and joy." Thomas Merton
Mingo, West Virginia is that place of solitude for me. When I sit in the fields above Mingo Flats I can hear a distant tractor, a dog barking and maybe a big rig over on highway 219 as it makes it way up the mountain. But mostly I hear the wind and hawk's call as it circles above me. I hear God's voice say, "Rest here. You are safe in My Hands."
This pastel will eventually be 16" x 36" but of course, I didn't finish it today.

"Mingo Flats Evening" detail

Day 53 "Those Skinny Trees"

2011-03-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

I kind of feel like the day ran me today.
The name of this piece is "Those Skinny Trees" because I can't remember the name of these trees; maybe it's cedar trees. We were told that the Italians don't like these trees because they associate them with a cemetery. But now tourists associate them with the Italian landscape that many Italians and probably Americans who have bought second homes in Italy (wouldn't you love to do that!) plant these trees along the roadsides.

"Those Skinny Trees" 8" x 12" Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper with oil wash

Day 52 "Tuscan Farmhouse2"

2011-03-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." Rosalind Russell
Here's the 16" x 12" version of the little sketches from yesterday and as usual I'm not completely satisfied with the end result. I may try it again with some changes to the middle field, but if I continue to mess with this one I will sacrifice the freshness of the strokes.

"Tuscan Farmhouse" 16" x 12" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

I'm hard to please but it's good to be a strong self critic when it comes to your own work. We all need to keep striving for that next best painting. Just don't let the self-critique become a noose around your creative neck so you become too paralyzed to try.

Day 51 "Thumbnails"

2011-03-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

"10% inspiration, 90% perspiration" various authors
Aw, the lovely thumbnails drawings that everybody needs to create and nobody likes to take the time to do them.
Feb. 2011 Pastel Journal Magazine has a great article by Marla Baggetta "Good Study Habits" where she talks about and shows how to create thumbnail drawings in black and white and tiny pastel drawings before starting your actual piece.
And yes, I'm just as bad as everyone else - telling my students to make thumbnails, but not following my own advice. Today, while recovering from a mini-mini indoor triathlon, I sat in a chair for about 2 hours and created some black & white thumbnail sketches and then some tiny 2"x2" color pastel thumbnails. I'm working on the final piece from these studies and will post it tomorrow.
But for now here are my sketches.

"Tuscan Farmhouse" thumbnails

"Tuscan Farmhouse" studies 2" x 2" each

Day 50 "Tuscany Painter"

2011-03-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

"Tuscany Painter" may become our postcard advertising our Italian paintings which will be showing at the Kentucky/State movie theaters during the month of April. Susan penned the name of the show "A Glorious Adventure: Painting in Tuscany" And Lucinda is drawing Val D'Orcia, Tuscany when I took the photograph.
The print was too small to include in my drawing but Lucinda's T-shirt said "Don't Postpone Joy" which is the T-shirt for her sister Laurey's restaurant in Asheville, NC.
If you're ever in Asheville you have to stop by for a great meal.

"Tuscany Painter" 8" x 10" Canson paper treated with Golden Pastel Primer

Day 49 "Tuscany Town"

2011-03-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Pastel a Day is very humbling. I admire Alfred Montapert's determination.
Here's another loser pastel and it's story.
I started this one yesterday with an oil wash underpainting and it was a good copy of what I thought was a dramatic photograph of the maze-like urban area of a Tuscan hilltown. Well, I didn't like it, so this morning I washed alcohol over the whole thing which gave me a darkened underpainting and new tooth to the sanded paper.
2nd attempt involved purposely keeping my stokes loose and expressive, but the composition has problems. There are too many points of interest - blue shutters and balcony, steps to another passage area, and the door on the right with blue shutters above.

"Tuscan Town" 12" x 8"

I think the blue shutters on the top left has some promise, and this one may be cut into a smaller 8" x 10".

Day 48 "Mingo Corner Fall"

2011-03-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Variety is the spice of life." anonymous
Would it be nice if I'd stick to one area of the world or boring? Anyway back from Italy to West Virginia.
This is one of my favorite little roads in West Virginia and the maple trees are beautiful as they rim the road. I love fall paintings because the green of summer can get very boring and fall colors are so vibrant just like pastels.

"Mingo Corner Fall" 8" x 12" Uart sanded paper with an oil wash underpainting

This drawing was almost finished when I realized it was a good reproduction of the photograph but not all that interesting as a pastel drawing. So I went back over many of the areas with more expressive strokes. Color, composition, texture, content and technique - it's kind of like golf - if you can successfully put it all together, you'll make a good shot.

Day 47 "Cetona, Italy"

2011-03-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone." Henry David Thoreau
Cetona in Tuscany, Italy is one of those hidden jewels. A hilltown with wonderful local restaurants, and a vibrancy of life we didn't see in every hilltown that we visited.
Although many of the buildings are very old - ancient by American standards - they are well cared for and have literally stood the test of time.
When we visited Italy, especially Florence, I was intrigued by the abstract designs of roof tops and light on the buildings which appear in a somewhat and very interesting random arrangement.

"Cetona, Italy" 12" x 16" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Day 46 "Mingo Morning Frost"

2011-03-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you ever noticed that some days you just don't have any patience, all reved up for no reason and that doesn't go well with working on pastel drawings.
For "Mingo Morning Frost" I created the oil wash underpainting yesterday but started the pastel with little time left in my creative day . Today I continued the pastel but with the same feeling of impatience and little ability to concentrate.
So what's going on? The acceptance and rejections notices are arriving for the spring and summer art fair season and I think that's where my feeling of panic comes from. But I learned while being a manager at the newspaper that things seem to work out and the panic just doesn't help at all.

"Mingo Morning Frost" oil wash

Here's the final piece that I finished today. The oil wash has some creative energy but I think that energy is missing from the final version. Still working on finding a way to preserve that oil wash and not cover it all up with pastel. Not there yet!

"Mingo Morning Frost" 8" x 12" on Uart paper

Day 45 "Cumberland Island Beach house"

2011-02-28T17:37:00.000-08:00

"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." Henry David Thoreau
My trip to Cumberland Island was like an early morning walk; a blessing for the whole day except for the no-see-um bugs. :-)
This the the beach house or ferry house at Plum Orchard. The round structure is more resistant to hurricane winds and I wonder if they knew that when they built it in the 1930s.
I love the light and shadow cast on the gravel road by the live oaks covered with moss. The island had a special light that permeated everything.

"Cumberland Island" 8" x 12" on Uart paper with an oil wash underpainting

Day 44 "morning Mist Valley Head"

2011-02-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

The Academy Awards are on and you're probably watching them. Go "Kings Speech"
Here's my "Pastel for the Day".
"Morning Mist Valley Head"
I wanted to capture that high key coloring of the haze from a humid summer morning.

"Morning Mist Valley Head"

Day 43 "Buckeye Meadow Evening"

2011-02-26T13:35:00.000-08:00

"Buckeye Meadow Evening" was created on Uart sanded pastel paper with an underpainting washed into the sanded paper using alcohol - rubbing not drinking.
My Tuesday evening class is exploring different underpainting styles. The first lesson was using thin oil wash. Now we're working with the alcohol wash.
Step 1 involved drawing the initial shapes and then adding a light coat of pastels according to value. Prussian blue in the shadow area and orange in the sunny spots. This allows you to see the composition in simple shapes and colors with time to adjust if needed.

Step 2 shows the underpainting after I applied the alcohol. There's also a bit of pastel in the sky and distant mountains.

And here's the finished step. The underpainting is covered and I'd like to develop the technique of leaving some of the underpainting showing. Maybe the next one!

"Buckeye Meadow Evening" 8"x12" on Uart sanded paper with alcohol wash then pastel

Day 42 "Plum Orchard Sunshine"

2011-02-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm returning again to sunny Cumberland Island, GA. The October sunlight was strong and warm but had the slant of late fall which creates good shadows even in the middle of the day.
These gray February days in Lexington are getting very boring and I'm longing for spring so I can get outside and do some on location drawings.

"Plum Orchard's Sunshine" 12" x 8" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Day 41 "Plum Orchard"

2011-02-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

"It's never to late to be what you might have been." George Elliott
Plum Orchard is a beautiful mansion once belonging to the Carnegie family on Cumberland Island, GA which is now a National Seashore. We visited the island in October and stayed with a friend who was volunteering for 2 months with the Park Service. It's a wonderful, pristine island full of sunlight and dramatic shadows. No vehicles are allowed except for the Park Service and the island is free of the commercialization of the other Georgia Islands. Thanks for a great adventure, Deb.
This drawing is probably the best one I've done since starting this project. I knew what I wanted to capture and why when I took the photograph. Then I carefully composed it in the camera before snapping. The tiny digital camera screen is a big help to see the composition and contrast of your photo which translates into a good drawing.
I think I'll keep this one and maybe turn it into an oil painting.

"Plum Orchard" 12"x8" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Day 40 "Meadow Morning"

2011-02-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

"Pray for Peace." me
As I listen to reports of violence against the citizens of Libya by Gadhafi it's hard to write about art when other happenings are so horrible. It reminds me of being an art student in 1970 and asking my teacher, "what is the relevance of painting a nude when soldiers are dying in Vietnam?" She said, "You have to answer that for yourself."
Art is my solace, comforter and a window from my soul to the world and from the world into my soul.
God created this beautiful world; mankind is slowly destroying it and my heart weeps.
I try to put peace and beauty foremost in my work to bring that feeling of peace to myself and others. We whiz through life at top speed but we need to slow down, breathe and look around us. Notice light coming through the trees, the color of the grasses as the sun sets, how blue is the sky in autumn, there's purple in the shadows.

"Meadow Morning" 8"x12" pastel on Uart paper with an oil wash as the underpainting

Day 39 "Quinault River Edge"

2011-02-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

"True life is lived when tiny changes occur." Leo Tolstoy
Trying "Quinault River's Edge" by following the photoshop improvement of the previous pastel. It seems to have too many points of interest. I need to decide what's the most important part and emphasize that with value change.
I think I need to take out some of the pines and make the sunlit strip more interesting, soften the light blue color of the bleached out fallen logs.
My students and I have observed that a finished pastel drawing seems to improve when we wrap a piece of wax paper over the drawing for safe transportation home. I think the wax paper reduces the details and the large masses are emphasized. Glassine paper is a safer paper for wrapping a pastel, but wax paper is convenient. Just don't use wax paper on a drawing in the summer when the heat of a car can melt the wax onto your drawing.

"Quinault River's Edge" 8" x 12" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Day 38 "Goofy Chew"

2011-02-21T17:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get bored with landscapes and switch to fun animal portraits that border on cartoons. The day I attended the Louisville Zoo the giraffes were enjoying the warm summer sun and seemed to be posing for my camera shots. I've used this reference photo about 4 times and each time I get a little bit different look for "Goofy."

"Goofy Chew" 12" x 8" on LaCarte sanded paper

Day 37 "Quinault River"

2011-02-20T17:36:00.001-08:00

"There is a wideness in God's mercy, like a wideness of the sea," hymn
"Quinault River" is a study and as it is now, definitely not complete. I think the lower left corner has some merit and could become the drawing - dropping the other details. Working from photographs has the drawback of having too much information and it's easy to fall into the lull of copying the photograph instead of using it as reference to compose a much better image.

"Quinault River, WA" 12" x 8" on Uart sanded paper with an oil wash

"Quinault River" detail

If I use this lower part, the light green strip of sunlight would have to be moved away from the middle of the image but I do think it shows promise.

"Quinault River 3"

In Photoshop Elements I moved the green strip of sunlight, added a few more logs and upright tree trunks. I think "Quinault River 3" will work better.

Day 36 "Today's Demo"

2011-02-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

I'm too tired to find a good quote for today's blog.
Last night was the Gallery Hop and it was a resounding success with over 500 visitors - more than Artist's Attic normally gets. It was a beautifully warm evening especially after a miserable winter and everyone was out and about.
Then today I taught my workshop from 9-4 which was also a great class, but now I"m beat.
Here's the demo from today. I took the drawing that I posted yesterday and we redrew it in class - everyone follows along which may sound very uncreative but it's a great way to instruct on the basics of how to deal with the material.
I also asked my repeating students who took my beginners class in January to find their favorite artist in Pastel Journal Magazine and explain to the class what drew (ha-ha) them to this work. That gave them something to do while I explained the basics of soft pastels and textured paper to the beginners and it was a great way to introduce other artists' work to the class and the magic of expressive pastel.
You'll notice that this "Buckeye Meadow" is loose and incomplete but it's more important for me to help my students than to have a totally finished piece at the end of the day.

"Buckeye Meadow 2"

Day 35 "Buckeye Meadow Demo"

2011-02-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow afternoon's demonstration at my workshop will be "Buckeye Meadow." I've drawn this favorite meadow many times with many different color combinations which I think shows that a good composition can take many forms and remain interesting. (Those little colored dots on the bottom of the drawing are part of the demo-not part of the final piece :-)
Now I'm off to Artists Attic to get ready for tonight's Gallery Hop and our "Off the Wall" exhibit. Artists Attic has 22 studio spaces and the artists challenged themselves this winter to create some fresh, different and experimental pieces for this Hop. I'll post my 2 oils from the show tomorrow.

"Buckeye Meadow demo" 8" x 12" on sanded LaCarte paper

Day 34 "Edge Of The Woods" demos

2011-02-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching my second beginners pastel class on Saturday at Artists Attic. In the first lesson I want the students to learn to handle the materials and have fun with color.
"Edge of the Woods" will be the first lesson and I've created the image in 3 different color scenarios to show how color can produce a mood. It can be expressionistic instead of always realistic.
What moods do you see in the 3 versions?

"Edge of the Woods1" 7" x 10" on LaCarte sanded paper

"Edge of the Woods 2"

"Edge of the Woods 3"

Day 33 "Tuscan Hilltown"

2011-02-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

My vacation to Tuscany with 5 fellow artists was a treasure-trove of images to draw.
To create this scene I used an oil wash technique which is taught by Richard McKinley, whom I think is a terrific, creative artist. I always try to get the oil wash as interesting as Richard McKinley's but I fall short of the effort and in the end, cover up almost all of the wash with pastel.

"Tuscan Hilltown" 12" x 8" Uart sanded paper with an oil wash

I'm including a close-up of the olive grove which I think is the better part of the drawing. It's looser and I like the soft colors. You can see some of the wash effect on the lower trees.

Detail

Day 32 "Silvercreek"

2011-02-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

Silvercreek is one of those magical little creeks in West Virginia that feels like it's the birthplace of a mighty river - which, in a way, it is. These tributaries from the side of Cheat Mountain combine to make Tygart River which empties into the Mongahela - to the Ohio at Pittsburgh and onto the Mississippi.
Silvercreek is so clean and pristine. The low afternoon light keeps the forest dark but illuminates the sides of the trees as they hug the creek bank.

"Silvercreek" 12" x 8" on Wallis sanded paper

Day 31 "I Love Mts." rally

2011-02-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

SURPRISE!

"I Love Mountains" rally today!

The I LOVE MOUNTAINS rally protesting Mountain Top Removal was held on the step of the Capitol in Frankfort today. This is my rally sign and here's the back of the sign. Not my best paintings but most heartfelt and appreciated by many in the crowd.

Day 30 "Spring Trail"

2011-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

It is so time for spring. I actually like snow but this year has been too cold along with our frequent but shallow amounts of snow to go out to do any plein air drawing. Yes, I said shallow - we've had only 4 inches at a time and I like big, thick, sticky snows....o.k. I'm crazy.
I've returned to spring 2010 photos from Raven Run and the Blue-Eyed Mary flowers that blanket the forest floor.
This drawing was done on Wallis Belgium Mist paper with an underpainting of pastel washed with alcohol.

"Spring Trail of Blue-Eyed Marys" 8" x 12"

Day 29 "Lake Crescent, WA"

2011-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

"Art is a technique of communication. The image is the most complete technique of all communication." Claus Oldenburg
Blues, purples, pinks and a touch of red. Colors that relate to each other on the color wheel produce a peaceful response. These kayakers added a nice point of interest to a very quiet scene.
This piece is on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper with an oil wash of blue in the sky and the rest was a dark mauve. I'd love to get this underpainting technique developed so I could leave some of the oil wash showing like Richard McKinley's work which I admire greatly.

"Lake Crescent, WA" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis paper

Day 28 UK Emergency

2011-02-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

Artists have no excuse for boredom. As long as we have some form of paper, subjects surround us.
This week I had some time while waiting for some friends outside of the UK Emergency entrance. (It was business-not an emergency) I needed a distraction from the blink, blink of my car emergency blinkers as I waited in a "No Parking" zone. An old napkin in the console and an ink pen provided my distraction.
I liked my sketch of the Emergency Room entrance but could I turn it into a pastel without a reference photo for details and color?
Well, here's my attempt. Good start but could be much better as a plein air drawing, however 25 degree weather prevents that.

"UK Emergency" 8" x 12" on Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper

Day 27 "Peaceful Morning Swim"

2011-02-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

The reference photo for "Peaceful Morning Swim" was taken from my kayak which gives the viewer the feeling of sitting on the water along with the ducks. This drawing was created with a very thin oil wash applied over the Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper. The oil wash seems to give an added depth to the image.

"Peaceful Morning Swim" 8" x 12" on Wallis sanded paper

Day 26 "Pisgah Pike Evening"

2011-02-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Pisgah Pike is one of my favorite country roads in the central Ky area. This image is the corner next to the Pisgah Presbyterian Church in the evening as the shadows begin to envelope the landscape. I created this drawing to go with "Bluegrass Fences-Day 10" for my friend Terri.

"Pisgah Pike Evening" 7" x 10" pastel on textured pastel paper

Day 25 The missing dog

2011-02-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

"The Sheep Herders Pasture" is from my trip to Italy (the big art) and the missing dog was a Great Pyrenees. We stopped beside this pasture to photograph the herd of sheep and noticed the large white dog standing guard over the sheep - just one big dog. I called out to the dog, "hey doggie doggie, aren't you pretty" and at that point he charged after the car and then 5 other dogs appeared from the herd of white fluffy sheep and started chasing the car. "Let's get out of HERE, Laurey."
In my photograph I loved the light and shadow plus the house in the background but placing the one white dog in the foreground would command too much attention. So that's the story of the "missing dog."

"Sheep Herders Pasture" 8" x 12" on Wallis sanded paper

Day 24 "Elkhorn Creek"

2011-02-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

"Harry's Law" is on (my new favorite TV show) so let's make this quick. I'm drawn (ha-ha) to this image because I love the backlighting effect. It wasn't that pronounced in the reference photo but I increased the effect in the drawing because I remember it that way.

"Elkhorn Creek Backlighting3" 8" x 12" pastel on Uart paper with oil wash for underpainting

Day 23 "Corn Rows"

2011-02-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

This design seems disconnected from the more realistic landscapes. My artist friend, Pat Lawrence, and I are creating images for a show and "Corn Rows 2" will be part of that exploratory show.

"Corn Rows 2"

Pat and I assign ourselves subjects for the show and the first subject was "Chickens," although mine are apparently roosters.

"The Flock"

Day 22

2011-02-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

"The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through." Jackson Pollock
Today was my demonstration day at Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea which is a fun experience. Gwen Heffner organizers the event and produces great PR plus they treat me to lunch and pay a small stipend for me to work on new pieces and talk to visitors.
"Pisgah Pike Fall" was completed at the Artisan Center today. Looks like I need to finish the left side.

"Pisgah Pike Fall" 8" x 12" pastel on LaCarte sanded pastel paper

Now back to yesterday's problem child. When I'm frustrated with a piece sometimes I crop it tighter to focus on the point of interest. Maybe "Grassy Springs1" should be a 6"x6".

"Grassy Springs 1.5" 6" x6"

Day 21

2011-02-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Isn't this fun. Today you get to see another failure and hopefully a "save". (Jan. 28-Day 14 was the other problem pastel in need of changes and Jan. 30 Day 16 was the correction)
Here's "Grassy Springs" and "Grassy Springs Sunset". Which do you think is the failure?

"Grassy Springs" 8" x 12" pastel on LaCarte sanded paper

"Grassy Springs Sunset" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

Day 20 Browns

2011-02-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

"That painter who has no doubts will achieve little." Leonardo da Vinci
I don't work with browns very much but in search of other color combinations that convey light and shadow in this hayfield, I decided to try warmer colors in the shadow area which may occur on a very warm summer evening.

"Knob Meadow Browns" 8" x 12" pastel on Wallis sanded paper

Day 19 "Knob Meadow"

2011-02-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places where others see nothing." Camille Pissaro
What is the color of sunshine or the color of shadows? Each is dependent upon one another and as long as the value is correct the colors can vary greatly.
"Knob Meadow Evening" was a demonstration piece that I created for my Saturday beginners pastel class at Artists Attic, but when I looked at the piece today, it was much too dark. I've lighten the colors and added some lavender.

"Knob Meadow Evening" demo 8" x 12" pastel

For the next piece in the series I experimented with color choices using more purple in the shadows and warm tans, oranges, gold and yellows in the sunshine areas. These colors are more expressionistic. And I left out the gate so the viewers eye can explore the foreground.

"Knob Meadow Evening Too" 8" x 12" pastel on LaCarte paper

Day 18 "The Way Home" demo

2011-02-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls" - Piccaso
"The Way Home" is a demonstration piece for my weekly pastel class for adults. Each time I create this piece for a class demo I change it and this time I increased the sunlight in the foreground and eliminated a shadow and tree area in the foreground to focus the eye on the shaded gate area.

"The Way Home" demo 8" x 12" pastel on LaCarte sanded paper $185

Day 17 "Pisgah Pike"

2011-01-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

Pisgah Pike is part of the Kentucky Scenic Highway system. It runs from Versailles Road through to Frankfort Pike and is truly a beautiful country road.
My favorite spot is this corner beside the Pisgah Presbyterian Church. I've photographed and drawn it many time including this newest one first using an oil wash on the sanded paper before applying the pastel.

"Pisgah Corner Early Morning" 8" x 12" $285

Day 16 Corrections

2011-01-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday is the day of rest, but pastels are so quick that I can make a correction in 15 minutes - that's not work. If the medium was oil paints-that would be another issue. The cloud pastel needed correcting.
I added color to the left side of the cloud and soften the top left corner which was too similar to the bottom of the cloud. And I took out the rainbow and added a few more lighter reflections in the water. I have to be careful with changes because too much can take the energy out of the piece.

"Magic Cloud"

Day 15 Olympia National Park

2011-01-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

Following full disclosure principles, I have to admit I didn't create this pastel today because I taught a pastel workshop at Artists Attic-BTW a really fun group of people who produced some amazing pieces. So I didn't have time to create my "Pastel A Day" today, but this piece was created this past week.
Some of the steps to create the workshop image, "Knob Meadow Evening" are posted in my pastel lessons blog at http://mcdonaldpastellessons.blogspot.com
And if you're reading my facebook page you'll see that my buddy and amazing writer/poet, Tanya Tyler, has composed a couple of poems to accompany some of my drawings, but not this yet. :-)

"Olympia National Park's Hoh River" 8" x 12" pastel on textured pastel paper

Day 14 Magic Clouds

2011-01-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

When I worked as a graphic designer more times than I like to remember, typos or graphic problems didn't show up until the piece was printed. Ugh!
So as I look at today's piece after photographing it, I think, "why did I make the classic mistake of putting the cloud smack dab in the the middle of the drawing?" As my students often say when asked that same question, "Because that's the way it was in the photograph." I'm suppose to know better, but there it is! Too bad because I like the effect I got by doing an oil wash first on Uart sanded paper and then applying the pastel. This will be a good candidate for a redo.

"Magic Cloud" 8" x 12" pastel on sanded Uart paper

And the next time I"ll leave out the rainbow which is next to impossible to draw with pigment - rainbows are pure light!

Day 13 "Sunset"

2011-01-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Snow again! I long for the summer days of drifting in my kayak at Jacobson Park in Lexington. "Sunset" is from a photograph that I took from the kayak which is why the horizon line is low and flat. The cloud was so beautiful and dramatic that there was no need to manipulate the colors for the pastel drawing.

"Sunset" 8" x 12" pastel $285

Day 12 Olympia National Park

2011-01-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

Continuing the travelogue of my 2010 trips is a waterfall from Olympia National Park in Washington. This park is one of our nation's largest national parks and the landscape ranges from 6,000 ft. Hurricane Ridge to the Hoh River Valley temperate rain forest to the Pacific coast. My family and I throughly enjoyed our July visit.

"Olympia National Park" 7.5" x 10.5" pastel $245

Day 11 West Virginia

2011-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

"Art gives you the ability to travel someplace without going anyplace." unknown
Today I'm traveling through my reference photos to West Virginia in search of an image to produce a step by step printout for my pastel workshop on Saturday at Artists Attic. "Knob Meadow Evening" is the highest point on the Marshall farm in Mingo, West Virginia and when I stand on the knob it's feels like the opening sequence of "The Sound of Music."

"Knob Meadow Evening" 8" x 12" pastel $285

Day 10

2011-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a day of rest, but I'm back at the Pastel a Day and have changed direction. Back to the local images - this one is Pisgah Pike in Fayette County or maybe it's Woodford County in the late afternoon summer. (Kentucky has 120 counties so where am I now?) I'm interested in the fence shadows as it weaves along the side of the road. Shadows follow the movement of the land.

"Bluegrass Fences" 8" x 12" pastel $285 framed

Hum....as I view the image on the screen I see another awkward intersection of lines where the fence shadows meet the dominate tree on the right. This will have to be changed. Painting is all about shapes. In realism and impressionism those shapes are recognizable items but the shape must be considered as a design element before considering its descriptive purpose. Shapes contribute to the composition and the composition is paramount in building a strong painting.

Reworking

2011-01-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

The marvel of pastel is how easily it can be reworked. When I make the sanded paper using the pastel primer by Art Spectrum if I need to correct an area and wish to regain the underpainting color and texture, I use baby wipes to remove the pastel layers. Baby wipes don't leave a residue and dry very quickly. I now have an almost pristine piece of the paper to rework an area.

"Tuscan Farmland" 15" x 35" pastel $850

"Tuscan Farmland" was created in October after I returned from my trip to Italy and before I had cataract surgery. Now I can see purple much better and OMG the sky has got to go! My attention goes directly to the lavender purple in the sky. While I'm reworking I think the intersection of the trees in the left 1/3 of the picture is awkward. Too many lines coming together.

"Tuscan Farmland" redo

I also simplified the field to the right of the farmhouse, connected the blue in the shadows to the mountain color in the background. The changes may seem subtle but I'm much happier with it.

Day 8 Italian Air Space 4

2011-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

My intention was to create one last pastel in this series and concentrate on the colors that I feel represent the joy I felt when I was in Italy. It is a magical country and I absorbed as much as I could by drawing every minute I could squeeze in. I came home with 30 drawings in various degrees of completion. I admit I was possessed - a drawing maniac, and I'd love to go back to feel the degrees of the country without my artistic maniac approach. But in reality that probably won't happen. I seem to engage with the world through the lens of my camera for reference photos or through my sketchbook and pastels. I can't turn it off. Oh well, just go with it until I wear out!

"Italian Air Space 4" 8" x 12" pastel on sanded pastel paper

Back to my intention with this drawing. I was not successful. These are not my favorite colors and they do not represent my joy. Try again. I do like the texture of the paper and tried to create this one very quickly as to not fill up the texture of the paper.