Day 35 "Buckeye Meadow Demo"

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

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"

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"

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

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"

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"

"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