The Roller Coaster Ride of Juried Shows

'A Moment of Silence'         24x36          pastel on board          ©Karen Margulis
available $650 click here

 It was a good weekend. No it was an amazing weekend!  My granddaughter Greta was born on Saturday. Mom, dad and baby are all doing well and we can't wait to meet Greta!  It really can't get any better than that!  So when I found out I had two paintings accepted in the Southeastern Pastel Society's 16th International Exhibition it was a very nice way to end the weekend.

I was lucky this time.  I entered what I felt was my best work at the time. I picked my personal favorites. But you just never know what will resonate with the juror. I am always prepared for rejection. I realize that being an artist is like riding a roller coaster....full of ups and downs. And I have discovered over time that when you don't get through one door....there is another one waiting for you. So I keep trying even when things don't go my way.

Don't let the fear of failing stop you from trying!  There is a lot to be gained from entering juried exhibitions.  Entering shows has helped me become a better artist!  How?

• It gives me a goal...a reason to work hard and paint enough so that my work continues to grow. The first year I began painting I went to the SPS exhibition. I was inspired and awed at the wonderful pastel work. I decided I would work hard to get better and eventually get in that show. It wasn't my only goal but it was a big one...and it helped push me to paint everyday.(I did get in that next show)

• It validates  me as an artist. Some of us don't need validation. But some of us find it helpful. If we are recognized by our peers and have someone say we painted well....it helps motivate us to do more. Even if you don't have your work accepted just going through the process makes it all real. 

• It helps me get out and meet other artists.  Art can be a lonely business. I love my alone time in the studio but I enjoy sharing with other artists. Joining art groups and entering shows gets me out of the studio and has allowed me to meet the most amazing people.

• It makes me stronger....whether accepted or not ...entering a show and going through the process puts me on that roller coaster.  I have  learned to adjust and deal with the ups and downs and how to make the best of the ride. Just remember you have to enter to ride! 

Here are the two paintings that were accepted. The painting at the top of this post was not accepted.

'Treasures of the Marsh'         18x24    pastel

'North Garden in Winter'        8x10       pastel 

How to Paint Daisies in Pastel...New Demo

'Daisies Make me Smile'             9x12              pastel            ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $165

Daisies make me smile!  I love to paint them but I wasn't always successful. In fact anytime I tried to add wildflowers to a painting they would look childish and sweet. I didn't want that! I wanted my wildflowers to look authentic ...to look like they belonged in the landscape and not just an afterthought. I wanted them to look as wild and free as I saw them.  But they always looked stiff and boring.

I didn't give up.  I just practiced and observed and tried different techniques.  I am still learning but at least now my daisies don't look like they were painted by a preschool child!  I have discovered ways to help me paint them better.  I am excited to be able to share my discoveries with you in my latest demo.

The demo is available as a pdf booklet in my Esty shop for $6. Click here for details 

The cover of the pdf booklet

This demo is my biggest one yet!  It is 30 pages filled with 60 color photos. I have documented each step of the painting from the watercolor underpainting all the way through the layering of the pastels.  I extensively cover the watercolor underpainting stage....something I didn't always have great success with!  Through the many photos and my description you will be able to see how I work through the addition of pastel while preserving the underpainting. Here are a few sample photos:

close up photo of watercolor underpainting

sample from the pdf demo

This demo is a PDF file so you can either print it out and staple the pages into a booklet or just save it and follow on your computer or tablet. I know several artist who like to follow and paint along on their iPads.
I would love for you to take a closer look and consider giving this demo a try. I have 6 other demos available as well. They can be found in my Etsy shop.
Here is a link to the demos.

How to Avoid the Long Lost Pastel Syndrome

'Spring Comes to the Mountains'            5.5 x 7.5         pastel on Pastelmat        ©Karen Margulis
sold

 They are the illusive ones.  I would love to replace them but I don't remember the details....a warm peach, a medium mauve and a distant mountain blue. These three colors remain a mystery.  The mauve and blue are long gone. As the peach dwindles down to an ever smaller nub I continue my search. I find pastels that are close....but they are still not my long lost friends.

Perhaps if I had made color swatches or charts of each new pastel I acquired I might have better luck funding a replacement.  But I didn't always take time to make charts and the ones I made I can't find.  Lesson learned.

Making a Color Chart

When my latest set arrived I was happy to see a blank color chart inside the box. I got a great deal on this set of Great American Plein air set of 60 half sticks. I was anxious to try them but I made myself wait until I had a chance to fill in the color chart. The chart is now safely kept on my pastel shelf. And I was thrilled to discover some very close matches for my illusive colors! So at least now I will be able to replace them when needed.

I don't usually worry so much about matching exact colors. So I never really saw the need for a color chart.  I was happy to find something close. If I was low on a color I just asked myself what it was close to....was it warm or cool? Was it dark, medium or light? Intense or greyed?  This system works pretty well and it kept my palette from always looking the exact same.  

This approach is still the best way to replace pastels for me.  But sometimes we just have certain colors that we really love.  There may be colors that are close....but we still feel we need the exact match. Taking the time to make a color chart is worth the effort to help you avoid the frustration of a search for a long lost favorite!

'Down by the River'          5x7         pastel on Uart
click here to purchase $45

Both of today's paintings are done with this new set of pastels with no underpaintings.

How to Have Success with Canson Paper

'Fairyland'           9 x 12.5           pastel         ©Karen Margulis
sold

It never ceases to amaze and intrigue me. It is such a simple thing but can make a big difference in a painting on Canson paper.  Canson Mi-Teintes paper is actually one of my favorite pastel papers. I know many artists dislike it. I know many also love it.  I have blogged about it before and heard from both sides.  I have decided that knowing a few tricks can make it into a great surface.  Which is a good thing since it is so affordable.

One of the problems many have with Canson is they fill the tooth of the paper too quickly and colors start turning muddy. It is impossible to add fresh layers of pastel to it. Frustrating!

Here are a few things to try to help you avoid this problem:

• Try using softer pastels but be sure to apply them with a light touch. The lighter the touch the more layers possible.
• Have a plan...if you have a value and color plan it is easier to make a mark and leave it alone rather than fiddling as you try to figure out what you want. (and filling the tooth in the process)
• Try using sandpaper to roughen the paper and making it more receptive. (I don't do this but I have heard it works)
• When you do fill the tooth of the paper try my FAVORITE TIP....spray the area with a light spray of workable fixative. I use Blair Low odor workable fixative.  When it dries your next pastel layers will easily go over the fixed areas without disturbing these areas. This has a great textured look. (see the photos below) Be sure you only uses a light spray. You don't need to soak the paper. You might want to cover areas you don't want spray but I kind of like the extra droplets!

close up views of my marks and texture created by applying pastel over fixative

I used the fixative several time in the creation of today's painting. I used it to make the suggestion of foliage in the trees. I also used it to darken the bottom of the path.  I love workable fixative especially on Canson!

Get Ready for Green!

'Back to Stone Harbor'                 12 x 19.5             pastel              ©Karen Margulis
sold

 Green. I used to avoid it.  Dare I say I didn't even like it! Painting with it that is.  But since I live in the Southeast which is the Land of Green I have come to embrace it and maybe even like it.  I still long for the desert and the wonderful colors of the Southwest. But as long as I can visit at least once a year I am happy living and painting in the Land of Green.

 Most of my paintings have been very green this week.  I think it is partly due to being winter weary and ready for spring.  I also did some green paintings as demos for my classes on creating depth. It is easy to show how to create depth with a green landscape. It gets trickier with warmer colors.

Are you ready to paint the greens of spring and summer?  Here are a few quick tips....

'Florida Wetlands'             8x10            pastel
click here to purchase $125

• Make sure you have the *right* green pastels. If you plan to paint a lot of green landscapes you will want to have a good selection of greens.....light, middle and dark values. You need some warm and cool greens but you also need some neutral of gray greens.  Many introductory sets don't include enough of the right greens. Many have a majority of middle value in bright artificial looking greens. These greens can be overpowering in a landscape unless balanced with neutrals.

• Lay out all of your green pastels....give them a good cleaning with a paper towel or by shaking them in cornmeal or sand.....now evaluate them. Make a list of the greens you are lacking and order some open stock of your favorite brands.

• Remember that you can make your green landscapes more interesting by incorporating the complement in your green masses. Greens are more exciting with some red or orange.  Add some purple for the finishing touch.

'Down by the Creek'          8x10        pastel
click here to purchase $125

The Most Important Thing about Creating Depth in a Landscape Painting

'Into the Sunflower Field'           5x7        pastel     ©Karen Margulis
sold

 It was another one of those 'AHA' moments.  I love when that happens. When all  of the sudden someone says something about painting and it clicks. Sometimes it is cumulative.  You read about a painting concept and hear instructors talk about it and when it finally clicks....all of the stuff you stored away begins to make perfect sense.

It happened like that for me with the idea of creating depth in a landscape painting. I understood the principles of Aerial or Atmospheric Perspective. I could recite the list of things that happen as we view things through the layers of atmosphere. But I didn't really put it to work in my paintings as well as I could have.

Here is what did it for me....the idea that we are putting on a show and sometimes need to exaggerate things. This idea is probably cumulative with a lot credit going to the wonderful instruction of Richard McKinley and Stan Sperlak and my first teacher, Marsha Savage. It took a lot to get this concept drilled into my brain!

To Create the Illusion of Depth in a Landscape Painting we sometimes need to Exaggerate the effects of aerial perspective 

reference photo

Why do we need to exaggerate and what do we need to exaggerate?

To quickly review aerial perspective... the appearance of things change as they recede into space due  to the influence of the atmosphere .....colors get lighter and cooler and less intense, detail is lost, edges become softer. The more stuff ...moisture, pollution...in the atmosphere, the more pronounced the changes.

• Sometimes these changes are obvious sometimes not. Many times our reference photos do not capture these changes.  A point and shoot camera especially tends to capture crisp detail from front to back.  The camera or print often doesn't capture the subtleties of the color and value shifts. 

• We then need to exaggerate these effects so that our paintings have a sense of space and depth.

My reference photo (above) didn't really show the cooling and lightening of color and values. It didn't show the loss of detail. The green in the foreground looks like the same color green as in the background. I decided to push these effects and exaggerate them. I also added some yellow flowers and made them get smaller and duller as they went back into the picture....another way to create depth.

It is important to understand the tools we have to create depth but even more important is to understand that sometimes we need to exaggerate for a better painting!

Landscape Painting Tip of the Week...The Sun Tool

'Chasing the Sun'            12.5 x 18           pastel              ©Karen Margulis
purchase here $145

I couldn't have planned it better if I tried.  It was one of those teachable moments that I had to jump on. And now I have another tool in my bag of tricks!  I'll call it the Sunlight Tool.  What is it?  A tool that helps remind you where your light source is coming from so you can make sure your landscape painting makes sense. Here is how it came about.

In my pastel class today we are starting a new series on painting the landscape.  We were discussing how we don't always have to copy a reference photo and the subject of the light source came up. (my students always have such great questions!)  I wanted to point out that if we change the direction  of the light we needed to remember to be consistent in our treatment of the light and shadows on the entire landscape.  We can no longer rely on the reference photo. You don't want some bushes to be lit on one side and some on the other. You want to make sure the shadows fall away from the light and are consistent over the entire painting.

How can we remember to do this once we move away from the photo?  I usually like to draw a little circle on my drawing board to represent the location of the sun. It works.  But today a student happened to have a scrap paper taped to her board and on it was a bright yellow mark.  Aha!  It gave me an idea. 

 Why not have a small sun that you can position on your board to represent the location of the sun in the painting! This sun can be laminated and kept by your easel to be used in any landscape with a light source. 

I came home from class, made my sun and gave my idea a try.  Have a look at the photo above. I decided that the sun in my reference was setting. It was low in the sky and coming from behind me.  The tops of the distant trees and a small sliver of the marsh was still lit from the sun. The foreground was all in shadow.  I placed my Sun Tool on my board in the lower left. As I painted it was a visual reminder to keep my lighting consistent.

This painting was pretty straightforward but the Sun Tool will come in handy for more complicated landscapes and ones in which I change the direction of the light.

 So now When I ask myself what kind of day is it....what direction is the sun coming from and is it high or low in the sky? ....I have my own little sun to make sure I remember my answers!

watercolor underpainting on Uart with additional clear Gesso

Nest #3  Monotype with pastel      5x7

Today's nest is a monotype I had done with black ink but I added pastel for color.

Make More Art...March Madness Challenge

'A Bird's Eye View'            6x6          pastel          ©Karen Margulis
sold

Sometimes I feel like a mad artist in my studio. I furiously go from one project to the next. I have several paintings going at once and ideas for many more on the back burner.  There aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I dream about.

So it seems a bit mad to add yet another project to my day but this is one I can't resist. I am calling it March Madness.  It is a challenge I put together for one of my private students who needed a gentle nudge to get in the studio to paint more. It sounded fun so I will be joining her.

The idea is to choose a very simple subject such as a pear or a sunflower. I am choosing a nest in anticipation of spring and the arrival of my grandbaby Greta. (she is due March 11).  For the month of March we will paint our simple subject as many times as we can. Every day if possible.  It doesn't matter what medium or what size.....in fact it will be more fun to mix it up and try new ways to interpret the subject. I began with two pastel nests but who knows what the rest of the month may bring!

'New'            6x6            pastel
click here to purchase $45

The idea behind this challenge is to have fun creating art.  It doesn't matter what may be holding you back from creating art....fear of failure, lack of time or motivation....maybe a combination of things.  By taking the pressure off and just painting for creation's sake my hope is to emerge from the challenge invigorated and inspired.  It is time to Play!

I'll post my new nests here on the blog and on Instagram.  If you are on Instagram I invite you to follow me! KarenMargulis

Both of today's nests are pastel on Strathmore Black Artagain paper.

A Substitute for Wallis Pastel Paper

'Feel This Moment'         18x24             pastel         ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $450

 I don't want a substitute. I want some new Wallis paper!  Belgian Mist to be specific.  If you have tried to find Wallis paper you know that it is backordered everywhere.  The Dakota website states that there are production issues and the shipping date is undetermined. (I have heard they recently shipped pads to those who had backorders but alas I did not)  I checked the Wallis Co. facebook page and here is a quote from Kitty Wallis dated February 26  "We will be in production again. I don't know how soon."

Hmmmm I need it for a couple of big painting trips and this doesn't sound very hopeful!  It is time to find a substitute.

I issued a challenge last month to my pastel students to come up with some substitution ideas and I came up with my own which I will share  in this post.

A plein air study on Wallis Belgian Mist    purchase for $100

What is all the fuss about Wallis paper anyway?  It is one of the most popular sanded papers for pastels. It comes in white and a neutral warm gray tone called Belgian Mist.  I like Wallis paper but I also like Uart paper just as much.

However I like to use the Belgian Mist paper for a specific reason....I love it for plein air studies.  I like the tone of this paper which works well for my quick landscape studies. I like the way the paper looks when it peeks through my pastel layers. It is not at all distracting so I don't have to tone the paper or do any kind of underpainting. I can just pick up my softest pastels and quickly respond to the scene in front of me.  (on the other hand I don't like Belgian Mist for underpainting or toning as colors appear dull)

My Belgian Mist substitute

One of my students came up with the idea of using her used pastel dust to tone Uart sanded paper. She saves her dust and made a pastel with it. It was a nice warm neutral gray similar to the belgian mist tone. I didn't get a photo of her sample but I do have a jar of collected dust so I will try my own.

In the meantime I decided I would mix some acrylic paint to match belgian mist and use it very thinly to tone some sanded paper. Before I got around to that I happened to be in Home Depot and found a small sample jar of 'oops' paint...samples that were rejected. It was very close to the color I wanted and best of all it was only 50 cents!  I toned a piece of Uart 240 grit....I found it to be the closet mach to the Wallis grittiness.

Result: It was slightly lighter when dry and also a bit warmer than the belgian mist. But I liked it. I put it to the test with a large painting 18x24 (see top)  I loved it!  I didn't do any kind of underpainting or block in for the painting. I just went right in with my soft pastels ( a mix of Terry Ludwig and Diane Townsend)  You can see places where it peeks through and I like the effect. 

I am happy with my substitute. I will keep an eye out for what happens with the Wallis paper and will give it a try when it becomes available. But in the meantime I have a workable substitute.  I welcome your thoughts and your ideas for substitutes!

A Tip for Making Reference Photos Better

'The Field Where Dreams are Made'              11x14          pastel        ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $175

 The photo didn't do it justice.  It didn't capture the colors in the grass. It certainly didn't capture the emotion I felt when I came upon this magical place.  This is one of the reasons painting from photos can result in paintings that don't have the magic in them.  Copies of poor reference photos can easily result in poor paintings.

So what is a painter to do?  What if you can't or don't care to paint  en plain air.  What if you take bad photos?  I actually like bad photos because they allow me to interpret the scene with more freedom. But sometimes it is nice to have interesting photos that help this process along.

Why not alter your photos and make them magical?

Look at the photos above.  The top photo is the original photo. It is dull and washed out. It would make a boring painting if I copied it. The photo doesn't make me say 'Wow' which is how I felt when I took the photo.  So I decided to play with the photo and make it more interesting and painterly.

I used the Snapseed app on my iphone.  I love Snapseed. It is very easy to use and you can save your manipulated photo along with the original. I increased the saturation making the pinks more vibrant. Then I used the 'grunge' feature which softened the image and made it appear more dreamy. I love to grunge my photos!  Now the photo is more like my real impression of this dreamy place.

I didn't intend to use the manipulated photo to paint from. I like to play with Snapseed just for the fun of manipulating photos. But it occurred to me that the new photo would make a great reference photo. And it did! See how it simplified all of the grasses?  I plan on doing more Snapseeding on my reference photos. What a great way to move away from copying bad photos!

My first layer (block-in) on Canson Mi-Teintes dark green paper 

The finished painting

 

Revisiting the Watercolor Underpainting...a New Approach

'Morning Meditation'            5x7         pastel        @Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $45

 He must have read my mind!  As I was preparing for my class on watercolor underpainting I happened to take a break to read Richard McKinley's latest Pastel Pointers blog post.  It was exactly what I needed to try...and pass on to my students as well.   Thank you Richard for your timely and wonderful post on Pastel Underpainting Freedom.  I love this twist on a watercolor underpainting!  Here is the link to the post.  Allow me to share my experience.

Watercolor Underpainting for 'Morning Meditation'

 I love underpainting with a wet medium such as watercolor but so often I end up covering it all up with  pastel.  I know I am not alone. Sometimes no matter how careful I am I end up covering all of the wonderful drips and washes of the watercolor.

Richard points out in his post that this is very often due to the fact that we have lost the value structure or never had it in the first place and we need to establish it with pastel....hence often covering up the underpainitng. Aha!!! That makes so much sense.

In his post Richard shares a technique he is using to have a strong value map in place that will not wash away with the wonderful wet underpainting.

Step One: To accomplish this he begins with a loose value drawing on the surface with a pastel pencil. Next the drawing is sealed with a coat of clear gesso.  The clear gesso has an additional benefit of being slightly gritty. This grittiness adds interesting texture to the painting. You can exploit this by the way you paint the gesso over the drawing. Your brushstrokes and the thickness of the gesso will have an effect on the way the pastel layers will look. Click on the painting below to see the texture of the gesso.

'Dance in a Meadow'           5x7          pastel
click here to purchase $45

 Step Two:  Once the gesso is dry it is time to apply the watercolor. That is a lesson all to itself which I will share in an upcoming pdf Demo. I do begin with dark colors and allow the darks to set up before adding additional washes. I encourage drips and blooms.  The wonderful thing about this technique is you are not left with a washed out or wishy washy watercolor underpainting. You still have the value map for the painting which has been preserved under the clear gesso.  See the painting below which is now ready for the pastel application.

underpainting for an unfinished work

Applying the pastel still takes restraint and thought to prevent overworking but everything is in place for a better chance for success. This is fun! I am headed back to the easel for more!

My Review of Moo.com Business Cards

'She Loves Me'          12 x 16         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting here $175

Do you have business cards?  If you are an artist you should have them and keep them handy.  It doesn't matter if you are a professional artist or just paint as a hobby, a business card connects you to both collectors and other artists. How many times have you been at an art event and met people you would like to remember?  Those are the times that exchanging business cards would be helpful.

If you are selling your work then a good business card is essential. You want to share your card with collectors and potential collectors. But here's an important consideration:

You need a card that people will KEEP.  If they toss it, they won't remember you or won't be able to get in contact with you.

When I exchanged cards with fellow artist Denise Rose, I was impressed. Her card is like a little work of art and I keep it on display. I had to have some cards like that!  (thanks Denise!)

I just received my batch of cards from Moo.com and I am thrilled.

My new business cards form Moo.com

I love Moo.com.  I have had some of their mini moo cards and stickers made in the past and love them. Their service is fantastic and it is so easy to design cards. So I was already familiar with the company.  I had not considered them for my full size business cards.  I have been using Vista Print which I feel is an excellent value. I have been happy with my cards from Vista Print. But when I saw Denise's card and felt the weight and quality of the Moo cards I was sold.

Yes they are a bit more expensive than Vista Print. But if you want a card that people will KEEP it is well worth the extra cost.

My new cards!

The great thing about the Moo business card is the ability to have up to 50 different images printed in the same batch of cards....in full color and front and back! With Vista Print I could only have one image for the entire batch of cards.  I chose to have rounded corners for a small extra charge and I like how they look.  Here is some more information taken from the moo.com website:

"Handing out a business card is often the first impression people take of your business, so you need to get it right. Using your own photography or artwork to create custom business cards can help, and MOO makes the process easy with our simple online tools and templates.

Our Business Cards are double sided, printed in full colour at no extra cost, and available in short print runs. There's a choice of premium paper for Business Cards too: As well as sustainably sourced Gloss, you can choose 100% recycled with a light satin finish or sustainably sourced, with a smooth matte laminate."

If you are ready to upgrade your current business card or need to get some for the first time consider Moo.com.  You can follow this link to start creating your own cards. http://www.moo.com/share/wgf6bt

How to Become a Better Painter...a Visual Example

'Under the Palms'           5x7          pastel        ©Karen Margulis
purchase for $45 here 

It took a physical example but I think I made my point.  My students all work hard at painting. They come to class and do homework.  They buy all the best pastels and organize them for easy use. They use all the best papers and are eager to try anything to make better paintings.  

But every once in awhile I hear the moans and groans about slow progress. We all want to be better painters and we want it to happen quickly.  But it doesn't work that way. It takes time and lots of paintings and many many duds. It is how we learn.  We know this and yet we can't help feeling defeated when we see the work of more experienced artists. 

Will we ever get better? Will it ever come with ease?  Will hard work really pay off?

The answer is a resounding YES!  Allow me to share my dud with you. Today I decided to take out a box of my old paintings.  Some of the little 5x7 daily paintings I did when I was first learning to paint.  They weren't very good. In fact some were downright awful!  But in looking at them I could immediately see what I did wrong and what I could have done better.  I had really come a long way and there was nothing quite like a visual reminder to show the progress I have made.

Take this palm tree painting ......

'Under the Palms'  original painting done in 2008

I painted this palm tree around 2008 after I had been painting for about 3 years. It wasn't a total dud and at the time I liked it.  But looking at it today I could see some things that I would change. So for fun I decided to rework the tree for my class.  I simplified the palm fronds and used the sky to carve out the leaves.  I also added orange and peach to the sunlit trunk rather than the light color I had used on the original. This gave more of a feeling of sunlight.....all things I have learned and practiced. (see the reworked painting at the top of the page)

This visual example is a reminder that it is rare for anyone to come out of the gate painting like a master. It takes time and hard work. I paint every day because I want to be the best artist I can be and I know that this will change as I continue to learn and grow.  When you are feeling frustrated with your progress or lack thereof just remind yourself that it will come with time!

I will leave you with a real dud. The painting below was done in my first year of painting. It makes me happy to see that I have indeed made progress.

TIP: Don't be so quick to throw away all of your duds.  Try to save some from each year so you can look back and them and be encouraged....and you just might have learned how to make them better!

a 5x7 pastel done my first year of painting 2005

The Evolution of a Painting

'Dream Fields'           6x6            pastel            ©Karen Margulis
sold

 Big things come in small packages.  I came back from my cruise with 50 mini pastel paintings. That is a lot of painting time and even though they are tiny they count towards my miles of canvas.  But I have a plan for them. Big plans!

They will be the seeds of many future paintings. 

When I paint these minis while on a trip I do both plein air studies (post coming) and also paint from small photos that I bring along. The photos are small contact sheet size images from my files. I always take a selection of scenes that inspire me from past trips....marshes, southwestern landscapes, birds and flowers. The small photos allow me to keep the paintings simple.

These simple studies will now be used as reference material for bigger paintings.  I will not use the original photos again.  Today's 6x6 painting evolved from the small study below. I liked the color palette of the mini but wanted to do a square format on black paper.  Because I don't have the original reference photo to refer to I am free to interpret the scene any way I want to.

'Dreamfields Study'         2.5 x 3.5        pastel   sold

Here is another 6x6 painting that evolved from one of my minis.  The possibilities for paintings are endless. I can change formats, color schemes, move elements around even try the scene in another medium ...which will be the next step in the evolution of these paintings. I just bought some square canvases and can't wait to take out my acrylics and see what evolves!

'Summer Peace'            6x6          pastel
click here to purchase $45

'Summer Peace Study'        2.5 x 3.5        pastel  buy here $15

So just remember....Minis have mileage!  Stay tuned for the acrylics coming soon!

Read this Before Traveling with Pastels!

'Southwest Dreaming'           2.5 x 3.5         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
sold

 I knew it was coming.  As I watched my backpack go through the scanner at the security gate I just knew it would be flagged. It usually is.  Evidently a box of pastels looks just like a box of ammunition on the X-ray screen. I would say that my backpack with my pastel box is flagged for inspection about 95% of the times I go through security.

But this time I learned something new and it just may save me time in the future. 

The mini pastels I painted on my cruise

I really don't mind getting flagged at the security checkpoint. The agents are doing their job to keep travel safe. But it is sometimes a pain because security agents usually don't know about pastels. They might open your pastel box upside town. Imagine the mess of careless handling and repacking!  You are not allowed to handle your bag as it is being inspected and some agents even get huffy if you try to explain about handling the pastels. (I have learned this the hard way)

On this past trip I went through security at the cruise ship terminal and as usual my backpack was flagged for inspection. Curiously though the same bag went through airport security 4 times in January without being flagged. I think I figured out why and it will change the way I pack my pastels.

On the cruise I packed an extra box of Holbein hard pastels which I had carefully lined up in the box to make a better fit.  This was the box that security was most interested in!  This box looked like a box of bullets.  The 'messy' box of pastels where they were all different sizes and NOT lined up passed through without a problem. (the agent actually took each box put and ran it through X-ray separately so she wouldn't have to go through my entire backpack) See the photo below.

The top box was not as suspicious as the bottom right box

So from now on I will try to pack a bit differently. I always carry on my pastels. 

• I will NOT line up my pastels perfectly. I will bring an assortment of shapes and sizes like the top box in the photo.
• I am going to try to take the pastel kit with the boxes of pastels out of the backpack and put them through security in a separate bin. This way if it looks suspicious to the agent they will only need to inspect the pastel box and not the entire contents of my backpack. I'll let you know how this works after my next flight.
• I will put a note on the box with handling instructions in case I get an agent who won't allow me to speak (it has happened!)
• I usually don't put pastels in any checked bag but if I do I will double wrap them in bubble wrap in a large ziploc bag with handling instructions prominently displayed.

'Desert Dreams I'     2.5x3.5   pastel   $15 buy here

'Desert Dreams II'         2.5x3.5        pastel  $15 buy here

'Desert Dreams III'         2.5 x 3.5   pastel  $15 buy here

'Desert Dreams IV'          2.5x3.5        pastel    $15  buy here

Today's post includes a few of the mini pastels I painted on my cruise. I will be posting more this week as well as listing them in my Etsy shop. They are available for purchase in my shop for $15 each. Visit my shop here