Baby Blues...Siamese Cat

Here is a painting I did of Tobi while I was on the cruise in January. I need to decide what pastels I am going to pack for this weekend's trip to the SC coast. I'd love to go as light as I did on the cruise with just enough supplies to fit in my backpack. I will be traveling with my family so I might not have that much painting time. I will certainly get a lot of reference photos though!
This painting is 5x7 and I call it 'Baby Blues'. I love the color of a siamese cat's eyes!

Painting Pears....class demo

This afternoon was my first pastel class. I had a great time and enjoyed meeting everyone and sharing with you. I am posting the demos I did for the class. We talked about the different ways to apply pastels. The first pear is done with the side of the pastel...no blending. The second pear is done using only linear strokes and the third pear is blended. Everyone had a chance to try these techniques with their own pear. Everyone did a wonderful job and I am looking forward to our next class! Now I have a plate of pears that will just have to be painted this week before I eat them!

Toccoa River Pastel Painting

'Down the Toccoa' 11x14 pastel

I took the reference photo for this painting at a pullout along the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia. We were at a workshop with Terry Ludwig. I am hoping to go back here this spring to paint some more river scenes. We are working on rocks and moving water in Marsha's class this session and I would love more reference photos! This afternoon I am busy getting ready for my first pastel class tomorrow. I am teaching a Beginning Pastel class here in my studio. I have six students coming and I am excited to have them. I will report back in tomorrow's post!

Jazzpurr Accepted!

It is Jazzpurr's turn to be on display! My painting of Jazz has been accepted into South Cobb Arts Alliance juried exhibition 'The World of Art'. The show will be at the Mable House in Mableton, Ga April 21 - May 27. I can't wait to see Jazz hanging on display at the Mable House. It was here at the SE Pastel Society's show back in 2005 that I decided I wanted to work hard at being the best artist possible and to be good enough to have my work recognized some day. I am really enjoying this journey!!

Cape Cod National Seashore

'Path to Water's Edge' 8x10 pastel

The summer family vacation plans have been booked! We will be headed to New England this summer. We will visit Bar Harbor, then down to Cape Cod and a couple of nights on Nantucket Island. I am very excited! The last time I was in New England I was into photography....I didn't paint at that time...all of my pictures are slides! I can't wait to do some plein air painting and get some reference photos. This scene is from one of the few photos I had from the last trip. It is a scene from a hike we did at the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Desert Bloom

I took a break from landscapes today to paint one of my favorite subjects...cactus flowers. I love the splash of color they add to the desert palette. I haven't painted a yellow bloom yet so here it is! I am also working on a Cape Cod landscape and finishing up a North Georgia river scene. Look for them later this week!

This painting is 5x7 on LaCarte paper.

Beach Day

'Beach Day' 8x10 pastel

I am getting ready for spring break and our mini trip to the South Carolina coast. I did this painting on a recycled pastelbord. I don't remember what was on it because I had brushed it all out leaving a medium grey surface. It's nice to be able to recylcle!

Marsh Magic

'Marsh Magic' 12x24 pastel

Weekends are the perfect time for me to paint larger than I usually do and I felt like doing this marsh painting yesterday. I am thinking I would like to go even larger but then I have to think about framing something big!

Mountain Meadows

'Mountain Meadows' 8x10 pastel

I'm glad I was able to get some photos of this beautiful mountain meadow. When I returned with my friend Jayne last summer...they had built an addition to the school and this view was no longer the same.

The Grand Finale...Sunset

It was the end to a perfect day. I couldn't have asked for a more spectacular sunset than the one I experienced in this painting. It was as if the sky was on fire. I was lucky enough to have my camera with me to capture the moment. This painting is 8x8 on Wallis paper.

Today I had a full day...I drove up to the mountains with my sister and brother-in-law to get my 'mountain' paintings. I had them hanging in a local restaurant last fall but was storing them over the winter at my parents home. I have a meeting with the owners of a shop in Blue Ridge Georgia. They are interested in seeing my work. (Thank you Marsha!!!) I will keep you posted on the outcome.

North Georgia Forest

'Quiet Light' 8x10 pastel

Here is my homework assignment. We were to try a watercolor underpainting. I chose a scene from a photo I took in Dawsonville Georgia a few years ago. I always liked the dappled light in the woods. I remember it being very peaceful. I used quality watercolors but my underpainting was still wimpy. I need to practice some more. It is much easier on the pastelbord. No worries of paper buckling!

Little Green Apples

Today I couldn't resist painting these little green apples Caitlin bought for her lunches. I wanted to practice using different methods of applying pastel . One is made up entirely of linear strokes. One is done with using the sides of my pastels with no blending. And one is completely blended with my finger. I decided that I use a combination of all three in my paintings but I use the side strokes the most. It was interesting though to force myself to use just one method for each apple. I really liked the energy of the linear apple and may have to try another one!

Rocks and Moving Water Study

'Mountain Stream' 5x7 pastel

At pastel class we are working on rocks and moving water this session. I had planned to paint a bigger river scene at class but I forgot my easel so I had to paint sitting down. This little rock study was a good exercise to work on. Marsha started a demo with a watercolor underpainting and for homework we are to try our own watercolor underpainting. Hopefully tonight I will have a chance to try my own on Pastelbord.

Sanibel Island Beach Path

'Flowers by the Sea' 7x5 pastel

I love the little yellow flowers that line the beaches on parts of Sanibel Island. They add a touch of happy color to the beach!

In the last few months many of my art friends have started blogging about their art and I am proud to say that they are doing a great job of posting their wonderful work. I'd like to share their blogs with you. I plan on adding them to the sidebar but for now here they are some of them. I hope you get a chance to visit and check out the sidebar this week for more!

Jayne Bachman

Holly Brinkley

Marsha Savage

Virginia Dauth

Carly Clements-Hardy

Carol McNeely

A New Siamese Cat Painting

'The Afternoon Bath' 8x10 pastel

It was time to paint Tobi again and I couldn't resist this pose of him grooming in the sun spot. I can always find him relaxing in the spot around lunch time when the sun comes in the window. He makes me wish I could just sit in the sun and relax too!

Sunday's Sunflower

'Sunday's Sunflower' 8x10 pastel

I haven't painted a sunflower in awhile and it was such a beautiful day it just seemed right. I actually did a few paintings today! I went over to Jayne's to paint and we each did a couple. I will post them this week.

Florida Wetlands

'Low Tide' 14x11 pastel

The wetlands take on such a different appearance at low tide. Little rivers snake through the mud and if you are lucky you will spot birds looking for food. It is a beautiful and peaceful side of Florida. It was good to get dusty again and paint today after I have been fighting bad allergies all last week. I have another painting on the easel that I hope to get to later today.

A Calico Cat

This is Ceara, the Queen. She is my first cat and the top cat in the house. She was born on St Patrick's Day about 10 years ago and was abandoned. My sister adopted Ceara and her sister bailey when they were just 3 days old. We bottle fed the kittens and they grew healthy and strong. Of course I had to keep one! Sadly, Bailey is no longer with us but Ceara continue to make me smile!

This painting is 7x5 on LaCarte paper.

St. George Island Dunes

'Colorful Dunes' 5x7 pastel

It has been awhile since I have visited St. George Island in Florida but I love it! The dunes were covered by such color when we were there. I always enjoy painting beach scenes.

South Carolina Cypress Swamp

'The Photo Opportunity' 11x14 pastel

There is a story behind this scene. Last spring on our VIP painitng trip, Jayne, Holly and I were on the hunt for water lilies in bloom. We had painted at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, but the lilies there were not quite blooming. We were disappointed! On the drive home though, we spotted this section of cypress swamp and there they were....Lilies in bloom! We pulled over and took photos as the cars whizzed by. You would never know this peaceful scene was at the side of a busy highway!

Working on Simplifying

Last night was the start of a new session of pastel class and I was feeling crummy. I had a bad allergy attack all day but I didn't want to miss class. We will be working on trees, clouds, rocks and streams this session so I chose this scene which has trees and water. Marsha had us write down what our goal was for this painting and for me it was to take this busy swamp scene and try to simplify it. I am showing you my thumbnail sketch and the reference photo. I will post the finished painting next.

Jack Russell Terrier

'Maddie' 16x20 pastel

Here is the commission of Maddie, an adorable Jack Russell Terrier. It is the largest pet portrait I have done and I really enjoyed painting larger. I am waiting to hear from Maddie's owner who has been out of town before calling it officially done!

Moab Utah Red Liffs Lodge

'Dusk at the Red Cliffs' 5x7 pastel

This is a little painting I did from our visit last summer to the Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab Utah. I was lucky enough to be able to paint out on the patio of our room. This was the view we had of the Colorado River and those wonderful red cliffs. One of my favorite places on earth!

Stormy Marsh

'Stormy Marsh' 16x20 pastel

This marsh scene is done from one of my Creighton Island photos. I love the moodiness of the marsh in the stormy weather. We will be heading to Beaufort SC and Hunting Island for Spring Break in April and I am hoping that we don't have stormy weather!

Bird Nest and Eggs Sold

'The Nest' 5x7 pastel

I was trying to puy a lot of texture in this nest in this pastel painting. It shows up better when you enlarge the picture. I built up many layers of pastel and then scraped through the layers with a pin to create the nest textures.

Magen's Bay Commission

'Magen's Bay' 11x14 pastel

I wanted to share this commission I did of Magen's Bay for a couple who will be married on the beach at Magen's Bay. It is one of my favorite beaches and some day I would love to set up and paint plein air on the beach. I am always too busy taking photos when I visit because it is usually a cruise port of call and we just don't have enough time. I will be visiting a friend this summer in the Bahamas. She has a cottage on the beach in Eleuthera. We are working on setting up a plein air pastel workshop while I am there...details will follow...but I hope to get to do a lot of plein air at the beach!

Dragonfly Collage

'Dragonfly Fantasy' collage 5x7

Here is my first collage which I am calling 'Dragonfly Fantasy'. A big thank you to Jayne for having me over two nights in a row so I could work on this in her wonderful studio. She even was gracious enough to include my daughter Caitlin who started her own collage last night. I had so much fun learning some new techniques. There is definitely a learning curve and for this piece I concentrated mostly on getting the materials to work for me. I have two more collages under construction and I hope to get over to Jaynes this weekend to finish them. I need to get out my pastels now! I should say that this collage is done on masonite using several papers, rubber stamps, lots of beads (which don't really show in this photo) and pen & ink.

Miniature Marsh Study

I have been up to my ears this week in paper, glue and paint doing some collage experiments so I haven't done much with my pastels. Here is a small 2.5 x 3.5 study I did for a larger painting. I love doing these minis andd they are a great way to play around with composition and color schemes before committing to a big piece of paper.

North Carolina Tree Study

'Mountain View' 6x6 pastel

I haven't been good about painting trees more frequently but I decided to do a little one yesterday. It is from a photo I took on a visit to the North Carolina mountains last summer.

I had the best time yesterday creating collages with Jayne & Holly. I am sorry I don't have anything to post....but I couldn't finish. It had to dry before I could go onto the next step. Now this totally goes against my work habits...I want it finished Now!!! But I will have to learn patience. It was so much fun playing with Jaynes huge rubber stamp collection and she was right...I will never look at a piece of paper the same way again...I was about to throw out Corey's film box he left on the table but I thought..."Hmmm if I open this box up it would make a great collage element!" I hope to go back tonight to do more and again this weekend!

Little Blue Heron

'Little Blue Heron' 10x8 pastel

Here is today's painting...a Little Blue Heron in the Mangroves. I love to paint birds! Tonight I am getting together with Jayne and Holly to do some collage. They attended a workshop last month and have done some beautiful work. I am looking forward to learning more about the process of collage. I will be sure to post my efforts.

Sea Glass in a Shell

'Treasure from the Sea' 6x9 pastel

Today's painting is another one from life. It is also a commission and I hope she will be pleased! I am so used to working from photos that the perils of working from life are new to me! I had the shell and sea glass set up on a stool and got the light and the glass just perfect. I did my drawing on my paper and then went off to dinner. When I returned I proceeded to trip over the stool and my shell and glass went flying! I couldn't believe that I was so clumsy and had to start all over again! It is funny now but it wasn't at that moment when the glass was in the air!

Sanibel Sea Shell

We are trying to decide where to go for summer vacation now that we have cancelled our cruise. Sanibel Island is always at the top of my list! I could easily spend a week beachcombing and painting. We haven't decided on anything yet. I will be beachcombing this summer though....I will tell more about my trip to the Bahamas in another post! I am so excited about this!

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Salt Marsh on a Sunny Day

'Salt Marsh on a Sunny Day' 14x11 pastel

I had my daughter go through my stack of reference photos to choose my next painting. She chose this marsh scene because it looked happy....it was a gorgeous day that day and because I painted plein air at that same spot I felt like I was able to really get into the scene when I painted this. I finished a commission of Magen's Bay today that I will post next.