Lessons from a Still Life

'Impressions of Autumn'            11x14          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
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I hesitated to tell them.  If my students knew we would be painting a still life this week would they come to class?  After all we are landscape painters!  Most of us anyway. But I did warn them and they did show up.  There are lessons to be learned from painting a still life. More importantly there are lessons to be learned from painting any subject that is outside of your comfort zone.

That was the idea behind the focus for this week's class.  Since I am primarily a landscape painter all of my lessons and demos revolve around the landscape.  But if we are never exposed to painting other subjects we might not discover that we actually enjoy them.  As teacher it is my responsibility to make sure we are well rounded painters. So this week I set up the pumpkins and gourds!  What did we learn from painting a still life?

My Block in for the demo

•  We learned that painting a still life wasn't all that dreadful. In fact I would say that some of us really enjoyed the still life and might even be inspired to paint more of them.

• We learned that we all have our own unique viewpoint and painting style. This was even more obvious when we painted the same things. Have a look at the bottom photo to see what I mean!

• We learned that painting a still life can help strengthen our skills of observation. Especially when we had to paint from our sketches and notes. (we had 10 minutes to sketch and 20 minutes to paint...and so on)

• We brainstormed and decided that painting a still life can help us with important painting skills such as composition, value, seeing color, drawing skills....it is a great way to paint from life in the comfort of the studio.

Are you convinced yet?  Maybe you'd rather ease into the still life. Why not try this simple exercise.  Choose a mini pumpkin and get out a big piece of paper.  Now sit down and come up with a list of ways you could paint the pumpkin. I typed them up and made them into 'Pumpkin Tasks'.  Set a timer and spend 10 minutes on each task. Fill your paper with the little pumpkin paintings. Sample tasks: paint the pumpkin using only 25 strokes, make it into an abstract, use broken color, paint a monochromatic pumpkin, paint it in back and white.  It is a great way to warm up . Have fun!

Pumpkin Tasks warm ups

Student work. I love the different treatment of the same pumpkins!

How to Clean up a Pastel Mess

'The Edge of Darkness'             5x7         pastel            ©Karen Margulis
click to purchase $45

It was bound to happen.  That's what I get for having open pastel boxes sitting precariously on shelves and tables.  This morning started out great until I bumped into a table toppling a box of pastels.  It was like a slow motion movie....the box slowly fell turning upside down and landing on the carpet with a crash.

I had a big pastel mess on my hands and my students were due any minute. 

My lovely Pastel Mess...a shattered box of Diane Townsend Terrages

This isn't the first time I had a box of pastel dump onto the carpet. Once, my cat jumped up on my full Heilman box tipping it upside down....now that was a multicolored mess!  So I have experience cleaning pastel out of the rug.  Let me share what works for me in case you ever have to deal with a mess like this.

Vacuum First!

The most important thing to remember is that you want to VACUUM FIRST.  I pick up the broken pieces of pastel and any sizable chunks. (I can reconstitute them later)  Next I use the hose attachment and vacuum up the tiny pieces as well as the dust. I stick the hose down on the carpet so I can suction up every bit of dust possible.

DO NOT WET THE PASTEL BEFORE YOU VACUUM!

Our first instinct is to grab a wipe of wet paper towel to wipe up the mess. What this does is liquify the pastel making it into paint. It also spreads out and makes a wet colored stain. This wet blob is much harder to remove.  But if you vacuum first you get most of the pastel removed.

After vacuuming I am left with a lightly colored stain

The next step is to remove the remaining stain...which is much lighter than if we had wet it down.  I use Resolve spray carpet cleaner with Oxy action. I used the pet stain formula and it worked like a charm. I sprayed the stain liberally with the spray and let it work for a few minutes. I then used an old towel to blot up the stain.  I am happy to report that the entire stain came out completely!

The newly clean carpet...Resolve to the rescue!

I tried the same method on a pastel stain made by an intense dark red pastel. I thought for sure that it was a permanent stain.  The Resolve worked miracles and removed the stain!

How do you clean up pastel messes? I'd love to hear your tips!

Today's Painting:
A raven for Halloween!  5x7 pastel on LaCarte paper.

How I Got Started with Pastels

'Pumpkin Gourmet'              11x14             pastel            ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $125

 It all began with a pumpkin....and an old box of Grumbacher pastels. It was nine years ago when I picked up my first pastel. It was at a one day pastel workshop at the community art center. I had decided that I wanted to take art classes. I had not done any painting since my dabbling during high school. I started with a watercolor class which was a disaster. Not one to give up easily I signed up for a one day pastel workshop.

I arrived with my little box of pastels from a high school class,  excited to try them. The teacher was a sweet woman who didn't teach us a thing about pastels. She had some gourds and pumpkins set up and basically all we did was paint them all day.  I was in heaven.

My first pastel painting November 2004

Here is my painting from that workshop and yes it took me hours!  And yes there are many 'issues'.  But I knew as soon as the pastel touched the paper that I was hooked. I wanted to learn how to use those pastels. And I wanted more of them. Lots more. I went home after the workshop and immediately googled pastel teachers in Atlanta. The first name that popped up was Marsha Savage. I got up my nerve to inquire about classes and as luck would have it the next session was about to begin.

I went to the class and the rest is history!  Pastel was definitely the right fit for me and Marsha was the perfect first teacher. She made class fun as well as taught us how to get the pastels to do what we wanted. I am still learning but now it is my privilege to pass on what I do know with other aspiring pastelists.  I'm glad I somehow managed to save my first pastel paining. It reminds me that practice does indeed help!

Today's painting is the demo I did for my pastel class. I set up some pumpkins for us to paint. Hopefully they too will be inspired to continue painting!

How did you first discover pastel? Share your story with us in the comments!

How To Paint a Red Tree

'Autumn Reverie'               8x10             pastel             ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $125

I love red.  I have a little maple tree outside of my studio. It turns the most brilliant red in Fall.  I can't wait to paint it this year.  But red is hard to paint. I want to paint a red tree that glows.  I want the tree to look like it's on fire.  But so often when we paint red trees they look dull and washed out.  How do we get them to glow?

Just think Sunlight!  Turn towards the sun!

My chart illustrating how to make foliage glow

When we are painting foliage that is getting sunlight we often think we should paint the sunlit leaves lighter than the foliage in shadow.  So if we have a green tree we may choose a light green (think mint) for the sunny leaves.  If we are painting red foliage we might choose a pale red or a pinkish red.

Now our tree looks like it has volume and shape. It has a light side and a dark side. But something is missing. It looks pale and boring. How can we make it look lit by the sun?

The sun is our answer. The sun is warm. if we want the foliage to look sunny then choose a color that is WARMER and not necessarily lighter.  As our foliage moves out of the shadows and into the sun use progressively warmer colors.

Our little red tree then will start out with cool brick red and even purple foliage in the shadows. As the foliage gets closer to the sunlit side, we can use warmer reds. And in the sunniest places we can even use an red orange to orange.

Try a sample...paint two red shapes. Use a pale red/pink on one and an orange red on the other. See the difference a little warmth makes?

The Importance of Getting the Photo

'Every Morning is Beautiful'           8x10           pastel           ©Karen Margulis
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The Longhorn cattle will haunt us forever.  It was one of those missed photo-ops.  Imagine driving across Texas at 80 mph and out of the corner of your eye you see the perfect painting. A herd of longhorn steer perfectly aligned along the fence. But you can't stop for the photo and you can't really go back.  "Oh they'll be lots of shots just like that" and you agree and wait for them. But they don't appear. In fact you don't see another longhorn on the entire 3 week trip.

We still look for those longhorns all lined up. They haunt us still.  But we've learned a lesson. We don't pass by a good photo op. Even if it means we turn around and go back. That may be why a 2 hour drive can take us 6 hours. But we will have the photos and memories and no regrets.

Today's painting is another almost miss.  On our recent trip to NJ for the Stan Sperlak workshop we took thousands of photos. But there was one spot that eluded us.

The illusive view from the busy bridge

Each morning on the way from the motel to the workshop we would pass over a creek. It was the perfect little marsh area with a deep creek. We had been looking for just the spot.  And every morning the light was perfect. Sometimes misty and mysterious or sometimes dramatic. But is was always beautiful. But the road was busy and the bridge was on a curve. Not the best place to stop for photos.  We took our 'drive by' shots. They would have to do.

The last morning though we remembered the longhorns. We would not miss this photo op. And as luck would have it there were no cars behind us. So we pulled over and quickly got the shots we wanted before the next car. OK so maybe we did get honked at by said car but we quickly got on our way content with knowing we didn't miss the shot.  Now I will paint this view....many times!

Why a Messy Studio is a Good Sign

'Where the Kingfisher Goes'     6x6        pastel  plein air    ©Karen Margulis
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Sometimes you just have to make a mess. When I am on a creative tear I don't have time to stop and make everything tidy in my studio. I just need to keep on painting.  A messy studio is usually  a sign of an artist at work.

Sometimes we spend too much time worrying about keeping our studios neat and organized. I have to remind myself that my studio is a working space. It is not a gallery. I can have my supplies handy and work all over the walls. Sometimes we clean the studio instead of Painting...an avoidance tactic maybe?

 If I didn't have students coming to my studio I would have paintings in progress on every easel and tables piled with books, projects and supplies.  The piles would build as I worked oblivious to the mess.....until it eventually drove me crazy. Or until I needed to tidy up for visitors!

The time has come to clean the studio! 

Heidi checks out the mess in the studio

My studio will be a part of the ART MOB OPEN STUDIO TOUR the weekend of November 15,16 and 17th.  I am excited to be a part of the tour and can't wait to share my studio and work.  In addition to being able to view my space and a great selection of my work, I am planning some fun activities for my visitors. Click here for details of the tour.

• On Friday November 15 at 7:00 I will be doing a large pastel demo in my studio. I rarely paint large so this promises to be a lot of fun!

• On Saturday and Sunday Nov 16th and 17th,  I will be doing mini demos scheduled throughout the day. Want to try pastel? My studio will be the place! I will have a pastel station set up. Come and create your own little pastel gem!

In addition I will have both originals and some prints available in all price ranges.  

I will be cleaning the studio for the tour.....but I will make sure that I keep true to the idea that this is a tour of my working studio complete with a  peek at the creative piles of stuff!

(by the way the photo of the piles of boxes looks scary and you may be wondering why I have so many empty boxes.  My sister and I have an ebay shop and we need boxes for shipping. Somehow we accumulated more than we need so it was time to purge)

Metro Atlanta Art Mob Studio Tour Map

Painting an Autumn Tree from A Summer Reference Photo

'Ready for Fall'              16x20           pastel        ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase  $175

 Fall has arrived in North Georgia.  The air is crisp and cool and the leaves are slowly changing into their autumn garb. I love this time of year.  I even splurged on the most amazing pumpkins ever. I can't wait to paint them!

My awesome pumpkins

So when I finished this tree demo for my Wednesday night class I felt the pull to make it into an Autumn landscape.  I put on my 'What if?'  hat and asked myself ...."I wonder what would happen if I made this tree into a red tree?  How would I do that?"

The tree was fine as a green tree. But I am over green! So I went through my photo files and found a picture of a red tree and another of some fields in Fall colors. (this is a benefit of taking thousands of photos!) See the photo below for the original tree and photo along with the new reference photos.

The original demo featuring a Summer landscape with a green tree

Here is a summary of my process for changing the season of this painting:

• The first thing I did was test the red pastels on my tree to see if I liked what was happening. I decided that it was a go. There would be no turning back....after all it is only paper. By the way I am using a sienna color piece of Canson.

• Since I am using Canson I am limited to the number of layers I will be able to put down so I give the tree and the field a light spray of workable fixative. I liked the sky as it is so I didn't spray it. Now it will be easier to add more layers of pastel. I also like the texture the fixative gives.

• I work on the big tree first. I want to be sure to keep  the light in the painting consistent. So I basically follow the light and shadows already in the tree. I used a cool dark brick red for the tree shadows. I use a warmer red in a middle value for the rest of the foliage. Where the light is hitting some of the leaves I use a warmer orange red. (go warm instead of light to get the illusion of sunlight)

• I like the peeks of green from the original tree color. It makes the red more intense as well as making it look like the tree is actually changing color.

• Next I need to work on the field. It is much too green for the red of the trees. So I use some ochres and yellows to tone it down and give the grasses more of an autumn feel. 

• I decide to tone down the path and make it a bit more subtle.

• Now that the path is merely a suggestion AND the tree so intense the painting feels unbalanced. There is nothing on the right side to balance the weight of the big red tree. So I added a smaller bush on the right. 

• Now I had to break up the field in the mid to foreground. I didn't want it to be a big flat area. I made some directional strokes sloping down towards the path. I also took some of the pale yellow ochre in the distant field and put some behind the tree and bush to add another layer.

• I went back to the big tree and added some branches and refined the skyholes.

• Finishing touches: I decided to add some of the whitish-yellow wildflowers that I have been seeing everywhere this Fall. I tried not to overdo them and just merely suggest them.  

That was fun! I think I'll paint another Autumn tree!  It sure is fun to put on my 'what if' hat!

My Review of Stan Sperlak's GOGH BOX

'And the Sun Returns'            5x7         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $75

No this is not an infomercial!  I had to smile when one of my students told me my Pawleys Island trip report blog posts sounded like an infomercial for the Gogh Box.  I am not a paid reviewer but I am a very enthusiastic Gogh Box owner!  I took it for a test run last week on my beach trip and I am thrilled with the box. I painted 35 paintings and I don't think I would have done half as many with my old pastel plein air set up.  Here is the complete review I have been promising!

The Gogh Box when it arrived

What is the Gogh Box?  It is a complete travel kit for pastel artists designed by Stan Sperlak. Here is what Stan has to say about the box:

Stan says: We “invented” the GOGH BOX! Specifically to allow pastel artists to take it with them on the plane, train and automobiles. (We tested it through airport security ) Fits in a backpack! No need for an easel and the tripod is just an option as this sits on a bench, your lap or a table too! Always ready to GO! Everything is packed tightly inside and you can take as much as 10-15 pre cut papers with you, enough for a whole weekend! Just load the small foam lined cardboard box with an assortment of your favorite pastels (it will hold 60 Terry Ludwigs) You will even look fashionable! Students love it and were happy this was all they brought to Scotland for a month of painting! 

My First Painting with the Gogh Box on the Screen Porch 

What I love about the Gogh Box is that is holds everything you need to paint. (except the tripod which you don't even need if you have a table or a lap)  No more fussing with a cart or backpack full of supplies. No more struggling with heavy easels and boxes of pastels. Just open the box, unfold your foamcore backing board,clip up your paper and take the lid of your pastel box and you are ready to paint. Set up time: one minute!  And it's just as quick to clean up, close up the box and move on to a new painting spot.  Here are a few photos of my box in action. Scroll down for more of my review.

On a table sitting in a rocking chair

On my lap sitting on a bench

On my tripod out on the beach

On my tripod down by the creek

On the porch sitting in a wicker chair

On the porch. I got lazy and sat back with the box on my lap

Are you tempted?  Before I go on here is the link to a PDF Stan has on his website detailing the box and how it works. There are also great photos of the set up including the supplies it comes with. Here is the link to the Gogh Box Information.

The box is ready to go when you receive it. All you have to do is fill the included empty foam lined box with your pastels. Here is a post about how I filled my pastel box.  We all work differently so you may want to set up the box to suit you. I did make a few slight adjustments.  Here are the answers to some FAQs that I have been asked:

• What comes with the box?  Look at the PDF for photos but the box comes with a key and carry strap. Inside you have a foldable foam core backing board, foamcore sandwich for paper and finished work, bulldog and bankers clips,watercolor set, small water spray bottle, empty foam lined box for pastels, pencil set, pushpin,wipes,rubber bands,pastelboard and 3 pieces of Wallis paper. 
• How do you set up the support board? When you open the box the lid stays upright so you will lean your support board against it. You simply unfold the panels using the bulldog clips to secure the folds open. The smaller folded section goes under your pastel box which secures it. ****Note that we decided to use a large rubber band to secure the board to the lid. We attached the rubber band to each bulldog clip. This prevents any gust of wind from moving the board. We also covered the board with clear contact paper for protection and easy clean-up. NOTE: I am using the board the wrong way in my photos! Stan corrected me. If you put the wide fold down into the box it wedges in and won't move! Duh!!

• How do you attach your paper?  You use the bulldog clips and the bankers clips. I am NOT a clip person. I like to use artists tape. But I was determined to get used to the clips (one less thing to carry) and after a few paintings the clips didn't bother me at all. No more tape for me!

• Where does the pastel dust go?  At first I though I would be bothered about dust falling into the box. But actually the dust falls into the bottom fold of the foamcore support. I didn't push the pastel box all the way to the back so the dust didn't fall on my pastels either. At clean up all you do is lift out the support and dump the dust. The contact paper covering makes clean up a breeze.

• Will the Pastels break in the cardboard box? The box comes with foamlined slots (it's a Terry Ludwig box which is nice and sturdy)  I took out the slots so I could get more pastels in the box. The trick is to pack them tightly so they don't move around. You also want to secure the box with rubber bands. It is also important that the box be packed tightly into the Gogh box so it doesn't move around in transport. I had NO broken pastels. It worked great!

• What about Tripods? How do you attach one?  You don't really need one if you are creative in finding a place to set the box. (laps work great)  But a tripod is nice to have. The box comes with the plate for a tripod already attached. If you have a tripod with a quick release plate, you simply screw the quick release plate onto the plate on the bottom of the box. Now all you have to do is snap the box onto your tripod. I am looking into getting a lighter weight travel tripod.

• Where do you keep you paper and finished paintings?  The box comes with a foamcore sandwich held together with rubber bands. You can keep your paper and finished paintings in this sandwich. I put in a few sheets of glassine paper to protect the finished paintings. I also ended up with too many paintings for the sandwich so I used a real estate magazine (free) to hold the overflow.

• How big is it and how much does it weigh?  It weights about 5 pound full. It will probably vary slightly depending on what you put in it.  The size is:  13" wide  5" deep and 9 1/2" tall.

We did make a few adjustments to the set up.  I decided to take out the watercolors and pencils and added a smaller box of Nupastels and charcoal which suited me better but that is a minor thing. Overall the box is fantastic.  I got a new backpack for the box but I'll review that in another post.

If you have any other questions let me know!!  And Thank you Stan for coming up with such a great box!

10 Minutes to Better Tree Paintings

'Beauty Lives Again'      12x24       pastel      ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $225

It's all about getting the shape correct. No matter what our subject,  we can tell a lot about it by looking at it's shape or silhouette. This is especially true for trees. If we see a silhouette of a palm tree there is no way we could confuse it for a fir tree.  The shape and the outside contours of the tree give us the information we need.

When I paint a tree I begin by looking at the overall shape of the tree. Then I block it in with one value making a flat positive shape. As I develop the tree and add the background, I make sure that the negative shapes (sky holes) that I paint continue to describe the shape of the tree.

It is very easy to make an interesting tree shape into a boring one if we aren't being good observers. This has to do with our thinking brain taking over and giving us the simple symbol for a tree.  This is why we sometimes end up with 'lollipop trees' ! We have to practice observing and blocking in our trees carefully.  Lots of practice will help!

I am always looking for a way to make practice fun so I came up with this exercise: 10 Minute Trees!

Massing in the shape of the tree

10 Minute Trees

•  Begin with a piece of paper divide into quarters. Make sure that each section is no smaller than 5x7.
• Have a selection of tree photos available. Try to have several variety of trees. It is best to have photos with  strong light and shadows. Don't worry about background.
• Have your pastels ready. 
• Set a timer for 10 minutes. The object of this exercise is to observe the tree and block it in using one value to start with. This is the positive shape. You then block in the background (negative shape) carving into the tree and creating skyholes.
• Continue working on developing the tree from this block in stage until the timer goes off. Don't worry if you aren't finished. The goal is simply to get the shape correct. You should be able to tell what kind of tree you are painting by the shape!
• You get bonus points if you do this exercise from life....either plein air or out the window of your studio!

A few of my 10 Minute Trees

TIPS FOR THIS EXERCISE

• Start with the big simple shape of the tree. Don't worry about details (or painting leaves)
• Make sure the tree shape is a dark enough value and that it is flat...avoid spottiness.
• Develop the tree by gradually layering color  (Save the highlights for last)
• Carve into the tree with the background color to create interesting edges and sky holes.
• If you have time to add details such as leaves....try to avoid putting in too many leaves. A few well placed leaves will allow the viewer to fill in the blanks.

Painting Trees this Week...Join Us!

'Sentinel of the Marsh'         9x12          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase  $125

You either love it or dread it. Painting trees that is. For some artists,  painting trees comes so easily. Or maybe it just  looks that way.  For others it can be a struggle. How to get the right shape. How to make the colors interesting. How to add the right amount of detail.  It is all to easy to overwork a tree or have trees that look like they were painted by children.

I am usually in the 'dread painting trees' category.  I typically avoided making trees the focus of any painting. Perhaps it goes back to my first pastel teacher Marsha Savage. Marsha paints trees beautifully. Have a look at her work here.  I knew I could never paint them as well as she does so I just avoided them.

But this is a bad example for me to set for my students so I am slowly incorporating trees into my paintings. And I am practicing. That is always the best way to get better at something.  I will not let trees scare me! In fact on my trip to Pawleys I sought out trees to paint!

plein air pastel from Pawleys Island    sold

This week we are working on trees in my classes and I invite you to follow along. Today I'll share some tips I have discovered to help simplify the subject of trees. Tomorrow I will share an exercise that will help us all get more tree painting practice under our belts.  And if you are one of those artists who love painting trees and paint them with ease, please feel free to share your advice!

Ideas for Simplifying Trees

• Look at the overall shape of the tree. Is it oval? Square? Round? Triangular?  Does it have lots of little section of foliage?  Block in this big simple shape.

• Pay attention to the silhouette of the tree....If it was just a bog flat shape what would the outer edges look like? (more on this tomorrow)

• Make sure the shape you block in for the tree is an interesting shape. You want an interesting positive shape as well as have the shape around the tree (negative space) be interesting.
• Don't let the symbol your brain has for a tree cause you to make a plain, boring and orderly shape.

• Observe carefully. Be a good observer of trees. Pay attention to how they grow, what kind of foliage do they have? Where do their branches come from?

• Practice, Practice and practice some more. Don't avoid what frustrates you. (but don't obsess about it either, balance practice with difficult subjects with subjects you have success with.)

A Travel Tip for Finished Pastels...and it's Free!

'A Partly Cloudy Day'            5x7           ©Karen Margulis
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I ran out of room.  My finished painting section in my Gogh Box couldn't hold all of my Pawleys Island paintings.  Final count was 35 paintings.  The Gogh bpx comes with a foamcore sandwich to protect your finished paintings but it isn't meant to hold a week's worth of work. So I turned to my favorite travel trick....and best of all it's free!

A free local travel guide or magazine is a great pastel painting holder!

Local Real estate guide turned painting holder

The trick is to get the slick coated guides...the newsprint guides won't work.  This time I picked up a Real Estate guide at the local grocery store.  All I did was slip each painting in between the pages. There were enough pages to fit all of my paintings. Of course none of them were larger than 6x8 so this trick only works for the small studies.  For added safety you can use a binder clip to hold the pages together. I forgot to bring one with me this trip. 

The paintings will stay clean and safe until you get home and take them out. Don't forget you have paintings in the guide book and toss it while unpacking!  The bonus is you now have a nice little souvenir guidebook from your trip. 

Bonus tip: If you happen to have painted larger and need to protect a painting try tearing out sheets of the guidebook, tape them together and tape over painting. 

Do you have any tips for traveling with finished pastel paintings? I'd love for you to share your tips in the comment section!

Why Going to the Beach is Good for Your Pastels

'Gentle Morning'. 5x5. Pastel

sold

I left the beach this morning with souvenirs. Lots of photos, a stack of paintings, a feather and a few seashells, a Pawleys Island sweatshirt and a head spinning with memories. I left with something else too....a gallon size ziplock baggy full of sand. Pawleys Island has the softest sand. It has just the right feel. Not so fine that it coats everything yet not too corse and rough. It feel great in between your toes.

We discovered that the sand is great for our pastels. I gave my box of pastels a spa treatment several times.

My pastels were getting very dirty on this trip. I did use them a lot and since I was keeping things simple I didn't have my usual cloths to wipe them clean. I tried paper towels but they wanted to blow away and I didn't want to hold them. So the pastels needed a good cleaning.
Sand to the rescue! I did this in Zion National Park where the coral pink sand was sugary soft. Pawleys sand works just as well. I took my box down to the beach, filled the box lid with clean sand and shook the box gently. You could also use a baggy. After some jiggling in the sand the pastels were perfectly clean .
I enjoyed being out on the beach listening to the surf while I did this usually dull chore. In fact I cleaned those pastels three times during the week! There are some hazards though. Be careful of critters. I happened to plop down next to a crab hole and had to keep an eye on it to be sure the crab didn't want to come out! And when I went inside to get my camera to take this picture I came back to my pastel box surrounded by crows. I hope they didn't carry any pastels off!
So I took a bag of sand home with me. And when the cold of winter sets in I will take out my sand and give my pastels a spa treatment. It will remind me of the warm days on Pawleys sitting on the beach cleaning pastels!

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Last Day Pawleys Island...The Rainy Day Project

 

'Rainy Day Marsh 3'. 5x7. Pastel

What does an intrepid Plein air painter do when it is raining? Paint on the porch! We woke up to rain this morning. It was a soft steady rain. The kind that looks like it would hang around for awhile. I didn't want to waste my last day so I set up my Gogh box out on the front porch. It overlooks the creek and distant marsh and since it sits a bit higher you get a different viewpoint.

 

I made myself comfortable on the wicker chair with my Box on my lap. Painting has never been so easy! I painted the view from my chair enjoying the misty moodiness and balmy temperatures. Here is my fist painting.

'Rainy Day Marsh 1'. 5x7

The rain stopped and started again. Mist rolled in and back out. I realized that I had the makings of a perfect rainy day project. I would observe and paint the view as it changed throughout the morning. It was awesome. I worked quickly to try to capture the subtle and not so subtle shifts in the light and colors. I ended up painting five studies before the sun decided to finally break out and end my rainy day project.

'Rainy Day Marsh 3'. 5x7

Now if the sun would only stay out to give us one last sunset. I am headed home tomorrow with lots of great memories and a box of pastels that have seen better days. That's a good thing.

I have lots more to post about from this trip....Gogh box review, pastel selection tops, meeting Facebook friends and more!

 

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Pawleys Island Day 6...Paying my Dues

'Down at the Point'. 6x8. Pastel

"We have to pay our dues girls" my friend said as we struggled with this thing called Plein air. How do we decide what to paint? How do we simplify all of the busyness? How do we choose our colors? For one thing we need to practice....a lot. The more we work at it the easier it will come.

It was with that thought in mind that I packed up my backpack and headed out on a walk to the point this morning. IIt was time to pay my dues. I gladly pay them every day and having the opportunity to paint in such an inspiring place makes the payment easy!

'Over the Dunes'. 5x7. Pastel

The backpack is working out perfectly and the Gogh box is fantastic. (Stay tuned for my review) I set up among the dunes with a 360 view of ocean,dunes and marsh. It was a bright overcast morning with a slight breeze and the temperature was just right. I was in my shorts and decided to kick off my shoes and paint barefoot. It felt great! I painted five studies. Met a nice fisherman who's mom was an artist. Saw lots of birds and butterflies. I could have stayed all day!

'Creek Study'. 5x5. Pastel

 

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Pawleys Island Day 4....Here Comes the Sun

'Sunlit Marsh'. 5x7. Pastel

We've waited all week for a sunny day. I love moody clouds and drama but a day of warm sunshine would be nice. We were greeted by a peaceful and beautiful sunrise which soon gave way to a clear blue sky. It was supposed to be our Charleston gallery day but with rainodn the way we decided we needed to stay on the beach and enjoy the sun. I decided to walk down to the bend in the creek to paint.

It was the perfect spot to paint. A light breeze with the distant sound of waves along with the chatter of birds. I painted four studies here before heading back to the cottage for lunch. Here are some of my paintings.

'Monarchs Passing Through'. 5x7. Pastel

'At the Bend'. 6x8. Pastel

This afternoon we took it easy on the deck. We fed t he birds and laughed at their antics. I read some. Oh and I cleaned my pastels in the sand. It works great! We are gearing up for a great sunset. The clouds are building so hopefully we'll have some good color in the sky. I am planning on painting with my clean pastels so I can't wait!

 

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