A Painting Challenge for the New Year

'Winter Promise'               11x14               pastel                 ©Karen Margulis
painting available on Etsy $165

I want to keep it simple this year. No big lists. No lofty goals. I just want to simply paint, teach and share. And by doing all of these things I hope to to have my work continue to grow. Simply paint.

Paint what I want and see what evolves. Let things happen. 

In years past I would often have big lists of goals....New Year's resolutions. It was overwhelming to keep track of and to know where to begin. I have been able to whittle the list down and this year there is nothing on the list except to Simply Paint.

The best way to reach any art goal is to become a better painter. The best way to become a better painter is to simply paint. Paint often. Make time to paint even if you have to paint small and set a timer for 20 minutes or less. All of those 10 minute sessions will add up.

A Challenge for the New Year

Set up a small area where you can leave your supplies out. Cut a stack of papers. Spend at least 2-3 days a week  and do a quick painting. This is in addition to any larger more involved painting you may be working on. Consider these paintings quick studies or experiments. Just paint! 

I will share more on the challenge soon so start thinking about it!

 click here to see my demos in PDF format:

Here are a few of the available demos:

Top Places and Paintings of 2014....Abiquiu

'Ghost Ranch I'             8x10             pastel              ©Karen Margulis
painting available $150

This is where it all came together. Abiquiu New Mexico. I wasn't really planning on going. I was on the waitlist for Richard McKinley's Mentoring workshop and wasn't hopeful that I would make it in. But I did. I hesitated about going. After all I had just done a big trip to Iceland. But something told me I needed to go. So I went. It was another amazing experience.

It was intense. We painted from sun up to sun down every day. Somehow it all started to make sense. I painted with my heart. It just flowed. It was such a high. I came home with a stack of paintings. I will keep most of them. I want them to remind me of what it was like to paint with wild abandon!  I also would like to paint many of them larger  in 2015.

I have been asked why I choose to go to workshops. I am a teacher why do I still need to go? I go because I am also a student. I want to continue to grow and stretch myself. I want to learn from others and allow it to all trickle down until it becomes part of me.  I also meet the most wonderful artists in a workshop. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything!

Below are two of my favorite little 5x7  plein air paintings from Abiqui. I can't wait to paint them larger!

Places and Paintings ...My Favorites from 2014

'Down in the Valley'       11x14        pastel              ©Karen Margulis    sold

 It was the start of something very exciting. My first official out of town workshop!  It was a private workshop that came together in the most unusual way. One of my collectors thought it would be fun to get a small group of friends together and host a painting workshop at her home. She contacted me and asked if I was interested. She lived near Lake Tahoe at the base of Sierra Nevada mountains. I was game!

I had never met my host, Robin and some of the group had never even painted. But it turned out to be the most wonderful experience. We had such a wonderful time exploring the world of pastels in a gorgeous setting. It was fantastic!

9x12    pastel      sold

I came away from my time at Lake Tahoe with a group of new friends (we hope to have another workshop together this year!)  and an even greater appreciation for the power and joy of seeing. One of the things we talked about was how we as artists see the world with more sensitive eyes.....we truly can see the light if we allow it. And we can translate that to our paintings.  I was able to show the group the beautiful light that was right in front of us.

After the workshop I received wonderful feedback on how much more the group was sensitive to the beauty around them. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I may have been the teacher but I also learned much.

Now I am looking forward to more out of town and even out of the country workshops in the coming year.  Lake Tahoe got me started and I am now on a roll!  Thank you ladies!

Top Paintings and Places of 2014......Iceland!

'Journey to the Golden Circle'             12x24             pastel               ©Karen Margulis
painting available $325 click here

I'm still not sure what possessed me to go to Iceland. I knew nothing about Iceland. I just knew that if Stan Sperlak liked it and was leading the expedition it would be fun. I wanted an adventure. I wanted to learn something. I wanted to grow as an artist. Iceland did all of that and more. In short, it was an incredible journey. 

The Painter's Passport Iceland group. I am in the light gray coat in front.

 Iceland is like no other place in the world. Sure it has parts of what looks like other places.....volcanoes, snow covered mountains, glaciers, inspiring waterfalls, quaint fishing villages, meadows filled with wildflowers, lots and lots of green.  But all of these wonderful things are packed into one small country....an island near the arctic circle. Put all of this scenic beauty together with the warm and welcoming Icelanders and you have the recipe for a perfect place to explore.

And explore we did!  Stan and Cory led the trip and took us to some amazing places. We painted, we hiked, we took scenic drives. We took a dinner cruise on the bay. We explored Reykjavik. We relaxed and enjoyed conversation late into the night....while we waited for a sun that never really set.

One of my favorites from my trip. 

 I came home from Iceland with my head full of images I wanted to paint. I spent the month of July in my studio painting to my favorite Icelandic music. I wrote about my experience on my blog. I want to put it all into a book. [ you can read all 12 entries by following the links on my Pinterest board here] [See all of my Iceland Paintings here]
It was a very special trip.

This summer the adventures of Stan's Painter's Passport continue in France. We will be painting in the footsteps of the Impressionists visiting Paris and Normandy. I will be a guest instructor this year and I am thrilled to be able to share with the group. I will be blogging about this adventure so you can follow along with us!

I highly recommend any workshop with Stan Sperlak. Visit his website to learn more. www.stansperlak.com

Places and Paintings of 2014.....Top Pick #2

'Daddy Quail'                4x4        pastel                ©Karen Margulis
sold

 The second trip of 2014 set the tone for the rest of the year. It filled me up and I took off running. It was a special trip. For a week four of us shared our passion for art in the beautiful Southwest.... a place that always fills me up.

My friend Marsha Savage, her childhood friend Wanda and I went to visit friend Denise Champion in Phoenix, Arizona. Denise and her husband graciously hosted us in their beautiful home. I didn't know Wanda or Denise very well but after a week I left having made lifelong friends.

 We spent the week painting in the desert, getting stranded in the desert, talking art and life. Laughing and crying and growing both as artists and as people. We all learned valuable lessons that week.

'Baby Quail'         4x4           sold

"When it's empty it will fill up"

Wise words from Denise that I refer to often. It doesn't just apply to things financial though. When you are empty as an artist you need to make sure you do things to help you fill back up. Sometimes you don't even know you are empty. We get so caught up with day to day life and we don't take the time to just to be. Our week in Phoenix was the perfect  time to fill up and recharge.

We painted all day long both out in the desert and on the beautiful grounds of Denise's home. We even painted the sunset one evening and made the nightly news.  We shared wonderful meals and conversation. We took long evening walks and watched the stars. We even rescued some baby quail.
(read my Arizona blog posts here)

I returned home renewed and inspired and ready for a busy and exciting year. We all need time away to fill back up. We all need time to be artists and artists only. Time to get in touch with the inner child. To see things with fresh eyes. To just paint and explore and see what happens. Phoenix did it for me.

Treat yourself this year to an art get-away. Whether it be time with friends or perhaps an art workshop. make time to fill yourself up!  Visit my workshop page to see if I will be teaching in your area in 2015.

Places and Paintings of 2014...My Top Picks

'North Garden in Winter'               8x10              pastel             ©Karen Margulis           sold

 I always get excited as the New Year approaches. It is a chance to makes plans for a fresh start and plan new and exciting adventures. I have some thoughts to share on planning for the new year but I like to take the week before the start of the new year to reflect on the past year. I don't think about what I didn't accomplish or what I should have or could have done. Instead I look back on all the good things that did happen.....no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

In 2014 I accomplished some of the big goals that I had set for my art journey....and plans are underway for an even more exciting year to come. It seems that my blog 'Painting my World' is living up to it's name. It seems as though my suitcase stayed packed this year and I loved every minute of every journey.

Each trip created a breakthrough of some sort in my paintings This week I'd like to share my choices for my favorite  paintings of the past year. I chose them based upon the trip that inspired them and I will share my thoughts on how I grew on each journey.   I hope you enjoy my look back at 2014.

6x6 pastel        sold

Winter 2014.....Chicago and Snow!

Many of us will remember the winter of 2014 for it's extreme cold and abundance of snow. My year began with both with a trip to Chicago in the midst of the infamous Polar Vortex. My daughter and I traveled to Chicago for my daughter-in-law's baby shower. As usual I wished for snow and my wish was granted with a week of snow and subzero temperatures. 

I was actually in my glory as we wandered the city streets. My camera was always ready. I seemed drawn to the figure in the snowy landscape. Out of that trip came an explosion of small paintings of figures in the snow....children sledding, people walking, cityscapes with snow and lights. It was an exciting development and my interest in this motif lasted into the spring. I am feeling the pull to explore this further in 2015.

I was honored to have my Chicago winter painting 'Winter in North Garden' selected for second place in the International Exhibition of the Southeastern Pastel Society in May. It was wonderful to be recognized by our juror Liz Haywood-Sullivan and to have had three buyers fight over the painting on opening night! This painting is special for that reason.

Transforming the Studio for Christmas

'Winter Delight'              18x18             pastel              ©Karen Margulis
sold

The elves were busy this week. My studio was magically transformed into the dining room for Christmas.  The plan was to host Christmas dinner for my family. There would be 16 of us for a sit down turkey and ham dinner. The biggest room in the house is my studio so I set about rearranging tables to accommodate everyone.  I hung lights and paper stars and took out my china and silver. I put out all of my winter paintings on display. I unplugged all of my fluorescent lights and the mood was set. I was excited!

Then the day before Christmas Eve my cousins got sick with flu. They were planning to host Christmas Eve dinner but had to cancel. We needed a plan B so with the help of my sister, brother-in-law, Michael and the kids we got to work to make a plan. We decided on prime rib and all the fixings. We braved the crowds in the rain at Costco to get the supplies and got the house ready for not one but two big family get-togthers.  Christmas Eve was a success and now after a relaxing Christmas morning watching baby Greta open her presents, we are ready for another fun filled day and dinner in the studio!

My studio transformed into the dinging room!

Here's to Family!

I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to another year full of exciting adventures to share with you!

Adding Spice to a Winter Landscape

'Winter is Beautiful'              8x10          pastel           ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $125

 I am working through my stack of reference photos from my recent trip to Chicago. It wasn't officially winter but the snow and cold made it seem like the middle of winter. I had fun taking photos and I am having even more fun being inspired by them.

Today I took a break from cooking....I am now hosting my family of 16 for both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners due to my cousins having the flu!  I only had time to work on a quick painting so I decided to redo one of my older winter landscapes that just lacked punch.

old painting in need of some spice

I loved the textured board but the painting was dull and muddy. I began by brushing off most of the pastel leaving a ghost image. It was actually the perfect backdrop for the wonderful white tree and red bushes that I have been wanting to paint.  All I needed to do was draw the big tree, hint at the background trees and add the red bushes in front!

After brush out and new tree added

It was a fun way to revive an old painting that was just sitting in my pile!  Now back to baking deserts!

Holiday Painting Break....Painting Santa

'Much Loved Santas'               6x8           pastel          ©Karen Margulis
sold

I am sticking to my routine of daily painting even though I am busy getting ready for company. It is the perfect break. Spending 30 minutes or so devoted to painting is like a much needed nap or vigorous walk.....both are restorative and both give you more energy. 

This morning I was doing the last minute preparations for the arrival of my son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby Greta. I watered the tree and my vintage santa dolls caught my eye.  I knew then what my daily painting would be! I snapped a picture on my phone.  When it was time for a break I went down into the studio to paint my Santas.

My vintage Santa dolls

 Since it was a quick study I decided to keep it small. I had a piece of 6x8 Pastelmat already cut. It was the perfect size. I love working on Pastelmat!  After about 30 minutes I was finished with the painting and ready to return to my vacuuming!

I can't stress enough at how helpful it has been to do a daily painting. Whenever students ask me for advice it is the first thing I tell them. Paint often!  Make time to paint even if it is just 15 minutes. The more you paint the more you will want to keep going! I will share tips in upcoming blogs so get ready to make it one of your goals for 2015!

What makes a Good Painting Apron

'The Road Less Traveled'             6x6          pastel           ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $75

I wore the my last apron until it fell apart. It was my lucky apron. It was getting threadbare and holes were forming but it was still my favorite apron. It was a sad day when the straps finally disintegrated. I had to admit it was time to retire it.  I loved the apron so much that I gave it to my daughter-in-law so that she could sew me a new one using the tattered apron as a pattern.

Until she has time to get to my apron (she is a busy mom with a business of her own ...Woodsy Woods) I have been on a hunt for a replacement apron. Nothing will do. They are too long or too stiff or not the right colors. I guess I am very picky when it comes to my apron. 

I haven't had any luck until last week. I was in Anthropologie with my daughter and decided to look at the aprons. I can tell by touch if the apron will do and I didn't have much hope as I browsed the rack of aprons. Until I pulled out one that actually felt right. It was!  I had found my new painting apron. Yes $30 for an apron at Anthropologie is expensive but I know I will wear it until it falls apart!

My new painting apron from Anthropologie

So what makes for a perfect painting apron? Here are the things I require:

• It has to be soft and not at all stiff. I wear it all day long when I am in the studio so it has to feel light and invisible.  I have decided that an apron with linen is my favorite choice.
• It can't be too long. I prefer for it to hit mid thigh. I don't want to feel like it is tripping me.
• I like to have long ties. I like to pull the ties around me and tie a bow in the front. Maybe it makes me look thinner!
• It has to have pockets for tissues and phone.
• It has to coordinate with my clothes. Not really but I don't want my apron to clash. It bothers me. After all it is like an accessory so it might as well work with my wardrobe. My last apron had a whimsical flowered pattern that seemed to go with everything. The new apron is plain. I can pin my wool flowers on for color if I am in the mood.
• It has to wash well and come out of the drier without wrinkles. I need to wash the apron a lot so it needs to hold up.

I think my new apron will fit the bill and I am excited to start the new year with a new lucky apron!

Jennifur likes it!

Capturing a Moment with Pastels

'The Dog Days of Winter'              10x10             pastel              ©Karen Margulis
sold

It was very cold and the snow was gently falling. I pulled back the curtains and was thrilled to see the dusting of white on the trees across the street. I got my wish for snow! It was early November in Chicago and snow wasn't in the forecast but it came anyway. I was excited to get outside and take some pictures.  We bundled up, put the baby in her snowsuit and walked across the street to the park.

It was so quiet. The blanket of snow seemed to muffle the noises of the city. As we walked deeper into the park it was as if we had left the city behind us. All I could hear was the crunch of snow under our feet. It was special snow ...the kind that you could see the crystalline structures of the snowflakes when they landed on our mittens.

We weren't really alone. Many others had ventured out into the park. A man with his coffee and son in tow. A couple strolling under the canopy of red berried trees. And people walking dogs. I had my camera and took quick snapshots. The pictures take me back to the park. But it was walking on the cold day and experiencing it with all of my senses that help me capture the moment with my pastels.

Adding some snow flurries 

Before the snow

Painting notes: 10x10 on Canson moonstone paper with a variety of pastels.

How to Paint a Gray Day

'Beauty on a Quiet Day'               8x10            pastel            ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase painting $145

Rain is moving in. The sky has been filling in with dense clouds with wonderful slivers of light and peeks of blue. I love these gray dreary days or as my daughter called it 'a white sky day'.  The white sky isn't really white of course and it softens everything. The quiet neutral colors of a gray day allow me to appreciate the subtle colors and textures that are often overlooked on sunny days.  Gray days also let me make use of my gray or neutral pastels. 

I recently wrote a post about using brown. I had a request from a reader to share my thoughts on painting with grays.  I found a perfect reference photo from my recent trip to Chicago for a gray day painting.

a park in Chicago

It was a dull, colorless photo but I remembered the richness of the soft neutral colors and the gently falling snow. I pulled out my drawer of neutral pastels and took out a piece of prepared board that was toned a warm gray. The challenge was to use only the neutrals for the painting. (See my post on Neutrals here )

a selection of my neutral or grayed down pastels

Here are some of the things I kept in mind as I painted with the neutrals:

• Value is the key to success. You can really use any color if the values are correct. I tried to keep my shapes simple with cohesive value. (not spotty)

• Since I don't have exciting color to spice up the painting I relied on punching up the contrast for interest.

• I looked for neutrals that had color rather than pure grays. The mix of subtle colors was more interesting than grays made from black and white.

• Gray day skies may seem white but I look for the subtle color in the white. I used a pale yellow-green for this painting. Consider pinks,lavenders, yellows, blue-gray for a 'white' sky.

• I tried to create more interest through my mark-making. I also used an iridescent pastel in the sky. When you don't have color....you need to find other ways to make the painting interesting.

• I used a gray toned board to keep the entire painting neutral but consider toning the surface with a more lively or intense color. It will provide some interest when it peeks through the neutrals.

TRY THIS: Take out a selection of neutrals. Make sure you have a range of values from dark to light. Hint: these are probably pastels you don't often use!  The challenge is to paint a landscape using these neutrals.  For an extra challenging exercise choose a reference photo that depicts a colorful / sunny day and turn it into a gray day!

Making Time for a Painting Break

'Fairyland'                9x12              pastel                 ©Karen Margulis
sold

It can be done. Carving out some time to paint in the midst of the busy holiday season isn't easy but it is possible. I am in the middle of my annual studio clean up. I have stuff everywhere but I am making progress. On top of the clean up project I am getting ready for  Corey, Grace and Greta's visit and planning to host 17 for Christmas dinner (in my studio!)  I also have other projects I am trying to fit in and I am trying not to get overwhelmed.

You would think there was no time to paint. But my easel calls to me. I can fit it in if I think about painting time a bit differently. I can certainly find 20 minutes to paint. It is the perfect break from cleaning. Painting a quick study gives me a break, satisfies my pastel craving and allows me to access the intuitive painter in me.  Often we do better work than we thought possible if we limit our time spent on the painting. We don't have time to over- think!

alcohol wash underpainting

Today I took a break before lunch and spent 20 minutes working on this painting of an evergreen forest. I had already done the underpainting as a demo for  private lesson. It was sitting on my easel and made the perfect subject for a quick study.

Quick studies are made for busy times. Pastels make it easy to paint and leave things alone. Clean-up is too easy.  It is a great habit to start. Make time for a painting break. You'll be glad you did!

Painting notes:  Uart paper with a Nupastel and rubbing alcohol wash. terry Ludwog pastels and Diane Townsends for the snow.

Simplifying a Green Landscape

'Simply Verdant'                 9x12             pastel            ©Karen Margulis
painting available here $125

Sometimes it is a matter of taking things away. Keep it simple. Less is More. It all sounds like it should be easy. But sometimes keeping it simple is really the hardest thing to do. It tends to sneak up on us. We get involved in a painting adding a little here and a little more there and so on until we end up with too much information. We move way beyond simple!

It happened to me today. I was painting a demo for a new student. She is an experienced pastel artist specializing in the figure and she wants to try landscapes. I chose a very green landscape so that I could illustrate the importance of creating the illusion of depth with atmospheric perspective. I used my demo painting to show the ways we can manipulate our color, value and mark making to create depth. The demo served it's purpose but my painting needed help!

The original demo painting 

When my student left I looked at the painting on the easel and realized that I went beyond simple! My foreground had too much going on. It wasn't a matter of what I needed to add....it was a case of taking things away!

• I took out my stiff bristle brush and used it to brush out the busy foreground. I was left with a dark simple shape.
• I used some workable fixative spray to further darken and fix the foreground colors.
• I went back to my greens and simplified my marks. I allowed the marks to follow the contour of the land. The greens flowed nicely over the fixed darks.
• I used green to make the stream more narrow where it rounded the bend.

I enjoyed simplifying a landscape that had become too busy for my liking. So often we decide we aren't pleased with our paintings so we keep on painting and adding more pastel. It is easy to end up with an overworked and dull painting this way. Next time try taking things away!

Painting details: 9x12 on Uart 500 grit with Terry Ludwig and Diane Townsend pastels.

Three Steps to a Large Painting

'Wetland Colors'            12x12            pastel            ©Karen Margulis
sold

Sometimes things have a way of working out. I love when that happens. As I was working on my two large Queen Anne's Lace paintings  I had a request for a large marsh painting. The collector had seen one of my recent Lowcountry paintings and loved the colors. He gave me the freedom to create another marsh using the colors he liked. That's the kind of commission I like.  The best part was the colors were the same ones I was using in my wildflower paintings! Half the preparation was done!

The painting needed to be big and square so we decided on 30x30. I was on a roll with the big pastel paintings!  I have had some questions about how I was able to paint the wildflowers so quickly. It may seem quick but the key is in the preparation and being methodical in my approach. The preparation took time so that I was able to paint quickly and intuitively.

I break down my approach into three steps: preparation, block-in and finish. I follow these same steps on any size painting but it is even more critical in a large painting. I don't want to experiment and fiddle on a large expensive surface. I want to know in advance what I will be doing.

Ready to paint with my study done and pastels selected

STEP ONE: PREPARATION

• I prepare several ways. First I prepare the surface. In this case I cut another piece of Uart from my roll and flattened it. All I did this time was put it under heavy books for a few days. While waiting for my paper to uncurl I painted a smaller study. For a large painting I use the study for my reference NOT a photo so the study painting is important. It allows me to work out my composition, values, colors. 

• I also choose my palette. I select the pastels I will use for the painting. For this commission I used the same pastels as I used in my wildflower commission so it was easy! 

• For the composition I needed to adjust the original painting that inspired my collector from landscape to square format. The study allowed me to work out the flow of the creek in the new format.

• When I am happy with the study I am ready to move to the big painting. I prepare myself mentally by taking a deep breath and putting on appropriate painting music.

The block in and rub in

STEP TWO: BLOCK IN

The next step is to cover the entire piece of paper somehow. I could choose to do a wet or dry underpainting but the important thing is to cover the whole surface. I want to have a head start on the painting. The underpainting doesn't have to be perfect so it allows me to approach the big blank paper without fear. It also allows me to see the whole painting and make corrections before I get too much pastel or too invested in any one section of the painting.

For this painting I did a dry underpainting with Mount Vision pastels that I rubbed into the paper with a piece of foam pipe insulation.

Starting to add more color

STEP THREE: THE FINISH

The underpainting supplied the composition, values and a start on interesting color. It is a road map. The rest of the painting goes quickly if all of the preparation was done well.  In a landscape I typically begin with the dark areas. I then move onto to the sky. Next I work my way from background to foreground. I keep things big and simple. Only at the very end of the painting process do a add any suggestion of detail.

I have my colors selected and my values mapped  so there is nothing to distract me from the task on hand....painting!

The finished 30x30 on the easel

This is the finished 30x30. Compare it to the 12x12 study at the top of the post

Steps to a Commission Part Four: The Finished Paintings

'Peaceful Meadow II'           30x40           pastel            ©Karen Margulis

I think it must have been the music.  Once I turned on the soundtrack to The Hundred Foot Journey and started painting, everything started to flow. I can't imagine how it would be possible (or as much fun) to paint this large without music that makes you move! Listen to this soundtrack and see what I mean!

Once I began the paintings I was finished in four hours. I had one ice cream break and kept going. When I was finished I felt like I had run a marathon. I was wiped out but was exhilarated. It was such a high to see the paintings come together and to know that four hours before I was staring at big pieces of blank paper!

Here I am in front of the paintings to give you a better idea of the scale

I had decided to work on both of the paintings at the same time and treat them as if it was one huge painting. The request was for the same level of detail as the smaller paintings discovered on my website. These were older paintings which had a lot more grasses and detail than I tend to paint now.  So you will notice that the big paintings have more detail than the studies.

I also had to decide how to treat the flowers.  How would I scale up the paintings? Would the flowers be larger than life? Would they be life size? How could I keep my strokes look the same as my smaller paintings.....I wanted the same loose feel to the paintings.  I decided that they would be larger than life.
The largest flower head measures 13 inches wide!

 I credit all of the preparation work I did with the studies and pastel palette selection for making the paintings progress so quickly. After all I had painted them already. It was just a matter of scaling up. The studies were my warm up and the paintings were the marathon! And now I am hooked on Huge!

Starting with the dark shapes

Adding the sky and mountains

Putting in the grasses

Working on the flowers and final details