Daily Painting....Autumn Pond

'Autumn Pond' 8x10 pastel

I am always looking for a reason to travel but sometimes if you are open to it, you can find beauty in your own backyard. Sunday was one of those times. In the park just down the street from me, I saw so many paintable scenes. This was one of them. This painting is done on the last piece of gatorboard I had prepared. I am getting used to it I think and I will make some more.

Happy Halloween!

'Trick or Treat' 6x6 pastel

I almost didn't get to paint this cupcake today! It was the last one from a batch my daughter and her friend Anna had baked and decorated. I set it aside so that I could paint it and luckily I saw my husband put it on his breakfast plate and I rescued it. Whew...it almost got away!

Daily Pastel Painting...Fall Color

'Leaf Study #1' 8x10 pastel

I didn't have to go far for some awesome fall color. Today we went for a walk at a unit of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area just around the corner from the house. The light was perfect and I took 100 photos in an hour! The problem was deciding what to paint first. Ihave reflections, ducks, turtles, people, backlit trees, ponds.....That should keep me busy this week.

Plein Air Cat Tails

Today was a busy day with errands and organizing so no time to paint! As I drove around town I wanted to stop and paint the beautiful fall colors. Hopefully if the weather is nice I will go out to paint tomorrow or at least to take some pictures. This is a plein air painting I did last fall at the Chattahoochee River. It would be fun to go back and do another version!

Daily Painting...Sunflower!

'Feeling Sunny' 12x16 Pastel

It was a gloomy rainy day here today so I thought I'd paint something cheerful and sunny to brighten up the day. This is from a photo I took at the Sunflower Festival Jayne and I went to this past summer. I have many more photos which should last me through the dreary days of winter!

Email me at kemstudios@yahoo.com if you would like to purchase this painting.

Sharing Corey's Work

My son Corey is a freshman at Kennesaw State University majoring in art. His interests and experience are mainly with web design. Since he was in high school band he never had room in his schedule to take any art classes. So this is his first experience with taking a drawing class and this is one of his first drawings. I just wanted to share it. I am proud of how hard he is working and so glad he is enjoying his art courses.

Daily Painting...St. Maarten Beach

'The Perfect Beach' 5x7 pastel

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We came across this little piece of paradise on a tour of St. Martin last winter. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen. I would love to go back and swim in that gorgeous blue water!

My Daily Painting...Sea Glass

'Treasures from the Sea' 6x6 pastel

I love collecting sea glass. I have a collection with pieces from beaches all over the country. Some beaches are better for sea glass than others. The best beach I have come across is on Monhegan Island in Maine. The beach there was covered with sea glass. I remember one evening at the Trailing Yew Inn, I watched a lady rinse off her collection and it looked like a pile of jewels. I plan to make more paintings using my collection. This was fun to paint and I did it from life which I am trying to do more.

 

Sanibel Beach Path...Painting of the Day

'Onto the Beach' 9x12 pastel

I have been painting some very small beach paths but I felt like going larger... well a bit larger. This is from a photo I took on Sanibel Island....I believe at the Lighthouse Beach. Today I may do some more gulls...stay tuned.

Daily Painting....Marsh Experiment

'Evening Marsh' 8x10

This is another painting on the gatorboard. This on was with pumise ground. It seemed a bit rougher than the acrylic ground. Takes some getting used to. Today I think I'll work on some small ones. They are fun to do...while I figure out what my next large painting will be. I was having trouble with blogger all evening so I hope this posts OK!

Daily Pastel Painting...Starlight Mints

'Sweet on You' 5x7 Pastel

I've had this bowl of Starlight mints on my desk for weeks now and I've been wanting to paint them. Today was the day! I love Starlight mints especially the spearmint flavor. When we went out to Utah last year we got some cinnamon and chocloate mint varieties. I can't find them around here. This painting is 5x7 on LaCarte paper so these mints are larger than life....mmmm sweet!

Gloomy Day Gulls 12x12 Pastel

'Gloomy Day Gulls'

You don't always get beautiful sunny weather at the beach. But I like the stormy, blustery days too. In between rain squalls you can walk the beach and find all kinds of treasure like these three gulls. I haven't painted gulls in awhile and I was happy to add this one to my collection. I painted this on white Wallis paper and did an alcohol wash for the sand and sea.

Daily Pastel Painting....Morning Magic

'Morning Magic' 8x10 pastel

This morning I took Jayne's reference photo that I used for the painting in the previous post and I zoomed in a little and painted another version.This time I used the gatorboard I had prepared with acrylic pastel ground tinted orange. My goal was to be very quick and not so fussy with the bits of color. This took me about 20 minutes. I could work on it some more but I think it expresses how I felt about the dunes that morning. And I do plan on painting those seagulls next!

Harbor Island Dunes

'Harbor Island Dunes' 9x12 Pastel

I was planning on painting some seagulls in the rain last night at pastel class....but Marsha wanted us to paint something that had strong areas of light and shadows. So thanks to Jayne's photo stash I was able to use her dune photo. This is from our trip to South Carolina and I remember how wonderful the shadows on the dunes were that morning. One thing Marsha felt I should do was try not to get too fussy with too many colors in the grasses. I guess I see so many colors and I want to put them all in there. But I tried another version at home so see my next post. (the post just before this one)

Daily Pastel Painting....Playing Pool

'Playing Pool ' 6x6 pastel

I'm having fun with the 6x6 format. It seemed like the perfect size for this composition. I had pastel class tonight and Marsha is going to arrange for the students to have a show. We will get to have two paintings hung. I have to think about what I will choose. I have some finishing touches to do on the painting from class so I will post that one tomorrow. Keeping busy!

Fun with Minis! Sanibel Shellers

I like to paint these miniature paintings every once in awhile. They are fun to do and sometimes I use them as studies for larger works. They measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches which is the standard ACEO size. That stands for Art Cards, Originals and Editions and they are little paintings that are collected and traded. They can be found on several online auction sites including Ebay. It's a good way to collect art at an affordable price.
Click Here to Bid on Ebay

My Daily Painting...Inside my Box

'Inside my Box' 6x6 Pastel
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I've been wanting to paint my pastels so I finally had a chance today. I tried different arrangements and took some photos...but finally just decided on this section of my pastel box...just as they were. My daughter asked me if I used the real pastel to paint each color and I don't think I really did. I used a variety of colors to make each one. This was fun to do!

Today's Painting...St. Maarten Pastel

Here is another pastel I rescued from the pile during my studio clean-up this weekend. I had done this one last fall after a caribbean cruise. I felt is was washed out looking so I added some color to the rocks and some highlights on the leaves. I like it better now. My studios is all organized so I should be able to start something new on Monday.

The Morning Walk part 2 Pastel

'The Morning Walk' 12x16

Today was clean up the studio day and I came across this painting that needed a fix. On the original, I had the horizon too close to the first woman's head. So I added some more water! I love that about pastels! I have some ideas for tomorrow's painting and Hopefully I will have a nice leisurely Sunday to paint.

Snowy Egret Close-up pastel 9x12

'Beach Walk' 9x12

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I felt like Ernie the Snowy Egret deserved a close-up portrait. So I went through my reference photos from my Sanibel trip and found another 'Ernie' photo. Snowy Egrets are fun to paint. They really have so much personality. Especially this one since I feel I got to know him after watching his antics for a week.

Another 'Ernie' Painting Pastel 9x12

'The Patient Fishermen'

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I couldn't resist painting this one. It's Ernie the Snowy Egret waiting patiently for his catch of the day! This funny bird hangs out in front of the Waterside Inn on Sanibel Island. The week we stayed at the Inn there was also a group of avid surf fishermen. Every morning Ernie would wait patiently until one of the fishermen would toss him some bait. He is quite a character and I have many more references of him to paint!

Introducing my new Squidoo Lens!

SO, WHAT'S A SQUIDOO LENS?

"A lens is one person's view on a topic that matters to her. It's a single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, eBay auctions, CafePress designs, Amazon books or music, and more. Then, when someone is looking for recommended information, fast, your lens gets him started and sends him off in the right direction. "
It's a great way to share information on a subject you are passionate about with others who have the same interest. I have started a lens on Daily Painting with Pastels. I will share my favorite information relating to art and pastels.
Check it out and see what you think!

Daily Painting with Pastels

My Daily Painting...Time for Apples, Pastel

'Time for Apples' each 6x6
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If you've read my previous post you'll see that this is my version of Granny Smith apples. I was having so much fun that I did three paintings of the same apple. They are each 6x6 on LaCarte paper. Next up on the easel is a Snowy Egret. I am also working on my Squidoo lens for pastel painting. I will post more information when it is ready!

My Turn for Apples

It seems that every daily painter has a try at painting apples. It's easy to see why. They are colorful and convenient. Today I had this green apple that I planned to cut up so my daycare kids could do apple prints. But it called out to be painted. So while the kids were napping, I set it on the cutting board and painted it...and then I painted it again from another angle. Well then I needed a third one to make my series complete so I cut it open and painted it one last time. And yes, we did make apple prints too!

Today's Painting..In the Mood for Flowers

Last night at the Southeast Pastel Society's meeting we saw a demo by Margaret Dyer. It was wonderful! She painted a nude from a crummy photo and it was beautiful! She was so free with her colors and stokes and it was like watching her perform magic to see that painting materialize. Well of course I was inspired to try some of the techniques she shared but I have never painted the figure before...so I tried some flowers. I need more than 50 minutes with her! I really would love to take one of her workshops because I would like to be able to paint people!

Today's Painting..A Gatorboard Experiment

'Autumn Road' 8x10

Yesterday I bought some Gatorboard to make my own pastel supports. I cut four 8x10 pieces and coated them with pumice ground on 2 and acrylic ground for pastel on the other two. Today I tried to paint on one. This is the result. This is the board coated with pumice and stained purple. I didn't love working on it but I suppose I could get used to it. The brushstrokes of the pumice mixture show through and make it difficult to get details. This support would be good for certain subjects. Next I will try the acrylic ground to compare.

My Daily Painting... South Carolina Palm

'Palm Study on the Marsh #1' 9x12 pastel

Sunday was a fun and productive day. Jayne and I got the urge to visit Binders, our local art store. We bought some gatorboard, assorted pastels and I was very tempted to buy the new acrylic paints that Marsha just got. I had them loaded into my basket and was in the process of choosing brushes when I thought....I don't have time to set up for acrylics!!...so I put them back. But I am thinking I will get them. I used to paint with oils and acrylics way back in high school, before I had any kind of instruction or art knowledge. It would be fun to try them again. Then I made up four 8x10 gatorboard panels. I can't wait to try them. And finally, I did this quick palm tree painting. It's my weekly 'canson' practice. Now to decide what to paint on the gatorboard!

Today's Painting...Egret in the Marsh

'Secret Marsh' 16x20 Pastel

If you've been following my blog, you may recognize this painting as the work in progress I started last week. I brought it to pastel class intending to work on it but Marsha had an assignment for us so I brought it back home. Today I had a nice leisurely day to paint so I decided to finish this. I'm not sure what I want to paint next. I'll have to sleep on it!

Today's Painting...Sea Oat Shadows

'Sea Oat Shadows' 6x6 pastel

Here's another one from my trip to the South Carolina Low Country. Since I took around 800 photos I have a good supply of reference material. This is another little one at 6x6 inches. These are fun to do and make good studies for larger paintings. This weekend I plan to do more work on the work-in-progress that I posted the other day. It's up on the easel. Last night I went over to Jayne's to paint the wonderful gourds she bought. They were so unique and really deserve to be painted. I was tired though and didn't have it in me...so I need to give it another shot. I did like my thumbnail...but that was about it!

Painting a Muskie

I just finished an interesting commission. I was asked to paint a Muskie fish. My client sent me a couple of photos of her husband with his big catch...but she wanted just the fish. Maybe jumping out of the water or swimming underwater. Well I had never even heard of Muskies (they are big sport up north!) So I had to do some research. I loved the background of the photo she sent, but the fish was ....well the fish was dead and grey! So I took some artistic license and brought the fish back to life and had him jumping out of the water. It's 8x10 on Wallis paper. She is happy with it and it was fun for me to paint!

My Daily Painting...mmmmmMallomars!

'A Mallomar Moment' 6x6 pastel

What a treat! The other day I found my very favorite cookies at Walmart of all places! So I bought two boxes and I am enjoying them! Actually I couldn't wait to finish this painting so I could eat them! I would love to be able to find Dark chocolate covered graham crackers made by Nabisco. They don't have them here in Atlanta. I also finished a commission today of a muskie fish. I'll post that later. Time for more cookies and milk!

Today's Painting...Plein Air Dunes

'Tall Dunes' 9x12

I thought I'd share another plein air painting I did from my South Carolina trip last week. These are the dunes in front of the condo we rented. It really was a pristine beach with the most wonderful dunes. The best sea oats and dune vegetation I had ever seen! And the birds!!!! It was heaven! This was my second plein air painting of the morning. I sat down on the sand to put my first one away when this view caught my eye. I never even stood up to paint...just put my board in my lap!

Work in Progress...Harbor Island Marsh

In between my daily paintings, I like to work on something larger. I will be bringing this to pastel class tonight. It's a marsh scene from my trip to the South Carolina Low Country. For these bigger paintings I like to put in some advance planning. I first did a value sketch which is business card size. Then I did a small color practice painting on a 2x3 card. You can see both of these studies taped above my painting. The reference photo is on the left. Then I lightly sketched the main elements and blocked in these areas with hard pastels. I rubbed the pastel in with a piece of foam creating my underpainting. I'll work on this more tonight.
Fun news....I placed an order for about 60 Girault pastels. I was tempted to get the full set but when I went over the list...I actually had about half of them already from the various sets I had purchased!

My Daily Painting...Pink Birthday Cake

'After the Party' 5x7 pastel

My daughter wanted me to bake her birthday cake. I made it pink and she loved it! It tasted good and was fun to paint. What more could I ask for? How about a chocolate cake! Or cheesecake ..or....this could be dangerous!

My Daily Painting...Marsh Sunset

'Sunset Surprise' 6x6

This little marsh painting was done from a photo I took during our painting trip to the South Carolina Low Country. We had just arrived at Beaufort, SC after 6 hours in the car. We were just slightly lost (missed a turn). As we drove down the main drag, I happened to see a gorgeous sunset through the trees. Holly turned down a side street and we arrived at this marshy area behind the city municiple buildings. What luck!!! We quickly took our photos before the sun was gone. It was one of my top ten sunsets and that says a lot! This painting is 6x6 on LaCarte...my first landscape on this paper. I do know that I am loving this format and size! The water doesn't cut the paper in half...it seems I cut off some marsh when I took the photo!