New You Tube Video...Do Your Pastels Whisper or Shout?

'An Island Walk'            6x6          pastel         ©Karen Margulis    $75 click here 

 If a picture is worth a thousand words than a video is even better. Especially when it comes to art demos.  I am often asked to explain how I make my marks with pastels. It is a challenge to explain it with word and pictures. It is so much better to show!

So the topic for my new You Tube video is Mark Making. I talk about the way I prefer to apply pastels and show you the various ways I make my marks.  I also discuss the issue of the amount of pressure I use.....whisper vs. shout.  It is a 12 minute video and I'd love for you to check it out!

http://youtu.be/N5-bU96VyYg

Today's Nantucket Island paintings illustrate some of my favorite ways to apply pastel.

'The Evening Glow'        6x6         pastel         $75

In this painting I used a variety of marks. I used light whisper strokes to layer colors in the sky and sand.  I used heavier shouting marks in the sunlit foliage and the water. I also used some linear marks both in the grasses and in the sky.

chart of the various ways I apply pastel

Now Available: If you would like to see a complete landscape demo in PDF booklet format it is available in my Etsy shop. I plan to introduce a new demo download every month so I can share more than space allows here on the blog!

Making a You Tube Slideshow...Winter Pastels

'Winter'        5x7       pastel    ©Karen Margulis.   $50

Art set to music. It is a perfect combination. I am new to You Tube and only just discovering the great videos available to artists. So it was exciting to discover that I could quickly and easily make a slideshow of my paintings and set it to music.

The key for me is that is was Quick, Easy and Free.  What could be better!  It is also very easy to share your slideshow. They provide the link as well as the code to add it to your website and blog.

You need a You Tube account and once signed in click on the Upload button. There you have several choices with one being 'photo slideshow'.  Click 'create' and follow the directions. Very easy!  Have a look at my first try:





Making a video slideshow is a great way to share a collection of your work. I can't believe I waited so long to try it!  I am offering several of the winter landscapes for sale by auction on Daily Paintworks.
Here is one of the auction paintings:

'Down a Winter Path'        8x10     pastel
Available on Daily Paintworks auction Click HERE to bid

How to Use the Secret of Green in a Painting

'Nantucket Greens'         8x10          pastel     ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $125

First layers with oranges and violets on orange paper

I've been thinking a lot about painting green lately.  My recent pastel acquisition included several set with a lot of green pastels.  I've blogged about the Marsha Savage set of Terry Ludwig pastels and The Albert Handell Unison set and the Terry Ludwig assorted greens.

So I have plenty of green pastels and plenty of green things to paint in Georgia. How can I make my green paintings more interesting?  I could use Albert Handell's suggestion to balance greens with mauves. Read about it here.  I can use Richard McKinley's secret to green.  If you would like to read more about his secret you can see my post here. He also has an excellent book 'Pastel Pointers' which is a must have for pastelists.

Plein air painting I did during a Richard McKinley workshop in Hope Valley CA

For today's painting I used both recommendations.  It is good to know these 'secrets' but the trick is learning how to actually use them in a painting!  I decided it would be more fun to demonstrate than to try to explain So today's Friday Feature You Tube video will answer the question. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Best Tool Ever for Blending Pastels

'Nature's Glory'        6x6       pastel      ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase at Daily Painters.com $55

I am not a big blender.  I will occasionally blend a sky or an area that I want soft usually to contrast with a busy passage in a painting. If I do blend an area I usually go back and add a fresh layer of pastel just to bring back some of the lost luminosity.

I also love to do Dry Underpaintings by rubbing in my first layer of pastel. This gives me a soft 'ghost image' to work on and a head start on my color, values and composition. But I don't want to use my fingers to rub all of this pastel into the paper. Especially sanded paper! So when I discovered this blending tool I was thrilled!

Dry Underpainting using foam pipe insulation

FOAM PIPE INSULATION!  I learned about this tip from Terry Ludwig at his workshop several years ago. Cut into pieces this stuff makes wonderful blending tools.  It is cheap, readily available at any hardware store and can even be washed and reused!
 In my opinion it is the least expensive art supply you will ever buy!

I did a You Tube video to share this more about this wonderful blending tool and how I use it. I'd love for you to take a look and share it with your pastel friends!

Friday Feature...The Secret Formula for Homemade Pastel Surfaces

'Winter Aspens'          8x10        pastel       ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase

 It has been a fun week in my studio. I've been making a mess trying several recipes for homemade pastel surfaces. I really enjoy painting on a homemade surface....the texture and the excitement of the random brushstrokes make it fun to work on.   I love the control I have over the outcome when I make these surfaces. I can have smooth or canvas like marks or rough and crazy marks!  But I don't enjoy taking the time to prepare them....or the mess.

Ingredients for a homemade pastel surface...pumice and gesso

I have a solution!  I was so excited to discover that clear gesso makes an excellent ground for pastel. Right out of the jar....no mess, no fuss and with the benefits of other homemade surfaces.

The secret formula!  Clear Gesso 

I'll be talking about using clear gesso for pastels on today's Friday Feature You Tube video. I'd love for you to tune in for more information. If you would like to comment after the video with your email I'll send you a handout with the recipes for the pastel surfaces I've experimented with!

Friday Feature: Displaying & Storing Pastel Minis

'Winter Landscape IX'     2.5 x 3.5   pastel   ©Karen Margulis
sold

Does your head ever spin so much that you can't sleep?  That was me last night. I had decided it was time to try to do my first You Tube art video and I tossed and turned trying to decide what I would start with.  I get so many questions about storing my mini pastels that I thought it would make a good You Tube video.

A selection of display & storage options for mini pastels

I just needed to figure out how to do one!  I have only recently discovered You Tube. Sure I knew about it but I didn't realize it was a treasure trove of great videos on any subject that interests you. I found a video interview with Tony Hillerman and a video on how to speak Navajo. (some of my current interests)  So why not put some of my tips on You Tube?

So  I am going to start a new blog feature called Friday Feature: What's in my Studio.  I will blog and post a You Tube video featuring art supplies, techniques and tips that I have found helpful. If you have suggestions for topics please let me know!

WHERE TO FIND ATC/ACEO mini SUPPLIES

• I find frames and mini easels at local craft/hobby and art stores. I have even found mini frames at Walmart!
• I like Jerry's Artarama for their wide selection of ATC supplies. They have the Krystal Klear bags and mats as well as precut 2.5 x 3.5 paper.  Here is the link to their ATC page
• http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/artist-trading-cards.htm
• I have found 5x7 and 8x10 mats with 2.5x3.5 openings on Ebay. Do a search to find a seller.

Here is my first installment of the Friday Feature. I hope you enjoy it. If you don't have time to watch or listen (it's about 6 minutes) you can save it in your You Tube playlist until you have a chance to tune in