Working Through the Chaos

This painting started with an organized plan.  I set up the still life and got started with my under painting.  I love the painting process.  I have been practicing this part a lot because of the demos I have coming up, but especially because I will be teaching what I do to a group of 17 at a workshop in 17 days.  So much to think about and keep it flowing.  

So this painting jumped on and off the path.  The under painting created a good map to follow, but I covered most of it with pastel.  It is what happens.  Under paintings lead me, but doesn't always take center stage.  It acts as a wonderful supporting cast.  So it is a process full of surprizes.  

Just Before the Flowers Die

It's day two with these tulips for me.  They actually have been in my studio since my class last Thursday.  They have given their all.  So today I did the second and last completed pastel with with them.  

Here is the under paint and pastel process.

Back To Pastels Is Not So Easy

Today I spent a much over due day working in pastels.  It was not so easy to transition back.  Looking into a large box of unorganized pastels was daunting.  I started off doing 2 throw always.  Then I got here.  I feel tight.  This seems to happen when the comfort and flow disappear.  It was good to work and focus for a good amount of time.  Looking forward to tomorrow for more.

Below is the work in process with the underpainting through pastel.

Still Life Saturday!

There is nothing like getting a whole day to paint and study from life.  

The Push and Pull Dance

Paintings grow in and out as I go along.  They push me to try new things and often they pull me screaming ( just kidding).  I love having a painting sitting and waiting.  I stare at it and wake up in the middle of the night thinking about.  Lots of them never see the end or finish, but they help me with so many others that do come to that finish.  This one may or may not.  I am loving the journey and so very thankful for what it gives me.  So pushing and pulling happens on the canvas and in my head and it's all good.

A Day of Still Life

Great day, nice people and challenging still life.  I attended I day of still life with George Kyle today.  It was a challenge of compliments.  

Tree Reaching, Irvine Park 22x28 oil

Photographing my work makes me crazy.  For this one I pulled out the 35mm to see if I could capture more detail.  I just think one must see a painting in person to get it.  Taking a photo of a painting and then uploading it to the web seems to take the life out of it or redirects it.  Redirect, in that it may be brighter, duller, lighter, darker, less vibrant or more and so on to become a slightly different version than intended.  So I do the best I can.

The Start of Horses from a Study and Photos

I was working finishing the tree and decided it needed more time for me to review.  So I started a new one of horses.  I love the movement of horses more then anything.  I try for getting their anatomy right and revisited it at every stage while working on any horse painting.  Today I just wanted to get the basic shapes and relationships to the format.  The small painting in the front was one I did upside down.  I liked it and will use the info to progress through this one.

Final Stages of Working From An Old Subject - Old Tree in Irvine Park

I got back in the studio today.  I continued my journey with this subject.  I had to decide what I did not want to do again.  Still need to go another round with this painting.  I do love this tree.  

Using An Old Subject

I love this old tree in Irvine Park.  I did the pastel on the left a few years ago and hung it on my wall.  Resently I removed every painting from my walls in my home while we paint and make improvements.  I sat this one against a wall in my everyday view.  It made me think that it needs to be bigger.  So today I started this one.  This is just an underpainting.  I have some thinking to do.  Stay tuned.

Reworking Pastel

Did this a few months ago and put it away.  I love taking old work out and trying to rework it or add things.  I figure, what do I have to lose.  So here I neutralized the background, pushed the intensity of the color in the foreground and added a few suggestions of people on the rocks.  Fun!

Process of Seeing Color Through Still Life

Setup

Color wash on Uart paper

First over with pastel

Pastel continued

Refinement and review

Learning new tricks

Saturday, PSSC offered a 3 hour workshop with Julia Patterson called, "Get Your Work Out There!  The Very Best Ways to Market Your Art Online".  It was overwhelming with information.  Lots of links that help with the process of doing art online.  She talked about lots of stuff, from images, websites, blogs, wisywig, analytics to social media and as she said "la la la", meaning a whole lot more.
I must admit this is something I fight doing and know it is the way to go.  So I started with the fun thing I learned.  Making a collage of my work on Picmonkey.com.  I think I am still in preschool, merrily singing""la la la…"

Sacked

 "Sacked" is another pastel.  Apples are such a wonderful subject to bring in the new year.  They have such beautiful color and form.  

Two In The Bag

"Two In The Bag" is the first pastel still life for the year.  Feels good to get going again.  

Hillside Vineyard 6x6 pastel

The 6x6 format is great for getting ideas down, develope and finish without hours and hours of time. They are fun!  At the same time this format gives lots of info for a future larger format pastel or oil of the subject.  Very cool.

Changing Formats

These two are copies of larger pastel paintings that I did resently.  I decided to see if I could make them 6x6 from a 12x12 and 12x16.  It was difficult for me to simplify for that format.  It was worth a try.  Having done them recently they were still fresh in my mind.  I didn't use the photos.  They were fast to do and I may try again and simplify them more.

Mirror Meadow, Yosemite 12x16 pastel

This wonderful place has lots of memories for me.  I was happy to have the chance to see it again.  

This pastel started with in under painting and completed with pastel

Yellow Leaves, 12x12 pastel

Working from a photo I took last week in Yosemite National Park I found myself struck by the light.  It really was amazing to see the color, light and beauty this treasure holds.
For "Yellow Leaves" I laid down an under painting of direct color.  I use this method to work quickly,  Laying color down first, I stick to my values.  It is a good way for me to design a loose pattern of shapes and to cover the surface.  Once that is done I go to pastel.  I follow the under painting and make any alterations needed.  Pastel is wonderful for this, as it is opaque and covers well.  I leave areas of under painting coming through which gives the surface dimension.  

Looking Out 11x14 pastel

This one is all about the under painting.  I use full body water basedpigments from Guerra Paints in NY.  I can get deep rich color to build and support my pastels.  

Staying the Course 24x24 oil

2 views of "Room With A View", 9x12 and 12 x16 pastel

These are both from a photo sent to me by a friend studying Italian in Italy.  So the reference photo is a tiny little thing.  I did the top one last night for a demo at Chemers Gallery.  I did my usual under painting using colors that are similar to what I saw the finished color to be.  I then applied pastel for a quick painting.  Today I decided to do it again using a much bolder under painting to use to control temperature and undertones.  I also changed the composition and zoomed in.  I had fun with all the color and am still figuring out how I feel about the outcome.

The Gathering 18x18 oil

Sun Lite Hillside, Santiago Oaks 9x12 pastel

This scene is one often seen on a sunny morning while hiking in Santiago Oak Regional Park.  It is refreshing and inspiring to hike along the many trails.  

I enjoyed demonstrating this view point last night at Chemers Gallery in Tustin with fellow artists, Kim Vanderhoek, Julie Hill, Dana Cooper and many more.  The live music made for a lively good time. 

Hart Park Pool Building 6x12 oil

Sunday morning 7 am plein air at Hart Park in Orange was to be quick.  I painted with Kim Vanderhoek and we both had parties to get to by noon.  So the painting began and commenced by 10 ish.  It was very overcast, but delightful with lots of folks out walking and in good spirits.  There is a reserve post in the park.  We must have seen 3 groups of service men out running and saying good morning as they ran by.  Hart Park is a park I remember from my childhood with fond memories.  

Revisiting old work, Santiago Oaks Tree Line Trail, pastel

To revisit an old painting usually tells me I just haven't gotten it yet.  I'm not done and it is still calling out to me.  I posted this one on Facebook awhile back and thought I was done.  I have picked at this knowing all the while that I was over working areas to test color value and ideas.  Every stroke was more about what will happen if I do "this".  So doing and undoing should be the title.  I wanted some illumination to fall between the shadow of the branches on the trail and then to bounce up on the trunks of the trees without loosing the value of the color or the value of the light and dark.  I thought the original was too stark and lacking in color.  Although it was a strong value shaped composition, it read like a light bulb on a still life in a studio.  The only way for me to explore these questions is by doing.  So I found that I was pushing for color and what it feels like.  Here is the revisited one followed by the original, which on so many levels I like better.  In exploring, some of the strength was lost.  I like the mood better in the second one.  Seems like I need to find a happy medium.  The exploring is fun and good information.

Revisited 

Original

Reef Point 9x12 pastel

Sunday morning 7 am at Crystal Cove was the meeting time and so off I went.  Looking around, the sky was bright, but gray with morning just rolling over into day.  The gray washed the seascape creating a beautiful background to the colorful rocks and brush of this uninhabited stretch of beach.  It was the beginning of a great day.  The sounds of the beach like the music of an orchestra set the movement of chalk to paper.  It was time in a bottle.  Here is my morning painting.  Soon after completing this pastel, about 10 am, I was packing up and on my way home.  

Thanks to Kim Vanderhoek and Greg LaRock for inviting me along.  So fun and amazing to visit such a beautiful place.

Sun Drenched 20x16 pastel

This is a product of a day in the sun painting.  It was fun working in my yard painting with Guerra pigments for my under painting and then pastels to the finish.  The light was disappearing late in the day.  So I quit, figuring I had taken a photo.  I continued to work referencing the photo a few times, but mainly worked from memory of the feeling of light.  Photos just don't give enough info.  So best to abandon and go on.