Would you like to see My latest Oil Plein-air?

I will just do this quickly--I got to go out one afternoon with Oil painter, Ray Freeman just before our most recent snow.  It was a sunny PM, and we just went up above the ranch, under the trees and in the sagebrush.  As usual, I had  a hard time settleing on a subject to paint, but then, the subject is always the light---So, I looked at the afternoon light.  Ray was also impresssed by the late PM sun-rays.  This is what I came up with.     I did paint on a small 9 x12 canvas board by Blick--with a raw sienna toned gesso over it.  I like that very much, and the paint didn't soak in as fast.  Now I have 3 attempts!  and am very into do more.  Today I got a goose-down set of bib-coveralls for cold days!  Imagine.  A cousin passed them on, and tho they are very large, they should work. 

              Snow expected again tommorrow so I will do some drawing and pastles in doors.  ' till next time!!!

Pastel Dreams: After the Holiday! New Years Day

Pastel Dreams: After the Holiday! New Years Day


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After the Holiday! New Years Day

 Happy  New year to all of you Artists out there, and many more.  I do hope you made it thru the Holidays in good form.  I had set aside doing artwork for the time although I did keep up with my drawing!  To me, its the most important thing you can do along with reading about art, and thinking.  I found myself hiking with all the family dogs one afternoon, which lead me to drawing some of them.  I found some puppy pictures of the youngest, a Lab belonging to my son.  Remembering a wonderful pastel by one of my most favorite artists', I began to wonder if I could even do it, create a painting  of a very young innocent pup!  Well, one must try!    Especially if one doesn't like being cold outdoors!  This is about 11 x 14 and is done on a greyish-purple canson paper.

This was the drawing, with a charcole pencil.  I have read, and have been told if you use  charcole, it will muddy your pastel color------then I have been told by others that it will not, charcole and pastel go together nicely.  So, to me, the only thing you can do is to try it!!  I have found using charcole to start a pastel on canson works wonderfully!  Here, I am trying to get the expression I see in the dog from knowing him!And I hope I have gotten that!   Boomer is 2 now, and quite big!  He was a big puppy, too, with a large square head that I wondered if he would ever grow in to.  I love dog-sitting him, his love for life is quite apparent!