I have been painting small pastels. Each is framed with a white-core mat, ready to frame in a standard 7x5 inch frame with glass. Wall-hang or enjoy more intimately on a desk or table. Shipping within the USA is complimentary via USPS Priority Mail. Here is the link if you would like to receive an email notice as they become available. Soon, I will set aside pastels until early 2024.
“Hello Summer,” reminiscent of “Pack Up All My Cares and Woe” which went to a new home this month.
If you would like to see a video of the painting process of "Hello Summer" visit my Instagram page and click on the video.
On another subject, with changes to Blogger, I no longer have access to my list of Art Journal subscribers. Please visit my website and join my email list so we can keep in touch.
Pastels are usually framed with a mat and spacer so why did I tape the border? I like a white mat around my pastel work. Normally, I would cut a mat and use a spacer to allow pastel particles to fall behind the mat and not ON the mat. But my new studio isn't set up yet and my Fletcher mat cutter is in storage so how to get the look of a mat without cutting a mat? Tape the edges and put the pastel directly against the glass. See the video.
Throughout my many years of making art, I've frequently made notecards using my art images. This was usually for workshops I taught so students could have an inexpensive take-away example of my work. When my fancy Epson printer finally bit the dust - the one I used for prints and cards - I wasn't concerned about replacing it as it happened about the same time I retired from teaching big workshops.
With our move back to Vashon Island, there are new opportunities. Swiftwater, the new local gallery, provides an opportunity to sell cards again. I created two cards of my Best of Show award winners and took them to the gallery last Sunday. Thanks to the nice woman who promptly purchased one of each!
My Painting Give-Away took place today. Pastel paintings all boxed up, awaiting labels. Thanks to all who participated in this!
Hello! Christmas is over and the new year is fast approaching. I'm thinking about art goals for 2023. One of my goals is to reduce my inventory of paintings on hand.
To do this, I'm planning a painting-give-away through my website to those who would offer my paintings new homes - just pay for shipping. If you already receive my month-end email from my website, you saw this notice and may have already responded. If you aren't already on my email list:
1. Go here and subscribe. That will make your email address recognizable by my website.
2. Next, send me an email (barbaranewton@comcast.net) with "yes, add me to your free painting notices." That will let me know to add your name to the free-painting notices list.
It will take me a while to go through my inventory and Collection of the Artist to decide what must go. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I continue to arrange and rearrange my new mini Studio. Today, between raindrops, we managed to move most of my flat files into the studio to replace the table you may have seen there before. Waiting for a dry day to bring in the drawers for the bottom flat file as well as all the beautiful watercolor and printmaking paper I forgot I even had.
Turn to the right and you’re in the framing area. My table is a fold-out from Costco covered in a drop cloth and topped with indoor/outdoor carpeting. I’m grateful for the shelves already installed along this wall. Hard to see but framed paintings are stored beneath the shelves on the left. Art books are under the shelves on the right, watercolor palettes on the top shelf. Open Box M and Bitteroot Pochade are on this shelf. The wall above the table is where I organize paintings for shows so I can see how the body of work will look when hung together.
Turn right again and you’re at the pastel work station. Two stainless steel tables hold pastels and two lazy-susans loaded with bottles and jars. My biggest challenge is lighting. We installed two new light fixtures and I have additional lamps but I’m still experimenting with light bulbs. Surprisingly (to me), I think I will love my mini-studio for painting. But there is no room for students or sanding panels or framing large pieces; that will have to happen in another building.
I'm very happy with my mini-studio. However, I do have a little problem. Well, sort of a big problem. I can't find my paintbrushes for oil and acrylic. They are all in one box marked "Brushes". They must be among the boxes still in the garage but I have looked there many times with no luck.
My watercolor brushes and watercolor paint are in the studio and I am eyeing them because the early autumn pastoral scenes here are spectacular. Lovely browns and golds due to the lack of rain. I am contemplating what to do - should I go back to watercolor until I find my bushes? I even have a chair for contemplation in the Studio now that my office isn't in my studio for the first time. Hmmm...coincidentally, I have also hung one of my watercolor paintings in the studio. Go to the end of this post to see it.
Out the west window is the little shed where all my panels and canvases are stored. Yes, I've looked in there for the brushes. Not there either!
I'm without a studio and all my work is packed and stored. We are currently enjoying Northilla Nest Beach House at the tip of Maury (Vashon Island, Washington) while waiting for the purchase of our new home in Dockton on Vashon Island to close. I'm not sure when I'll be able to paint again but I look forward to serving as Juror and Judge for the Northwest Pastel Society 2022 Member Show. Thanks to NPS for using some of my images for the Call for Entries reminders.
Stay tuned as we create a new home, studio and life. Whoohoo! We are excited. I hope every older couple (that's us) who have one more dream will see that it is not too late to create the life they want for the rest of their story.
FASO, (my website provider), randomly selects and posts one of my artworks. Today it was "Gratitude," a plein air pastel of the garden outside my Studio. It is tucked away somewhere in my flat files but I was happy to see it again online.
If you have time, take a look at A follow-up to my last post on my Golden Years blog.
Very happy to be included in the American Impressionist Society 2nd Annual Associate Member Online Exhibition. Take a look here.
About a year ago I completed a pastel painting, framed it and hung it in the guest bathroom. Today I unframed it and fixed a small area that has been bugging me.
