daily grace in steps

Soon we will be leaving our home of the last 27 years. It is bittersweet so I am gathering memories in the form of pastel paintings. "Daily Grace" begins with a recent photo of our front yard, shown here on my iPad next to my pastel easel. I refer to this photo to block in the scene with an oil wash under painting.

I use a tough brush wet with mineral spirits to lift oil paint from the sanded surface (Wallis).

The oil wash must be completely dry before I begin applying pastel.

Daily Grace, pastel, 10 x 13.5 inches

a sense of place - again

A Sense of Place III, pastel, 10 x 13 inches

Yesterday I posted my first pastel painted more than a dozen years ago. Today I went back to the easel after six weeks away and painted A Sense of Place III. Third time's the charm?

my first pastel painting

Plums and Blue Bowl, pastel on velour paper, 8 x 7.25 inches

Dah-da! My first pastel. For those who have studied pastel with me, you know this story.

When I began working with pastel, I thought velour paper would give me the soft look I was envisioning. I applied the pastel to paper and then dutifully took the painting outside and gave it a couple whacks on the backside (per Pat Meras who talked who generously gave me a crash course in pastel during a Women Painters of Washington luncheon about a dozen years ago). Oh, oh...what is that on my shoes? It is my painting!  Pat had no way of knowing I would be working on velour or that I would whack so enthusiastically.

There are pastel artists who work successfully on velour and if you will contact me, I'll make you a great deal on some velour paper! Plums and Blue Bowl will be available for purchase at Daily Paintworks 11/25/14.

an ahaa moment

An ahaa! moment about my creative process. Read more here...

keeping a hand in it

I haven't painted at my easels for six weeks, setting art aside to focus on building the house. I've been testing house paint on walls but that isn't really the same. Today I was explaining to my son the importance of keeping a hand in your art (he is a baker - an artist whose medium is flour). I was referring to his work but when I hung up I realized I was also talking about myself. I'm a different person when I'm not creating. As a little step back to my art for better balance in my life, today I posted the last painting I completed six weeks ago, "Bejeweled Woodland," as a print available for purchase.

Bejeweled Woodland, reproduction of original pastel art.

Drawn from the Heart

I am honored to join Kay Dewar in a two-artist colored pencil show, "Drawn from the Heart," at The Dorothy Liberty Gallery, within Trinity Parish Church, 609 Eighth Ave, Seattle, WA. Show dates are November 20, 2014 to January 4, 2014. The Opening Reception is Sunday, November 30, noon to 1:30 PM.

These colored pencil drawings are in my Collection of the Artist but with our upcoming move and trying to down-size, all drawings will be available for purchase at this show.

Autumn, colored pencil, 17.5 x 21 inches

Heartfelt, colored pencil, 24.5 x 17 inches

Comfort and Joy, colored pencil, 20 x 18 inches

Cherished, colored pencil, 21.5 x 17 inches

A Charmed Life, colored pencil, 21.5 x 17 inches

Twelfth of Never, colored pencil, 23.75 x 18.5

Worldly Goods, colored pencil, 19 x 25 inches

A Fine Romance, colored pencil, 16 x 20 inches

Falling in Love Again, colored pencil, 25 x 18 inches

Illusion, colored pencil, 25.5 x 20 inches

Matters of the Heart, colored pencil, 12.5 x 16.25 inches

Jewels, colored pencil, 6.75 x 6.75 inches sold

delivery to Scott Milo Gallery

Yesterday Jay and I (along with dog, Annie) spent six hours in the car. We delivered nine paintings to Scott Milo Gallery two hours north in Anacortes, WA for the show that will open Friday, November 7th. Lunch, a couple errands and a drive-by of a house in Ballard to see the planned exterior color for our new house...all made for a long but fun day.

out with the old, in with the blue

A couple years ago I received a Best of Show award at a gallery whose wall color was called "Cork." The color was so complimentary to my cool-hued work that I came home and painted my studio the same color.

For the past few days I've been painting over "Cork" with "Water's Edge," a Benjamin Moore blue color introduced to me by my grandniece Lanie. I'd like to include it in our new house so I'm testing it on my studio walls to see if I like the color but also to see if the Sherwin Williams folks can match the Benjamin Moore color (my builder prefers Sherwin Williams). I think they got it 99% right and I love it but probably not for my new studio. I'm thinking the master bathroom.

Shown here against the lovely blue is my painting "September Song," pastel, 16 x 20 inches along with the 8 x 10 inch plein air study for the larger painting. Both paintings will be shown at the Plein Air Washington Artists (PAWA) show, "Nature's Gift of Water," at American Art Company, Tacoma, WA December 4, 2014 - January 31, 2015.