Revisiting Leavenworth

Leavenworth Afternoon, pastel, 5 x 7 inches
sold

It has been years since I was at Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, WA but I find myself going back again and again to the reference photos I took on that visit.

This time, I painted a scene from late afternoon as the sun cast long shadows of the trees along the riverbank. I started this in our Friday afternoon painting group and finished it up in the Studio. The paper is Pastelmat, my new favorite surface. I took one progress photo before I got involved in painting and forgot to pause to take more.

Pink Grapefruit #2

Pink Grapefruit #2, pastel, 5 x 7 inches
sold

Such a fun subject to paint! I took a couple progress photos but then got so involved in painting that I forgot to take more. That always happens.

I love grapefruit, do you?

I have fallen in love with a pink grapefruit. Yesterday I sliced one up and took two dozen reference photos. I deleted a few photos, cropped the rest to 5x7 inch format and painted one today. What fun!

So many opportunities with this subject to learn texture, color, value, composition.

I think I will teach a Beginning Pastel workshop with grapefruit as the subject. A one day workshop in my Studio, only three students each day. If you are interested, please email me...barbara newton at comcast dot net.     Click on each photo below to see my enthusiasm for this subject.

Pink Grapefruit 1, pastel, 5x7 inches  sold

Friday 2-19-2016

Citrus, pastel, 5x7 sold

I'm continuing with my fruit series, this time with a side-lit lemon. This series is about pushing color and texture. Fortunately, these paintings have received a warm reception on my Daily Paintworks Gallery (that means they've sold). If they don't sell, I plan to hang them in my kitchen.

I'm beginning to make notes as I paint, things I would tell a group of artists in a workshop setting. Numerous people have emailed me asking if I have plans to start teaching again and I think I have your name (somewhere). I have some teaching opportunities on the horizon (summer/fall 2016). If you are interested in painting with me, please send me an email so I can make sure you are on my workshop announcement list before the workshops are advertised.

Friday 2-12-2016

Cutie, pastel, 5 x 7 inches, sold

Last week I had the pleasure of being a speaker for Women Painters of Washington at Seattle Art Museum. I shared the stage with artist friend Barbara Noonan and together we spoke of our art practices, what motivates us to paint, etc. The collective groan from our audience was in response to the time we spend on the business of art compared to the time we spend painting. We agree that the business of art takes twice as long as our time at the easel.

After one of these small studies is complete I
1. Photograph it
2. Post it to Daily Paintworks for purchase
3. post it to my Pinterest Gallery
4. Post it to my Professional Page on Facebook
5. Blog about it here and post it to my Recent Paintings Blog
6. Enter the painting image and information in my Filemaker Pro Art Database

When it sells I
1. Package it up for shipment,
2. Buy postage online and print a packing slip and shipping label.
3. Record the sale in Quickbooks to create and print an invoice for my records
4. Ship it. NEW TIME SAVER - starting now, I plan to ship only on Wednesdays.

Things I don't have to do for these small paintings:
1. Frame them
2. Deliver them to a gallery or show
 

Friday 2-5-2016

Marble and Tomato - RED, pastel 5 x 7 inches

Two shiny red objects. A marble and a tomato for my Friday painting. I've painted lots of marbles in oil but this is my first in pastel. See detail photos and step x step progression below. Ground is wine PastelMat. Sold

Studio: Rose wall

I have been in my new Studio almost 9 months and I finally painted ONE wall a lovely Rose color (Sherwin Williams 6318, Resounding Rose), one of the colors in the Studio rug. My former Studio was seven colors over 25 years. When I was done with the wall and began hanging paintings, I realized this is a color I've been using in my pastel work for some time. And my Cathy Woo painting is happy (see below).