Painting with ghosts - join me!

I hope I got someone's attention with that post heading. I need a few more students in my September 30 - October 2 Pastel Workshop. For a few hours we will be painting with ghosts (images). So fun, so freeing! Here's what I mean:

Today I came across this pastel painting in my studio storage. It must be 10 years old...I can remember several different rooms where it hung in our previous house. I liked it. I still like it but not enough to hang it. So, I took it outside and brushed it off with a stiff house-paint brush. That left a ghost of the previous painting.

Turned it upside down and pondered it for a couple seconds, used similar colors and started in.

The opportunity in painting with a ghost is NOT using a reference photo. Let the ghost and your intuition guide you. Very soon into your strokes you'll begin to visualize what might be.

Sometimes you don't know if you're done until you photograph it and look at it on the computer screen. Sort of like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Seeing it on your display gives new perspective. At this point I made more changes. Now I'm done. See the finished painting below. I will post it on the auction at Daily Paintworks.

Consider joining me to spend a couple hours painting a ghost of your own in the 3-day workshop I'll be teaching near my home. We'll come here to the lake for lunch, Studio Tour and Super Sale of my Small Paintings. I have a PayPal object that plugs into my iPhone for credit card sales. I look forward to trying it. Email Deb Cepeda at comcast dot net for more into on the workshop.

Toward Evening, pastel, 10 x 8 inches

Click to Bid

Back at the Friday Painting Group

Third week back at my Friday painting group at the local community center. It is a discipline I enjoy. My Soltek easel is set up by the window but under fluorescent lights, a limited number of pastels in the Pastel Porter and my reference photo. This little painting is on Pastelmat and is available for the next three days at auction on Daily Paintworks.

Autumn Creek, pastel, 4.375 x 7 inches Sold

Lola's brother, J.T.

I don't know why I thought J.T. would be easier to paint than his sister Lola. He wasn't but I am finally pleased with him - especially his left arm and hand, his hair and his lips. I am getting better acquainted with acrylics and have managed to let go of some of my bad attitude about this medium.

Sun Ribbons

Sun Ribbons, pastel, 4.375 x 7.5 inches

A little painting from today's Friday afternoon painting group. Love the ribbons of light coming through the trees. This one will go to auction on Daily Paintworks. Sold

Lola to date

Voila! My impression of Lola in acrylic. For many days I was hung up on making this LOOK LIKE LOLA. It was torture and I'm tired of talking to myself about her eyes, her mouth, her little teeth. Finally I decided to give up and try to capture the essence of the day. Sunshine and the happiness of a cold Popsicle. All of a sudden Lola was there and I can quit fussing over her.

I am forming some opinions about acrylic which I'll keep to myself for now. I'm glad I'm persevering with this medium but I'm not sure about our long-term relationship because I still don't enjoy the actual application of the medium. Working on my attitude.

Coming - NWPS Member Show and Workshop

I am honored to be named the Awards Judge for the Northwest Pastel Society 2016 Members' Exhibition. I will also be teaching a three day workshop, Pastel - Loose Not Labored for the NWPS September 30 - October 2, 2016. Limited to 10 students. For more information, go to the NWPS website. I am happy to be able to give back to this great organization. 

Edge of Winter, Best of Show NWPS 2012 Members' Show

Heartbreak Morning, Best of Show NWPS 2012 26th Annual International Exhibition

Providence, Best of Show NWPS 2009 23rd Annual International Exhibition

A worthless reference photo?

How many times have you taken what looked like a great reference photo (especially when hanging out the window of the car) only to realize, 'I guess you had to be there."? One evening last week we were invited to tour the lake by boat. Just at sunset I snapped the photo on left. When I saw how dark the photo was and the bow of the boat in the foreground, I adjusted it in Photoshop to the lighter version shown at right.

Millpond Sunset, pastel, 7x5 inches

It was a challenge to keep the evening mood but to add enough detail to appreciate the scene. For a while, the highlights and reflection in the water were brighter but I dropped the value to move further into evening. I started this at the Friday local community club paint session and finished it in the studio. Click on the image to enlarge. It is available at my Etsy shop, BBNewtonART.

ACRYLICS - aargh but making progress

My history with acrylic is long and mostly torturous. I've had acrylics forever and somehow my collection keeps growing.  Finally, I'm taking online instruction from Chantel Barber who has a technique to eliminate HARD EDGES. Below are progress photos of my challenge. By the way, I still have two spots in my July 21st Studio Workshop - Still Life in Pastel.

Are you a slave to your reference photo? Part II

This post is actually about two things: adjusting your reference photo and my UArt trial.

As a reminder, here is the reference photo I started with before adjusting it in Photoshop. I adjusted the color and painted a little pastel (See previous post). Then, I tweaked the color again in Photoshop and began another painting with the reference photo shown below.

Today I tried UArt 600 grit paper for the first time. I used archival spray adhesive to mount it on archival 4-ply rag mat. Then, applied NuPastel and dissolved the pigment and moved it around with a brush dipped in alcohol. Let it dry and start painting.

Wooded Trail, pastel, 7x5 inches, sold

Are you a slave to your reference photo?

I was emailing with an accomplished pastel artist the other day who remarked that he has trouble distancing himself from what he sees in his reference photo.  I suggested changing the reference photo with Photoshop Elements to reflect the vision of the scene he sees in his mind. My example here is a photo my husband took for me while walking the dog.

Left, original. Middle, composition adjustment, Right, color adjustment. 

Playing with the clone tool.

Dog Walk, pastel, 7 x 5 inches

Purchase

Paint Along with Me - Orange Slices Completion

Orange Slices, pastel, 5 x 7 inches
Purchase

In my workshops, I encourage students to "paint from the heart." That means, after a period of time following the reference photo, we put the photo away and begin making judgements based on our own intuition about how the painting feels to us.

Painting from the heart, using any and all colors. After the tonal check (took a photo with my iPhone, changed it to tonal) I decided to delete the chunk of orange at the far in the composition.