Rock Creek Winter Steps

I'm painting over the ghost of a previous painting. White NuPastel and Charcoal stick. 

An oil wash for the water and left it to dry overnight.

Pink and Blue pastel for Step 3

Pink and Blue pastel again but in a lighter value.

Initial block in with pastel

Rock Creek Winter, pastel, 13 x 18 inches

Rock Creek Friday

By the way, I have finally bonded with my new studio! Click here to read more...

My reference photo and corresponding lines for placement on the ghost of an old painting.

I have obliterated the ghost of the previous painting using an oil wash.

The next morning I began applying pastel and charcoal.

Rock Creek Friday, pastel, 13.5 x 12 inches
©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Meadow Stream

Yesterday I posted the oil-wash for this pastel painting. Here it is complete: pastel over oil wash on Ersta 500 paper. "Meadow Stream," pastel, image 9x10.75 inches. ©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Night time advice

Night time advice: never go to bed with an empty easel (unless you are taking a break from painting).

With the switch back to Standard Time today and early evening darkness I was ready to go to bed at 7 pm but I knew if I left my easel empty it would be easy to NOT paint tomorrow morning. So, though I'd rather be in bed reading my book, I printed my reference photo in color and grayscale and began.

Oil wash on Ersta 500 sanded paper. By morning this wash will be dry and ready for pastel. I'll be glad I made myself do this.

Gold Creek Step by Step

Charcoal value sketch on Ersta 500 sanded pastel paper.

Started this one working flat and wishing I had done an oil wash under-painting.

Gold Creek, pastel, 11.5 x 13 inches ©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Oil Wash Foundation Saves Time

This is a reference photo. It is mainly green. My last painting, "Lakeside" was green and I'd like a different palette so I printed the green reference photo as a grayscale and worked from that.

I set it aside to dry and went on to teach my last Mentor session of 2018. If you are interested in spending 3-4 hours with me once a month in a mentor situation in 2019, let me know - I'm starting a list for January, February and March. Also let me know which week day you prefer. Now, back to this painting...

I quickly did an oil wash on Art Spectrum Colourfix off-white paper. 

I chose my pastel colors first based on value, then on hue. Darkest value first.

November, pastel 11 x 18 inches $1100.

When the students left, I started applying pastel to the oil wash foundation (darkest value first as shown in the photo above). I had about 2 hours before we were to leave for dinner so I worked quickly and then walked away. This morning I made very minor adjustments and framed it. This painting came together quickly because of the oil wash foundation.

Art Spectrum Colourfix paper

Found a piece of Burgundy Art Spectrum Colourfix paper in my flat file and it reminded me of autumn. Found an old reference photo of the creek by our dog-sitter. Applied a dark oil wash and after it dried (an hour or so) I began applying pastel.

Autumn Creek, pastel, 9x14 inches
©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Canson Mi-Teintes Touch

I use a variety of sanded pastel papers and have definite favorites. I haven't used Canson Mi-Teintes Touch in a long time and decided to reacquaint myself using a reference photo by friend Kathy Mishima (thanks Kathy). The original photo is less saturated than my reference - a lovely misty scene - but I decided to go for more saturated color so I tweaked the photo and took color samples (the little dots below the image).

Autumn, pastel, image 9x8 inches, framed dimensions 15 x 13 inches
©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

This painting is going to my Daily Paintworks Gallery and will be for sale FRAMED (but it will ship without the glass) and FREE shipping. A Christmas present for yourself. I'll post a photo of it framed.

Varnishing Day with Gamvar

It's varnishing day in the Studio. This oil painting was completed several months ago and in this photo you can see the difference the Gamvar Satin varnish makes. It brings color back to life, evens out the paint, especially when a medium is used with the oil paint and protects the surface from dust. 

I updated my varnish-only brush to three from the UK.

I hung my varnish brushes on the wall with my gesso brush so they'll never get mixed up with my painting brushes. 

Go to the Gamblin website to see videos about how to varnish with Gamvar.

Tubes of oil on the wall

My tubes of oil paint have gotten out of control. I pulled out the color charts I made some time ago and started reorganizing the tubes in their tray. Hmmm...if only I could put each tube of paint with its sample on the chart.

Hmmm...It occurred to me that I would be able to see all the colors with their corresponding chart if I mounted them on the wall beside my oil easel. Voila! With ATG tape and foam core I was able to put them on the wall where all my summer plein air studies had been. Yay!

A little help from my friends on dark green

On the easel now - "Private Road," pastel, 18 x 12 inches. This is about 85% complete but I stopped because I couldn't find my fragment of favorite dark dark green from 2003. I LOVE the color and I guess I have been using it for 15 years because the one painting I know I used a lot of it on was called "Secret Place" and it was painted in 2003. (I had to look that up of course in my database...I didn't just remember it.)

I created a post on my FB page and asked for help in identifying the color so I could order more. Thank you to all the generous pastel artists who advised me and thanks to Craig at Dakota Pastels for suggesting a couple others. Now I'm all set!

Studio painting from a summer plein air study

In my last post I wrote about what I was doing to start painting again after a long summer gardening break. I figured it out. To start, just start. I wanted to paint a Studio version in pastel of a 6x8 inch plein air oil study, "August Lake." I used the study as inspiration and as a starting place. I changed the format from horizontal to square and changed the temperature (more blue, less green).

August Lake, oil, 6x8 inches 

After working on the larger painting for a day, I turned it to the wall but kept the selection of pastels and the little oil study with it. After a few days of NOT looking at it, my emotional involvement was tempered and I could approach it with fresh eyes. 

August Lake, pastel, 25 x 25 inches ©2018 Barbara Benedetti Newton

BABY STEPS to get going again...

I used to be a prolific painter (I also had a house-cleaner) and taught and wrote about art. Now, I prefer a more balanced life putting family and friends higher on my priority list. Over the past spring and summer I gardened instead of making art but Facebook and Instagram kept me informed and I cheered the successes of my peers.

Now it is Fall and the gardens are done. My outside work is reduced and I need to get back into the studio but what happened to my motivation, inspiration and energy for painting? I could easily let the rest of the year slide away with excuses of the busy holidays, starting fresh next year, etc. But I know I am my best self when I am making art and I can't intentionally subscribe to not being my best self.

So, here I am documenting (as much for myself as for readers) how I plan to jump-start myself to paint again.

1. Clean/organize the studio. Fortunately I had a long-scheduled Mentor Session last Friday and cleaned the studio for students.

2. Reduce online distractions. Facebook and Instagram have been entertaining but it's time to focus on my own work and the work of a select few artists who I hope to learn from and be inspired by. I will continue to blog.

3. Read a good art book. This goes along with number 2. and the select artists I will be studying.  Just got this book from the library and I look forward to spending time and making notes.

4. Restock art supplies: I just placed an order to Dick Blick for OMS and varnish. I wanted to order painting surfaces (not for pastel - I have lots of sanded papers) but couldn't decide what surface so for now I'm going back to gessoed watercolor paper. I'm going to make a note here so I can remember how I did this because in the past, it was trial and error. This is 140 lb hot press Lana Aquarelle watercolor paper. I gessoed one side with a roller application. When dry, I spritzed the gessoed side with water and laid the paper gesso side down onto a wood board, taped around all edges with wc paper tape and applied gesso to the paper. Let dry thoroughly then sand lightly with fine sandpaper before painting with acrylic or oil.

5. Browse my old art journals: Looking back reminds me of who I am and what I do when I am being my best self.

I'll print this post and glue it into my current art journal and make a note on my calendar to read it if this happens again next year. Happy Fall everyone!