Pastel Painting Sketch Roses

I decided I had to paint today, and not the rocking horse. So I got out the pastels and some Art Spectrum pastel card, 9 x 12. I put the vase of roses up and got started. This is the result. I liked it more at first, I got too much into the detail, piddling. I will do what Helen Van Wyk said her teacher told her. Make it .. break it .. and make it again. I will wipe it off with a towel and start over. This will give a nice underpainting. I also forgot to take a photo of the underpainting on this one, so I can do that on the next working of the painting. I used the Derwent pencils to roughly sketch it in and then Nupastel to block in the dark shapes of the roses. Then went softer with whatever is in the pastel box. They are sorted by color and value, not by brand. I use Daler-Rowney, Rembrant, Schmincke, Ludwig, etc.. I usually use Sennelier and Unison for the darks and highlights.

Check back for the continuation and to see the completed painting.

More About the Festival of Trees

We decorated the tree on November 1. It came out very well as you can see. To see more photos and to find out something of what goes on behind the scenes for this great event, check on my page.

Hope to see you there....Saturday, November 18.

Sketches for the Hunt #16 and Roses

Well, a slow start yet again. This hunt started on November 1. At least I am started. :) Number 1 is a decorative object. This is a man from Cusco, Peru, an Inca I suppose. He is made of pottery and is about 3 feet tall. I admired an antique statue in front of a museum and Gene had this copy made for my Christmas present back in about 1985. He is up on a shelf now, but used to sit by the fireplace in Lima. I would do a doubletake once in a while, thinking there was a real person sitting there.



The roundish basket is from Peru and the rectangular one is from Bolivia. They are very bright colors and sit around as decorations as well.



They are sketched in the Canson sketchbook with the ZIG Milleneum pen. So the Hunt is on.

Oh, and these roses... A friend, Regina, gave them to me. Aren't they great? They have a little very fine gold glitter on them. A beautiful arrangement. Have to get out the pastels before their demise. Thanks, Regina.

Birthday Dinner

My artist tonight is Julio Iglesias.

Gene's birthday and mine fall in August and September and we are away from home at that time. So we have extended birthdays. He and I celebrate ours where ever we are and then when we get home we go out with the kids. So tonight was the dinner. And now I am enjoying one of my presents. The CD, "Romantic Classics", Julio Iglesias. You can check it out on iTunes. The songs are in English. He is my all time favorite singer. I met him in Bolivia at a concert, but he was a favorite before that. We saw him again in Chile. But, I did discover him in Bolivia. :) When I listen I always think of Bolivia and the kids. They have given me many of his albums/CDs for Christmas and birthdays. It was Joanna's turn this time. Jennie picked it out as well, but.. Larry was there, too .. and on time! It was a nice dinner and fun to have everyone together. Doesn't happen too often. David lives in Kentucky so he and his family could not be there, of course. Hope to see them around Thanksgiving.

Oh, there was art there. We ate at Hyde Park Bar and Grill South and Mike Etie's pastels were on dislay. Very nice. He is a member of the Austin Pastel Society. A very nice show.

My Finger Pointing at Me

Some time for the scavenger hunt, finally. This one ends on November 1 and I have only done 4 of the 26 and 2 of the 3 challenges. Oh, my.

#2 is My Finger Pointing at Me and on the same page one of the challenges, #3, a clothespin, but drawn with my left hand. You may be able to see in the note, that I obviously can't spell left handed either.



Next #4, Something that starts with "O", olives, they are black which you can't really tell in the sketch and the bottom of the bowl is way off. (no erasing, remember) Then the challenge was to sketch something that started with the other vowels. So, ink for "I", eggs for "E", axe for "A" and umbrella for "U". Gene came up with axe so I wouldn't have to do another apple and the umbrella. Thanks, Gene.





These were done in my Canson sketchbook which is about 6 x 9 inches with the ZIG Milleneum pen, a favorite.

Sketching is something that you have to do constantly to be good and quick at. I still have a long way to go .. but I'm on the way. I haven't reached the point where I miss not doing it every day when I don't find the time. That is part of my goal -- to learn to love it. I am enjoying it when it looks like what I see in my head. So.. keep on sketching.