Landscape Pastel a la Bob Ross

We didn't golf today as it was chilly, but more than that it was windy. I need to get something painted to enter into the Austin Pastel Society 2009 Annual Juried Show in March. I have been trying to find something exciting to paint. I decided to search through my reference photos and maybe paint a small painting to get inspired.

I looked through printed photos and about 3,000 on my computers. Nada.... (nothing). I noticed a painting I did plein air down in San Antonio at La Villita at Susan Carlin's Studio. It was something I never really finished so I brushed it off and put the pastel card on the easel and just painted.

I decided to see how a Bob Ross style painting would come out in pastels. He painted with oils. I just started on the pastel that was left on the pastel card, sort of like an underpainting.

I thought you might like to see it before cropping.

Pastel Mountains a la Bob
9 x 12 inches pastels on Colourfix pastel card.

I made it up as I went along and here is the result of about forty minutes effort. I was pleased, I never tried this with pastels before. There are many things wrong with it , but for a few minutes work it was fun and a relaxing way to get in some practice time today.

I have painted a few in oils. This painting was done in downtown Bastrop at a Fourth of July day a few years ago with a mother telling her children, "She will put in a happy tree now. Now she will put in some water." It was fun, too. It is an oil painting, 16 x 20 inches.

I just noticed when I went to link to the day at Susan's that I didn't take a photo of the painting I took off the pastel card. Oh well, it was just a practice sketch, too, of the fountain there. It was fun to do and I always learn from practice.