Family Affair

Life has been busy with things other than art but yesterday I was determined to put pastel to paper. I've found that the only way to tackle my lighting nightmare is to shine light through coloured screens (in this case a red pashmina) and I have found that it gives some really interesting effects. I love the colours that appeared on these mugs and was very happy with the result.

Tea Time

This was fun - falling in love with colour all over again!

The Devil is in the Detail

Still working away at this. Getting a little closer with every hour to end.

I started a little "moonlighting" project last night (shhhh, don't tell Michael!) working on a portrait. I spent two hours sketching out my outline and collapsed in a heap feeling very pleased that I had got that far. About an hour later it struck me that I had used the wrong paper. Instead of using Arches Hotpressed watercolour paper I had used Rives. I'm not sure how the graphite will take to the Rives. Trying to decide now on whether to start all over on the right paper or to just try it out on the Rives. Or maybe try using charcoal instead of graphite. I haven't done a charcoal portrait in many many years. Decisions, decisions.

"Success in any endeavor requires single-minded attention to detail and total concentration.”
Willie Sutton

"Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt."
Dale Carnegie

Eating Cold Porridge

I started reading a book the other day and the opening chapter captured my mind completely. It said that in order to become really good at something one has to "eat the cold porridge".

"The way he explained it, eating the cold porridge means working at something for so long that when you get home there is nothing left to eat but cold porridge......
That’s how you get good at something ...... That’s how you get good at anything. You eat the cold porridge.
You work at it when the others are playing. You work at it when the others are watching television. You work at it when the others are sleeping.
To become the master of something, you must eat the cold porridge."
From One for my Baby by Tony Parsons.

I'm still working at the grisaille of "Comfort Zone" and am very determined that I will get this finished. It has been cluttering up my easel for far too long. Its an incredible learning experience to work and work at something to develop it beyond a level with which I previously would have been satisfied. The fabric of the chair is still proving to be very difficult to get right.

Making Lemonade

My year started completely on the wrong foot. Resolutions disappeared as fast as they were made as life at work became really hectic and time I had earmarked for art was swallowed up by overtime. OK, so the money is good!

So tomorrow will be the first day of my year and I am determined that this year will be a productive one.

I'd like to say a big thank you to all the people who comment on my blog and keep me going in the down times, bolstering my spirits. I have been extremely flattered by several people whose work I love, who have said some very nice things about my work on other sites. Thank you! To you all, I hope the new year will be filled with wonderful things!

Pickled Peppers

I've been doodling a little this week - on a pepper frenzy! I like the interesting shapes of these vegetables but have previously found them a bit of a challenge. Only one way to beat a challenge! SO here are my peppers.
I've also been doing battle with lighting. My house is painted a sickly colour of very pale green and the light is awful. As a consequence everything ends up looking a little putrid! This week I set up my peppers with a spotlight from one side but bouncing the light off a red surface to give some interesting colour variations. It works a treat! Admittedly people might find the lamp suspended off an armchair and pieces of red plastic taped to lampshades a little odd! Whatever works is ok in my book!

Tagged

Belatedly posting in response to Vivien's tag.

So I think I am supposed to post 7 facts about me

1. My favourite colour is Blue.
2. Rich, dark chocolate is my weakness.
3. I like flat, comfortable shoes.
4. I've lived in 7 countries.
5. I love early mornings.
6. I go to the gym 6 days a week.
7. I have a daughter, a son and two stepchildren.

And now to tag:-

1. Robin Neudorfer - extremely talented and a great friend http://rednews5.blogspot.com
2. Mary Woodul - wonderful abstract and realist artist http://a-constant-search.blogspot.com/
3. Robyn Sinclair - lovely sketches and watercolours http://havedogswilltravel.blogspot.com/
4. Billie Crain - watercolour magic http://artbycrain.blogspot.com/
5. Lisa Lorenz - a breath of fresh air with her bright paintings http://lisalorenzstudio.blogspot.com/
6. Anita Davies - an artist who excels in many media http://artbyanita.blogspot.com/
7. Kim Barker - An Australian, artistic Diva! http://laketrees.blogspot.com/

More on "Comfort Zone"

I've been putting in long hours on this grisaille - benefits of having a week off work! Also putting together thumbnails to try to work out the problems I am having with the painting. Huge learning process on both. I begin to long for colour and tomorrow plan to have a day of doing pastels for respite.

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives." Clay P. Bedford

Memorial Bridge, Arlington

Two pastel sketches of Memorial Bridge, Arlington - one from the Arlington side and one from DC. I tried to be strict and restrict the amount of time that I spent on these so that the light wouldn't change too much. I feel that working fast in pastel is something that is going to take time! Still it was an enjoyable experience doing these. Only one spectator stopped to chat and he stood about 15 feet away and asked before approaching me for a closer look. Interesting explaining to layman what I was looking for in terms of the colour of the light.

Back home now and determined that the year here will prove a little more fruitful artwise than the last year. Goals are set and I have some ideas of directions that interest me.

"The only limits are, as always, those of vision." James Broughton

"Start where you are." Edgar Cayce

Georgetown Canal

There has to be an easier to way to carry art materials around for plein aire. From the hotel to the location in this post is about a mile and carrying portfolio with paper, drawing board, easel and pastels requires a team of mules. Still I made it there and back and survived the ordeal.

This was my first real adventure into plein aire where a possible audience would be total strangers. As I was struggling with getting this to look anything people would stop and say, "that's nice" and I would smile and say "thank you" while thinking "They must be blind - this is a disaster!" They were probably just being kind! Oh and then there was the nice lady who wanted to take my photo as I worked! I wonder where that will end up!

It got very hot as the shade I started out in moved away so I gave up in the middle of my second attempt and struggled back to the hotel. My next venture out is going to be with half the pastels, half the paper and possibly no easel. (I swore, as I struggled back, there wasn't going to be a next time!) I have not done nearly enough weight-training to be in shape for this!

Under the dock

Have taken my pastels and paper on leave. We had a great few days at Lake Sinclair, Georgia, and I managed to squeeze in some pastels between rides on the boat on the lake.

The light in the early morning on the dock and creating shadows under the dock was pretty - lots of lovely colours in the water and on the wood of the dock. So peaceful out with just the lapping of the water against the seawall.

"The light is moving and not moving upon the water."
David Ferry

Barely outside

The light outside didn't seem too good today (too much sand blowing around) and the most dramatic shadows and nicest light were just outside my front door. My poor mangy palm tree! We transplanted it a few months ago and its only just beginning to recover, not that you can tell by looking at it! Still it is a refreshing dash of green in an otherwise drab and dusty world.

"Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams"
St. Augustine

“I see drawings and pictures in the poorest of huts and the dirtiest of corners.”
Vincent van Gogh

On the Threshold

I've been longing to get out to do plein aire work but have several things conspiring against me - the incredible heat (working in the sun with temperatures over 110 degrees F (44 degrees C) and also with the restrictions imposed here so I decided that the next best thing was just to open my front door and the door to the street and draw what I could see from there. Of course, this then becomes somewhat symbollic too of my life here.

“Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!”
Andrew Carnegie

“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.”
Kahlil Gilbran

Across the room

Looking across the living room to the patio window. Feeling quite happy about this pastel. The light was interesting as it was coming from three directions. The window in the background, from a window behind my left shoulder and also very diffuse light from the skylight windows above the chair and table.

Sunny Side Out

View out of the window from my breakfast table. Fun doing this pastel and feel particularly happy with the light showing through the cloth on the table. Begin to feel more at ease with this medium.

"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
William Shakespeare

“Sunlight is painting.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne quotes

Developing a theme

Working with "Comfort Zone" has become rather like working with an old friend. I begin to know this chair so well that I can imagine the feel of its curves as I work. Developing the colour studies - not quite there with the chair yet but feel much happier with the background colours now.

The grisaille is an ongoing work ........ everyday another step forward. One blessing to living here is that the oil paint I put on one day is dry by the next! I knew there had to be an upside to living in the desert!

“Shades of grey wherever I go,
The more I find out the less that I know
Black and white is how it should be
But shades of grey are the colors I see.”
Billy Joel

The Harem - pastel

I'm beginning to enjoy the pastels. Having to fight the temptation to use the same colours in every orange - have to think of each one as a separate object and not that they are all identical.

“There is no blue without yellow and without orange.”
Vincent van Gogh

"Champagne and orange juice is a great drink. The orange improves the champagne. The champagne definitely improves the orange."
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Pastel "Comfort Zone"

Trying to pinpoint the colours in the walls - not sure that these are right yet but an exercise in pastels none the less.

Comfort Zone - Oils

Started the grisaille of Comfort Zone this week. This is the first pass.

Painting is a refound pleasure!

Brief glimpse of colour

Interesting lesson learned doing this on how colour moves objects within the visual plane.