Thinking it Through

I've just finished another pastel - this one is more muted than I others have done lately.  I'm not really sure why I chose this particular picture to paint, except that I love the poses. . . and I guess that's what it's all about anyway.

I have discovered that when I take pictures of my paintings I can very often see what to do next - sometimes when I am right there on top of the painting, I can't 'see' it.  So, I tried to take pictures along the way to show myself what the camera sees - not what I am seeing.

It all began in my watercolor class - I was looking for something to paint that week, because there didn't seem to be anything blooming right then. (When there are flowers 'in season' the class usually paints a still life arrangement)

Here is the original sketch:

Next I drew it on the watercolor paper and painted it. When I got home, I looked at what I had done and I found myself putting pastel on it! So then I decided to just make it a pastel. I began again with a watercolor underpainting on pastel (sanded) paper.

I love doing the skin tones using the 'Margaret Dyer' method.  Forget about local (the 'real' color) and concentrate instead on value.  I begin with light values - blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, orange - and they magically blend themselves into beautiful skin. The same is true for the dark values - any color works as long as it is a dark.

I went back and forth between working on the skin tones and background - playing with the water and the splash. I also concentrated some on the clothes, faces and hair.

The girls were close to the water's edge so I had some foaming, wavy water across the bottom.  When I showed this to a friend (my trusted critic) she suggested that I get rid of the wave at the bottom - she thought it was distracting.  I think she is right, soooo . . .

Pastel  12x16     $300

Here it is!  I think I've finished tweaking and will go with this for now.  However, it's needs a title!  Any ideas? Suggestions?

Red, White, and Blue

Egads! It's almost July... I know, we haven't officially begun summer yet, but the warm weather is here and school is out... and there is another exhibit coming up at the St Michaels Library.

Several years ago, when I threw myself into involvement with the St Michaels Art League, I made a promise to myself that I would work to put something into every exhibit the SMAL sponsors. So far, I have kept that promise even to the extent that I entered the Oil and Acrylic Only exhibit (see posts on June 7 and June 11, 2011) - though I don't use either medium.

This year the July exhibit theme is Red, White, and Blue - original, huh? When we picked the theme, it seemed like a great idea. I have been thinking about what I wanted to enter and since I am in my 'paint children' period, I, of course, found some pictures in my file that I could tweak (change the colors) to reflect the theme.

Here is the first one:

"Red, White and Blue "               Pastel - 12x16          $150

The red suit was originally striped, the white shirt was originally purple and the blue suit was a blue, yellow, orange (I think) pattern.  Leighton, the child in the middle is very fair and her mother made her cover up that day because the sun was so strong. When I showed her mother the painting she thought that this might make Leighton feel better about the shirt (which she hated wearing) - after all, she is now the center of the painting!

We are allowed to enter two pictures in this exhibit.  Here is another one that I just finished.

"Little Wave Dancer"    Pastel - 9x12     $125

She was at the water's edge, oblivious to anyone around her.  She was just playing with the waves and dancing all by herself.  So carefree - how wonderful to be young!

The exhibit will hang in the St Michaels Library for the month of July. Drop by and have a look at what else might be Red, White, and Blue.

Happy Graduation, Maizie!

This weekend my first granddaughter, Maizie, will graduate from the 8th grade.  (Actually, my second granddaughter is also graduating from the 8th grade, but the Baltimore County schools don't make as big a deal of it as the school that Maizie attends in Vermont...so this is about Maizie.  In the interest of 'equal time' the little gymnast in a prior post was Graeme, the other 8th grader.)

Maizie has attended Orchard Valley Waldorf School in East Montpelier, VT... forever - and she is delighted to be finishing up her final year there.  She and I have talked and messaged in the past few weeks about her dress, her shoes and the upcoming festivities.  It is all very exciting - a true rite of passage.

I have been going through lots of pictures of her recently - from those very first baby ones to various visits we have made to Vermont, vacations together in Florida and visits here in Maryland.  It continues to amaze me how the time has flown by and here we are at another milestone.

There was one picture that repeatedly caught my eye - so, of course, I had to paint it! This is soooo Maizie - she just loved to get into that paint all the way. I especially love the hand print at the top. Can't you just picture her doing that?

9x12 Pastel 

WOW, next fall, she's off to high school...lots of love and Happy Graduation, Maizie!