Plein air pastel landscape painting of summer fields
Pastel painting 11 inches x 11 inches
ArtWalk was a great experience last weekend. We had hundreds of art lovers, students and artists at the Stone Arch Arts and Events in Saline. During the show, I set up my easel and demonstrated pastel painting. I worked on this pastel landscape on Sunday in my booth and finished it up Monday in the studio. It is inspired by a photo I took while in Gettysburg, PA, but it reminds me a lot of Michigan scenes.
I just delivered this pastel pet portrait of a cute little borzoi puppy. It was a special commission for a dear friend of my father-in-law. I loved the setting: a field filled with dandelions. It helped give a lyrical feeling to the pastel painting. Just right for the innocent little pup.
If you have an animal buddy, why not capture them in a piece of art with a pet portrait?
Pastel plein air painting of the Everglades in early morning.
Pastel painting 8 inches x 12 inches
I was so pleased to be juried into the Pastel Society of North Florida’s National Exhibition. Last weekend I found out that the pastel landscape above was given an Award of Exceptional Merit by juror Margaret Dyer. This is my first national award, and is especially important to me because Margaret is one of my favorite pastel artists. I met her years ago at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. She was so kind to spend time discussing art with me. I learned that she too had been a graphic artist and had finally made the jump into full time professional fine artist. I purchased 3 of her figurative paintings and they are some of my most treasured possessions.
The award came with a wonderful gift certificate for Terry Ludwig pastels and a year’s subscription to Pastel Journal, my favorite magazine. Nothing like a little encouragement to keep an artist working on her pastel paintings!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a farmstead seen from faraway fields.
Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches
I painted this watercolor landscape right after “Along the Road” which I posted a couple of days ago. Obviously, the storm was still threatening.
I used my favorite paper, Saunders Waterford 200# cold press, for this piece. You can see how this substrate gives a very different feel than my previous watercolor painting. More subdued and less defined. I’ve tried many sheets and this one seems to fit my style just right. Colors appear very vibrant and strong, and yet they are easy to “pull up” if you need to. The 200# weight is more substantial than 140# yet isn’t as bulky as 300#. The texture is evident but not overpowering. Although using professional-quality paper is very important, I’ve found there is not a “right” or “wrong” as far as choosing between particular brands. Try a bunch and see if you can find one that floats your boat!
I’ve been telling everyone about the wonderful time I had in Italy and have gotten a lot of questions about the school I attended. Thought I would give y’all a quick overview and let you know where to go if you or your artist friends are interested in a wonderful Umbrian experience.
La Romita is a small art school in the hills outside of Terni, Umbria. We stayed in a small 15c monastery with clean, cozy rooms and wonderful food and wine at every meal. The grounds are beautiful and there is an old chapel that is used for the studio. Every day we worked with our instructors there. Each morning a bus would come and take us to a different Umbrian hill town to explore and paint. Information and maps were provided for each excursion. All your needs are taken care of by wonderful staff and you can focus completely on painting. I painted Italian watercolors day in and day out. Can’t recommend it enough. Heaven.
But you don’t have to be a watercolorist. Every two weeks they have different instructors who specialize in various mediums and subject matter. Check their web site out at http://www.Laromita.org. You can also find them on Facebook> La Romita
If you are a friend is interested, have them talk to the director, Edmund. He is an American who lives on site during the classes. schoolinfo@laromita.org
I’d also be willing to answer any questions you might have about this fantastic art experience.
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a storm approaching a distant farm as seen from the road.
Watercolor painting 11 inches x 9 inches
There was a storm rolling in when I set up to do this watercolor painting but I was sure I could get it in before the downpour started. You can imagine how detrimental raindrops can be to a watercolor painting. Even more so when you are painting on Yupo, a plastic material that causes paint to sit on the surface instead of seep into the paper. I painted fast and loose and got the watercolor landscape finished just as the first drops came down.
Just found out that River Gallery placed 3 giclee prints of my larger paintings in the new Pepsi Headquarters in Michigan. Giclees are a great way to own quality fine art, without paying the full price of an original work. Almost all of my paintings are available as high quality giclee prints. Please contact me if you are interested owning one!
Pastel portrait of a bearded man in Scottish military attire.?
Pastel painting 11 inches x 18 inches
I haven’t been to our figure drawing session in weeks and weeks and was excited to get back to painting pastel portraits. This week we had a really interesting model dressed in a full Scottish military uniform–including kilt! As he modeled he gave us historical background on his attire and Scotland in general. Bonus! We got a fascinating history lesson as well as a wonderful model! That’s one of the things I love about art and pastel painting in particular. There’s always an interesting back story associated with every piece.
I was really happy with the outcome of this painting. I think I caught a good likeness but, even more important, I didn’t overwork the dang thing into oblivion.
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a Michigan river with autumn trees.
Pastel painting 8 inches x 11 inches
This is another pastel landscape from my plein air outing last weekend. There is a river that winds through the park in town and the reflections of the early morning light made for an interesting pastel painting. I think I may have gone a little crazy with color but the fall trees really DID seem that vibrant!
Don’t forget the Saline ArtWalk this weekend at the Stone Arch Arts and Events! The reception is Friday, 5-8pm and we will be demonstrating on Saturday and Sunday from 12-5pm, too. Y’all come by!
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a colorful fall tree and barn.
Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches
Yeah! What a beautiful weekend for plein air pastel painting! Crisp blue skies and cool weather here in Michigan. I loved my time in Italy painting watercolors, but I was really pining to get back to a juicy pastel landscape. This farm just south of my hometown Saline fit the bill!
After I get my feet wet with pastels again, I will be painting a pet portrait commission that I received this week. Really looking forward to capturing this sweet Borzoi puppy! Let me know if you have an animal buddy who is yearning to be a model…
Plein air pastel painting of farm buildings in the early morning light.
Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches
My friend Karen and I hit the plein air road last month while our husbands played golf. We didn’t have to travel too far from the golf course to find a scene we both liked. There were some old farm buildings, with peeling orange paint, just down the road. Karen set up for oil and I did a pastel painting while the bright morning sun was at its most dramatic. I had just enough time to start another pastel landscape before the guys called and were ready to be picked up. I will work to finish that one in the studio.
Plein air watercolor painting of flower pots on a deck in autumn.
Watercolor painting 7 x 10 inches
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.
Sad to say that even Indian Summer has left Michigan. The gardens have all faded and we are gearing up for the cool fall weather. I sat on my sunny deck and painted a watercolor painting of these pots whose flowers had faded but were still gallantly holding on to a bit of foliage.
I haven’t had a chance since coming home from my trip to get out and do any plein air pastel landscapes. I’m really looking forward to capturing some of the beautiful fall trees this weekend…
Plein air pastel landscape painting of old farm buildings from a field in Michigan
Pastel painting 9.5 inches x 7 inches
I painted this pastel painting of an old farmstead near our house last fall. It was beginning to fall into disrepair and looked like it had seen better days. The place was owned by relatives of Buffalo Bill Cody who was rumored to visit quite often. This summer the house and out buildings were burned down and all that remains are a few charred beams. It broke my heart. A subdivision will probably pop up in its place. I’m happy, though, that I captured this pastel landscape before it disappeared!
This painting and many of my other pieces will be available at Art Walk October 22-24, 2010. 15 artists have banded together to present our work and do demonstrations at the Stone Arch Events building in Saline, Michigan. There will be a reception on Friday from 5pm-8pm and we will be open from 12-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Please stop by and enjoy original artwork!
