Plein air pastel landscape painting of an old house and field in Saline, Michigan

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches

Had a little bit of time on Monday afternoon–not enough to go out searching for a great scene, but just enough time to do a quick plein air painting. There’s a field by our house that I’ve always loved, so I hopped in the car and set up for a pastel landscape under a large shade tree. I didn’t have a special view in mind so I just spun around and around til I found subject matter that I liked. I did a quick underpainting in watercolor on Kitty Wallis pastel paper using some of the techniques that Marla Bagetta had described to us in her workshop. Then began layering color, little by little. I loved the way the sunlit Queen Anne’s Lace was highlighted against the shadowed old house…

Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a garden path and potting shed.

Plein air watercolor painting   7 inches x 10.5 inches

Last week, my friend, Cecily, and I visited a beautiful garden at a home built in the mid 1850′s by President Millard Fillmore’s brother. The gardens had a wonderful old fashioned feel to them and complimented the old house perfectly.  It was extremely hot, but we planted ourselves in the shade and did a few plein air watercolor paintings. I also took a lot of reference photos of the many flower beds, trellises and out buildings for future pastel garden paintings to be done in my studio this winter.

Orchard 1 - Pastel painting of an extreme close up view of an apple tree in the fall.

Pastel painting 20 inches x 20 inches    SOLD   (but giclee prints are available)

I am sooooo excited! I just found out that one of my pastel orchard painting was accepted in the Pastel Society of America Exhibition. I’ve entered a few times, hoping to be part of this worldwide pastel experience, and am so honored to have an acceptance! Orchard 1 will be shown at the National Arts Club in New York City from September 6 – October 1, 2011. John and I are hoping to attend the Materials Fair and Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

With this acceptance, I will be able to apply for the use of the coveted “PSA” after my signature on all pastel paintings. (“Signature artist members are privileged to use the PSA initials after their name, a meaningful designation for the art community and for potential art buyers.”)  But that process may also include some rejections along the way. Just part of the ongoing art journey…

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a small garden with path and birdhouse.

Pastel painting 5 inches x 7.5 inches   $100

Although I am still knee deep in Italian paintings for my upcoming show, I am starting another fun project. A group of 12 Michigan plein air artists will be visiting 6 gardens in the Ann Arbor area to photograph and paint this summer and fall and next spring. Then in June, during the Ann Arbor Garden Walk, we will exhibit and sell some of the work we’ve done over the last year.

I visited one of our sites the other day, in the blistering heat, and did this small plein air painting. I took lots of photos to work from in my studio during the freezing winter months.

Plein air pastel painting of a path in a park in Michigan with a bridge in the distance.

Pastel painting 12.75 inches x 5 inches

I painted this scene in Gallup Park in Ann Arbor a couple of weeks ago (right after I jumped into the lake to save my first plein air painting of the day). I have been challenging myself lately to stop looking for the “perfect” subject matter for my pastel landscapes, and just paint what i see in front of me. This is probably not the type of scene I would have searched for, but I am pleased with the results. If you’ve seen much of my work, you know I like to work with odd shaped compositions. This extreme horizontal worked well for a panoramic-type view.

Pastel portrait painting of a young girl reading.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches

We’ve been painting alot of children and teenagers in our figure drawing sessions this summer. The kids are out of school and its a perfect time to capture them in pastel portraits.  This young lady is actually a daughter of one of our painters. She sat quietly and read for over 2 hours and barely moved! It was interesting to try and capture her likeness without seeing her eyes. Usually eyes are such a large (and difficult!) part of capturing someone’s likeness…

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a tree along the Huron River in Ann Arbor, Michigan

This is the last of my paintings from the Bagetta Workshop. I only had a bit of time left before our critique, but I didn’t want to waist it. I left all my supplies in the same place and simply turned my easel around. I zeroed in a small little scene that wasn’t too complicated for my pastel painting. Sometimes the amount of options when you are painting plein air is totally overwhelming. It helps to use a small view finder to find a good composition and crop out all of the extra information.

On this pastel landscape of a river, I used a piece of gatorboard that I had underpainted with Art Spectrum Colourfix primer in a terra cotta shade. I like the way the brush strokes show thru the pastel and add a little texture. This type of set-up tends to create a looser feel, so I wouldn’t choose this medium if you want to create a very detailed piece.

I’m really excited about a historical portrait commission I am doing of a young child and his father. Its really a challenge and I am loving every minute of it!

Plein air pastel painting of a riverbank seen from the water.

Pastel painting 6.75 inches x 11 inches

Second attempt at the Bagetta Workshop. This pastel painting of a river was done on pale yellow Richeson pastel paper with a warm red, purple and yellow underpainting. If you look closely, you can see the paint sneaking thru the green and even dripping down the paper.

Speaking of paper. I think I have given this Richeson paper my last shot. I’ve tried if for figurative art, landscapes, and florals. It is just too pebbly for me and I can’t seem to control it. I don’t feel too bad “dissing” it here because Richeson no longer seems to be carrying it on their website. I think I’m sticking with Kitty Wallis and Art Spectrum Colourfix paper. I seem to get the best results with them…

Plein air pastel landscape painting of the Huron River at Gallup Park

Pastel painting 11.5 inches x 8.5 inches

I attended the most wonderful plein air workshop this weekend! Marla Bagetta, acclaimed pastelist, came to Ann to teach a 2-day outdoor painting class and a 3-day studio glass. I absolutely love her work and wanted to attend both classes but my work schedule wouldn’t allow it. She packed a lot into two hot days in the sun — every minute worth the price of admission. Its going to take a while to assimilate all the information and try to bring it into my own art. I especially liked her method of underpainting with watercolor and simplifying shapes.

A great group of about 14 artists spent the first day at Gallup Park in Ann Arbor. Marla lectured and did a quick and masterful study to show us how she works. Afterwards, we all went out to try our own pastel landscapes using the new techniques she had suggested–this pastel painting of a river is my first one of three I attempted that afternoon…

Check out Marla’s work at   http://marlabaggettastudio.com/ and   http://marlabaggetta.blogspot.com/

Pastel portrait of a young girl in profile.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 14 inches

Alea is a beautiful young girl who has posed for us a few times at our figure drawing sessions, sometimes with her mother and sometimes alone. She does a great job of holding the pose, especially for someone so young.  All the portrait artists in class adore her…

Plein air pastel landscape painting of light on the Huron River in Ann Arbor

Pastel painting 8.75 inches x 13.5 inches

Some of the plein air buds got together last weekend at Gallup Park along the Huron River in Ann Arbor. We each found a spot along the same riverbank and painted the particular scene that caught our eye. I did a pastel landscape, of the sunlight streaming through a little break in the trees.

I like the way this piece came out, but it’s an absolute miracle that it exists. Halfway through, it was blown off my easel into the weeds, along with a bunch of my pastels. I rescued it and finished it up. I moved to another location and was talking to one of my friends when she started screaming and gesturing to the painting–which was floating in the lake! I rushed right in up to my knees and grabbed it. Luckily it had landed face up and only the back was saturated. It dried perfectly flat in an hour, none the worse for its little dip in the pond!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of reflections in a Michigan pond.

Pastel painting 11.5 inches x 8.5 inches

One morning last week I parked in a spot near my home where the “Cody” farm used to be. The local lore says that Buffalo Bill Cody’s cousin owned the place and that Bill often visited there. Last year, the farm buildings were torn down and there’s a nice little hill where the house used to be. It gave me a nice view of the pond across the street. Painting reflection is always challenging because the water changes every second. I survey the scene and then freeze in my mind where the lights and darks fall. If I don’t make the decision at the beginning of the pastel painting, I am constantly chasing the fluctuating light and water patterns. It can make me crazy!