When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

oil pastels

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Windswept Cypress, NC – phase 2

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008


 

Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - 24 x 18 inches graphite, oil pastel, watercolor pencils
Windswept Cypress, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC  – partial image of 24 x 18 inches graphite, oil pastel, watercolor pencils, mixed media experimental, work in progress. Low light conditions today, so the photo below left, is a little dark. Plans now are to erase some of the color, then see what happens when painting lightly over some of the watercolor-penciled areas; there will be some resist because of the oil pastel base.

Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - work in progress, phase 2   Cypress, Kitty Hawk, NC - scanned detail; accurate colors (work in progress)

Windswept Cypress, NC started

Sunday, January 20th, 2008


 
Windswept Cypress, Outer Banks, NC - work in progress

Windswept Cypress, Outer Banks, NC, USA, 24H x 18W inches on paper, work in progress: Sculptural, windswept cypress are common ornamentals in yards along the Outer Banks, North Carolina. This started as a graphite drawing, then added some energy with the use of oil pastels, which were mostly scraped away before continuing with watercolor pencils. Hoping to see the effects created by mixing oil and water mediums.

 

 

Exhibition Opportunity

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007


 

Galahs in Traffic - flocks of Galahs fly in front of cars, many laying dead beside the road to the Kangaroo Island ferry, South Australia
Galahs in Traffic, Australia. 14H x 11W oil pastels on paper, has 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.
Flocks of Galahs fly in front of cars… unfortunate fatalities along the highway to the Kangaroo Island ferry, South Australia. The trees illustrated are Norfolk Island Pines.

One of the pieces showcased in the AJAS Fall/Winter Online Gallery.
For Artists interested in juried competitions and online gallery exhibitions, the American Juried Art Salon (AJAS) gives helpful feedback and critique whether your work is accepted or not. For information about their Spring/Summer 2008 competition visit http://www.artjury.com/art.html  Artists whose work has been accepted twice in a row receive a website page for one year.

A tale of two drawings

Friday, September 21st, 2007


 

 Northern Delights 01, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 14 x 11 graphite, waterwash graphite, oil stick, colored pencils

Northern Delights 01, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 14H x 11W graphite, water-wash pencil, oil pastel, colored pencils on paper. 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.

and

Redbuds 03, Eastern Redbuds blooming on a foggy Spring morning in Coppell, Texas. 14H x 11W oil pastels, graphite, water-wash graphite, colored pencils, eraser on paper

Redbuds 02, misty morning in Coppell, TX, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels, graphite, watercolor pencils on paperBrowsing for pieces to enter in a juried exhibition, I came across two drawings started in March that have a lot in common. Both scenes are low-light situations that were achieved by lots and lots of layering, scraping, redrawing, and using the eraser over pastels for blending as well as erasing. Both are experimental re: oil pastels vs. paintable water-wash graphite pencil.

Milkweed Melody

Thursday, September 20th, 2007


 

Milkweed Melody finished, 27H x 33W inches oil pastels on 140 lb cold pressed premium watercolor paper, brassy-gold frame

  Frame detail images:      
         
  Milkweed Melody, upper left frame detail   Milkweed Melody, upper right frame detail  
  Milkweed Melody, lower left frame detail   Milkweed Melody, lower right frame detail  

Milkweed Melody finished. Oh, the joy of color! 27H x 33W inches Oil Pastels on 140 lb cold pressed premium on WC paper. Has brassy-gold frame painted with an extension of the drawing, frame detail images above. Below: work as it was in progress.


 

Milkweed Melody - stage 1 Milkweed Melody - stage 2

Milkweed Melody - 22 x 30 oil pastels on watercolor paper - in progress

Aspen, Banff National Park

Thursday, March 22nd, 2007


 

Northern Delights 01, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 14 x 11 graphite, waterwash pencil, oil stick, colored pencils
“Northern Delights 01, Aspen at a protected Bison reserve, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada – 14H x 11W inches oil pastels and water-wash pencils on paper, white double mat, 22H x 26W inches white frame with white crackle finish

Redbuds 02

Saturday, March 17th, 2007


 

Redbuds 02, misty morning in Coppell, TX, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels, graphite, watercolor pencils on paper
Redbuds 02, misty morning in Coppell, TX, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels, graphite, watercolor pencils on paper. 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.

This drawing was an experiment with oil pastels and water-soluble graphite to see if the two could cooperate in the same drawing. Conclusion: that’s up to the artist! It was about 8 A.M… the sun barely shone through the thick mist this early Spring morning. The surrounding forest was grey, and the brilliant pink blossoms of the Redbud bush pushed through it all, with patches of green grass starting to grow in the field.

March Winds

Thursday, March 15th, 2007


 

March Winds, Coppell, Texas, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels on paper, ode to Jackson Pollock via oil pastels.

March Winds, ode to Jackson Pollock via oil pastels. 14H x 11W inches oil pastels on paper with 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.

“… the painting has a life of its own. My mission is to bring forth this life”.        Jackson Pollock

Styles are an intuitive response to place, emotional memories, subject, media, etc. When March Winds was finished it reminded me of some of Jackson Pollock’s work, which I never really understood until this piece unfolded in a similar manner.

Showcased in Grand Prairie Arts Council (GPAC) Open Juried Art Show and Sale September/October, 2007. Grand Prairie Memorial Library 901 Conover Drive, Grand Prairie, Texas.

Dancing With Trees 01

Tuesday, March 13th, 2007


 

Dancing With Trees 01 Cedar hedge, Coppell, Texas USA 14 x 11 inches oil pastels on paper
Dancing With Trees 01, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels on paper, 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.

Pinion at Sunset

Sunday, March 11th, 2007


 

Pinion Sunset, Coppell, TX USA 14 x 11 inches oil pastels on paper
Pinion at Sunset, Coppell, TX USA, 14H x 11W inches oil pastels on paper, has 3-inch-wide white double mat and 26H x 22W inch white custom-built white wood frame with crackle finish.

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