Woman Reclining--Pastel, 5x5 on paper

Lesson learned here? Fixative is my friend whom I will entertain often! I really struggled with this but am pleased with the result. It was a good value study. Now I need to get in gear to meet Karen Jurick's next deadline.

Different Strokes from Different Folks- end of the year challenge

Pastel, 5x7 on paper. For this challenge, Karin Jurick put 130 names in a hat, and paired artists off to paint each others portraits. 130!! When you have a chance, check them out!

Work Boots--Pastel, 5x7 on paper

This was my submission to this week's Different Strokes for Different Folks blog.

Three Graces--5" x 7" pastel on paper

I have painted this in oils as well but prefer this version because I really like the mottled affect of the dry pigment and the way I am able to layer color without muddying it. Is muddying a real word?

Zen Challenge - 5x7 pastel on paper

This was a submission for the "Different Strokes from Different Folks" blog. The photo I worked from was very high contrast with little color. The challenge was a bit daunting..... but it's always fun when you are pleasantly surprised by the outcome!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Upside Down Exercise

Check out a relatively new blog.... differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com
It is facilitated by Karin Jurick (see her website link under "my favorites"). Every week she posts a new challenge. It is fun to see different interpretations of the same material.

This weeks post was painted upside down to help focus on shapes/value, not things. Very useful!

What's new?

Since time has been of the essence lately, I've been experimenting with a new medium (for me), pastels. I love the immediacy of pastels, their pure pigment, and the layering options they afford. Stay tuned for more...