Middle America 4x6 oil

Today, like many days lately, was overcast.  Kim Vanderhoek and I planned to get together to paint plein air, but decided to paint inside instead.  It turned out to be a misty overcast morning.  So with that decision out of the way it was on to what to paint???  So I got out the Different Strokes For Different Folks challenge and painted that.

It was fun because it was about creating color.  The reference was a desaturated photo of a farm in middle America from one of Karin Jurick's many road trips.  I painted small as  I wanted to complete it in an hour, give or take a few minutes.  Love when I paint with Kim as we have a very specific time frame and it pushes me not to dottle, or noodle.  

Now the problem I have is it has been so long since i completed one of Karin's challenges I can't remember how to make it 450k and 300dpi, with out getting this little tiny thumbnail.  So I hope to send it over to DSFDF if I can figure it out.

Clouds?

Okay, so I didn't put it away.  I warmed up the forground a tad.  I thought the sky was too dominate to be so plain.  So what do you think?  Clouds or no clouds?  

Midlands of California 12x18 pastel

Well it has been a while and I was dying to paint something.  I looked through photos and came across photos from a trip last year coming home from leaving my youngest son at SJSU.  I shot a number of photos out the window.  Most are a blur, but didn't really care as it was better for me to be playing with my camera than to be thinking of Spencer really being gone for the year.  A school year later he has returned home a slightly evolved human being.  His leaving left my husband and I "Empty Nester's" for the most part with adjustments of our own to make.  I think it has been a very good year for all of us.  Today all my sons are home playing music and visiting with friends.  It has been a wonderful day.  And in the middle of it I took out my pastels and did this scene to shake off the cob webs and get back to painting.

So this farm house sits somewhere between San Jose and Santa Maria.  Lots of big stretches of land.  I have not been painting much and jumped back in with this.  I could keep working , but better to put it aside and hopefully do another this week.   Glad to be painting!

Happy Memorial Day!

2009 Pastel Plus Exhibition; May 16 -31

I am pleased to announce that my work was selected to exhibit in the 2009 Pastel Plus Exhibition sponsored by Southern California Artists Association.  The juror for the exhibit is Sally Strand.  She is an amazing artist, working mainly in pastels.  Her artwork is exhibited nationally.

The exhibit runs from May 16 through May 31.  Artist reception is Saturday, May 16 from 6:oo to 9:00 at the SOCALARTISTS Studio, 3251 Laguna Canyon Rd. #F3, Laguna Beach, California.

The 2 pieces below will be on exhibit.  They are "Just off Highway 15", 12x18 and "Tree in the Canyon", 18x12.

It is always exciting to have work selected for an exhibit.  I hurried down to get them framed and forgot to sign them.  Lucky I had a pastel pencil in my car and signed under pressure in the frame shop.  Signing is so final.  

So I am happy.    

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