Bottle of Red

5x7" pastel on suede matboard

I came across an old spice rack minus
the spices and thought that the bottles
might be good subjects. I made some colored
water, which was almost as fun as coloring eggs,
and just as messy. Put a light on it,
and layered on the pastels.
Today's daily painting
is brought to you by the color red.

Apple

5x7"
Acrylic on 300 lb paper

I haven't played with paint for awhile,
so I brought out the acrylic and brushes.
I feel a bit rusty, but this was just for fun.

High Society

5x7" pastel on archival sanded paper

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I was at
the Newport beach pier having a cherry coke.
Well I also had a Santa Fe burger and some fries.
I couldn't eat all of my fries, but I knew a few
feathered friends that would. So I gathered them
up into a paper napkin and off I went. All it
took was one wave of my arm and I suddenly
felt like I was in a Hitchcock movie.
It didn't take long for the pigeons and gulls
to gobble up my leftovers. One seagull
flew in a bit too late, but was kind enough to pose
for me anyway.

Ruby Red Cherry

5x5" pastel on archival sanded paper

During my trip last week, one of my stops was the
Newport beach pier. At the end of this long pier
is a burger joint called Ruby's, that has been in business
for the past 25 years.
I ordered a cherry coke, which was one of the best.
In my drink was a maraschino cherry that just looked
like it wanted its picture taken. So, I took
it from my drink and placed it on the table. The light
was pure sunshine coming in through the window, casting
great shadows from the window and red reflective light from the cherry.
A perfect subject for a painting.

Workshop Nude

19x25"
Pastel on paper
In my last post, I mentioned that I
was going to a Margaret Dyer workshop.
Well, I did and it was a wonderful week.
I learned a great deal about painting
with value and not so much with color.
I could actually paint the figure in
any color, as long as the value was correct,
and people would understand it.
I came home with 15 unfinished pieces of work.
We had 4 different models who posed nude
or partially nude.
The whole idea behind a workshop
is to explore new ideas about painting
and not try to make completed pieces of work.
That can be stressful, if that is how
one approaches this type of class.
I went in with an open mind, willing to try
a different technique than how I
paint now. I don't think that I will ever
paint just like my instructor, (not that I want to)
but I feel that by implementing my new found knowledge
about values; my paintings can only improve.

Colored Glass

5x7"
Pastel on sanded paper.
Pastel is pure pigment, not chalk.
I would never be able to achieve the
deep darks or brilliant reds with sidewalk chalk.
To learn more about this versatile medium,
check out this link.
www.pastelinternational.com/about/drypastel.asp

This is my last post for a few days.
I am off to a Margaret Dyer pastel workshop.
I'll post my workshop pieces when I get back.

A Recipe for Fun

5x7"
Pastel on archival sanded paper
I didn't paint the marbles. I painted how the light fell on them

Glass marbles were invented in
Germany in 1848. There are at least
22 types of marbles and a number
of games you can play with them. Here is one of them

RING TAW This is one of the best known and most popular of all marble games for a group of players. As with 'INCREASE POUND', two circles are drawn on the ground. The inner circle should be about 1' (30cms) in diameter, the outer should be about 7' (2m) diameter. Each player puts an agreed number of marbles into the inner ring. The order of play is decided and the players take turns to shoot their TAW from any point on the outer ring, at the marbles in the center. Any marbles knocked out of the center ring are pocketed by the shooter and he is entitled to shoot again from the spot where his TAW lies. When a shot is unsuccessful play passes to the next player and the TAW remains on the ground where it comes to rest, if that spot is within the outer ring. The next player may then shoot at the marbles in the center or at any of his opponents TAWS. If he strikes a TAW, the owner of that TAW has to pay him one marble and he takes another shot. The shooter may not strike the same opponents TAW twice in succession. The game continues until the ring is cleared.

Gulf View

5x7"
Pastel on sanded paper

It snowed in NWA last night.
It was pretty, but the sun has melted
almost all of it . I am so tired
of being cold, so I thought I would
paint one of my favorite, warm, places to be.
The beach.
I am really happy with this painting. The serene
feeling I get when I am near the gulf, came through in
today's daily painting.

Prairie Grass

5x7"
pastel on sanded paper

Today's daily painting was inspired by
the simplicity of Wolf Kahn's work.