This blog is a must-read for artists!

I just happened upon the blog of an artist named Jerry Lebo, and I spent hours reading it. If you are an artist and you want to learn about how to become a better one, spend the time to discover the nuggets of wisdom there. www.jerrylebo.com, or www.sixtyminuteartist.com

Autumn I and II (Aspen) - Pastel Dyptych, 8" x 12"

OK, I can never leave well enough alone, I have a tendency to noodle(overwork) a painting even after it is done. And after everything is said and done, it hardly ever looks different! Well, here is the reworked scene from yesterday,and a companion one. My dissatisfaction is that the colors are not as vibrant as I would have liked, and believe me, it is hard to get muddy colors with pastels:) I plan to try an acrylic underpainting in the future, to get more vibrancy and color saturation.

Autumn I (Aspen) - 8" x 12" Pastel

For some reason, painting the woods is a challenge for me. One issue with this (of many) is the composition, mainly the lack of a focal point. An interesting exercise, but next time I'll use a better photo:)

The Guitarist - 10" x 14" Pastel

I have an idea for a series of paintings based on musicians, and this was a test of the concept. I plan to try it a few different ways, some with more color. I was trying to portray the intensity of the musician while playing, and also portray the atmospheric effect of smoke under lights. The subject of this painting is my son's guitar teacher, at a concert.

Sometimes, Less is More

Here's the problem with still life set up...take a few nice objects, put them together, and you have a still life worth painting...not! There truly is an art to setting up an interesting composition. Oh well, at least I like how the Christmas cactus came out. One of these days I will learn to edit before I jump in:)

The Kiss - 7" x 11 " Pastel

A perfect Valentine's Day subject: my parents, circa 1948. As you might be able to tell, I worked from a B&W photo. They eloped shortly after this picture, and nine months later, my big brother was born. Happy Valentine's Day:)

Angela - Pastel WIP

Painting from a live model, a great way to spend a Sunday morning. I do wish that I had positioned this on the paper differently (oops -- I ran out of room for her foot!). There is more to be done here, and luckily, we will have this pose for one more week, so improvement is possible. Then again, I might just start over next time. I guess my goal for future sessions is to catch composition errors early:)

Lemon Trees - 16" x 20" Pastel

This is from a photo I took in Italy a while back...I loved Tuscany. Some wine, some cheese, and a nice view of the Tuscan landscape. Heaven!

A. J. the Havanese - Pastel Pet Portrait

This little dog was so much fun to paint. But first I had to take photos of him...and while I usually do a more traditional portrait, I thought that his expression here, surrounded by his muddy pawprints, was priceless. I have decided to crop it closer (top view)...hope the owner likes it:)

Oranges, Lemon, and Pink Grapefruit - 14" x 18" Pastel

A recent still life, painted from life. The grapefruit was a beautiful pink inside, and the tablecloth was a challenge. I love working with a blue-orange complementary palette, and so I made the background blue, even though it wasn't.

Sunday morning pose - Pastel study

On Sunday mornings I get to draw from a live model, which is a skill that is rusty but fun. No image to post, but a great way to spend the morning.