Forsythia

 Forsythia

9x6, soft pastel

 I had a great time painting these Forsythia branches. I painted outside in a warm spot on the patio away from the springtime breeze. This flowering bush hold a special place in my heart. When I was quite small my mom told me the name of this plant “forsythia”....I thought she said “For Cynthia”...and for a couple years I was thrilled to know that a flower was actually named after me.  Oh, the naive mind of a four year old! 

Duece Violettes

 Duece Violettes

8x6, soft pastel

Another spring flower are the beautiful purple violets. And, it’s another spring flower that we had at our house when I was growing up in Iowa. They bloomed each year under an old oak tree in our backyard. Ah, such good memories. 

 

Lillies of the Valley

 Lillies of the Valley

8x6, soft pastel

A childhood favorite. I always knew when spring had finally arrived once the Lillies of the Valley bloomed at our house. We had a large patch of them on the side of our old Victorian house. I enjoyed making little bouquets of them...their scent was intoxicating.

Twiggy - Flowering Plum

 Twiggy - Flowering Plum

6x8, soft pastel

Continuing with my spring flower theme...there’s nothing like seeing all the flowering trees in the spring. I paint a neighborhood scene almost every year because there are so many flowering plum and crabapple trees around. It’s easy to get a jump on spring by forcing the blooms from a few twigs (as this painting depicts). It’s such a fun thing to do in late winter when you simply can’t wait for spring to begin.

Sunbathing Tulips

 Sunbathing Tulips

6x6, soft pastel

Some of my favorite tulips are these deep purple ones that really pop with color once the sun hits them. I set up several vignettes a couple years ago using them...this photo being one of my favorites. I sure hope they come back up this year! I’m ready for all the colorful spring flowers to arrive. 

Fancy Pants

 Fancy Pants

6x8, soft pastel

While I was painting this one all I could think of was “fancy pants” for a title. It’s such a fancy, frilly type of bloom. So, when it came time to title the painting that’s all I could think of.  So...here ya go!

Bunny Planter with Petunias

 Bun Planter with Petunias

6x6, soft pastel

This little planter sits in front of my house and is made of cement. It can only hold a tiny plant so this year, it’s a petunia.  Such a sweet little guy!

Orchids

 Orchids

6x6, soft pastel

I don’t always indulge myself and purchase the flowers I want to paint...sometimes, a quick snapshot of flowers at the grocery store is all I need for inspiration. 

The Shot Felt ‘Round The World

 The Shot Felt ‘Round The World

8x8, soft pastel

When I got my second Pfizer vaccine shot I decided to ask if I could take a picture of the metal tray and syringe.  While it’s not necessarily the best composition, it will forever remind me of the momentous occasion. I’m happy to do my part in this pandemic. As an “older” person, the vaccine only makes sense to me. Here’s hoping the vaccines now available will curb this awful virus so it becomes a more manageable and less dangerous virus world-wide.

Soon There Will Be Petunias

 Soon There Will Be Petunias

6x6, soft pastel

I painted two pieces yesterday in anticipation of my second COVID vaccine shot today. These shots have been easy-peasey with no discomfort other than slight arm pain at the injection sight. Actually the needle itself is so fine these days, one cannot even feel it going in...which is a blessing for this needle-phobia person.  

The painting today was inspired by a previous painting and the petunias within it.  I love the affordability of the beauties and look forward to seeing them again very soon!

Petite Iris

 Petite Iris

6x6, soft pastel

Last year, I purchased these tiny flowers and took several photos for a piece I did within a shot glass series in January. So, it’s fitting to use them again this year for my mini-series on spring flowers. Given how difficult 2020 was for us all...it’s refreshing to focus on the beauty of spring and all its colorful flowers. 2021 is already looking better for us all...in fact, today I get my second Pfizer vaccine shot. Things are indeed looking more hopeful even though the COVID19 virus is still among us. May you flourish in 2021.

Shamrocks

Shamrocks

6x6, soft pastel

This little piece was made from my memories of searching for four leaf clovers as a child. I was often visiting my grandmother in St. Patrick, Missouri and because it’s St. Patrick’s day, I thought it would be a fitting subject matter. Both of these pieces are now on their way to new homes. I guess I’m not the only one that loves these little gems and the intrigue of finding an actual four leaf clover. 

Pink Ballet

Pink Ballet

6x6, soft pastel

Another favorite spring flower of mine is the bleeding heart plant. I was in third grade and at the home of a good friend when she showed me these mesmerizing flowers in her mother’s flowerbed.  I was amazed by them. I had never before seen such a perfect little heart shaped flower in mass dancing in the breeze. They are such a delightful little gift of spring.

Footbridge In Winter

 Footbridge In Winter

12x9, soft pastel

This one is a larger version of one painted in January.  It sold but my sweet husband wanted one too.  So, here’s the larger version just for him.

Feeling Daffy

Feeling Daffy

6x6 soft pastel

I didn’t especially like this piece...until the next morning.  Then I decided it was ok.  Sometimes you have to step back and look at it with fresh eyes.

Ladies In Waiting

 Ladies In Waiting

9x12, soft pastel

Day 3 of the #pswc21n21 challenge: Sunrise on a farm...”ladies” quietly waiting to give birth in their separate paddock. It was a beautiful scene several years ago when I took a few pictures as I drove around the countryside. The sun way just coming up and softly highlighting these gals.  They were simply beautiful!

Spring Is Here

Spring Is Here

6x6, soft pastel

There is a 21n21 challenge this month sponsored by the Pastel Society of the West Coast...so, my main theme will be spring flowers...although knowing me I will most likely deviate as I make my way through the next 3 weeks.  One bit of good news....I won 3rd place for my teapot scene “4am, Comforts of Home” in the PSWC member show. And, along with that, I earned signature status!  Hurray!  

Catching up!

 Well....I painted several paintings in January that I failed to blog about...so in the spirit of catching up, I’ll post them now.  Fortunately, life is getting back to normal lately.  A very good thing indeed!

Footbridge In Snow

8x6, soft pastel

The Final Bloom

8x10, soft pastel

Little Brown Vase

6x6, soft pastel

Little Brass Bird

6x6, soft pastel

Taylor Made

12x12 soft pastel

Indian Spices

 Indian Spices

8x11 soft pastel

This isn’t the best picture of the painting...but, it’s already on its way to a new home. This one was another fun project. My sister-in-law is from India and is a fabulous cook! She uses lots of spices...so it’s a very fitting piece for her kitchen. The actual spoons are warmer in color than this picture shows...more like real wooden spoons but hey, I never claimed to be a great photographer. 😊

Colorful Marbles

 Colorful Marbles

8x12 soft pastel

This piece is very similar to one I did a few years back. I love  all the vibrant colors of the marbles. Some of them are considered “glass balls” and not marbles. But, there are a few large marbles and a few smaller  ones thrown in.  I love the glass ball in the middle because you can see through it.  It was a fun one!

Varenna Italy Evening

 Varenna Italy Evening

32x48 oil on linen

The days of my life were filled to the brim painting this piece during the fall and early winter months of 2020.  I typically started painting at 3-4 am and worked on it for 8-10 hours a day, feeling like the day was over by noon. It was a labor of love as the pieces fell slowly into place. Being primarily a pastel artist, painting a large oil painting was a significant challenge...but a good one, and ultimately a satisfying process. I’ll post below my progress shots.

First I had to convince myself that I was capable of purchasing the necessary Belgium linen, stretcher bars and tools online and stretch the canvas myself. Up until now, I had always purchased ready made canvases. Thank the good Lord for You Tube! Once stretched, I applied a very light layer of water on the back and voila, the canvas was stiff as a drum.

Next, I painted two studies...one in pastel and one in oil.  The pictures are poor, but you can see that they were painted very quickly (1/2 hour to an hour each)...I did this mostly to play with how high or low to place the town for the best composition and as color studies...since I was trying to convert my client’s daytime photograph into a night scene, extending the waterline to show nighttime light reflections was a must.  I searched the internet too for more photos of Varenna in order to determine where all the street lights were and what the restaurants looked like filled with people.

The oil on the left shows the town quite low, the pastel on the right shows the town quite high...so I settled for somewhere in the middle.  After evaluating the studies, I toned the canvas and then spent two days sketching the scene onto the canvas.  Once the scene was sketched, I felt all things were possible...and the painting began.  First, blocking in base colors and checking for values...at one point I turned a photo to black and white to ensure the values (especially the water, were correct for a night scene).

Day after day I moved from foreground, to the waterfront buildings, to the hillside homes, to the mountains and sky and back...blocking in, adjusting values, repainting some areas, and finally the best part...adding the details. In some shots there are empty restaurants which are populated later with people.  In other shots there are buildings with no lights...only to be added at the end to suggest that people do indeed live in those homes. It was fun imaging what was happening in each little vignette. 

Once deemed finished, it hung for some time in the studio to dry. Finally, it was time to varnish. (Thankful for You Tube videos once again). I mixed a solution of 2 parts Gamvar Gloss to 1 part Gamvar Matte and varnished the painting flat. Although the photos aren’t great, you can get an idea of the impact on a painting that varnishing provides. The paint dries fairly matte...but once varnished the paint looks wet, the details come alive, and the colors are much more vivid.

The last step was to photograph the varnished piece. All along the way, photographing a wet painting was nearly impossible due to glare...add varnish, and it’s even harder. So, back to You Tube and the internet to see what type of camera equipment I needed to get a good photo. Turns out that using circular polarized lens was the answer (I bought one for my Nikon camera and one for my phone lens on Amazon)...along with placing polarized film in front of the lights I used (placed at 45 degree angles from the painting). You can see the difference in the two photos below taken from my phone (the left without a filter and the right with a filter).  The glare on the left completely washed out the painting, with a polarized lens on my phone it looked much better. The effects were even more dramatic with the Nikon camera. The final photo from my camera is below.  I’m still not sure it’s the very best photo of the piece because to me, the painting looks much better in person...but it will have to do.

The painting is now with it’s owner and I have to say, I miss seeing it...especially as the sun sets in the room where the painting hangs. It gradually darkens as though the sun is setting in the painting itself...until eventually, all you see are the reflections on the water.  Such a peaceful sight!

In a completely dark room

The end....I hope you enjoyed reading about the process.