Table For Two - Morning Coffee

Table For Two - Morning Coffee

8x6, soft pastel

No matter what’s going on in my life, a morning cup of coffee just starts the day off right.  I especially like the very early morning hours when it’s still dark outside and blue moonlight is still streaming through the window.

Little Brown Eyed Girl

Little Brown Eyed Girl

8x6, soft pastel

Here we are, Sept. 1st once again and the 30in30 Challenge has begun.  The summer rushed by and I didn't accomplish half of what I thought I would.  As I told my oldest daughter recently, "The best laid plans of mice and men, often go astray."   You know how it is.  So many times in life we think we know what our immediate day/week/month will entail only to be cast off in another direction, reminding us that we are simply not in control of our lives.  

Less than a month ago my sweet mother passed away.  She had a full life and at 87 was ready to go.  Ironically, that's about what she weighed (87) when she fell and broke her hip.  With dementia in full control of her mind for the past several years and her body weakened, she sometimes had thoughts of heaven and asked just days before the fall, "When I get to heaven, do you think I'll get a new coat?".   "Oh yes mom!" I told her.  "You can pick out any color you want.  What color will you chose?".  "Oh my!" she exclaimed with sheer glee and a twinkle in her eyes.  "I always wanted a RED coat!".  As a child she lived an impoverished life during The Depression Era and was often hungry...and certainly never had a new coat.  So this thought of what heaven would be like for her simply delighted her.  

Since her passing, I told myself I would someday paint a picture of her with a new red coat and maybe someday I will. The painting above is my mother at the age of six years old wearing her very best clothes for her first grade picture.  Not a new red coat for this little brown eyed girl...but her very best clothes none-the-less.

I had resigned myself to passing on this month's 30in30 Challenge.  I have a lot of things I still want to paint but I just haven't had much inspiration lately.  We'll see.  I have no plans or expectations of how this month will unfold.  I'll take it a day at a time and see where it takes me.  After all, isn't that all we really have anyway?

Hanging Out In Door County

Hanging Out In Door County

8x6, soft pastel

There are many homes and cottages around Kangaroo Lake near Bailey's Harbor, Wi.  A nearby neighbor's laundry provided a great little scene to paint.  With five brothers and sisters, hanging laundry on the clothesline was a frequent activity and fond childhood memory.

Across The North Fork

Across The North Fork

8x6, soft pastel

Camping in Cascade provides lots of opportunity to paint!  Especially along the river in front of our campsite.  I love how the late afternoon sun was hitting the side of this little outbuilding and its reflection in the water.   Such a peaceful little scene.

Tea Rose

Tea Rose

8x6 soft pastel

Sometimes the simple things in life are the sweetest.  A little bud from a gorgeous rose bush...simply sweet!

Darby

Darby

8x6, soft pastel

Darby left this world a few days ago and is greatly missed by his human.  The first week is especially tough.  So, I thought I'd try to cheer her up today and remind her of happier times.

That's the funny thing about Facebook...or any other social media site.  You can communicate with like minded people and support one another through all the trials and tribulations this crazy life throws at you.  It was fun painting Darby with his gorgeous pink ears..even the grass was reflecting off the fur on his chin! I imagined him running and playing (wherever it is we all go)...maybe with Scooter and Tubby!

There's A Squirrel In My Tree!

There's A Squirrel In My Tree!

8x6, pastel

        

                                                    

This is a common pose for a West Highland Terrier (aka Westie).  These spitfire dogs have attitude plus and are always on the lookout for varment encroaching on their territory.  They like to sit up as high as possible...which means the back cushion of a couch or chair is fair game (they prefer you position their selected piece of furniture next to a window of course).  Once a squirrel is spotted, my two male Westies would tear out of the room and sail through the doggie door clambering into the backyard to address the situation.  Tubby (the youngest) would actually sit under a tree for several hours at a time waiting for the squirrel to make his move.  The squirrel meantime would whip his tail and make menacing noises at both dogs hoping to scare them off.  This didn't phase them in the least. Fortunately no squirrel was ever harmed during these encounters...but they were sure fun to watch! 

Ditch Bank

Ditch Bank

8x6, soft pastel

Day 3 of 30 - The fun thing about painting landscapes is that there is subject matter absolutely everywhere you look.  This small ditch bank is right down the street from my house.  I liked the composition...so, I painted it!

Lady in Red

Lady in Red

8x6, soft pastel

An abstract that includes the favorite colors of my wonderful family members (in staying with my family theme this month).

I worked on this piece for awhile and after playing with the colors and trying to determine which direction to go with this piece, I suddenly saw...a lady in red.  Can you see her?  I see shoulders and the back of her head...she has long redish hair pulled back into a loose French braid.  She seems to be kneeling (perhaps praying) in a church pew and looking up towards what could be interpreted as a bright green cross near a bright yellow spot...maybe looking out a window.  Hmmm....or, maybe not.  

Maybe it's just my imagination...or the guilty little Catholic girl inside me telling me I really should be going to church more often.  Or, the good Lord sending me a sign that says "Cindy, you really are not an abstract painter".  Or, maybe I just have artist fatigue.  That's probably it.  In any event,  I will take it as a sign that it's done.  I am truly thankful for my family and their contribution to this piece...

(hmmm, maybe she's saying a prayer of thanks).

Say Cheese Frosty...Say CHEEZZZZE!

Say Cheese Frosty...Say CHEEEZZZEEE!

8x6, soft pastel

Oh my....Day Three of the challenge.  After today, I had to ask myself:

   1.  I'm not comfortable painting snow...why did I tackle three snow scenes right off the bat?

   2.  I wish I had built in a few "easy and quick" painting days...I'm in dire need of an easy day! 

   3. I thought today would be easy since there was only one person in the painting...but I scaled the  painting down too small (6x8)...a fatal flaw.  Trying to get the likeness of my sweet grand-daughter was tough given that her face was all of one inch square.  WHAT was I thinking? Eeeh gads!!!!

(A couple hours and one beer later, I feel much better. I refined Maddie's eyes and smile a bit and will call it good for today)

This snowy day on the farm wouldn't be complete without a nice big fat snowman!  Maddie's smile was full on...as is often the case for a young child taking a picture.  You can almost feel her exuberance.  Now, if she could only get Frosty to "say cheese"!

The Village - Sur la Table

Sur la Table

8x6, soft pastel 

This week I had planned on painting 3 paintings....but "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray".   Final fall cleanup with a trip to the dump and snow today.  Both of those events changed my mind for me.  Sometimes, you just gotta just go with the flow.     

I did get this little piece finished...Sur la Table in The Village at Meridian.  I love the colorful flowers and how peaceful it is during the early morning hours, for a time, uninterrupted by shoppers.  

Beach Bum 2

Beach Bum 2

8x6, soft pastel

I finished the remake of Beach Bum today. This is one of my favorite boat scenes. I can just imagine being on the beach on a warm sunny summer day...especially helpful today where it's cold and rainy outside.  I'm afraid it's going to be some time before I walk the beach again.

A Glorious Morning

A Glorious Morning 

8x6, soft pastel

This is the final painting for the 30 in 30 Challenge...I'll upload it to Leslie Saeta's blog in the morning...thus the title...a "glorious morning" it will be indeed. The past 30 days have been...what can I say...LONG!  It felt more like 30 weeks. At times I was so darn frustrated...and at other times really happy with my progress. I realized the absolute worst thing to do was to get to the end of the day and still need to paint.  Yikes! Those days were killers (can you say...paint a piece of fruit?).

I was surprised most of all that no matter how badly a painting was one day, I was anxious to try again the next morning. I became much more comfortable with landscapes...and loved doing the seascapes (they were my favorite ones)...aside from today's...which I have to say is my favorite overall (I love the composition, colors, and subject matter). 

I am amazed at how much I learned about painting with pastels and I have to admit I will miss the challenge. I would not have otherwise forced myself to complete a painting each and every day...yet, I'm pretty sure I'll stay on a good pace...maybe a painting every other day (ha!). 

If you're reading this blog, (and you must be)...I hope you'll stop by again. I'll be here...painting away!

Where The Sky Meets Water

Where The Sky Meets Water

8x6, soft pastel

Feeling a little funky...so here's an abstract for today.  This painting reminds me of a trip down to the Padre Island area. The sunrises during that trip were amazing. This may be a week of sky and water...or maybe not.  We shall see.  

There’s Always Tomorrow

There's Always Tomorrow

8x6, soft pastel

A hot mess...that's the only thing I can say about today's painting.  It started as a simple painting and for some reason went down the wrong path.  I reworked it and reworked it and then had to admit it got the best of me!  Oh well...there's always tomorrow.

Violet Vase

Violet Vase

8x6, soft pastel

Day 4 of the 30in30....so glad to have the heavy lifting done on the studio move...my new room has great natural lighting so I'm thrilled. I ran out to the backyard and grabbed a couple flowers, put them in a pretty little violet vase and voila! Day 4 challenge completed.  I hope you like it.

Plum Crazy

Plum Crazy

8x6, soft pastel

Funny thing, I painted two pictures yesterday and tonight I'm so glad I did!!!  I can submit my second painting in the 30in30 and still be on track. Today I was "plum crazy"...moving my little studio into our humongous master bedroom and moving the master bedroom furniture into the old studio space (which was an average sized spare bedroom). My husband is a saint for giving up our master bedroom for me.  It was even his idea!  Actually, the new bedroom for us is now so quaint...and looks out on the beautiful front yard and common area across the street.  It's kinda romantic. 

The new studio space is going to be awesome. With plenty of room to set up a painting area, office desk and framing/sketching table.  There's even room for a couch, chair, armoire and tv next to the fireplace (were my little dog Tubby will no doubt spend most of his time while I paint). My dear husband will have plenty of space to sit and relax while he visits me as I paint away.  I think it's going to work out well.  Sometimes the solution to a problem is right in front of us. 

Beach Bum

Beach Bum

8x6, soft pastel

Today marks the first day of the 30 in 30 Challenge.  This year I'm living by a motto (I don't usually do this...but the time came in my life to hunker down and be an art student with the intent to learn all I could about painting with soft pastels).  Soooo, the motto I'm living by is to "Be Courageous".   I guess that will be my theme for this challenge.  I'll be painting at least one painting a day and will focus on trying new things...new subject matter, new techniques etc. They may not be the best I can do because of the time crunch...but it's going to be fun to try and loosen my style which is not an easy thing to do.  So, let the games begin!

Battered and Bruised

Battered and Bruised

8x6 pastel

These two sad looking pears where actually not so battered and bruised..until I took my "artistic license" out on them.  Poor things...they sat there posing and never saw it coming.  They didn't realize I had made a commitment to myself to complete 30 paintings in 30 days.  They had no idea that I had waited until nearly bedtime to begin to paint...after an already exhausting day.  They also didn't know I was only allocating a few minutes to get the job done. So, after those few minutes of painting (which was more like a bar brawl) we agreed to part as friends.  Not only were they very battered and bruised...but my ego was too.  (lol) 

Above The Rooftops

Above The Rooftops

6x8, soft pastel

The grain elevator towers above the rooftops in the small town of Odessa, Washington...almost as if it's standing guard.