How nice to wake up to blue skys and sunshine! We had a hard frost last night after yesterday's rain so everything is white and frozen. My daffodils don't seem to mind and they are brightly turning their faces to the sun and showing off their finery. There are mostly all yellow or white daffodils with frilly white centers out at the moment, but we are still about a week to two weeks away from full bloom. By then we will have a golden carpet of yellow flowering through the yard and many of the other varities will begin blooming.
Whyen I went to get the morning paper the thermometer said 32 degrees. My pickip was bathed in a coating of ice and frost. All of the water droplets from yesterdays rain were frozen on the body of the truck like little pebbles. Thank goodness I did not need to go anywhere early today, I would need a scraper to clear the windows!
It should be a good day to finish pruning the nectarine tree and the three apple trees. Then I will respray since I have a day or so before the next rain comes through. I had an unexpected surprise on Saturday morning. Two ladies came knocking on the front door, and no they weren't from Watchtower (phew), they were Placer County Master Gardeners. They asked if they could tour our garden, we had been recommended to be a part of their May 9th tour and they wanted to have a look.
I gladly took them on a tour of the garden to show them the various features we have landscaped. There are many flower beds filled with different varities of flowering bushes or flowers and crushed granite pathways take one to different places through the garden and under a couple of rose pergolas. We have 54 different rose varities, which are just beginning to sprout new growth, many different Day Lilys, a variety of Peonies and our little pond with prety goldfish and a waterfall.
The ladies were very pleased with what they saw, and said they would like to put us on the tour along with our next door neighbors Al and Kay. They said it would be great to have two houses side by side that people could wander from one to the other to enjoy the gardens. They asked if I would participate and I said yes, thinking about the work I must do to make sure that the garden is worthy of people's time to visit. Since it is May, I have several months to whip it into shape. Guess I had better get started!
This is my journey from day to day, some mundane and some fun. That is how life is and what we make of it. Hopefully you will have a beautiful sunrise day and enjoy it to the fullest.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Neccessity of a Mat Cutter
Since I began pastel painting in ernest I have completed 24 paintings. I have framed three of them, one for my brother Michael, one for my daughter Amber and one is hanging in our entryway. That leaves twenty-one paintings that are sitting in my portfolio case that Amber and Eric bought me for Christmas. Just the cost of matting 21 paintings is mind boggling. After spending $50,00 just to frame one of my paintings before Christmas I found how expensive it is to have mats cut at retail or cutom outfits. Just having mats cut at Arron Brothers or Michaels is pricey, there is no such thing as a deal. Most pictures today have an inner and outer mat and a 9X13" picture fits in a 14X18 stock frame. I have had a couple of mats cut for me at Michaels and they cost $26.00. If I were to mat all of my pictures with two mats I would be looking at an out of pocket expense of $546.00! The cost of frames would run at least another $500.00 or more. Needless to say, I will not likely mat and frame a couple of my early pictures, but the bulk of them will be matted and then I will have to choose which ones to frame for a show.
I began looking on the Internet for mat cutters and found that a reasonably priced better quality cheap mat cutter was going to run my $349.00 so that is no small investment. Then I began looking at chat sessions on mat cutters and found that most people that had purchased the one I was thinking of buying were having fits with it and some said it was a piece of junk. Oops, this required some closer scrutiny and more research and more visits to discussions by artists and photographers about mat cutters. I found several good sessions and the two mat cutters that received the most praise were the C&H brand and the Fletcher brand mat cutters. Of course I began checking prices on this equipment and found that the Fletcher cutters ran in the thousands of dollars, and the C&H mat cutters were in the $850.00 to $1600 range!
Wow, it is obvious I do not want a troublesome piece of equipment, and I can't afford a cadillac either. With that in mind, I began looking for used mat cutters and found a company back east that sold mat cutters from frame shops that went out of business. Those expensive cutters were still very pricey and close to $1,000 used but after checking week after week, I found a used C&H cutter that originally sold for over $1300.00 for $395.00. I quickly bid on the cutter and found out the next day that I had won the cutter for the $395.00 bid. Well that was exciting, and they asked me to deal directly with the seller, a lady in Minnesota who was selling some of her framing equipment to make room for things that sold more readily. We chatted on the phone and closed the deal and the mat cutter will be shipped this week. I received an email from the lady saying she had found the original instruction book and also the stops for the cutter and extra baldes. I was pleased to hear that, and asked if it was possible to get some matting material thrown in with the deal. She and I spoke on the phone again and she said she will send some matting material and foam core to mount the pictures on. She will use the materials to pack the cutter in a box. It will be great to get some supplies, but even better to get the cutter. That will be something to look forward to setting up in my workshop.
When it arrives and I will install it on my 4'X8' drafting table, thenI can begin cutting mats for my paintings. That will be the first phase, and the next phase will be to search the web for deals onframes!
I began looking on the Internet for mat cutters and found that a reasonably priced better quality cheap mat cutter was going to run my $349.00 so that is no small investment. Then I began looking at chat sessions on mat cutters and found that most people that had purchased the one I was thinking of buying were having fits with it and some said it was a piece of junk. Oops, this required some closer scrutiny and more research and more visits to discussions by artists and photographers about mat cutters. I found several good sessions and the two mat cutters that received the most praise were the C&H brand and the Fletcher brand mat cutters. Of course I began checking prices on this equipment and found that the Fletcher cutters ran in the thousands of dollars, and the C&H mat cutters were in the $850.00 to $1600 range!
Wow, it is obvious I do not want a troublesome piece of equipment, and I can't afford a cadillac either. With that in mind, I began looking for used mat cutters and found a company back east that sold mat cutters from frame shops that went out of business. Those expensive cutters were still very pricey and close to $1,000 used but after checking week after week, I found a used C&H cutter that originally sold for over $1300.00 for $395.00. I quickly bid on the cutter and found out the next day that I had won the cutter for the $395.00 bid. Well that was exciting, and they asked me to deal directly with the seller, a lady in Minnesota who was selling some of her framing equipment to make room for things that sold more readily. We chatted on the phone and closed the deal and the mat cutter will be shipped this week. I received an email from the lady saying she had found the original instruction book and also the stops for the cutter and extra baldes. I was pleased to hear that, and asked if it was possible to get some matting material thrown in with the deal. She and I spoke on the phone again and she said she will send some matting material and foam core to mount the pictures on. She will use the materials to pack the cutter in a box. It will be great to get some supplies, but even better to get the cutter. That will be something to look forward to setting up in my workshop.
When it arrives and I will install it on my 4'X8' drafting table, thenI can begin cutting mats for my paintings. That will be the first phase, and the next phase will be to search the web for deals onframes!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pt Arena Lighthouse.
Have you ever been to Pt Arena Lighthouse? It is a really beautiful spot on the Pt Arena headland of the Mendocino coast. It is a windy fresh air filled spot on one of the most beautiful coasts of north America. Rugged coastline, pounding surf, barking seals, sea gulls crying and whirling with the wind and California Brown Pelicans diving into the sea to catch their breakfast lunch or dinner. I am sure that 100 years ago these were treacherous waters for the ships that would sail to the town of Mendocino to load up logs and lumber.The lighhouse was first built in the 1870's but was damaged by the 1906 earthquake and susbequently rebuilt out of concrete and steel. The lighthouse is 115 feet tall, so it is a good climb up a lot of steps for a great view. The windswept headland provides tremendous views of rocky steep cliffs and off shore rocks that are constantly battered by the sea.
When Cindy and I visited this beautiful spot, it was a beautiful clear day with no clouds at all. We were able to take a number of photos of the lighthouse and the coastline while we were there sightseeing. Theis lighthouse is maintained by the Friends of the Lighthouse and has a museum packed with old photos and history of this site. There is also a gift shop with many interesting gifts.
I decided that this lighthouse would be a great subject for a pastel painting and so I began searching through our photographs for the pictures we took. I finally found a series of photos and found one that would be a good reference for me. I was not daunted by the difficult rock formations and busy sea scape that provided a great challenge for me to paint. I did note that the photos were devoid of clouds but this grand lighthouse needed clouds to set it off. Ever the artist, I added some great cumulous clouds to frame it. Hope you enjoy the finished painting. Hopefully it will inspire you to visit theis gorgeous coast to see it for yourself.Saturday, February 13, 2010
Good Grief its Saturday!
Wow, I can't believe that I haven't written anything since Tuesday. I have tried to play catch up this week, getting chores done around our acre yard. The constant rain has put me way behind schedule in the garden department. The weeds are growing rampantly everywhere, sucking up as much mositure as they can. Wherever they have managed to poke through mulch, they are four times as big as those on bare ground. Did you catch that? Yep mulch, the garden's natural fertilizer made of grass clippings and decomposing leaves makes things grow really well especially when you compost it and break it down further. Well I had best not digress from my ramblings and keep going with what must be done.
I managed to round-up my decomposed granite paths throughout the garden, and all of the gravel areas out front. Had I waited any longer they would have been covered by weeds. I still have to clear a lot of broken limbs on trees that were weighted down by snow last December, or have blown down in the high winds. I have large piles of trimming gowing in several places in the bottom of the yard.
There are over fifty five roses to be sprayed in our yard. Yep really that many, and while I managed to get the bush roses pruned there were still three climbing roses to prune back on Trellises. I love roses and am a sucker for some of the new beautiful roses with wonderful scents. They just light up a garden from early spring on. I love the fact that they flower all summer and into the fall until the heavy frost. There are always many different blooms to chose from to make a bouquet for my wife. Three years ago our roses and flowering garden featured in the Auburn Journal. Rose care is a big issue when you have that many to feed, water and prune.
Yep, I'm a flower nut, and another one of my loves is Daffodils. I have naturalized many different varities all over our yard in various flower beds, under trees, in the orchard, just wherever I can find a spot that needs brightening. As a result, the daffodil bloom is stunning once it really gets under way. It has already started, and within a few weeks should be really showy. Two years ago our Daffodil bloom was also featured in the Auburn Journal, since we have thousnads of the littler beauties of many different varities growing everywhere.
Geesh I'm digressing horribly, I still have trees to prune in the orchard. Okay so its a small orchard, I did manage to prune the Pluot, the Santa Rosa Plum, Bartlett Pear, Peach and start on the Nectarine tree this week in between rain showers. I still have two apple trees to go. I also managed to spray the Pluot, Peach and Nectarine against Peach leaf curl which would eventually weaken and kill the tree if not treated.
I have been weeding like crazy, trying to get the little blighters out before their seed heads mature and scatter the next generation of nasties all over my garden. That is a chore since I have so many flower beds. While they are a lot of work, they are a labor of love, and there is no more satisfying feeling than strolling through a flowering garden on a warm day, smelling the many fragrances, viewing the many colors and listening to the chatter of birds everywhere.
So there you have it, my lame excuse for not blogging. Oh, I was also distratced by painting. No not the house, new paintings, I'll talk more about those later or tomorrow. See ya.
I managed to round-up my decomposed granite paths throughout the garden, and all of the gravel areas out front. Had I waited any longer they would have been covered by weeds. I still have to clear a lot of broken limbs on trees that were weighted down by snow last December, or have blown down in the high winds. I have large piles of trimming gowing in several places in the bottom of the yard.
There are over fifty five roses to be sprayed in our yard. Yep really that many, and while I managed to get the bush roses pruned there were still three climbing roses to prune back on Trellises. I love roses and am a sucker for some of the new beautiful roses with wonderful scents. They just light up a garden from early spring on. I love the fact that they flower all summer and into the fall until the heavy frost. There are always many different blooms to chose from to make a bouquet for my wife. Three years ago our roses and flowering garden featured in the Auburn Journal. Rose care is a big issue when you have that many to feed, water and prune.
Yep, I'm a flower nut, and another one of my loves is Daffodils. I have naturalized many different varities all over our yard in various flower beds, under trees, in the orchard, just wherever I can find a spot that needs brightening. As a result, the daffodil bloom is stunning once it really gets under way. It has already started, and within a few weeks should be really showy. Two years ago our Daffodil bloom was also featured in the Auburn Journal, since we have thousnads of the littler beauties of many different varities growing everywhere.
Geesh I'm digressing horribly, I still have trees to prune in the orchard. Okay so its a small orchard, I did manage to prune the Pluot, the Santa Rosa Plum, Bartlett Pear, Peach and start on the Nectarine tree this week in between rain showers. I still have two apple trees to go. I also managed to spray the Pluot, Peach and Nectarine against Peach leaf curl which would eventually weaken and kill the tree if not treated.
I have been weeding like crazy, trying to get the little blighters out before their seed heads mature and scatter the next generation of nasties all over my garden. That is a chore since I have so many flower beds. While they are a lot of work, they are a labor of love, and there is no more satisfying feeling than strolling through a flowering garden on a warm day, smelling the many fragrances, viewing the many colors and listening to the chatter of birds everywhere.
So there you have it, my lame excuse for not blogging. Oh, I was also distratced by painting. No not the house, new paintings, I'll talk more about those later or tomorrow. See ya.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
We Are a Household Again
Amber and Eric got here late last night after another round of moving and cleaning. It appeared when I was there yesterday that most everything had been packed, and the furniture was gone. We had a warm clean furnished room for them to sleep in last night, and had put most of Amber's stuff away so she didn't have to unpack when she got here. They both were tired, and hit the sack early.
It is chaos with three dogs, we have our own big dog, Chica a Shepherd, Golden Retriever cross and she is fifteen years old. We had taken Murray ambers three-year old rambunctious male Australian Sheherd, Border Collie, and Lab cross several weeks ago and have spent weeks just loving him and getting him to settle down into a routine of walks, playtime and rest time. He is adapting well and minds me, as well as follows me everywhere. Wherever I decide to sit, he lays down at my feet, if I move, he moves. Sometimes I move because he has fouled the air with his gas, but he is completely oblivious.
Well last night, Jake a three year old rambunctious male Labrador and Pit Bull cross came with Ercic and Amber. They have been trying to find a home for him, but have had no luck so far. Three big dogs is three too many, and while Jake is loveable and friendly. (He'll lick you to death.) he being male, wants to run and play with Murray. Add the fact that this is Chica's domain, and she is the alpha female, and we have to make sure we separate them in different rooms so as not to have a clash. This is Chica's house and she is used to being the loving protector and no one, no matter how young and strong, is going to usurp that.
Chica sleeps in our bedroom on her own dog bed, and we put Jake and Murray in the Laundry room for the night. Murray had been sleeping in the laundry room for the past few weeks and is quite happy with that space. Walking three dogs is more than I can handle, two is a challenge I have mastered and Murray and Chica with no problems. They are both fine on leash. Jake is fine on a leash, he just has not had the discipline so it will take a while to work with him until we can find him a home. I cannot put up with three dogs in the house, especially when two of them want to run and play from room to room. They both shed white hair wherever they go and that is giving Cindy and the vaacuum fits. It has already plugged up with hair once this week.
Well as we get used to having Eric and Amber in the house it will be a fun change. It is much quieter with just Cindy and I so the disruption will be a good change for awhile. Eric's stay is actually much shorter because he leaves for his training in lesss than three weeks. Stay tuned!
It is chaos with three dogs, we have our own big dog, Chica a Shepherd, Golden Retriever cross and she is fifteen years old. We had taken Murray ambers three-year old rambunctious male Australian Sheherd, Border Collie, and Lab cross several weeks ago and have spent weeks just loving him and getting him to settle down into a routine of walks, playtime and rest time. He is adapting well and minds me, as well as follows me everywhere. Wherever I decide to sit, he lays down at my feet, if I move, he moves. Sometimes I move because he has fouled the air with his gas, but he is completely oblivious.
Well last night, Jake a three year old rambunctious male Labrador and Pit Bull cross came with Ercic and Amber. They have been trying to find a home for him, but have had no luck so far. Three big dogs is three too many, and while Jake is loveable and friendly. (He'll lick you to death.) he being male, wants to run and play with Murray. Add the fact that this is Chica's domain, and she is the alpha female, and we have to make sure we separate them in different rooms so as not to have a clash. This is Chica's house and she is used to being the loving protector and no one, no matter how young and strong, is going to usurp that.
Chica sleeps in our bedroom on her own dog bed, and we put Jake and Murray in the Laundry room for the night. Murray had been sleeping in the laundry room for the past few weeks and is quite happy with that space. Walking three dogs is more than I can handle, two is a challenge I have mastered and Murray and Chica with no problems. They are both fine on leash. Jake is fine on a leash, he just has not had the discipline so it will take a while to work with him until we can find him a home. I cannot put up with three dogs in the house, especially when two of them want to run and play from room to room. They both shed white hair wherever they go and that is giving Cindy and the vaacuum fits. It has already plugged up with hair once this week.
Well as we get used to having Eric and Amber in the house it will be a fun change. It is much quieter with just Cindy and I so the disruption will be a good change for awhile. Eric's stay is actually much shorter because he leaves for his training in lesss than three weeks. Stay tuned!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Well its Moving Day
Sorry my blog has been a little spotty this week. In anticipation of our daughter Amber and her husband moving in with us, we have been doing our own moving and cleaning to make room for them. Our son's old bedroom had been converted to a guest room, but the closet was stuffed with Cindy's craft supplies and large boxes of pictures taken through our life. Which means, we have to go through them and organize them someday!
Cindy worked hard and cleaned out the hall closet so that she could move most of her craft supplies and the photographs there. Old games, puzzles with missing pieces, and other unneccessary items from many years accumulation began to emerge and get placed in the save pile or tossed in the discard pile.
While Cindy was feverishly working in the house, I was trying to bring some order to our packed and messy garage. Two years ago, Amber lugged many bags and boxes of her brother and her toys down form the attic. She planned to have a big garage sale to make some money, but it never materialized. As a result one of the parking stalls in my garage became a heap of miscellaneous dusty saw dust covered junk. The sawdust came from my work on rebuilding our back deck, since my chop saw was used outside the garage, but a lot of sawdust drifted in.
All of the boxes of our sons' things that were cleaned out of his room some months back by Amber had also found refuge in the garage. I began going through garbage bags of toys of every description and age era. Anything damaged, broken or badly soiled or worn was tossed, and any toys that looked new or relatively so were packed in boxes with similar items. I tried also to separate things by age appropriateness. I managed to fill our large trash can pretty full with discarded items from the hall closet and also the garage. However; there were a number of "saved" items from the hall closet that also had to find refuge in the garage.
I also managed to clean out everything from one area and began stacking labeled boxes one on top of another to organize the former chaos into a tolerable heap. I did make some good progress, and did clear some space, but there is still more work to do. I even have a whole room of Amber's former wicker furniture stacked and cleaned in the agarage. Obviously when the weather improves, we have to have a big garage sale. It would be so nice to be able to see the floor again!
Well now I have to be off to Lincoln to get another load of Amber and Eric's things that are coming to our home. Tonight we will be a family of four again. In three weeks, Eric goes off to his Army basic and MP training at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. My littlepick up is coming in handy already. Fortunately most of their furniture and belongings are going into storage in Lincoln because there just isn't room in the garage. I'll let you know how the day pans out, wish me luck!
Cindy worked hard and cleaned out the hall closet so that she could move most of her craft supplies and the photographs there. Old games, puzzles with missing pieces, and other unneccessary items from many years accumulation began to emerge and get placed in the save pile or tossed in the discard pile.
While Cindy was feverishly working in the house, I was trying to bring some order to our packed and messy garage. Two years ago, Amber lugged many bags and boxes of her brother and her toys down form the attic. She planned to have a big garage sale to make some money, but it never materialized. As a result one of the parking stalls in my garage became a heap of miscellaneous dusty saw dust covered junk. The sawdust came from my work on rebuilding our back deck, since my chop saw was used outside the garage, but a lot of sawdust drifted in.
All of the boxes of our sons' things that were cleaned out of his room some months back by Amber had also found refuge in the garage. I began going through garbage bags of toys of every description and age era. Anything damaged, broken or badly soiled or worn was tossed, and any toys that looked new or relatively so were packed in boxes with similar items. I tried also to separate things by age appropriateness. I managed to fill our large trash can pretty full with discarded items from the hall closet and also the garage. However; there were a number of "saved" items from the hall closet that also had to find refuge in the garage.
I also managed to clean out everything from one area and began stacking labeled boxes one on top of another to organize the former chaos into a tolerable heap. I did make some good progress, and did clear some space, but there is still more work to do. I even have a whole room of Amber's former wicker furniture stacked and cleaned in the agarage. Obviously when the weather improves, we have to have a big garage sale. It would be so nice to be able to see the floor again!
Well now I have to be off to Lincoln to get another load of Amber and Eric's things that are coming to our home. Tonight we will be a family of four again. In three weeks, Eric goes off to his Army basic and MP training at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. My littlepick up is coming in handy already. Fortunately most of their furniture and belongings are going into storage in Lincoln because there just isn't room in the garage. I'll let you know how the day pans out, wish me luck!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Trial for My Pastel Painting Experience
This has been a fulfilling week of pastel painting. I had started a pastel of Sedona, Arizona on Tuesday evening and then worked on it some more on Wednesday evening. While I didn't finsih, I had a comfortable start to a very difficult piece.
Thursday in class Reif Erickson had a new challenge for us to paint, a solitary grizzeled old pine growing right out of rocks on a mountain peak. Watching Reif paint the picture was really fascinating because he is so deliberate and so steady with everything he does. I guess if I had been doing it for twenty five years I might have the same steadiness, but since I am a newbie, I take my time. Reif finished his painting and said okay, now its your turn. We were all marveling at what he had started and finished in about twenty five minutes.
I carefully sketched my pastel painting outlines using a light blue pastel so that I would not have any dark colors to worry about. I have gotten in the habit of starting at the top and working down so that I don't smudge my painting. I put the sky in first and then began painting in the trunk of the tree, the branches. Then I roughed in the rocks on either side and on the bottom. I got a pretty good start in class during the hour plus we worked and got it roughed in with foundation color. On Friday since it was raining off and on, I worked on the pastel later in the day and finished it that evening. I usually use a fixative on my pastels so that they don't smudge easily. For some reason, I didn't use the Krylon fixative I usually us and decided to use the Sennelier, fixative which I have used as a final fix. I sprayed it on the pastel in the garage, because the stuff has a pretty strong odor, and then left it to dry. I came back about a half hour later and to my shock, the fixative had separated the pastel in the sky and really made a mess of the painting. Ye gads, I was shocked and hoped I could fix the painting. This is the second time Ihave had trouble with the Sennelier brand of fixative.
Once it was dry, I repainted the entire sky carefully working around the tree and its branches. In some places I had to go back in and touch up the trunk or branches because I had overpainted them with blue. The I began putting the clouds back in and got the sky back to where it should be with a little darker blue at the corners. I added some shading and color to the rocks and finally had it done. This time I used the Krylon Fixative on the pastel and everything worked out just fine. I photographed it and posted it on Flickr with my other pastels and called this painting, "The Sentinel.".
The following morning when I logged on, I was surprised to see that I had been invited to add several of my pastels to an invitation only painting art and photography group. I filled out the application on line, it was approved and I moved the paintings they had requested I submit. To my surprise, one of the paintings was soon listed as a favorite with a Florida artist. When I added this painting to the new group it was immediately commented on and listed as a favorite by another artist. So as you can see, this has been a good week for me and pastel painting. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the Sedona painting.
Thursday in class Reif Erickson had a new challenge for us to paint, a solitary grizzeled old pine growing right out of rocks on a mountain peak. Watching Reif paint the picture was really fascinating because he is so deliberate and so steady with everything he does. I guess if I had been doing it for twenty five years I might have the same steadiness, but since I am a newbie, I take my time. Reif finished his painting and said okay, now its your turn. We were all marveling at what he had started and finished in about twenty five minutes.
I carefully sketched my pastel painting outlines using a light blue pastel so that I would not have any dark colors to worry about. I have gotten in the habit of starting at the top and working down so that I don't smudge my painting. I put the sky in first and then began painting in the trunk of the tree, the branches. Then I roughed in the rocks on either side and on the bottom. I got a pretty good start in class during the hour plus we worked and got it roughed in with foundation color. On Friday since it was raining off and on, I worked on the pastel later in the day and finished it that evening. I usually use a fixative on my pastels so that they don't smudge easily. For some reason, I didn't use the Krylon fixative I usually us and decided to use the Sennelier, fixative which I have used as a final fix. I sprayed it on the pastel in the garage, because the stuff has a pretty strong odor, and then left it to dry. I came back about a half hour later and to my shock, the fixative had separated the pastel in the sky and really made a mess of the painting. Ye gads, I was shocked and hoped I could fix the painting. This is the second time Ihave had trouble with the Sennelier brand of fixative.
The following morning when I logged on, I was surprised to see that I had been invited to add several of my pastels to an invitation only painting art and photography group. I filled out the application on line, it was approved and I moved the paintings they had requested I submit. To my surprise, one of the paintings was soon listed as a favorite with a Florida artist. When I added this painting to the new group it was immediately commented on and listed as a favorite by another artist. So as you can see, this has been a good week for me and pastel painting. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the Sedona painting.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Well I am Definitely Hooked!
I don't think I have ever been as passionate about anything in my life as pastel painting. Okay, well lets recast that, I haven't been as passionate since I began courting Cindy, and wouldn't quit hounding her until she said yes. Yes, I know, a different kind of passion, but we won't go into that! That kind of passion turns you inside out and upside down in a wonderful way. The great part is we have been married thrity years and this year makes thirty-one.
Thanks to my sweetie, who jump started me in this passion for pastels and continues to encourage me as I continue to find new subjects to paint. It is very relaxing to be able to sit down and sketch out a subject that will become another painting. It isn't work, and when the creative juices are charged and a painting begins to come to life with each new additional color or line, it provides the artist, moi, with a great deal of satisfaction. To date I have painted 21 paintings and am going strong thinking of new subjects and challenegs I want to try.
I started a new pastel last night that will be a recreation of a beautiful photograph that my brother sent me. He took the photo on his recent trip to Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. The buttes in the photo are an orange, red, and mauve color, with many other colors thrown in as well. There is a weathered barn in the photo and a lot of bright green trees, that look a lot like cottonwoods. It should make a beautiful painting if I can get the colors just right. The only flat part was the sky, but a few days ago I was out taking pictures of the beautiful clouds that filled the air in every direction, and I found a much more intense sky to use with this painting. It is so much fun to play withy nature, and make eye pleasing adjustments in a painting that will bring everything together. Often when we take pictures, or begin a sketch of something, not all the elements are quite perfect. The fun part is making them perfect by adjusting colors, removing detracting objects or adding a point of interest. Professional photographers use this techinque by using Photoshop to enhance colors or remove offending obects.
Since pastel painting has become such a passion I decided to join the Placer Arts Group here in Auburn. My goal is to be able to participate in the art walk this coming April. If you have never participated, tickets are $10.00 per person. Ticket holders can walk or drive to the various restaurant and coffee house venues to look at the paintings on display and also get a glass of wine at the various stops.
I already have sufficient paintings to be a participant in the artwalk, but I need to decide on the best ones and get them matted and framed for the show. That will be a costly endeavor and I am already thinking about ways to reduce the costs of both the matting and framing process. Stay tuned for my solutions to this dilema.
Thanks to my sweetie, who jump started me in this passion for pastels and continues to encourage me as I continue to find new subjects to paint. It is very relaxing to be able to sit down and sketch out a subject that will become another painting. It isn't work, and when the creative juices are charged and a painting begins to come to life with each new additional color or line, it provides the artist, moi, with a great deal of satisfaction. To date I have painted 21 paintings and am going strong thinking of new subjects and challenegs I want to try.
I started a new pastel last night that will be a recreation of a beautiful photograph that my brother sent me. He took the photo on his recent trip to Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. The buttes in the photo are an orange, red, and mauve color, with many other colors thrown in as well. There is a weathered barn in the photo and a lot of bright green trees, that look a lot like cottonwoods. It should make a beautiful painting if I can get the colors just right. The only flat part was the sky, but a few days ago I was out taking pictures of the beautiful clouds that filled the air in every direction, and I found a much more intense sky to use with this painting. It is so much fun to play withy nature, and make eye pleasing adjustments in a painting that will bring everything together. Often when we take pictures, or begin a sketch of something, not all the elements are quite perfect. The fun part is making them perfect by adjusting colors, removing detracting objects or adding a point of interest. Professional photographers use this techinque by using Photoshop to enhance colors or remove offending obects.
Since pastel painting has become such a passion I decided to join the Placer Arts Group here in Auburn. My goal is to be able to participate in the art walk this coming April. If you have never participated, tickets are $10.00 per person. Ticket holders can walk or drive to the various restaurant and coffee house venues to look at the paintings on display and also get a glass of wine at the various stops.
I already have sufficient paintings to be a participant in the artwalk, but I need to decide on the best ones and get them matted and framed for the show. That will be a costly endeavor and I am already thinking about ways to reduce the costs of both the matting and framing process. Stay tuned for my solutions to this dilema.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Firey Sky
Today was a beautiful cool day with some sun and a lot of clouds. Several times it looked as if it would rain. It was one of those days that allowed me some time to work in the garden. Later in the day after Cindy and I had gone shopping down the hill to Trader Joe's and Costco to replenish our groceries. We drove home in dark overcast skies. It seemed as if rain was surely going to fall at any minute.
Dinner was ready when I got home, and so I had time to relax and eat with Cindy. After dinner and clean-up, I went over to my pastels and grabbed a piece of paper and began to sketch the clouds. My neigborhood would not have added anything to this sunset I had seen with its intense clouds so I drew in far distant mountains. The colors seemed to flow, and I had no reference other than my memory to produce them. I looked at some pictures of New Mexico and thought that some of the elemnts would make a believable foreground. I especially liked on that had a dry river bed and abandoned run down corral like ones I have seen on the open range. The finished pastel painting is the one accompanying this blog tonight. Hope you enjoy it.
The dogs could care less if it poured, so I decided to take them on their walk. Just in case I put on a hat and coat, because I don't care to get wetter than necessary. Fortunately the rain held off, while I was excercising the dogs. As we started back home I was amazed at the rich orange colors in the sky. Of all days not to have my camera with me! I hurried along hoping to get past the homes that were blocking the view and came out next too the woods. The sky was fantastic, and almost looked as if it were on fire. Bright yellow at the horizon, giving way to orange and the red. The clouds above this first band wer dark grey to black on the bottom and lighter grey on top. Then there was another band of almost reddish orange sky, and above that more intense clouds that looked like thunderheads. Those clouds gave way to a grey layer above that was tinged with greys and pinks. I got home too late to phtograph it, but I had studied the colors because I wanted to paint what I had just seen.
Dinner was ready when I got home, and so I had time to relax and eat with Cindy. After dinner and clean-up, I went over to my pastels and grabbed a piece of paper and began to sketch the clouds. My neigborhood would not have added anything to this sunset I had seen with its intense clouds so I drew in far distant mountains. The colors seemed to flow, and I had no reference other than my memory to produce them. I looked at some pictures of New Mexico and thought that some of the elemnts would make a believable foreground. I especially liked on that had a dry river bed and abandoned run down corral like ones I have seen on the open range. The finished pastel painting is the one accompanying this blog tonight. Hope you enjoy it.
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