Family Farmhouse

After a slow few months of art production due to the lovely symptoms of pregnancy, I'm finally back at my desk! With a baby girl kicking at my belly whenever I squash her against my art table, I have recently completed this family farmhouse, bringing together about twenty photos to include many family memories of a very kind lady.

In order to incorporate so many features, I approached the piece with a leaning towards folk art rather than perfect realism and proportion. I used the same set of colors throughout the painting to keep the images together as a whole. My sweet client and I are both happy with the finished piece, and I am looking forward to beginning my next painting!

Family Farmhouse, 18x24 soft pastel on board

Roman Columns

Roman Columns, 18x24 Soft Pastel on Board

Here is the fourth installment in the Italian series done by commission for a private collection here in the Birmingham area. My husband and I took a photo of these dramatic columns in the Roman Forum years ago, and I have always thought they would make a beautiful pastel!

View from Fiesole

View from Fiesole, 24x36 commissioned pastel

This is the newest addition to one of my most gracious client's collection of pastels. "View from Fiesole" will hang with the "Trevi Fountain" and the "Spanish Steps." And there is one more pastel of Italy to come, so stay tuned!

The Trevi Fountain, 24x36 Soft Pastel

The Spanish Steps, 30x30 Soft Pastel

The Coast of Maine

The Coast of Maine, 16x20 Commissioned Pastel

I love the challenge of drawing the ocean, and especially the ocean spray as the waves crash upon the dark rocks. This piece is similar to my earlier pastels of the Scottish coast, with the wonderful contrast of darks and lights. I love using the many blues, greens, and whites intermixed with the unexpected hints of burgundy and ochre hidden in the water. The rocky coast in this particular piece was very interesting, with its striated texture glistening in the sun.

"Paper from the Past"

At an art show last spring I met a fellow pastel artist and, after some discussions about techniques, we did a paper swap. I gave him a piece of Sennelier La Carte pastel card, and he generously gave me a large sample of a pastel cloth. I like to call this one "paper from the past," because a) he bought it a very long time ago and can't remember the brand, b) after research, it is very hard to find information about pastel cloth, and c) it doesn't seem to be made much anymore, if at all.

I discovered two possible sources for pastel cloth, which comes in a roll and is a synthetic, unwoven fabric, with a coating similar to sanded papers, that will hold layers of pastel. NY Central Art Supply and Sennelier both make/have made a pastel cloth.

The cloth can be cut to the desired size, but needs to be mounted or secured in some way to keep it from curling. It can also be stretched like a canvas. Since I was experimenting, I just taped all four sides down with masking tape.

I cut several pieces and taped them down to a board and decided to try a few things. First I layered some pastels, browns, oranges and ochres, and painted with a brush and water. Then I added details of a lily in my yard. The result pleased me well enough: the paper held the layers well, the water did not affect the paper adversely, all brands of pastels that I tried worked fine (Sennelier, Rembrandt, Gallery, Derwent pastel pencils). 

5x7 Soft Pastel on Pastel Cloth

For the second "test" I tried a simple picture with my usual techniques. Again, the results were satisfactory, but I felt that the texture wasn't as deep as I usually get by layering on Ampersand Pastelbord or Sennelier La Carte pastel card; the colors blended just a bit more.  

While I enjoyed trying and learning about a different surface, the benefits of pastel cloth, mainly the texture, are overshadowed, in my opinion, by the downside of it being a cloth. My "verdict" is biased because of my preference for a hard board or card on which to work, and it seems like an unnecessary step to mount the pastel cloth on a hard surface when I could just buy another surface with a similar texture that is already sturdy.

With pastel cloth being hard to find, and made somewhat irrelevant by the numerous types of sanded papers that can also be used with wet or dry mediums (such as Wallis Paper), it may be more convenient and less frustrating to try another surface.

But to those who already have pastel cloth, or like the ability to stretch or mount it onto the size and surface you want, you can create some beautiful pieces of art!

Check out the art by my friend Daniel Curry, who has done several pieces on pastel cloth and so kindly shared some with me!

View his work at www.dcurrycreations.com

Pair of Horses

Pair of Horses
16x20 soft pastel on Pastelbord, $350 framed

My newest piece...

I've been wanting to draw horses lately. Drawing a horse's body, with it's distinct muscles, long legs and neck, is very different from drawing a cow or a sheep, with their stocky, thick bodies. The light glows off of the horses sleek curves; the gracefulness of the animal invites me to pause and reminisce, to think of the wonder in our world, the beauty in the family of things, of which we are a part. I think of the freedom of childhood, the rush of life. Through the beauty and being of a horse, I feel an echo of emotions, a connection to something unspoken.

A Re-Do with Bob Ross and Michelangelo

When teaching art classes, especially to children, I like to encourage them not to use an eraser. As Bob Ross said so often, "happy accidents" happen a lot in art and "mistakes" can be turned into something else, often improving a picture beyond the original conception. We could talk about the beauty of unplanned discoveries, the surprises found in the creative process...

But sometimes, you just want to start over. Sometimes you need some major changes.

When you spend so much on a high-quality, archival surface, it hurts to waste it, but you can't make a whole new picture on top of an old one in pastel, right? I mean, of course you can paint over a painting in acrylic or oil, but surely not pastel...it would smear and blend! Or would it? My answer: it depends upon your surface and the thickness of the pastel already applied.

On paper, if the pastel has been applied lightly, you can have a "re-do" without too much trouble, depending on how well the new subject meshes with the old. On papers, the pastel blends and smears a bit more and new layers to not adhere as easily, which can be frustrating. Since paper is more inexpensive than other textured surfaces, it may be your best bet just to start a new piece.

If you use a sanded paper, such as Sennelier La Carte Pastel Card, the textured surface allows you to add a heavier amount of pastel on top of pastel due to the gritty surface that grips the color and prevents as much unwanted smearing/blending. Wallis Paper allows you to gently wash off some of the pastel, and also has a sandy surface to hold more pastel, but you have to be gentle and let it dry thoroughly since it is a type of paper/card.

If you use a sturdy, textured Ampersand Pastelbord, you have several options. You can a) wash it off in the sink and let it dry, b)use a kneaded eraser and pull up a lot of the pastel (a good technique for any of the above surfaces), or c) just draw right on top of it, which is what I did with the picture below. I was drawing some sheep on a gray Pastelbord, and just wasn't "feeling it." I didn't want to draw sheep on it anymore, so I "buried" them under a Celtic stone. I had already applied several layers of mostly white and black for the sheep, and had even redrawn the sheep in some different positions, before I began the cross. But, as you can see by the detail picture below, it did not hurt the texture or amount of pastel I applied later.

Celtic Stone, 8x10 Soft Pastel on board

Detail of Celtic Stone

The other night, my husband and I were watching a PBS show "Secrets of the Dead: Michelangelo Revealed." In the show, they showed how Michelangelo made great alterations to finished marble sculptures, such as the Moses found at the tomb of Pope Julius II. Michelangelo recarved Moses to turn his head in a whole different direction. In stone! If Michelangelo can have a re-do with stone, surely we can in pastel!

Hay Fields

Hay Fields, 12x16 Soft Pastel on Board

I love pastels, and I love teaching. Because of the nature of this dusty medium, it is hard to demonstrate to a large crowd since I cannot easily draw the picture upright, as on an easel, as the pastel dust cascades down the board with each stroke. To remedy this problem, in a recent pastel demonstration for the Birmingham Art Association, I inclined the board a bit to make it more visible and drew upside down, standing behind the table. My unorthodox method worked and here is the finished result: a colorful landscape that began upside down and was touched up a bit at home. I like the bright colors and think it is a pleasant, simple little scene.

The Spanish Steps

After a few weeks, the Spanish Steps are finally complete!


Since the piece is so large and bulky (30x30"), I moved my workspace from my art desk to my kitchen table, propping it up on a makeshift platform of a pastel box and French box easel. I used the grid method to make sure I got this technical subject correct, checking angles and being careful to keep my lines straight. I use a grid, dividing the space into quarters first and then lightly into 16 spaces, only occasionally when enlarging to such a great extent. I sketch first with pencil, making only a few corrections by pressing with a kneaded eraser (never rubbing as it damages texture); I just draw over "mistakes" rather than spend time erasing, since the pastel will cover any marks-gone-awry. Over the correct pencil marks, I redraw with a charcoal pencil to give it more substance and to ensure no parts get "lost" in the vibrant pastel.


After the Spanish Steps were drawn and my area prepared, I began layering the pastel. Working on my self-prepared Pastel Ground surface proved different than I first expected. To the touch, the texture felt fine and grainy like a Pastelbord, but when I began applying the pastel for my sky, I found it more bumpy than sandy. At first I was frustrated working with such a rough texture that showed every pastel stroke. As I moved on to the rust-colored buildings, I embraced the difference of surface and adjusted my application to a more Impressionist-like, unfinished stroke, and with perseverance, am finally satisfied with the result.

I like the roughness I see when I look closely at the fountain, and it reminds me of some of Degas' gritty looking pastel drawings. In the future, I will choose my surface based on the result I seek, adding Pastel Ground into the mix when I am looking for a deeper texture. This project was a learning experience and I am pleased to have been able to "experiment" a bit more than usual.

A New Project

I am currently working on a commission for a large, off-size pastel of the Spanish Steps in Rome. Since my preferred surface is a sturdy, textured board, and Pastelbords don't come in 30x30", I have embarked on a new adventure: preparing my own textured pastel board. My first challenge was finding some sort of board in the size required. While in retrospect I probably could have bought and had cut a piece of Masonite board, I chose a 30x30 encaustic board in a frame, thanks to the help of my friends at Forstall Art Center.

The next step was to apply the texture with my jar of Golden's Acrylic Ground for Pastels. I tested the ground on some smaller boards first, dividing the board into quarters and trying different methods of application: straight, smooth brushstrokes; crosshatched brushstrokes; random, mottled brushstrokes; smoothed with my fingers; and finally, gently sanded areas to soften the texture. Once dry, I tested the surface with several bright and contrasting pastels, looking for good coverage and hoping for uniform texture. Alas, the coverage was good, but all textures were lacking. After doing a bit of research, I settled into thinning the pastel ground with 20% water and applying the medium smoothly and uniformly with a foam roller that I bought for about $1. Perfection! It looks and feels so much like a Pastelbord, and I am very satisfied.

More on this project soon to follow...

Energen Art Competition

These two pastel pieces, "Change of Shoes" 16x20 and "Passing Time" 18x24, have been accepted into the Energen Art Competition...March 14-27 at the Energen Plaza in Birmingham, AL. I am happy to be a part of this prestigious show and looking forward to seeing all the wonderful art!

Once you go bord, you never go back

There are so many "surfaces" upon which you can create your pastel drawings...papers of a spectrum of colors, smooth, rough or in between; Wallis paper, a card-stock thick paper with a sanded, toothy texture; Sennelier La Carte Pastel Card, a bit thicker with a sandy texture (my preference when creating small, off-size, or art that is to be matted); and Ampersand Pastelbord...my very favorite. Pastelbords are sturdy, like masonite, with a wonderful gritty texture that will hold layers and layers of pastel. Easy to frame with spacers in between the board and glass; easy to transport and never bending or curling. Although I stick to pure pastel painting, you can paint an acrylic wash on the board to tint the background, letting your color of choice show through. It lends itself well to thick pastel application and great coverage. You can put green over red and it doesn't smear and blend unless you want it to! You can use the texture as a tool, dragging your pastel across and letting the toothy texture grab the pigment as it will. In my art classes, it is almost a joke that you can try all sorts of surfaces, but once you go "bord," you never go back!

Passing Time

Passing Time, 18x24 Soft Pastel

When creating this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of stillness, waiting, and patience; the slowness of time. I chose colors of Fall turning to Winter, a time of rest, dormancy, waiting for renewal. The decay of the barn, the stillness of the cow, a calm golden day...all bringing to mind the slow and lazy passing of time.

Still experimenting with color, and the way unexpected hues can work together to create a more vibrant piece, I splashed in lots of blues, greens and reds in the hay to bring it to life...no drab browns here! The cow came together swiftly, layering the colors carefully...a feat in itself because I had a sick 3 year old boy in my lap and a dancing girl next to my chair! Moments like that make me smile, grateful that I can be an active mother and an active artist at the same time. The passing of time often seems slow, but when it comes to children, it sure seems to move quickly! This picture reminds me to take a breath, and enjoy the moments as they come, slowing down and taking it all in.

A Change of Shoes

A Change of Shoes, 16x20 Soft Pastel

In the ever-changing process of growth, I have in this piece attempted to be more intentional and free with my color and technique. I gave greater thought to the placement and order of the colors and strokes, using the gritty texture of the board as a tool, not just as a surface. I also used quick movements to apply the pastel, to avoid being too polished.

As I designed this piece, I wanted to convey a soft, pensive mood; a pause before a beginning; a still moment, preparing for a transition; a change of shoes. As humans, we make constant changes that shape our lives for better or worse, daily choices that define us. We often change our shoes without thinking, and find ourselves in an unknown dance, retracing our steps to see how we got there. Sometimes, we pause and consider our moment, purposefully preparing for the next step, changing into the shoes that will help us live in richness, in fullness, in peace. The innocence of the child reminds me of the simplicity we hold in hearts, no matter our age. If we search through mature exteriors, responsibilities, and grown-up worries, we find fragile, equal humans...all in need of love, assurance and a chance to live out this dance in our own shoes. I hope the soft blues, greens and whites will invite a pause in your moment, and that the warmth of the reds and golds will encourage you to a vibrant life.

Full Body Portraits

Many of the commissions I have had lately have been for full body portraits. In these pieces, I enjoyed the unity of the background and subject, with colorfully muted backgrounds and vividly detailed figures.

The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain
24x36 Soft Pastel

I have spent the past several months working away on many commissions...portraits, dogs, flowers, and even a fish. Since most will be Christmas gifts, I cannot share them until after the holidays, but the largest one can now be displayed. This large pastel of the Trevi Fountain in Rome was a very triumphant piece for me. When I normally create a piece of art, I have many moments of "completion," which bring a sense of accomplishment and energy: the sky is finished, the tree line complete, the grass is in place, etc. On the Trevi Fountain, where almost the entire piece is one unit, I worked for several days, layering colors, never completing any area. The whole 24x36 inch board was unfinished until I put on those last highlights...then "ta da!" it appeared. All that was left was the bright aqua water swirling beneath the impressive figures perched upon the rocks.