Playing with Pastels

Our new classes have begun and I feel we are off to a wonderful start. It was fun to brainstorm ideas for a series of paintings. Good things can come out of doing a series... Looking at the same object or concept from many different perspectives is enlightening and will improve the depth of your work You will learn a great deal about the subject and get better at painting it! A theme to a group of your paintings might spark more interest from a gallery! Continuing with my series of birds I started a small piece...        This is my charcoal sketch on grey Ampersand board. I just took a few minutes to draw this from my reference photo. The bird was so black that you couldn't even see his eyes!   The result was fun and quick to do! "Blackbird Sitting", pastel, 8x5" For my students... remember to bring paper, 6x6" or 5x8" to class this Friday for an exercise we will do together. We will be talkin...

New classes start this Friday! Beginning Drawing And Painting With Pastel with Judy Albright Fridays , January 24-February 28  1-4PM    6 Weeks/$225    If you have always wanted to learn to draw and paint, but are a bit afraid to try... this is the class for you! In this stress free, fun class, participants will experience a nurturing community atmosphere that will ignite artistic and personal growth whether you are a first time explorer or have had some experience. Students in this class will develop basic drawing and painting techniques while discovering their own style. Using guided, personalized instruction students will improve their drawing skills and learn how to choose colors and tones that create harmony in their work and e...

I have been wanting to paint birds for a while and today I was talking to an artist friend and she has been doing just that! Yesterday another friend of mine sent me some pictures of birds that she and her husband took, so the two inspirations came together and I started on a painting from this photo. Thanks Linda and Liz! I chose a simple palette of mostly Nupastels and a few other brands. I did a rough drawing using charcoal and some light pastel pencils. I love to work on this grey Ampersand sanded board! Then I just starting to block in colors thinking of values rather than local color.  I wanted the painting to be more colorful than the photo. I was going for an iridescent quality. I really enjoyed working on this and it seemed to almost paint itself! I think I am finished (might tweak it a bit)... "Feeding the Goldfinches", pastel on board, 11x14"  For sale... Unframed painting $250, plus tax and shipping.

"October Sunset", pastel on board Beginning Drawing And Painting With Pastel   with Judy Albright Fridays , January 24-February 28  1-4PM    6 Weeks/$225  E-mail Instructor or call (860) 364-0477 for details. If you have always wanted to learn to draw and paint, but are a bit afraid to try... this is the class for you! In this stress free, fun class, participants will experience a nurturing community atmosphere that will ignite artistic and personal growth whether you are a first time explorer or have had some experience. Students in this class will develop basic drawing and painting techniques while discovering their own style. Using guided, personalized instruction students will improve their drawing skills and learn how to choose colors and tones t...

"My Darling Clementines", 11x14", Pastel I am working on black gatorboard that I primed with clear Gesso. The Gesso has pumice in it, so it becomes a sanded surface. It is very gritty and I don't think I like it, but my husband says he likes the effect. What do you think?

"Karen's Sunflower" 14x11", Pastel on board Well, here I go! I thought I would post this painting because I am longing for warm sunshine! One of my students, Karen, took the reference photo and did a very nice painting of it. She challenged me to try my hand at it, too!