Playing with Pastels

I don't know who said this, but it is worth repeating! Ophelia Among the Flowers, Odilon Redon "The flower does not think about competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms." NAC students have been blooming! See the information below on our student show. Odilon Redon, 1840 - 1916, painted in both oils and pastels. I love the color and mystery in his work. Redon also describes his work as ambiguous and undefinable:  Vase with Flowers and Butterflies, Odilon Redon "My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined." Look at his complete works here. Let's paint bouquets of flowers as ambiguous, colorful shapes. Be inspired by Spring!   Judy www.judyalbrightart.com   playingwithpastels@blogspot.com   

        More on looking at flowers close up... Here are two photos of flowers you might want to try your hand at. (Right click on the photo and click "save as". Save it to your desktop. You can then print it out.) I tried another painting of chives. Here was my first pass of getting the drawing and shapes in place. I didn't use charcoal this time, but rather pastels and pastel pencil. I am using basically the same palette that I used on my last two flower paintings. I'm thinking that if I show them as a group it will be nice to have three paintings that look good together! "Chivin' with...

Dear (Contact First Name), I hope you are looking forward to our focus on flowers class this week!   Blossoms on Main Street, 12x12" pastel   Introduction to Drawing and Painting  with Pastels -  Focus on Flowers   Inspired by the approaching signs of spring, this next six week series will focus on learning to draw and paint flowers . Fridays, 1 - 4 PM 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/20   $225  Northlight Art Center   5 Calkinstown Road Sharon, CT  In tomorrow's class we will be getting up close and personal with flowers ! We will look at paintings by Georgia O'Keefe and try our hand at close ups! To get inspired, look at some of O'Keefe's famous flower paintings here. You might enjoy this short video about her paintings, too. I will be bringing some flowers and I invite you all to bring some if you like. While O'Keefe painted very large canvases, we will be sticking to whatever size you prefer. I love t...

Cloud Illusions, I Recall, pastel, 5x7" Just a reminder that there is no class this Friday, but our last class will be on April 25th. New classes begin on May 9th. It will be a bit of an irregular schedule due to some other commitments, so take note of the dates. Introduction to Drawing and Painting   with Pastels Fridays, 1 - 4 PM 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/20  Northlight Art Center  I recently read an article by Robert Genn, a wonderful contemporary artist. He talked about some simple rules for painting and I thought you might like to read what he said. "1. Paint. 2. Put your first stroke down and move on with another stroke. Work your strokes and let your strokes work you. 3. Stop the painting before you think you should. 4. Put your painting aside and start another painting. 5. Always keep in mind that you are your own best critic. 6. Perfection in painting is probably not possible.  Excellence in ...

Well, I think it is time for a little pastel technique talk! I often use the term "blending" and I think most of you know what I mean. Blending is means gently rubbing together two pastels on the surface to create a new color. Sometimes we might use our finger or a blending tool to do this, but it is best to let the pastels do it themselves. This is achieved best by using sticks of the same hardness. That is how I achieved the colors of the taffy in this painting. But what is scumbling and glazing? They are both much like blending, but... Scumbling is lightening a color by lightly covering the color with a lighter tint. Glazing is darkening a color by lightly covering the color with a darker shade. Blending            Scumbling            Glazing Tea Time! pastel, 18x24"   I used a lot of scumbling and glazing in this painting! Homework Challenge! Watch  this video  and re...

March Moon , pastel, 10x8" $125, unframed   Artists have been painting from memory forever! I completed a memory painting this week. I started with a painting that I did for a class demo (that I really didn't like!) I washed it off and was left with a ghost of the original image. It reminded me of the view from my bedroom window at 2 AM when I see the moon as it lights up the night. (I don't see a lake from my bedroom, but I wish I did! So I put one in!) One of my favorite painters who tried his hand at painting from memory is Vincent Van Gogh. I watched an incredible documentary today about his life and his art that I would love for you to see. Van Gogh - Painted with Words . Every word spoken by the actors in the film are from the writings of Vincent and those who knew him. Benedict Cumberbatch takes the leading  role as Vincent (He is an amazing actor!) Homework Challenge! Watch Van Gogh - Painted with Words   Make notes of things he...

Thanks for the birthday cake (Carolyn!) and warm birthday wishes from my class! I have been working on another limited palette painting in my Diner Series. I started with a value under painting... I used charcoal and light blue pastel on grey Ampersand board. Next I began to add in color. My plan was to use only shades of blue and deep, bright red. I think I am finished... To Go!, pastel, 18x24" Homework Challenge! We took some time last week to talk about GREEN. Did you look in your pastel collection to see if you need more light, dark, cool or warm greens?  Watch this video of Liz Haywood-Sullivan. It is a sampler so it is short, but she talks about green, painting trees using an under painting and adding details. There will be a simple still life set up or you may bring still life objects you can set up yourself or bring a reference photo for something you are working on. Judy www.judyalbrightart.com   playingwithpastels@blogspot.com ...