Playing with Pastels

"Morning @ the Metro" pastel, 18x24" I'm interested in diners. Small town places where everyone knows your name and what you want for breakfast! They remind of me of being able to take the time for a meal out with a friend. To not be in such a rush in this busy life. It reminds me that simple pleasures mean a lot. I have done a series of paintings on this theme. "Time Stands Still @ the Oakhurst Diner" A series can be develop around a concept such as this. What inspires you emotionally? What inspires you visually? What brings you joy, happiness or amusement? What concerns you that you want to make a statement about? Make a list of ideas you might want to pursue! Judy

"Take a Bow!" SOLD I did a series of paintings this past winter. I started on January 1st, actually, and the first six paintings were of Spanish Quinces! My friend Michael had loaned me a basket because he saw that they were lovely and a great subject to paint. They reminded me of ladies... Zeifield Follies ladies to be more precise! I really enjoyed the fun poses they gave me and had a blast with this series.    (This is a great song  and dance number  to honor those "wonderful ladies" featuring Fred Astaire and Lucille Ball!)   Some things to think about in a series... Think about the size... this series is all small Think about frames... they are all framed the same Think about palette... I used the same palette for all of them Theme & Inspiration "ingenue" SOLD Fridays, 1 - 4 PM May 15th to June 19th Northlight Art Center , Amenia, NY $240/six sessions Where do we get our inspiration for pai...

"Sunrise, Sunset" SOLD My next series of classes begin this Friday, May 15th and are open to all media. We will each explore the idea of working on a series of paintings or drawings finding subjects that inspire us personally. So everyone will be working on "their own thing"! Why work in a series? Here are some things to think about... Thinking deeply about a subject and exploring it fully usually makes for better art By creating a body of work in a series you give journalists and bloggers something they can use to craft stories about you and your work Painting a series of a subject you have painted before can help if you are "stuck" for a subject If you did a really nice painting of a bird's nest, why not try some more? You benefit from your experience!  Theme & Inspiration Fridays, 1 - 4 PM May 15th to June 19th Northlight Art Center, Amenia, NY $240/six sessions Where do we get our inspiratio...

"Bee Still Detail #2" SOLD Value is the most important element to understand in a painting.  In Robert Carlson's book The Guide to Landscape Painting he presents a generalization call the "Theory of Angles". When I learned and understood this in a workshop a few years ago it helped me so much! Carlson describes four basic zones in a landscape and the values associated with them... 1. The Sky 2. The Ground 3. Slanted Planes (hills and mountains) 4. Upright Planes (trees) This week in class we will study this theory in detail and do a little practice exercise applying what we learn. I'm hoping everyone gets as much out of this as I did when I learned it!       Judy ps I will be starting a new series of classes beginning on Friday, May 15th . Theme & Inspiration Fridays, 1 - 4 PM May 15th to June 19th Northlight Art Center, Amenia, NY $240/six sessions Where do we get our inspiration for painting? How can we kick-star...

"River to Knowhere" Painting a landscape from your imagination... sounds simple! Or does it? It actually sounds like it might be hard!!! We have so much in our "mind's eye" but just remember to keep it simple and keep it suggestive! My students will see how I used atmospheric perspective and radiating lines  in this painting to invite the viewer into my imaginary world. Notice how the color becomes cooler, lighter and duller in the distance? How there are more details in the foreground? As an artist you are continually developing and retaining a store of images relating to everything you see . You never know where your imagination might lead you! Judy ps I will be starting a new series of classes beginning on Friday, May 16th . If you have any thoughts about what you would like the focus to be, let me know!

The general purpose of beginning a pastel painting with an underpainting is to create a roadmap befor applying your pastles. An underpainting can be approached with values of complimentary colors, analogous colors or in gray tones. Pastelist, Richard McKinley has this to say about the dry underpainting... Traditionally, harder sticks of pastel work best for dry pastel underpainting. They deposit a minimal amount of pigment, providing more control. When softer sticks are used, it's best to apply as little pastel as possible; otherwise, a heavy pastel layer will form. Richer pastel hues , those containing less grey, are also preferable, unless a muted undertone is desired. Surface will affect the final appearance by the nature of its base tone and tooth. The lighter the surface tone, the brighter the underpainting will appear. The tooth of the surface will affect how much pastel can be applied and drifted without being lifted. Tools u...

I'm still thinking Spring! But, alas, I am only working inside my studio on spring subjects! Recently I have had questions from students about choosing papers. I seem to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud about surfaces and generally choose from only a few. Some companies offer sanded papers that come in a variety of grits. They all perform differently, so it is a good idea to try out 240, 600 or 800 to see what you prefer. I have a wonderful video for you all to watch from pastel artist Karen Margulis about different Uart grit papers that includes a great landscape demo! Karen is very generous with her knowledge and you will learn a lot "New Paths, New Beginnings" You can buy this painting at DailyPaintWorks