Blue Robe - original watercolor portrait painting

The cobalt blue robe was so pretty on the model and showed off her porcelain complexion perfectly - a joy to paint her.  Watercolor is always so iffy for me - tough to put the paint down and leave it alone, so maybe it's good I didn't feel there was enough time to get everything finished.  Putting the paint down on the paper and not noodling with it is foreign to me but I worked hard to do that here - just lifting the brush and not going back. Whew!  On about 7 x 6" watercolor paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Sandi - original oil pastel portrait

Since I've been away so much and haven't posted, I just decided to go ahead and publish something in progress.  Even though I didn't post for such a long time doesn't mean I haven't been doing art.  Actually, I took a portrait painting course and also have been drawing or painting every single day.  So much to do on this one, yet, but just needed to get back to posting.  This is Colourfix paper - the smoother one, which has just a bit of tooth.  I used Sennelier with a few Holbein oil pastels.  It's about 9 x 9".  Maybe I'll post it again when I'm finished. Thanks for stopping by!

Another Woman with a Fan - original oil portrait painting

Here's another version of an earlier drawing that I did in charcoal - made some changes, but maybe I'm not through, I don't know.  The model looks sort of tired, maybe she's sick of being fussed over, so I'll just let her rest for awhile and see what I think in several days. In the drawing, I used a slightly different pose that I did quickly when she was resting her eyes while the monitor was talking.  But this was her actual pose.  It's 16 x 20".  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Another Torch Singer - original oil pastel figurative painting in progress

This painting is pretty well sketched in - now I want to bring it to a more "finished" state.  Figurative work attracts me so much because, I think, of the emotional content.  Of course, the technical aspects are first, but that special moment, that fleeting expression, always draws me in and I'm always watching for it.  This painting is on 12 x 9" Pastelbord.  Hoping to finish it tomorrow, but maybe not 'til later in the week - will post when it's done.  Thanks so much for looking!

On My Easel - Rita - oil pastel portrait painting in progress

This one started from life, but now I'm at the photo stage and trying to finish it.  Great model - sultry, but dignified - hope she poses again.  I was interested in the negative space, as well.  On 14 x 11" Pastelbord - thanks so much for looking!

Laurie - original oil portrait painting

Laurie was painted on 10 x 10" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!

ACEO - Marcy - original acrylic portrait painting

Continuing with the acrylic paint, I did some ACEOs today.  These tiny (3.5 x 2.5") things are so much fun to do and actually are kind of relaxing.  Done on illustration board that I gessoed on both sides - didn't have to be gessoed, but I like the finish it gives to the paper.  Thanks for looking!

Waiting Again - original oil pastel figurative

I hope he shows.  This oil pastel is on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking - have a great weekend!

On My Easel - original oil figurative painting in progress

I am currently working on this painting - along with a couple of drawings and one other painting.  Hope to get this one finished tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by!

A Solitary Evening - original oil pastel figurative painting

This 7 x 5" painting is on Pastelbord.  I'm just waiting for the sprinkler system to wind down - but if my calculations are correct, it will be another couple of hours before I can go to bed.  Next time I'll start it a lot earlier!  We had some rain here in central Texas last week, but it's really, really hot, so I'm back to watering.  Have been busy rearranging my studio and throwing away tons of stuff.  I want to start using my little press again and I have to put it in a more prominent place, so I'm reminded it's there.  Of course, what started out as something simple - with just one objective - has now mushroomed and there are many objectives.  When it's completed, though, I think I'll love it.  Will post pictures, but don't hold your breath - this is definitely going to take some time!  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - seated model oil figurative work in progress

I started the painting of my previous charcoal drawing on 14 x 11" Fredrix paint board - one of my very favorite surfaces.  My accompaniment today was the soundtrack, or at least, the music that was 'inspired by' - as they put it - Call the Midwife.  So many sweet songs are included - mostly from the late 50s, and maybe early 60s.  Will finish this tomorrow, working on my grays - they really need some oomph!  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

The Girl in the Red Coat - original oil pastel portrait painting

Finally back from vacation - hope everyone had a great New Year's - and ate their blackeyed peas!  At least, that's what we eat in the South on the first day of the year and I wouldn't dare do otherwise.  Who knows what could happen!  This painting is really a memory painting of a young woman leaving a café where I was in late December and she seemed in a reflective mood.  Maybe she was thinking of her resolutions for the new year.  Or maybe nothing that dramatic, but I did love the scene and couldn't wait to record it when I got back to my studio.  It's on dark green Pastelbord, 5 x 7".  Thanks for stopping by - Happy New Year!

WIP Hearing the Rumors - original oil pastel portrait painting

I've been wanting to do a painting of a woman who hears the whispers of the people behind her (and the whispers are about her).  This is a little sketch for something larger.  At 12 x 9", there's not enough room to include the gossips in back of the model, so I was just forming an idea for a bigger work.  Maybe.  Sometimes when I do a small, sort of preparatory thing, that's the end of it - but the ideas of gossip and rumor are of interest to me - not in a good way, but because of the insecurity and worry they cause.  
I began this months ago and pretty much forgot about it.   It was just a mass of lines in greens and red and black and, being a line person, part of me wishes I had kept it, but it was my shorthand and meant nothing to anyone but me.  So I got busy and made it meatier.  On Colourfix Spectrum paper.  Thanks for looking!

Maggie - work in progress - original oil portrait painting

More to do, especially with some of the values.  Anyway, here's today's offering - 14 x 11 - thanks so much for stopping by!

Lila's Gaze - original oil pastel portrait painting

This painting began as a life drawing, but the model couldn't stay, so I took a photo, which isn't nearly as much fun as drawing from life, but you take what you can get when it comes to posing.  I did this one on a piece of Mi-Teintes board, which I love, and the drawing started out wild and crazy, with colors here and there, but then got a little more traditional - with more local color.  It's such a total pleasure to work - especially with the Senneliers - on Mi-Teintes board.  Love the texture!  And it comes in such beautiful colors, just like the Mi-Teintes paper.   This piece is about 16 x 12".  Thanks so much for stopping by!  And if you have a minute, please check out my oil pastel blog.

Reclining Nude - original oil painting of a nude

This painting is still so wet, but I wanted to post something tonight, well actually, it's morning, now.  I did this very quickly from a life drawing - set my timer and didn't go back to correct a thing.  I painted this while listening to The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson - it'll probably take another day or so to finish this interesting book.   I just ordered An Army at Dawn from audible.com, which is the first in the trilogy.  I am so used to listening to books and love it because I can do other things - like painting or drawing - while I "read".   I highly recommend it!
Thanks for stopping by!
 Oh I forgot - got so carried away with the book I'm reading that I almost signed off for the night before I remembered to say it's 8 x 10" on archival canvas board.  Sweet dreams.

Wistful - original oil pastel portrait painting/drawing

This is one of my favorite poses and it's difficult to get it just right, but I'm happy with it this time around.  It's not totally finished, I guess, but I like that slightly raw, unfinished look.  It's not for everybody, but I do love to leave a few lines showing.  The drawing is on 12 x 9" gray Pastelbord. 

I LOVE all of you subscribers and followers!  You just make my week! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

The Model in a Blue Robe - original oil figurative painting

This painting on stretched canvas is one that I started from a drawing a couple of months ago, then got distracted by something else and now I'm back to it.  I think it's finished - any more dabbing at it and it'll be ruined, for sure.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Bit of Holly - original oil pastel portrait drawing/painting

Here's a little Christmasy piece - the hat is boiled wool, I think, and the model pinned the little holly sprig to it.  This is another quick drawing - not fussed over at all.  It's done on Sennelier 12 x 9" oil pastel paper and the actual drawing is about 9 x 7".  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Geisha with Her Mirror - original figurative oil painting

IT RAINED in Junction today!!!  As I painted, I listened to one of my audible.com books - Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower -  and although it's a great book, when the rain began, I just had to turn it off so I could listen!  It was such a thrill - even the thunder was beautiful!
Thank you so much for stopping by - I'm always a delighted to see you here!  Oh, and the painting is 14 x 11".  Sold