Joanie in Purple - original oil pastel portrait

I've been away for a few days - more on that on tomorrow!

This drawing is another experiment - I loved her hairdo, which was so totally straight - maybe I'll just let it alone and move on, especially since she's not available any longer.  That's when I get into trouble - trying to do more work on a drawing when the model has departed.  This piece is on 12 x 9" Colourfix paper.  Thanks for stopping by! Sold

Jivedoodles All Over Again - original figurative mixed media drawing

For this 5 x 17" drawing, I used Strathmore sequential Bristol board paper, then drew with the fine end of a Prismacolor drawing pen and colored with Caran d'Ache Neocolor I crayons, or wax crayons.  I may add a little more color.  Or maybe not.  It's really, really late, so I'll see what I think in the morning.  Thanks for stopping by my blog - sweet dreams!  Sold

A Guy with a Guitar - original charcoal portrait drawing

Since I draw so many women, I decided to include a portrait of a man in my posts, so here he is.  I did this one on Strathmore Windpower smooth Bristol, 14 x 11", and I used the always wonderful vine charcoal for the drawing.  I've not used this paper before, but I like it.  Thank you for stopping by!

Saturday Night Two Step - original oil figurative painting of dancers

Here's another two-stepping couple painted on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!  If you'd like to contact me about any of my paintings or drawings, just click the "Contact Me" to the right of my blog post.  Sold

Jivedoodles Again - original graphite figurative drawing

This drawing is not only drawing practice for me, but  practice for my little dancers, as well.  I've developed some characters here that I will use again in my next drawings.  After I do these, I go over them and question why I put this one here, that one in that space, and so on.  Never satisfied with the arrangement, I'll do it again tomorrow, just slightly different.  This drawing is done on Borden and Riley's Paris Paper for Pens, 9 x 12", and I used General's Woodless Graphite - 4B, which is pretty soft.  I love using this fairly slick paper for graphite and charcoal - charcoal is especially interesting to work with because it doesn't adhere very well to a paper without tooth (the roughness that helps dry media cling to the surface) and you can just smear to your heart's content.  If that's your thing - and I guess it's mine. 
And if you haven't worked with woodless graphite, it's also a delight.  All that luscious graphite - plus, it smears well, too.  I guess I shouldn't say "smear" - not too sophisticated - maybe "soften" is better.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter - thanks so much for stopping by!

Robyn's Gaze - original charcoal portrait drawing

I was fascinated by this young woman's way of  - not staring, exactly - but gazing intently.  I felt she was sort of looking through me, but actually, I think she was not even aware of this mannerism and was mentally far away.  Robyn is a wonderful model and I hope she'll pose again.  Good models are so tough to find!  This drawing was done with vine charcoal - mostly turned on its side and working very quickly - on 14 x 11" Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for stopping by!  PS.  see what I published on my oil pastel blog.  Sold

A Woman from Mumbai - original oil pastel portrait drawing WIP

I've been lucky, lately, to have several cooperative people coming through my life, who are willing to pose for me.  I do hate to push my luck, though, so I don't spend too much time with each drawing and they're not as finished as they probably should be - like this one, for instance.   I did get her face down enough to suit me, though, and I can finish the rest tomorrow - I'll repost the picture when I get it totally done.  When I say "finished", I mean finished for me, which still is a little raw.  This work is on 12 x 9" Colourfix pastel paper - and please check out my oil pastel blog, where I have some little oil pastels posted.  To get in touch with me, just click the Contact Me to the right.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

The Letter - original oil pastel portrait painting

 Here's a painting that I anguished over on my oil pastel blog, but I think I'm finished with it.  Time to move on.   It's 14 x 11" on Pastelbord.   Supposedly, oil pastel doesn't really dry, but it sure seems to on Pastelbord and really, on other surfaces, as well, such as Sennelier oil pastel card and Colourfix paper.  Oil pastel is such a wonderful medium and my very favorite, I think; actually, no, that would have to be charcoal - oh well, I'll have to work this out later.  It's really late and I'm ready to turn in.  I love it that you stopped by - thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

After Hours - original oil pastel figurative painting of a bar scene

One of the most interesting places ever - a bar.  I just have a Coke when I'm there, but oh my, the atmosphere.  I love to be wherever people are just being themselves and bars are up there with the best of them.  This painting is done on 8 x 10" Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for looking!  To email me about any of the artwork on my blog, just click the Contact Me to the right of this post. Sold

Rough Ride - original oil rodeo painting of a bullrider

This 10 x 8" oil painting - available at Artworks in Austin, Texas - is done on Fredrix archival canvas board.  I love this surface for rodeo/western work!  It has the canvas texture, but no "give" when my brush touches it - the way stretched canvas does.  I suppose I like a solid feel to my painting surface because of my many years of drawing on paper attached to a drawing board. 
It's a beautiful day here in the Texas Hill Country - hope it's nice, too, where you are.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Jitterbugs All Over Again - original oil pastel figurative painting of dancers

Those crazy jitterbugs are at it again on 12 x 16" Pastelbord.   I danced with them while I drew and I'm worn out - it's off to bed for me.  Thanks for stopping by! Sold

Bullrider - original oil figurative rodeo painting

I drew this bullrider when he was close to falling off, but he rectified the situation by getting his feet in a better position - up closer to the bull's head - and staying on for the eight seconds that must seem like an eternity at the least.  This oil painting is available at Artworks in Austin, Texas.  Thanks for stopping by!

Lexie's Summer - original charcoal portrait drawing

This was drawn about midsummer, when the boredom sets in.  Remember when summer went on forever?  I loved it - even if I didn't have anything to do sometimes.  Now time flies by, but Lexie hasn't gotten to the age where it just zooms along. 
I began drawing this from life - she is a wonderful model and can hold a pose amazingly well for a young girl - then finished from some quick sketches, plus a photo.  I kept it kind of loose and sketchy, but I'm pleased with the likeness.  This drawing is about 20 x 16" on Stonehenge paper.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  See what's new on my oil pastel blog!

Another Nude on Green - original oil pastel nude painting

Another favorite art pastime - nudes drawn quickly and without much thinking and analyzing.  I LOVE painting this way - it just makes my heart sing!  A dab of color here, a line there - it probably sounds haphazard and, of course, not everything turns out the way I'd like - but

it's still a real joy.  This painting is on 5 x 7" grey Pastelbord.   Thanks so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

Bronc Rider - original figurative oil painting

Here's one of my rodeo paintings - 10 x 8" on archival canvas panel, which is a favorite surface of mine for country/western artworks.   This piece is available at Artworks in Austin, Texas.  Thanks so much for stopping by and please check out my oil pastel blog, The Oil Pastel Review.

Waiting Again - original oil figurative painting

You can probably tell that this is quickly done, and although I did it with brushes rather than paint sticks, it's pretty juicy.  Painted while listening to a mystery - love mysteries, love painting - an altogether great day - I hope your day was a good one, too!  It's 6 x 6" on Gessobord.  Check out my oil pastel blog.

Crazy Little Boogie Woogie - original oil figurative painting

 

Here's a version of last night's charcoal drawing, done with oil sticks  - not oil pastels.  They're  unavailable in oil pastel sizes, so it's really difficult to be exact unless you sharpen them.  R&F sticks are soft, so that would be difficult.  They're not only soft - they're luscious beyond belief and a real pleasure to use.  I also use Winsor & Newton and Sennelier, but my faves are the R&F; I've been meaning to try Shiva, too, but just haven't gotten around to it.  Oil sticks harden just like oil paint because they really are oil paint in stick form.
Since the sticks are pretty big (and these are the small sizes) I simply aimed for the general vicinity of the place I wanted to make a mark and let whatever happened, just happen.   If, like me, you love to draw, give the oil sticks a try.  I am such a drawing enthusiast that I try to use all kinds of different drawing media and right now, I'm big on oil sticks!
The painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Boogie Woogie Sketch - original charcoal drawing of dancers

This one - even though it's only about 8 x 8" - took me so much time to get to the point of hearing their feet as they drummed on the floor.  I played boogie woogie music 'til I could get his left leg the way I wanted.  Drawing dancers is something I could do all day long.  And, heck, some days that's just what I do.  Love it!  This sketch is on Strathmore Bristol board paper.  Thanks so much for looking!

Tango in Charcoal - original charcoal figurative drawing

It seems like years since I've posted - much has been going on, such as trying to get a new website up and running.  It's really, really hard when you have absolutely no talent for that kind of thing.  Even the drag and drop is a challenge for me.  Don't laugh.  It's true. 
This drawing is vine charcoal on Strathmore 400 drawing paper and is about 10 x 6 1/2".  I've drawn several somewhat similar to this, but trying to "explain" the woman's leg position is tricky and I'm really pleased with this one.   My love affair with charcoal continues - so sensitive, so responsive.  Truly a dream medium.  Thanks so much for dropping by!  Now, it's back to the website.  Or maybe not.
To contact me about a drawing or painting, just click on the contact button to the right. Sold

Three Figures Dancing - original charcoal drawing of nudes

Here's a quickly drawn group of nudes with lots of restating.  I'm a big fan of that and when I teach figure drawing classes, I have students put away their erasers.  Kind of messy, but I find it instructive, although I do make a few passes with a kneaded eraser.  This is drawn with vine charcoal on Strathmore 400 Drawing paper, 11 x 14".  Thanks for stopping by!