"Dancehall Evening" - original figurative oil painting of two-steppers

This 7 x 5" oil painting on Ampersand Gessobord was a delight to paint.  There's nothing sweeter than a two-step and I think it's great that dancehalls are still going.  

I've somehow ended up with a bunch of 5 x 7" and a number of 6 x 6" panels so I've tasked myself with painting lots of these dancers, plus some tangos.  I guess I got a good buy on them. "Sale" is one of my very favorite words, so Hackberry Street Studio will be sporting a lot of these paintings!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

 

"More Country Music" - original oil pastel portrait

This 5 x 7" oil pastel is one of two of this "pose".  The other is an oil on stretched canvas that's still in progress.  I really do love country music and am painting some of the views I've had while at rodeo dances.  Matter of fact, I also love rodeos and this past summer got some good sketches while at the rodeo in Junction, Texas.  Most of the work I did was of barrel racers, but also got some bronc rider sketches, as well.

This drawing is really kind of left "raw" and not as finished as it could be.  This approach is what I love about oil pastels.  It's such an immediate type of media and I love capturing "moments" with it and just going with my reaction to the model (whether posed or not). And when I'm through drawing, I have a piece that's loose and not overworked.  Overworking is something I tend to do.

"Country Music 2" was done on Ampersand Pastelbord with mostly Sennelier oil pastels, plus a few Neopastels and CrayPas Specialists providing assistance here and there. 

 I'm experimenting with framing these small oil pastels painted on Pastelbord using Econospace plastic spacers and deep rabbet frames.  (That's "rabbet" not "rabbit", 😄which refers to the depth of the frame.)  Finding a deep enough rabbet is difficult unless resorting to frames for canvas works, so that's what I'm doing

If you've never used Econospace, it's easy to use and I really like it, especially for smaller paintings and drawings.  Click here  to visit FrameTek to see Econospace.  The company also produces Framespace, which I think is good for larger pieces.

And thanks for stopping by!

 

Another Country Evening - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here's another drawing of my country dancers that I did on Strathmore's Toned Tan paper - 12 x 9".  I think this darker color gives more of an "evening" impression.  They were into sort of a country/two-step/swing dance and were really good - watched them last summer at the rodeo dance.  I used vine charcoal, as well as charcoal pencil, plus white pencil for his shirt and hat.  Thanks for stopping by!

Bullrider - figurative oil rodeo painting

This is the painted version of my earlier Bullrider Sketch - maybe not exactly the same, but close.  Can you imagine actually doing this - riding a bull, I mean.  Those huge, ferocious animals - it's frightening enough even to watch!  There are so many exciting events at rodeos and there are also ranch rodeos, which demonstrate the skills of the American cowboy - click here to learn more.  This painting was done with a fairly wide bright bristle brush on 8 x 8" panel - thanks for stopping by!

Bullrider Sketch - ink and water-soluble pencil rodeo drawing

This drawing is one that I did at a rodeo(albeit a total shorthand version that only I could decipher) and then worked over it loosely with ink and water-soluble pencil.  I thought this bull rider was about to bite the dust, but then he righted himself and lasted for eight.  I love this "pose" and am definitely going to do a larger painting in color and am hoping to maintain the looseness.  It's so easy for me to lose the casual look of an action painting and totally kill it.  Alas.  This is on 6 x 6" Bristol paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

More Looking for Eight - oil pastel figurative rodeo

On this piece, I used Multimedia Art Board, which is a new discovery for me.  I received a gift certificate from the company as part of my prize at an art show and I absolutely love this new to me support!  I drew this one from one of my many rodeo drawings - 6 x 8".  Thanks for looking!

On My Easel - Cowboy - oil pastel figurative work in progress

Hoping to get this finished tomorrow, it's 6 x 12" on Ampersand Pastelbord, which is so great.  I love dogs and love seeing cowboys and their dogs - the best.  Much to do, but such a pleasure to work on  this subject and on Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking!

Black and White Country Luv - original charcoal figurative drawing

After the rodeo dances here in Junction a couple of weekends ago, I have lots and lots of two stepper drawings and paintings.  Here's one of my faves.  It's about 11 x 8 " - it's actually on 12 x 9" paper, but I've matted it smaller.  This is on Bee Drawing paper and I'm really glad to see this brand around again - bought it at Michael's.  Love the paper, although it's not as forgiving as some others, it's still a pleasure to draw on.  With me, I make so many changes and erasures - I sort of like to mess up the surface a little -  I love paper and love to work it over.  Thanks for looking!

Do-Si-Do - acrylic figurative painting

I painted this one with regular heavy body acrylic paint, which dries really quickly, unlike the Golden Open that I love and most often use.  Not sure if I will perhaps include another couple or another dancer.  Probably not.  There's enough happening without additional figures.  These figures are from a painting that I did last summer after observing the dancers following the August rodeo in Junction, Texas.  What a rich night for a figure painter that was!  I not only drew furiously, but snapped lots of pictures for later use in the studio.  This painting is 10 x 8" on panel and although I was taught that you should vary your brushes and brushstrokes in a painting, I used a #8 bright for the whole thing.  Just lazy, maybe.  Thanks for stopping by!

More Two Steppin' - original acrylic figurative painting

My two-steppers are back.  I suspect they never really go away, but just wait their turn to show up again at Hackberry Street Studio.  This painting, like most I've done lately, is acrylic.  Great stuff!  This one is on 8 x 8" cradled panel.  Thanks for looking!

Two Step Passion - original oil figurative painting

This couple was so into each other and the music - they were a pleasure to watch.  It was kind of a fast number - I don't remember the tune - but they glided by with purpose and emotion.  This painting is on 8 x 8" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for looking!
PS. My Able Assistant, Roger, seems to be much better!  I love my Assistant!💓

Black and White Rodeo - original charcoal figurative drawing

I am sometimes astonished by the power and emotion of charcoal drawings.  It's my all-time favorite medium.  This drawing is on Canson drawing paper.  Although the tear line runs through the top of the cowboy's hat, I was so happy with the way it was going, that I just went with it and will simply bond it to museum board.  It's about 7 x 10".  Thanks for stopping by!

Cowboy Love - original figurative oil painting

I love doing this one because of the gesture - it's just the way I saw it.  If you get the gesture, you have the drawing.  Everything builds from that.  Well, I'm obviously counting my chicks - time will tell how it actually turns out.  Don't mean to sound so pessimistic, but I am always getting to this stage and then killing it.  Will see tomorrow or probably the next whether this turns out the way I want it to.  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Update:  Finished!

Two-Step Sweethearts - original acrylic figurative painting

I almost never use acrylic for a painting.  To me, it's mainly great to use in brush drawings, but using it today for this piece just reminds me of the good qualities of acrylic.  It dries really fast, which is enough to make me love it.  And I don't feel so constrained when I work with it - for instance, the fat over lean that's so crucial in oil painting.  I vow here and now to continue doing some of my stuff in acrylic.  (Fingers making "X" over heart.)  This painting is 7 x 5" - thanks for stopping by!

Country Love - original oil figurative painting

Nothing like a little two-step romance on a Friday evening at the local dance hall.  I've had folks  from the Washington D.C. area, where I used to live, tell me how romantic the two-step looked to them.  Having grown up with that kind of dancing, I never thought about it, just took it for granted, but now I realize it is pretty sweet.  Who'd have thought a bunch of Texas cowboys could be tamed by songs like "Crazy Arms" or "Faded Love", but the music and the two-step work their magic every time.  This painting is on 8 x 8" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!
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More Rodeo - original oil figurative painting

Rodeo - dusty but wonderful - I love it!  This painting is on 10 x 10" gessoed panel.  Thanks for stopping by!

Fourth of July Rodeo - original watercolor stick figurative drawing

I was trying out my new set of Derwent Inktense sticks, along with a Caran d'Ache and a Daniel Smith watercolor stick on 12 x 9" Yupo.  More than any other medium that I use, watercolor sticks on Yupo seem to be the most unpredictable and they're such fun to fool around with.  Thanks for looking!

Sketch for Cowboy Painting - original charcoal figurative sketch

I've done and redone and redone this one again and again - my painting teacher used to say 'just start another one', but since it's charcoal and easily erased on this canvas with hardboard backing, I just ignored the little voice in my head and went ahead with it.  I'll spray it well - have never done this before, but I hear it works - and paint over it, making changes as I go.  Anyway, it was fun and instructive, which I guess is another way of saying that I was learning from my mistakes.  It's 16 x 20" - thanks for stopping by!

Bareback Rider - original charcoal figurative drawing

This little charcoal drawing is one that I did in front of the TV last night while I was watching a rodeo. Working really fast is artistically invigorating for me and it's such good practice.  Also very challenging is that the format is only 6 x 6".  On Bristol board.  Thanks for stopping by!

Her Blue Boots - original oil figurative painting

I just finished watching the Olympic ice dancing - SO gorgeous and they make it look so easy, which, as someone who can barely get around the rink, I know it can't possibly be!  Now back to art - this 5 x 5" painting is done on Gessobord.  I've seen some really beautiful turquoise blue boots lately - luscious, really - and just couldn't resist putting them in my painting.  Thanks for stopping by!