Orange Robe - original oil pastel figurative painting

Here's more fooling around on the carton board.  One of my teachers - many, many years ago - read a survey to the class in which one of the findings was that orange was the most disliked color in a painting.  I am always disregarding that, because I love orange - can't wear it, but can use it in paintings like crazy.  So sometimes, when the model wears red, I just take it into the orange range.  The size is 12 x 9".  Thanks for stopping by! Sold

Orange Bikini - original oil pastel figurative drawing

This is what I'd like to be doing right now - going swimming  (but definitely in a one-piece).  We had 107 degrees today.  I usually like summer, but this is horrid.  My poor tomatoes. 
This fun little drawing is one that I posted a while back on my oil pastel blog, which is what I do sometimes, when I'm working on an oil pastel and just sort of thinking about it.  This drawing is on grey Art Spectrum Colourfix paper, nice and gritty, 12 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

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

Flowered Robe - original oil pastel figurative sketch by Connie Chadwell

This is quick sketch - well, I guess most sketches are quick - of the model as she put on her robe at break.  She was nice enough to hold it for a few minutes and we  - being the nice people we are - let her take a longer break.  Probably didn't get all the flowers in the right places, but there wasn't much time. 
I did this one on sand-colored 7 x 5"Pastelbord.  This is a really great color - am coming to love it more all the time.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Pssst - see what's going on at
The Oil Pastel Review.    Email me anytime - I'm always glad to hear from you!

Rita's Letter - original oil pastel figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

I spent the afternoon working on oil paintings that aren't quite finished, so here's a 7 x 5" oil pastel on Pastelbord for today's posting. Maybe it's a little heavy on the green, but I love green and like to have it in all my pieces - even just a touch, but there, nevertheless.

Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio!

Woman with Shamisen - original oil pastel figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

In my travels around Texas this past week, I attended a drawing group that had a model in a kimono. This 7 x 5" on Pastelbord was one of the paintings from that session. Thanks for stopping by!

Note: The model was left-handed and held the shamisen backwards, but I went ahead and put the two tuning keys toward her - a mirror image, really. I could have changed it, but loved the face the way it was. Okay, I know an artist shouldn't fall in love with a piece and should always be ready to wipe it off and start over, but..... I think I will paint it - with more background and facing the right way - in oil at my Thursday Painters group tomorrow. A square format, maybe, I don't know. SOLD

The Soloist - original oil pastel figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

SOLD

I did this painting today at the Thursday Painters group, of which I'm a member. Even though I have a studio where I can listen to absolutely any music I want, on Thursdays, I usually drive to Ingram, Texas, to draw or paint with other artists in an art studio at The Point. We meet at the Hill Country Arts Foundation (a regional visual and performing arts center). Thursday Painters is such a congenial and talented group and I'm happy to be part of it.

Believe it or not, there's very little chatter. We work hard and only break for lunch. While I do love my studio and plan to post pictures as I begin getting it in better shape, it's inspiring to work with other artists occasionally!

This painting is on Pastelbord and the oil pastel is really thick, especially on her face, blouse and arms. I used mainly Holbein oil pastels and plan to use them more. Their square shape enables me to use them on their sides for a variety of strokes and the shape is also great for detail work. Then I finished off with some Caran d'Ache and Sennelier.

These three brands are the ones I use the most - as well as Craypas Specialist neon colors - but I would really like to know if anyone has used any of the other brands and what you thought about them.

The painting is 10 x 8". Thanks so much for dropping by!

Lady with a Fan - original oil pastel figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

I was in San Antonio last week and struck the artist's version of gold when I saw some dancers before they began their performance. I was able to do lots of gesture drawings that I will be turning into oil and oil pastel paintings. And then there was the dancing that followed - absolutely gorgeous - so I'm well supplied with drawings!

This painting is 7 x 5" on Pastelbord. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Torchsinger II - original oil pastel figurative painting

I was in an oil pastel mood today and am always fascinated by the emotion of the "torch singers" of years past - hence today's painting. Although I will probably do another - probably larger - painting of this in oil, I loved doing the oil pastel.

On Colourfix paper, it's about 12 x 9".

Thanks so much for stopping by!