Bedtime Braid - original oil pastel portrait

 This 12 x 9" oil pastel was done on Strathmore black mixed media paper, which is great for oil pastel.  I liked the casual - kind of messy - way she wove the ribbons into her hair.  This started with a live pose, but like so many, ended up with a photo.  Oh well, one does what one can😕 Thanks for stopping by!

A Maiko in Pink and Green - original oil pastel portrait

 My all time favorite combination -  pink and green - Yum!  IMHO you can't have one without the other.  I'm continuing my obsession with maikos and geishas and their costumes - all of which have meaning rooted deep in their history.  I really hate seeing the geisha numbers dwindle, but of course, Japanese women have many more options now, which is a very good thing. 

This 5 x 7" piece is done on the ever wonderful Pastelbord (made right here in Texas) and painted using nearly all Sennelier oil pastels, with a few Caran d'Ache Neopastels and CrayPas Specialists.  My oil pastels aren't sharpened because I fear killing my art with overworking, but I'm kind of rethinking that approach because maybe a little sharpening would make life easier.  For now though, I use some Eye-Tees, those make-up things that resemble Q-tips, but have a very sharp point on one end for doing a little smoothing so they aren't too raw.  Perhaps a combination of sharpening and smoothing will be my new technique.

For exciting paintings that have lots of texture check out Victor Wang.  I love his work!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great day and happy art-making for all you artists out there!

Sketch of the Model Zette - original oil pastel portrait sketch

 This quick portrait drawing is done with Caran d'Ache oil pastel over a dash of ochre acrylic - I especially liked Zette's expression and she was able to keep that slight smile, which isn't easy - have tried it myself.  I did several sketches of her but picked this one to post.  Instead of working on one drawing the whole time, I sometimes do several using different media and often moving around the room to get a different view.  On Canson Mix Media, 8.5 x 5.5" - thanks for looking!

Hmmm - original oil pastel portrait painting

 This 8 x 10" drawing on Canson mixed media board is a mostly fun thing for me - I drew it from an old drawing of a model, but then added the dark blue-green next to the orange glints in her hair just because I wanted to - artist's choice, right? - then added a grey and white version of my favorite wallpaper.  

More on the wallpaper - I have been looking for that paper for ages for my entrance hall - the background is a medium green and it's probably from the 30s or 40s - good luck with finding any of that!  Plus it would definitely not be strippable, so I'm actually toying with the idea of just painting the wall instead.  Making those stripes will get pretty tedious, though.

Back to "Hmmm" - when I originally drew the model, she had briefly been looking at something going on to her right in the drawing group.  It's been so long now that I don't remember what it was, but I was lucky to capture her while she was looking toward the "activity".   That has happened a lot in my drawing adventures.  My teacher, Priscilla Treacy, taught her students to get it down in three minutes - I don't mean every pore or detail, but the gist of the drawing.  So, there have been many times when the model hasn't completely settled into her pose (and maybe gotten a little sleepy),  that I've been able to grab that very first expression. Thank you Priscilla! In this drawing, I felt that the model was thinking critically about the conversation to her right, hence the title "Hmmm".  

A Winter Day - original oil pastel portrait painting

I think everyone in Texas is sick of winter - especially what this winter has brought.  We were lucky, but I know so many weren't!  Texas just isn't set up for merciless temps and failures of the power grid.  Closed up inside, I was able to do lots of drawings and other artwork and here is one from those days.  It is, of course, made from a photo I took early in the winter with our first little snowfall, never dreaming what was to come.  

This one is on 12 x 9" Pastel Premier paper, using mostly Sennelier oil pastels, some Caran d'Ache and Cray-pas Specialists.  She was standing in front of one of our pecan trees with the branches almost touching the ground.  Thanks for stopping by!
 

Krista on Black Paper - original oil pastel portrait

Strathmore's black mixed media paper is such a perfect support for oil pastel, which is what I used for this piece.  Drawing a model seated in a chair while I was perched on a barstool isn't the usual arrangement,  but it worked so maybe I'll use this set-up in the future.  I did some smoothing with my finger on this one, and maybe could have done more, but I do like strokes to show at least a bit.  Using black paper here with my Senneliers, but I also love Strathmore's blue mixed media - haven't tried the gray, but I will soon.  Am going to give the gray a try with my Caran d'Ache pastel pencils.  These pencils are expensive, but they are worth it! This little painting is about 5 x 5".  Thanks for looking!
 

Feather Earrings - original oil pastel portrait

 

                                   One of my drawings was accepted for exhibition in the

                                Catharine Lorillard Wolfe online show that can be viewed

                                                        during the month of October.

 I was trying to work with neutrals here to give the red feather earrings more 'pop'.  This piece is painted on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  The great thing about Pastelbord - when working with oil pastels - is that with time, the oil pastels on this support tend to feel dry to touch.  Still, I like to spray with oil pastel fixative several days after the piece is completed.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Flamenco Dancer in Profile - original oil pastel portrait

 I started this portrait a few months ago, painted most of the pose, then put it where I passed by several times a day, but sort of forgot about finishing.  And of course, by the time I was inspired to get it done, no model, therefore the memory thing again.  Most of what I lacked was the lace and I actually have some very similar to what she was wearing, so that was lucky.  Done on 12 x 12" Pastelbord, using Sennelier oil pastels.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Lilia Looking Back - original oil pastel portrait

Not a pose she (or anyone) could hold for the usual 20 minutes at a time, but little by little we got it done.  For this one, I used Pastel Premier sanded pastel, 12 x 9" which is such a wonderful surface for oil pastel.  Also used mostly Sennelier, with a few Caran d'Ache and Craypas Specialists.  I tried with this one to make it more 'finished' and smoother - not so sketchy.  Anyway, much fun to do this painting and Lilia liked it which is always the seal of approval!  Thanks for stopping by!

Drawing of the Model on Black Paper - original oil pastel portrait

It seems like forever since I've posted but I've been working on lots of art - have even done some printmaking with a few monotypes and a drypoint to show for it.   Here's an oldish drawing done on Strathmore black mixed media paper, 12 x 9", using mostly Sennelier and a couple of Caran d'Ache Neopastels and Sakura Specialists.  The black paper is great to work on and I just bought another pad of it to take to the next drawing group I attend.  This was a quick study - my favorite - and while I didn't have a lot of time (to kill it with overworking), I was pretty happy with the results.  Hope you're all staying well and thanks for stopping by!

Sketch of Libby - oil pastel portrait drawing

On Colourfix 16 x 12" smooth pastel paper, my usual lament - not enough time.  Actually, though, I think since I'm a devout over-worker, it really is enough time for me.  Can't do any more when the time's up, thank goodness.  Thanks for looking!

Red Hat - original oil pastel portrait

Here's one that I did on 12 x 9" grey Pastelbord.  Great model - didn't get to finish it, though, before the time was up, but I am happy with it.  Thanks for looking!

Sarah with Red Hair - original oil pastel portrait

Loved doing this one - made the background "chartreusy", even though in real life it was grey.  There's just something about greens and aquas - yum!  Plus, with the red, red hair, I couldn't help myself.  Anyway, this little drawing is 7 x 5" on Pastelbord - will probably put it on a small easel.  That's another of the things I love about Pastelbord - I can display my work either on an easel or framed using spacers.  Makes art life easy!😃

Nellie's Red Hat - original oil pastel figurative drawing

Totally love those flappers!  And the delight of not having enough time to make it an actual "finished painting" so it remains loose and more of a drawing.  Of course when is it a drawing and when is it a painting?  Some of my most successful drawings have been done with oils and you probably can say the same.  I was reading the other day about alternating between paintings, which I do, but always setting a timer for each one so there's a freshness for each piece.
I sometimes set a timer, but then get hung up on some little something and turn it off.  And then the overworking sets in.  Memo to me - obey the timer!  This drawing is on smooth Colourfix paper.  I bought two packages - one fresh grey and one black - great for lots of media - 12 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

Leah in Green - original oil pastel portrait

Green is such a beautiful color and I'm always looking for ways to include it in portraits, so it was wonderful that Leah strolled in wearing a green top.  Generally I like to mix greens, but I had a dark green that worked well and I lightened it here and there with lighter values - not with greens, but warmer colors like peachy shades.  I used mostly Holbein oil pastels on 7 x 5" Ampersand Pastelbord.   I'm posting this while listening to the soundtrack from "Honeymoon in Vegas" - so great and a funny movie, too!  Until recently, multi-tasking was considered a good thing, but lately I've been hearing that it's not such a great thing for one's brain.  Gotta protect those cells, so stopping now to hear the rest of Vegas, then on to Johnny Rodriguez.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Pondering - oil pastel portrait painting

I asked this young woman to hold the pose while I took a picture to work on back at my studio.  As much as I really like going to drawing groups, I wish I could get so many of the people I see to come and pose for me.  That way I would be able to control the pose, the lighting, etc.  Oh well, one just does the best one can.  And I actually was happy with her pose, fleeting though it was.  Not really finished with this one, yet, but getting close.  It's on 12 x 9" gritty paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sandi - oil pastel portrait

Sandi sat snuggled in her sweater while she posed and I really loved drawing her.  I used acrylic paper with a blue acrylic paint for the background.  Then I used mostly Senneliers and a few Caran d'Ache oil pastels to capture her sweet expression.  It's 12 x 12".  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel Dancer Portrait - oil pastel portrait in progress

At first, I thought the model looked like a woman who wanted to be asked to dance - the tango, maybe.  Then I let myself be led by the drawing process to where I am now.  Not really sure where that is, but maybe she'll be a bit more assertive in the end - anyway, lots of work to do.   I'm working on 16 x 12" Colourfix paper in umber.   Thanks so much for looking!

The Believer - original oil pastel portrait

This piece is on gritty pastel paper, using Sennelier oil pastels and is 10 x 8".  May use this pose further - don't know yet.  Thanks so much for looking!

Profile - oil pastel portrait

Another of the oil pastel over acrylic paper drawings- what a pleasant combo to work with.  This one is 12 x 12".  Thanks for looking!