Looking Down - original oil pastel portrait painting

This oil pastel is one that I had on my oil pastel blog some time back and I just decided to post it on this blog, because what I had intended to put here is now in the garbage.  And deservedly so.  This is on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks for dropping by!

Lexie Sleeping - original oil figurative painting

Sleeping poses are some of my favorites.  The model often does go to sleep, which makes it perfect for both of us.  The model dreams sweet dreams while I paint happily.   This painting is 10 x 8" on Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by!

Another Torch Singer - original oil pastel figurative painting

I have a thing for torch singers and am trying out poses for them.  This drawing/painting is done with mostly Senneliers on 15 x 16" Canson Mi-Teintes board, which seems to keep the drawing loose.
My wonderful assistant, Roger, was sprayed by a skunk an hour or so ago.  Ugh!  I've been outside trying to get the peroxide/baking soda/dish detergent to work a miracle.  But time always seems to work the best, unfortunately.  So, even though he's locked up on the porch, the whole house smells like skunk - not the sort of far-off skunk smell, but the in-your-face skunk smell, which is pretty nasty. 
I guess Roger won't be assisting me for awhile.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - original oil portrait painting in progress

Much to do - the corsage, temperature, light, etc. etc. - but will be working on it again in a day or two - 12 x 9" on gessoed board.  Thanks for looking!

Sketch of Lisa - original oil pastel portrait painting

I worked on two oil pastel paintings today - the idea was to post one to my oil pastel blog and the other to this one, but the other painting isn't ready, so here's the little (7 x 5") sketch for Hackberry Street Studio.  This painting/sketch was done from a drawing from life and I allowed myself a short time to do it so it wouldn't be overworked.  At least, I hope it isn't.  Mostly Sennelier, with a few Caran d'Ache on Pastelbord.  Digging through my 'stuff', I found a bunch of things that I forgot about and I suspect will be showing up here in the coming weeks.  Do you do that?  Find things to resurrect?  Such fun - sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but it's fun trying!  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - oil pastel portrait sketch of Cindy in progress

 I don't know if I'll "finish" this one, or if it's already finished, but I'm just not inclined to work on it any further - will begin something else, instead.  The lines please me and I don't want to cover them up.  I'm having lots of company right now, so I'll probably concentrate on drawings for another week or so.  It's just so easy to pick up where you left off with a drawing - no messiness to it.  Unless you count the charcoal that I somehow get all over my face.  This piece is oil pastel on Mi-Teintes board, 11 x 12".  Thanks for looking!

On My Easel, Another View of Linda - original oil portrait painting

 

 This is one of the trickiest poses, and I don't think I've completely succeeded, so will finish it tomorrow - and will, among other things, darken the left part of the canvas.  But I'll be working from drawings, since the model won't be here and that's such a challenge!  Oh well, no one ever said art is easy!  It's 10 x 8" on archival canvas board.  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

The Participant - original quick portrait sketch from life

This young woman was a participant in a life drawing group I attended recently and I did this little sketch while the model was getting into the next pose.   My subject would have made a fantastic model!  She had a beautiful face that reminded me of a Renaissance painting and it would have been great to sketch her when she turned her head my way, but she seldom did, so I have to rely on memory.  That's one of the things I love about life drawing groups, it's always so relaxed, and between poses, there are people sketching the other attendees, the room, the easels, you name it!  It's a life drawer's fantasy.  I drew her with vine charcoal on 12 x 9" Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Oil Sketch of Deb - original oil portrait drawing

This is kind of dark, but I wanted to paint on an ochre stained canvas for a change and just had to go with it.  Deb's quick little sketch is painted on Utrecht archival canvas board and is 12 x 12".  Thanks for looking!

The Mandolin Player - original figurative oil painting

 

Although I'm not really finished with this painting, I just decided to go ahead and post it tonight.  It's on a 12 x 16" archival canvas board.   I'm going to make some changes, but I just don't know what they'll be, yet.  Sometimes, if I just forget about a painting, then weeks later, I'll pass by it and think 'oh yeah, I know just what it needs'.  The back burner is the place to put things when I need to figure out what should be done.  We'll see if it works this time.  Thanks for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio!

Sketch of Sandra - original charcoal portrait drawing

 

I think vine charcoal is ideal for portraits - it has such a soft look, but it can also make a sharp line.  This model was done fairly quickly, as I was going to also paint her and I had only so much time to do both.  Although I like to paint, drawings are my favorite.  Every time I attend a master painter's show at a museum, his/her drawings attract me first.  Often, I will spend most of my time with the drawngs and only a few minutes with their paintings.  Drawings are like fingerprints to me - that's how I sort of "know" the artist.   This is vine charcoal on 14 x 11" Strathmore drawing paper.

 When I was very young and people came to visit my parents, I always asked them to draw a picture for me.  That seemed so natural to me, but to people who don't draw, it must have been like being asked to sit down and play the piano.  One time, my mother said that a friend - I suppose someone that she and my father hadn't seen in a long time or that they didn't know well - was coming and I was NOT to ask him to draw a picture for me.  The guest arrived and settled down in his chair and I simply climbed up in his lap with a paper and pencil and asked him to draw a picture.  I remember that I was careful to face away from my parents when this was taking place. They must not have been too pleased, although I don't remember any comments after their guest departed.  I didn't mind very well, did I?  But I did get my drawing.  Sold