Dorie - original watercolor pencil portrait drawing

This model had the sweetest face - well, she still has it, but alas, I probably won't see her again.  I used an Inktense pencil from Derwent in black, along with pale blue Caran d'Ache and Daniel Smith watercolor sticks.  This was done on Yupo, about 9 x 7".  The casualness, or maybe I should say the accidental result, is what attracts me to the combination of watercolor pencils and Yupo paper.  Even though the drips from the watery colors don't generally go where I want them to, there's no stress because I don't feel the outcome has to be just so-so.  Maybe I should have done some work to make it more realistic - but I just didn't want to - that's the fun of it! Thanks for stopping by!

Grace - original oil portait painting

This portrait was done on Arches paper for oil paints, which is just super!  I love the way it accepts the paint and is also wonderful for oil pastel.  It's about 14 x 14" - I started it from life, but the model had to leave, so I finished from a photo.  Although I'm a real fan of painting the live model, you do what you have to do.  Thanks so much for stopping by! Sold

WIP Hearing the Rumors - original oil pastel portrait painting

I've been wanting to do a painting of a woman who hears the whispers of the people behind her (and the whispers are about her).  This is a little sketch for something larger.  At 12 x 9", there's not enough room to include the gossips in back of the model, so I was just forming an idea for a bigger work.  Maybe.  Sometimes when I do a small, sort of preparatory thing, that's the end of it - but the ideas of gossip and rumor are of interest to me - not in a good way, but because of the insecurity and worry they cause.  
I began this months ago and pretty much forgot about it.   It was just a mass of lines in greens and red and black and, being a line person, part of me wishes I had kept it, but it was my shorthand and meant nothing to anyone but me.  So I got busy and made it meatier.  On Colourfix Spectrum paper.  Thanks for looking!

Portrait of Marcella - original oil portrait painting

Marcella was an interesting model.  She has such an old-fashioned look to her, but her hair was really different and not old-fashioned at all.  It was short and sort of spiky on the top and long in the back.  I did ask her to tie it back and she was very amenable to doing whatever was needed.  The model comes first is my motto and if she had felt uncomfortable, I wouldn't have pressed it.  But, thankfully, she was so easy to work with and the session was great - hope to see her again!  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

 

Wistful - original oil pastel portrait painting/drawing

This is one of my favorite poses and it's difficult to get it just right, but I'm happy with it this time around.  It's not totally finished, I guess, but I like that slightly raw, unfinished look.  It's not for everybody, but I do love to leave a few lines showing.  The drawing is on 12 x 9" gray Pastelbord. 

I LOVE all of you subscribers and followers!  You just make my week! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

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

The Model Looking Up - original oil portrait painting

For this one, I perched on a stool, looked down at the model as she sat on floor pillows, and painted fairly quickly, which is why - from the chin down - it's pretty sketchy.  It was a difficult pose for the model to hold and I was trying to make it as easy as possible for her.  This painting is on 10 x 8" linen on board.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lila With a Cap - original oil pastel portrait painting

I love Lila's attitude when she poses.  She's been one of my favorite models for years.  This was a fairly quick pose - no noodling time at all, so some things are left undone.  It's oil pastel on taupe Strathmore  403 paper, which was mentioned in Kenneth Leslie's book as a barrier paper, meaning that no oil would get through the paper.  There seems to be this fear that somehow the oil in oil pastels will destroy the support, but a different oil is used in oil pastels from that in oil paint.  In my experience, there's never been a problem with the oil seeping through, but I also don't use as much pressure on a lighter paper as I would on say, Sennelier's oil pastel paper, Colourfix, Mi-Teintes BOARD (not paper) or Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Emily - original oil pastel portrait sketch

I haven't posted in ages, because of internet problems - finally, though, it seems everything's cleared up (but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed!). 
This oil pastel is on deep black Art Spectrum Colourfix paper (12 x 9" - but the image is about 9 1/2 x 8" and because I was obsessed with her curly hair, I put it a little farther down on the page than usual to make sure I could draw all those curls.   
For some reason, I'm doing lots of oil pastels these days and trying different supports for them.   Love these experiments - you just never know when one of them is going to be successful and it does happen now and then.
It's a little bit cooler here in Texas, but just as dry and we're thinking a lot about the folks around Bastrop and all they're going through with the fires there.  We had some fires in the last week here in Kimble County, but because of all the hard work done by our dedicated firefighters, we seem to be doing okay at the moment.  Thanks guys!
Thanks so much for stopping by - great seeing you here!  PS - to see more of my oil pastels, please visit my oil pastel blog.

WIP Portrait of Sue - original oil portrait in progress

This isn't finished, obviously, but it's off to a pretty good start and will be completed in the next day or so.  When somebody comes to my house for a visit, I'm always so thrilled when they're willing to pose for me!  Thanks for looking!

Straw Hat - original oil pastel portrait sketch

This was a really strange straw hat that the model was wearing - sort of flat all over.  I would love to go back to the days of wearing hats.  They're such a great finish to an outfit and are SO romantic - like all the women in hats at the recent royal wedding. 
This sketch is on 12 x 9" Colourfix black paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny Again - original oil figurative painting

This is another Ginny pose.  It's on 14 x 11" archival canvas board.  Hope everyone survived Friday the 13th.  We had phone and internet outages all over the area today, 'til late tonight, but FINALLY we're back in business!  Have a great weekend - thanks for stopping by!

Tiny Doodles - original mixed media Artists' Trading Cards

Here are a few of the little 3.5 x 2.5" things I do when I'm traveling or don't have time to do anything larger.  Some of these are mainly oil pastel, others are mostly colored pencil, but they are all mixed media. 
Right now, I'm trying to keep up with a wildfire that's burning about ten miles from us.  Many of the residents west of town were evacuated from their homes - much worry tonight, but hoping for the best for everybody!
Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch of Marie - original pastel portrait drawing

I adore working with black and white and I especially enjoyed drawing Marie using General Pencil Co.'s black, grey and white pastels.  The sticks are very thin - not like regular pastels.  They're sold as  a set of four - one black, two greys and one white and the greys have a warm tone to them that I find charming. They've been around awhile and I've used them occasionally, but have never done an entire drawing with them.  The next time I'm at Hobby Lobby, I'll be stocking up on these - I love them!
The paper I used is Borden and Riley sketch vellum, 12 x 9".   Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Another Snooze - original oil figurative painting

She's taking a little break from her book. This is such a favorite thing for me - read a little, sleep a little. Ahhhhhh. It's 8 x 8" on Gessobord. Thanks for looking!

Lisa's Robe - original oil portrait painting

This 14 x 11" painting is on Gessobord. I think it's finished - but you never know. Thanks for looking!

Letha - original oil pastel portrait drawing

I've sort of been away from my blog - wasting time doing paintings that didn't really succeed. But you have to try, right? Today it was so cold - okay, I know you folks up north think we're a bunch of sissies, but 15 degrees? That's cold for this part of the country! After I went to my Zumba class this morning, I came back home and then started to my studio, but it was still absolutely freezing. I just did a U-turn and walked right back to the house. So no oil paintings today. This oil pastel is from a drawing group in November. I loved the model's hair - it was expressive, if hair can be expressive. Although it wasn't a particularly remarkable pose, she was a good model and I really loved doing this drawing. I drew it on Sennelier Carte d'Art paper and is about 8 x 8".

Check out my blog at The Oil Pastel Review for an oil pastel painting that I'm working on - without a lot of success, I might add. Thanks for stopping by - stay warm!

Lonely Girl - original oil portrait painting

I just think her sort of Gibson girl hair-do appealed to me.  This was a quick, loose study, as you can tell, and fun to do.  It's painted on 10 x 8" Gessobord.  Love that Gessobord! Thanks so much for looking - if you would like to email me, just click on the 'contact me' button to the right of my posts. 
Oh, I almost forgot - tonight I saw a car with a big, lighted Christmas tree on it being driven around town.  I was leaving my studio as the car passed by and I just stood there - with my mouth open, I'm sure - and watched.  I loved it - so unique, expressive and happy!

Every Delicious Word - original oil figurative painting

I saw this girl the other day at a sandwich and sweet shop and I loved her involvement in her book - something I can totally identify with - so I did a quick little study and painted from it when I got back to my studio.  She was happy to let me sketch her and she was a great model - talk about holding a pose!  The painting is one of those where I set my timer, and absolutely no painting after it buzzes!  It's 6 x 6" on Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by!
To inquire about this or any other of my paintings, just email me.  Sold