A Good Listener - original oil pastel figurative drawing

This was a fun drawing - I was watching this scene, and although I wasn't in a position to draw it "on-site", I totally remembered it when I was back in my studio.  She nodded her head, sympathetically, to his every sentence.  It was sweet.  This oil pastel is on 8 x 10" Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ink Jive - original ink and crayon figurative drawing

Here's another version of my jivin' characters in a larger format than usual, 9 x 12", on Bristol board paper.  Roger, my able assistant, is sitting in the chair with me and it's really crowded, but he insisted - I just hope he doesn't press 'publish' before I'm ready!  I used an ink marker with a thin point, then scribbled the colors onto the figures.  There's a little bit of charcoal here and there, too.  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

On My Easel - Girl with a Fan oil figurative Work In Progress

This is one of those "I just don't know about this one" paintings, of which I have many.  I had a model for a very short session, and as usual, I think the drawing that I did this painting from is better than the painting.   I envy those who can draw and paint beautifully from a photo, which would really be helpful for me, since I live in a little town and finding a model could become more time-consuming that the actual art.  Oh well, one does what one can.  And I'm open to suggestions.  Thanks for dropping by and letting me rant.

Two-Step Lovers Again - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here is one of my favorite couples again - all cuddled up and dancing the two-step.  This drawing is vine charcoal on 17 x 14" Strathmore drawing paper.  Thank you so much for visiting my blog!

Frenzy - original mixed media figurative drawing

Some jive music, paper, my drawing markers,  oil crayon and oil pastels, (and a tiny bit of charcoal) and I'm all set for a great evening.  My crazy little jivers are back with a vengeance - well, they never really leave me - and they're jumpin' to the music on this 5 x 17" Bristol board paper.  There are two of these - this is the first one to be posted.
I love the way people move - frantic, like in this drawing - or more controlled as in baseball, which is something I've been sketching lately.  I sit in front of the TV watching and attempting to catch the pitcher at the moment he releases the ball.  Very challenging, but I'll keep trying.  I love baseball, so it's a fun thing to do.  I saw the Orioles play fairly often when living in the D.C. area, but alas, no team nearby, so I make do with TV.
Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Tres Bailoras - original charcoal figurative drawing

This drawing is done with vine charcoal on 14 x 16" Strathmore drawing paper.  These are pretty quick poses, which is why they have a sort of unfinished look.  I keep thinking that I'll tighten them up, but I know I won't - maybe it's a touch of laziness on my part, but also the drawing might end up being a bit too tight.  I figure a little inexactness is more me, anyway.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Late Afternoon - original charcoal figurative drawing

This drawing just begs to be a painting and I'm sure it will be, but I also am happy with it as a drawing.  The light in the late afternoon was so soft and to get the figure down in a hurry, I pulled out my vine charcoal and got to work.  I'll probably used a very limited palette - I painted for years with only white, black, red and ochre.  And really, that's enough for me.  I do love blue, though.  This drawing is 12 x 11" on Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for looking.

On My Easel - Stick Oil Paint Nude

This painting, which I'm doing with oil sticks; yes, those really juicy - but tough to get details with - oil sticks (but they certainly encourage painting in a loose manner). I am really enjoying working on this painting and will probably pull out the painting knives.  I've used mostly R&F Pigment Sticks, which I think are the kings of the oil stick world.   My drawing Sketch for Josie on the Sofa is the inspiration for this one. 
If you have a chance, stop by my oil pastel blog  to see what's going on there.  Thank you so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio!

The Model in Mixed Media - original nude mixed media painting

This drawing is done with graphite, watercolor and Daniel Smith watercolor sticks.  The pose was a quick one and instead of "correcting" anything on the piece, I just let it alone.  It's 12 x 9" on Yupo paper.  Thanks so much for looking! 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 Tango in Black and White - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here's another in my collection of black and white drawings.  I think what attracted me to this pose was the sort of sinuous quality of his legs, as well as her right hip as it drops down while she's reaching back with her foot.  It's not dramatic in the usual way that tango is dramatic, but I think it's a drama, nevertheless.  It's done on 14 x 11" Strathmore 400 drawing paper, using vine charcoal.  Thanks for stopping by!  Sold

Another Little Tango - original oil figurative painting

This little painting was done on 5 x 5" Gessobord, while I was listening to a Victorian mystery.  There's nothing Victorian about tango - for sure!  For this post, I unearthed a sketch that I did years ago at a tango demonstration and did a really, really quick rendition of the drawing with oil paint.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  And please check out my oil pastel blog.  Sold

3 x 3 - Three Three-Minute Original Charcoal Nude Drawings

I haven't posted in awhile - busy with company and then a short trip, but I'm back.  Here's a drawing of three three-minute poses that I did tonight at a life drawing group.  It's about 18 x 24" on Strathmore drawing paper, using vine charcoal, General's Primo charcoal pencils and also their regular charcoal pencils.  It was such a fast drawing that I just grabbed whatever was handy.  Plus, my trusty kneaded eraser. 
I think this is such good drawing practice - even though the drawing doesn't end up just perfect - it's good to try and get things down in a hurry.  By the time I get through with these three-minute drawings, five and ten minute poses seem like I have forever to work!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lexie, Reading - original oil pastel portrait sketch

I did this drawing from life and it took a little less than 20 minutes - kind of a gesture portrait.   It's just wonderful to have models right here in River City and get to practice my all time favorite drawing exercise - short pose.   I used 9 x 12" Colourfix paper in a light grey blue. Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please visit my oil pastel blog

The Model, Standing - original charcoal nude drawing

I just love back poses, especially standing ones.   This drawing is on Strathmore 400 drawing paper and is about 10 1/2 x 5 1/2".   Thank you for stopping by! Sold

A Chat at the Bar - original oil figurative painting

This painting is derived from a drawing I did at a restaurant in San Antonio.  The young woman stopped for a minute to chat with the bartender, then she moved on.  I only got a glimpse, but it was enough for a quick sketch.  The painting is on 9 x 12" gessoed panel.  Thanks for stopping by!

Tango Hug - original oil figurative painting

For this 7 x 5" painting on Gessobord, I used oil sticks, which are oil paint in stick form.  They are soft - at least the R&F, which I love - and not sharpened at all, so the result is a sort of "messy" painting.  It's much more relaxed than most of my work and I just decided to leave it that way - gotta let go sometime, right?  R&F is famous for its encaustics, but their pigment sticks are luscious and are fun to use with a palette knife, too.  Give them a try!
This time of year, my attention has to be shared with my yard and the seemingly hundreds of plants that need to be planted.  And then there are the dandelions - well no ranting, I promise, but I could, for sure!  So, because of my garden, I'm posting during the wee hours of Wednesday.  So, off to bed, now - thanks so much for stopping by!

Three Models - original charcoal nude drawing

In addition to the three different models, the interpretation of each is a little different, as well - only the tiniest bit, but still. . . .   I really think the artist always responds to each individual model and this shows in the finished drawing.  This drawing is on 9 x 12" Britol board paper and I used vine charcoal - always so forgiving!  Thanks so much for stopping by - always great to see you here!

More Western Swing - original oil figurative painting

Here's another in my ongoing western dancers series.  This painting is oil on 10 x 8" stretched canvas.  I really do have more to say, but my internet connection is suddenly really slow, so maybe it's going to go out in a minute - better hurry and get this posted.  Thanks so much for looking!

Crazy Little Jivers - original mixed media figurative drawing

  Here they are again, no sign of wearing down, much less stopping their antics!  Where there's music with that boogie beat, you'll find them dancing the night away!  I used ink - probably the Prismacolor pen - I just reach for them and don't really notice which one I have while in the heat of battle - and Caran d'Ache wax crayons.  These crayons, Neocolor I, are a delight to work with, as are all the Caran d'Ache products that I've tried.  Plus, there's a tiny bit of charcoal here and there.  The paper is Strathmore sequential Bristol board paper 5 x 15". 

It seems like weeks since I posted anything, but have been busy trying watercolors - I do this every now and again just to prove to myself that I'm way too obsessively meddlesome to do watercolor.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

Sketch of 'Chele - original charcoal portrait drawing

This quick drawing - on 14 x 11" Strathmore drawing paper - is just one of those satisfying things because when you don't have much time to draw and the result looks like the person - well, that's where the satisfying part comes in.  Of course, I could change this or that, but I think it's more valuable when you can see the hand of the artist and see what was going on at the time artist did his or her work.  Thank you so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

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!

Promise Me - original figurative oil painting

This couple was very intense - or at least she was.  He seemed to be resisting a little.  I made them "my" people, but the setting - and the gaze - is the same.  The painting is on 12 x 16" Fredrix archival canvas board.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

The Model in a Blue Robe - original oil figurative painting

This painting on stretched canvas is one that I started from a drawing a couple of months ago, then got distracted by something else and now I'm back to it.  I think it's finished - any more dabbing at it and it'll be ruined, for sure.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Two Steppin' at Tom's Place - original oil figurative painting

I thought this fun painting appropriate for a Saturday evening, in honor of all the two steppers out on the town tonight.  Using a 10 x 8" Fredrix archival canvas board, I loved painting on the canvas with the added attraction of not even the tiniest bit of "give" when my brush touched it.  It's more like drawing - you know, when you use the hardboard backing for the paper and there's no flexibility at all.  Being basically a drawer, I love that "secure" feeling, so I really appreciate the canvas or linen covered board.

In case you didn't notice my "News" in the column to the right, my drawing,"Lexie's Summer" was chosen by Albert Handell for the 2012 Marilyn Chandler Award for Artistic Excellence in the 27th annual Texas and Neighbors juried exhibition at the Irving Arts Center in Irving, Texas.  The opening reception was April 22nd and was such a lovely event - beautiful music, fabulous food and stunning floral interpretations by The Chocolate Rose of some of the artworks - of which mine was one.  The photo above - thanks to friends who took this shot - shows the floral interpretation of my piece.  I hope you can see the "chartreusey" beads on the right as they hang from the vase.  I love this - I've always loved black combined with that shade of green.  My hat is off to the Irving Art Association president, Angie Vangalis, the volunteers and the show's sponsors who pulled off this beautiful afternoon of the arts!
Well, I see it's pretty late, even for two steppers, so I'll sign off, now.  Thanks so much for stopping - or should I say, stepping, by my blog!

Joanie in Purple - original oil pastel portrait

I've been away for a few days - more on that on tomorrow!

This drawing is another experiment - I loved her hairdo, which was so totally straight - maybe I'll just let it alone and move on, especially since she's not available any longer.  That's when I get into trouble - trying to do more work on a drawing when the model has departed.  This piece is on 12 x 9" Colourfix paper.  Thanks for stopping by! Sold

Jivedoodles All Over Again - original figurative mixed media drawing

For this 5 x 17" drawing, I used Strathmore sequential Bristol board paper, then drew with the fine end of a Prismacolor drawing pen and colored with Caran d'Ache Neocolor I crayons, or wax crayons.  I may add a little more color.  Or maybe not.  It's really, really late, so I'll see what I think in the morning.  Thanks for stopping by my blog - sweet dreams!  Sold

A Guy with a Guitar - original charcoal portrait drawing

Since I draw so many women, I decided to include a portrait of a man in my posts, so here he is.  I did this one on Strathmore Windpower smooth Bristol, 14 x 11", and I used the always wonderful vine charcoal for the drawing.  I've not used this paper before, but I like it.  Thank you for stopping by!

Saturday Night Two Step - original oil figurative painting of dancers

Here's another two-stepping couple painted on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!  If you'd like to contact me about any of my paintings or drawings, just click the "Contact Me" to the right of my blog post.  Sold

Jivedoodles Again - original graphite figurative drawing

This drawing is not only drawing practice for me, but  practice for my little dancers, as well.  I've developed some characters here that I will use again in my next drawings.  After I do these, I go over them and question why I put this one here, that one in that space, and so on.  Never satisfied with the arrangement, I'll do it again tomorrow, just slightly different.  This drawing is done on Borden and Riley's Paris Paper for Pens, 9 x 12", and I used General's Woodless Graphite - 4B, which is pretty soft.  I love using this fairly slick paper for graphite and charcoal - charcoal is especially interesting to work with because it doesn't adhere very well to a paper without tooth (the roughness that helps dry media cling to the surface) and you can just smear to your heart's content.  If that's your thing - and I guess it's mine. 
And if you haven't worked with woodless graphite, it's also a delight.  All that luscious graphite - plus, it smears well, too.  I guess I shouldn't say "smear" - not too sophisticated - maybe "soften" is better.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter - thanks so much for stopping by!