Palo Duro - original oil pastel landscape

Okay, just posted a more correct photo.
Although there's a little cool pink in here - and a little blue, neither one is showing up.  But this piece is definitely done in mostly warm colors, which is unusual for me.   Gotta depart from the usual once in awhile.  Click here for the Palo Duro website.  I was there a couple of years ago and have lots of sketches and photos from my visit.  It's a beautiful place and well worth a visit!  This painting is on 6 x 12" Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for dropping by!

Akimbo - original charcoal figurative drawing

How I love to draw with charcoal!  And I was lucky to get this pose - it was kind of dark where we were, but still am pleased with the outcome, even though I didn't totally "finish" it.  I just love when I get almost to the bottom of a figurative drawing, just getting really loose and making it more about line.  A bit about charcoal - I used a vine charcoal here, so lovely and soft, but there are other forms of this fabulous medium:  Click here to read a little about it.  This drawing is about 14 x 8".  Thanks for looking!

Sketch for Sunday - Man in Boat - charcoal figurative drawing from life

On Saturdays, I like to get out and do sketches of whatever I can find  - and I found this guy.  I had just a moment to capture him and the essence of the scene, which could end up being a little painting.  With maybe a little more detail, of course.  It was fun and I think sketching from life always helps my drawing immensely.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Cowboy - oil pastel figurative work in progress

Hoping to get this finished tomorrow, it's 6 x 12" on Ampersand Pastelbord, which is so great.  I love dogs and love seeing cowboys and their dogs - the best.  Much to do, but such a pleasure to work on  this subject and on Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking!

Playing Guitar - oil pastel figurative drawing

Hey, Houston, Corpus Christi, Victoria and all of y'all down that way coping with this disaster - hope you're safe!

Although I'm not totally finished with this piece, I just decided to go ahead and post - will finish it tomorrow.  I used Sennelier oil pastels on Sennelier oil pastel paper, 9 1/2 x 6 1/2".  Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Sketchbook - black and white sketchbook drawings

This page is one I worked on today - mostly plants, for some odd reason, but that's what I was mainly seeing, I guess.  This is just one of three sketchbook pages I did.  It's about 8 1/2 by 11", well, probably a bit more with the spiral.  The tree is water-soluble pencil, and everything else is vine charcoal.  Thanks so much for looking!  

Moment of Truth - original charcoal figurative drawing

Did he see it through?  This drawing was done on Mi-Teintes paper, 12 x 9".  I used a stump along with my charcoal pencils (General's Primo, black and white).  Thanks for stopping by!

Sky Practice - oil landscape/sky painting

This is one of my practice pieces from the sky painting class that I'm taking.  Landscape has never been my thing, but I'm trying something new here.  And it's fun.  This is on canvas board, 6 x 8".  Thanks for stopping by.

Black and White Country Luv - original charcoal figurative drawing

After the rodeo dances here in Junction a couple of weekends ago, I have lots and lots of two stepper drawings and paintings.  Here's one of my faves.  It's about 11 x 8 " - it's actually on 12 x 9" paper, but I've matted it smaller.  This is on Bee Drawing paper and I'm really glad to see this brand around again - bought it at Michael's.  Love the paper, although it's not as forgiving as some others, it's still a pleasure to draw on.  With me, I make so many changes and erasures - I sort of like to mess up the surface a little -  I love paper and love to work it over.  Thanks for looking!

End of Day Little Portrait Sketch - original oil portrait sketch of a young girl

I was cleaning my palette and with the models that I'm blessed with this week, I did this quick little portrait.  It's on 8 x 6" canvas board, using only the soft colors that I've been using in the sky painting course I'm taking.  So not the usual oranges, etc that I usually use for people.  Thanks for looking!

Sketch of the Model Cinda - original portrait sketch

I had plans to put in a vase of flowers in back of Cinda, but, alas, didn't have enough time.  Always the story.  Did this with Caran d'Ache pastel pencils.  They are heavenly!  Not too powdery and really good for drawing.  It's on Art Spectrum smooth, which is delightful to work with.  I love Art Spectrum's lightly toothed paper for oil pastels because it really grabs the oil pastels, but this smoother one is perfect for pastel pencils and doesn't grind down the points.  Thanks for stopping by!

Piano Practice - acrylic figurative sketch

Okay, not perfect, but a fun drawing of an earnest piano student mastering Bach - I think it was.  I used a stick with acrylic on cold press watercolor paper and in some places, I used my finger and more water to smudge.  This drawing is about 9 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

On My Easel - Sketch for Reading - original pastel pencil portrait in progress

Much to do on this one, but just thought I should post something, even though nothing much is finished.  On Colourfix board, which is great to work on.  Have a great weekend!

Red Flamenco - original acrylic figurative

Hung up on flamenco at the moment - today I listened to Spanish gypsy music.  Lots of wailing and emotion, just like real flamenco.  Kind of a different grip on the fan, but she really did it, then deftly flipped it around without a hitch - if they only knew how difficult it is to portray - oh well, it's good practice!  My Able Assistant seems to approve - I've started showing him all my work - not just some of it.  When he looks confused, I figure the piece needs more work - but no confusion today.  Just the wagging of his little stub of a tail (cocker spaniel) - always a good sign!  On 10 x 10" canvas.  Thanks for looking!

Blue Flamenco #3 - original ink and watercolor figurative

I could have done a bit more, or even a lot more, but I just decided to stop here.  Will paint more of these, I'm sure, but the landscape course that I'm taking sort of demands my time and thought a lot more than I thought it would.  When I get a few more things finished in that genre, maybe I'll post a few, but for now, they're in hiding.  This piece is about 12 x 7".  Thanks for stopping by!

Do-Si-Do - acrylic figurative painting

I painted this one with regular heavy body acrylic paint, which dries really quickly, unlike the Golden Open that I love and most often use.  Not sure if I will perhaps include another couple or another dancer.  Probably not.  There's enough happening without additional figures.  These figures are from a painting that I did last summer after observing the dancers following the August rodeo in Junction, Texas.  What a rich night for a figure painter that was!  I not only drew furiously, but snapped lots of pictures for later use in the studio.  This painting is 10 x 8" on panel and although I was taught that you should vary your brushes and brushstrokes in a painting, I used a #8 bright for the whole thing.  Just lazy, maybe.  Thanks for stopping by!

Curlicues - original ink drawing

Since I haven't posted in awhile - busy with lots of happy things - here is an ink drawing of an ironwork balcony I did earlier in the summer.  It's about 9 x 5 1/2" - thanks for stopping by!

Nude on Aqua Paper - original nude drawing

Here's one I drew a few months ago on aqua paper, using colored pencils.  Great model to work with, too!  It's about 12 x 5 1/2".  Thanks for looking!

Tango Romance - original acrylic figurative painting

Here's a 7 x 5" tango painting on panel, done with acrylic - my new replacement for oil.  Just makes life easier.  Thanks for stopping by!

Tiny Spaniel - original charcoal drawing

I love dogs and here is a little drawing - about 8 x 11" - that I did of a King Charles Cavalier spaniel.  One of my boards on Pinterest is about dogs - when you have a minute, please check it out!  Thanks for stopping by!

Baseball Doodles - figurative ink drawings

Okay, maybe not the most accurate or elegant thing ever, but I love the chance to catch a baseball game and especially love getting in a few quick sketches.  It's on Bristol paper, 9 x 12".  Thanks for stopping by!

Portrait of Sheila - watercolor portrait

It's always fun and unpredictable to paint on Yupo and this little portrait (about 10 x 8") was no exception!  Not really my thing, but watercolor is exciting to do every now and then.  My brush was actually a 'round' for oil or acrylic - kind of a no-no, I guess, but I had a good time.  I worked from an old drawing - one of my collection of thousands (okay, maybe just hundreds) - I spent a lot of time in my life attending drawing groups - hence my collection of drawings, which often have another life as a painting many years later.  I finally had to get rid of most of these drawings and just keep the photos of them on my computer.  How modern is that?!  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch for Flamenco - charcoal figurative drawing

This drawing is done on Colourfix board, which is a great product - the surface is already backed by the board, so when framing, you don't have to tape it to backing and it has a nice white surround that gives a neat, sort of matted appearance.  All one has to do is put it behind glass/plexi using Econospace or Framespace.  Done!   I'm planning to spray this to the nth degree with fixative and cover it with oil pastels in my all-time favorite palette - red, ochre, black and white and maybe a little blue.  Of course, theoretically, blue isn't necessary in this palette, but I like to include it anyway.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

What I'm Working On - original soft pastel figurative in progress

This piece is one I'm really enjoying.  Since soft pastel causes eye and throat irritation for me, I tried having a small fan blowing across the paper, then vacuumed up the dust.  Maybe that'll work.  The pleasure for me in this figurative, which is being done from a photo, is that there are many lines in it - unfortunately, some will have to be covered, but I'll cope.  Hoping to finish it this weekend.  The support is Pastelbord in sand , 11 x 14".  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - oil pastel portrait drawing in progress

I have so many things that I'm working on and nothing is anywhere near being finished, so here's one of the works in progress.  Lots of stuff to do to reach a stopping point, but am thinking I'll leave the negative space as is.  It's about 14 x 12" on Colourfix paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Tina's Album - oil pastel figurative

Even though it's a million miles from finished, I'm posting so it doesn't seem that I've dropped off the face of the Earth.  Actually, we were in far west Texas - Alpine, Marfa and Ft. Davis.  It was so nice and cool - loved it!  I did do some sketches of plants there, plus people, of course.  Much fun! This piece is on Colourfix paper and I used almost all Sennelier oil pastels.  It's 12 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

Gwen - original oil pastel nude painting

This fairly quick drawing is oil pastel on Colourfix paper, 9 x 12".  Didn't have time to smooth things out, so it's still a little raw - the way I like it.  Thanks so much for looking!

Moody Blue - original pastel pencil drawing

Here's another Dutch iris from my garden - I have a whole yard full of subjects (if I can just keep them going through our hot, dry summer).  Botanical drawings have always interested me, like the prints I did years ago - I keep saying I'll go back to doing those things, so maybe I will just do it.  I don't know about y'all, but I can procrastinate like nobody's business!  The other day I was encouraging a friend to do something she has always wanted to do and telling her there's no time like the present etc. etc. - all the while knowing I am not a good example.

This drawing is done with pastel pencil on 12 x 9" Art Spectrum Colourfix paper.  The actual flower is really a deep royal purple and royal blue.  Every time I used the actual colors, the drawing looked, well, kind of cheap.  So, I grayed the color and put a reddish ochre behind it, kind of liking the idea of coming from the dark background at the top, into lighter shade at the bottom.  Now I wonder if just the grayed color without the ochre would work, but anyway, am just going with it as is and maybe do another version later.  Actually, the photo doesn't display - at least on my laptop - as blue as the drawing really is.  Maybe I can fool around with it later, although I only have iPhoto.  Also have Pixelmator, but even that is beyond me.  Plus it's well after midnight.

I used mostly Carbothello for this, but found a Caran d'Ache set on sale and it was finally delivered yesterday.  Heavenly stuff!  A few weeks ago I purchased a set of 12, and now I'm the proud owner of a set of 40 - would not have done it if it weren't on sale.  Expensive, but worth every penny.  Thanks for stopping by!

Middleweights - original ink figurative drawing

Sometimes I watch boxing matches - reminds me of sitting with my father as we watched the fights.  Nice memories.   This drawing is on 9 x 12" Bristol board, which is such a good paper for drawing - I used the vellum type and two kinds of pens - Itoya and Penstix.
Just as with drawing dancers, it's important to use memory, which is what I did here.   I saw an online drawing course recently that included memory drawing.  I taught that concept in my figure drawing classes from years ago, and although I haven't seen it mentioned in classes very often, it's a really great drawing exercise.

On My Easel - acrylic portrait of Fran - work in progress

A good bit of work to do, yet, but I should finish it this weekend.  I won't have such a spotty background, for one thing, and will do more work on her face.  It's on 12 x 12" board.  She is really lovely - hope I can do her justice.  It's always so great to at least begin a painting or drawing with the actual person sitting in front of you, but if they're not models, no way can I expect them to stay as long as it takes.  There are exceptions, of course, and I am very grateful for those who are able to actually stick around.  Fran is so sweet and spent as much time as she could, but was on a tight schedule, so I was happy to have her sit for even a short while.  I love going to drawing groups, but since I'm not a regular attendee,  I often have to take whatever position in the room nobody else wants, which is probably why I have a lot of paintings of the model with her/his back to me.  I generally love back poses, but usually just of nudes, Come to think of it, I may need to seriously consider those paintings with clothed back view models that are languishing in the back of my studio - some of them are pretty good with good shapes, etc.  Hmmm - a fresh approach, maybe.    Thanks for visiting my blog!  Just talking to you helped me rethink things.