Day 20/21 - 30/30 Challenge - I for Incomplete & Workshop Painting

Friday:

So, here I am, indoors, at my desk, (with a half cup of gone-cold coffee) working on a project for a client and the sun is shining and summer is slipping away! Not only do I need to get my vitamin D for the day, but I have to (need to) do my painting for the day! What to do? I sketched out a little pitcher I have and ... oops got busy again. And, that's as far as I got.

Saturday

Pastel Workshop with Doug Dawson. We start out at the Nassau County Museum, but it started to rain! :-(
Back to Elderfields we went to work indoors.
I worked on one painting - that I won't count as my painting for today because Doug sort of worked on it a bit. I get credit for 3/4. It's from the Monhegan trip, on Horn Hill Road, heading out to the Burnt Head trail.

However I did start on a second one and came fairly close to finishing it. I think it's pretty interesting. (From the same hike - at the Ledges.)

A few things I learned - work dark to light (opposite of pastel - that'll mess me up!) and work large shapes to small, unify your strokes, if you blend too much with your finger or something else, then you've committed to that color, and that though Canson feels you should use the textured side of the paper, you really don't have to - many people prefer the smoother side.
I find it very interesting watching him work - starting out with color 180° opposite from the original and use that complimentary color to make a vibrant painting.

Then I went to Blick and bought more Unison Pastels for $1.69 (Reg $4.99). It was so fun. It's like being in a candy shop.

And when I got home, his book was waiting for me on the doorstep!

Day 19 - 30/30 Challenge - End of Season & Doug Dawson Demo

End of Season

6" x 6", watercolor, $35

Available in my Etsy shop - just click here!

I need to keep this simple, but this morning I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with deadlines to meet and [more] catching up to do. A client is on a deadline, another has an interesting proposition, and I need to choose paintings for the two upcoming shows for the Art Guild.

I went down to the beach late in the afternoon, to clear my head. I love it there this time of year - quiet and not too hot - a lovely place to read a book for an hour or so. All the kayaks and canoes are lined up waiting for somewhere to go -  all the kids are off doing homework or sports, the adults are back to their regular work schedules - and the sun sets earlier every day. Officially, Fall's a few days away. and the leaves on the trees are getting that crispy brown/green/reddish tinge.


Wednesday night I went to a pastel portrait demo by Doug Dawson at the Art Guild. It was very interesting and he had some great insights that I think will apply to landscape as well as portrait. I'm really looking forward to Saturday's class and wish I could go today and tomorrow, but the aforementioned commitments have to come first!