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 5 - 30/30 Marketing Your Art Challenge

Today's challenge on Leslie Saeta's blog is to make a collage of some of your work.
I chose to pick some old and some new pieces, some sketches and cards, but you can use anything really - I'll probably do one with some of my graphic design work soon.
It's really easy when you use ipiccy. You can choose from any number of layouts, switch stuff around add frames and effects, and when you're done, you can save it.
Here's mine for today:

From the top left to right:

• Row 1: Four boats, colored pencil on canvas; Blue Truck, North Fork, watercolor; Casa Pelligro, watercolor; After The Blizzard, watercolor; Fire Island Lighthouse, Sunset, oil pastel
• Row 2: Bayville Marsh, Oyster bBay, watercolor; Winter Vineyard, pastel; Evening, Greenport Boatyard, watercolor; Rescue Dogs, watercolor & colored pencil. This was a piece done after 9/11 and was part of the show at Society of Illustrators, NYC.; Mermaid for 2013 Great South Bay Music Festival, watercolor and colored pencil. This is for a festival in Patchogue, NY. Every year I do a new version of the mermaid.
• Row 3: Self Portrait with Carrots, watercolor & colored pencil; Osprey, pastel; Abandoned Farmhouse, watercolor; Coffee Pot Lighthouse, Orient Point, Sunset, pastel; Cat Bowl, acrylic on wooden bowl
• Row 4: Blue Kettle Still Life, colored pencil on canvas; Froggy Holiday, watercolor & colored pencil. This is one of the first Christmas cards I painted and sold.; Hidden Door, watercolor sketch
• Row 5: Lopas Point, Maine, watercolor; Ballerina Dress, acrylic on canvas. Painted as a custom piece for a friend's baby's room. Available on Etsy as a commissioned piece.; Winter, Yellow Farmstand, Orient, watercolor; Red House, Bass Harbor, watercolor; Yellow Still Life, watercolor.

Many of these pieces are available on Fine Art America, or at Greeting Card Universe, or on Etsy.

A Walk At Shu Swamp
Yesterday I took a little walk at Shu Swamp. It's a lovely little place in Mill Neck on Long Island, NY.

The light in the late afternoon, illuminating the millions of tiny leaves, is magical.

The skunk cabbage (and irises, not blooming yet) along the little brooks 

that snake through the property.

Ferny Fiddleheads

Is that a fairy behind that fern? Could be.

One of the huge tulip trees that came down in Hurricane Sandy.

Counted the rings - it was well over 150 years old.

Some of the tallest tulip trees in New York. 

Love looking up - makes me a little dizzy though.

And that's a snapping turtle (one of two) - he/she's HUGE! 

Yes, he is stalking the swan.

Great Blue Heron sculpture by F. Edwin Church.

Thanks for walking with me!