Pastel Winter

Today was my 2nd class with Ron Burgess pastel artist.  I haven't finished with winter - I could still use a little longer enjoying the cold, wind and hoping for a little more snow.  So, I still felt I wanted to spend a bit more time painting winter.  This is from a photo I took along one of the back roads on a snowy day in Collinsville, a winter sunset.  It is a challenge trying to get used to this new medium.  Watercolors are so natural for me to get the effect I want.  Painting with pastels I'm all thumbs.  It's good to be reminded what it is like to be a learner.

Burr School

Now that we are moved into our new home and my studio is all set up, it was nice to have a painting project to try out painting in my new space.  My art table is right in front of a north window that gives great lighting and the room is very cozy.  My grand daughter's pre-school is having a Spring fundraiser so I decided to donate a painting.  It was her teacher's idea to paint the historical Chicago school building, Burr School that is home to the pre-school, and elementary classes as well.  I've always wanted to paint a school bus, this was my chance.  In the photos I took last week there was a nice yellow school bus waiting for the children as parents were beginning to pick up their children.  There had been a lot of snow a few days before, so I kept it a winter scene.

Antique Oval Frame Floral re-worked

A dear friend gave me a lovely antique oval frame several years ago and I immediately painted a floral water color that hung in my mother in law's bedroom.  When we moved, I carefully packed the oval frame and curved glass and knew that I wanted to rework the painting once I had the time.  My studio is now unpacked and ready, so today I enjoyed adding more digitalis and making the painting a little softer. It's now hung in it's new home, the guest room.

Pastel Painting Baby Steps

It's been several weeks since I've painted and posted.  The move is behind us, my studio is nearly set up so today I began a pastel class with my Mom at her senior residence.  A wonderful artist, Ron Burgess, comes twice a month to give pastel instruction and now that we're living here it will be fun to paint along side my mom.

I'm discovering that painting with pastels is the reverse of painting with watercolors.  You paint the darks first and then the lights layering the colors.  After painting this winter scene I decided I could get into this very easily!