After the Catch

Well, haven't been painting lately - I found another passion while up here in the Adirondacks of New York State.  It's quilting!  Oh boy, never thought that would be me, but I'm actually enjoying using patterns and coming up with my own color scheme and putting them together.  It's almost like painting,  and learning to actually quilt is no easy thing!  Once I send it off to my grand daughter, I'll post the quilt here. 

 16x20 $225.00

Anyway,  after finishing my granddaughter's quilt the other day, I painted this from a picture I took this past November on our trip to Cape Cod.  I've missed picking up those pastels and now I'm on to another painting.  We went to NYC a couple of weeks ago and I have some great pictures of the city.   We also ended up at the Met and spend a few hours in heaven, looking at all the impressionist paintings on display there.  The museum had two rooms filled with pastel paintings of Degas.  Unfortunately, they had the lights turned so low, they were hard to see, but still - what a treat!

Ocean Dunes on Cape Cod

9x12 - pastel - $95.00

We spent a week on Cape Cod recently.  It was cold, windy and empty of tourists, for the most part.  We had a fantastic time - mostly for all those reasons.  Of course, the ocean and bay beaches were wonderful to walk on and the dogs enjoyed running free on those empty beaches.  I must have taken 50 photos of the place, every day, so I'm overloaded with painting material.  We loved Wellfleet the most and we're already planning on going back next year.  I only wish it was less windy so I could have painted outdoors.

Under the Falls at Yosemite

 11x14 Pastel  $200.00

I started this pastel while in California, right after we returned from our week in Yosemite.  I never finished it, although I've been puttering around with it for awhile.   As usual,  I sometimes lose interest in a painting, put it away and then pull it out later.  Sometimes years later.....and finish it.  Although we're now in New York, I decided to finish it yesterday, before starting one of Cape Cod.  That mist in the background gave me trouble, as this is a view of the running water under the Bridleveil Falls, where the mist turns into rain as you get closer to the Falls.  It's really fabulous to stand so close, but I just love the rushing water further back.  It reminds me of the Adirondacks, too.

Ava with Hibiscus

 9x13 pastel

My daughter sent me this picture of Ava, my granddaughter, holding a hibiscus.  I just loved it and decided to try a pastel on the velour paper again.  I'm beginning to like this paper for portraits, as it seems to blend very nicely using girualt portrait and landscape pastels.  Looks like I may just try one of my husband next! (and, yes, she does have those very light blue eyes!)

Girl in a Turban

In Albuquerque at the IAPS convention this past June, a beautiful girl was sitting in the grass at the Hotel as we returned from Old Town.  It was such a hot day, almost 90 degrees and she looked so spotless and cool, underneath that gorgeous turban.  I asked if she would mind if I took her picture and a few of us artists started photographing her.  I planned to paint her asap, but, of course, that didn't happen.

 14x11 - Pastel

Was going through my stash of pastel papers and found some velour.  I think I used it once and wasn't happy with the results.  Asked an artist friend how she applies pastel to velour, and then got that photo out and started this painting.  I've been working on it for a few days.  It takes applying hard and medium pastels and I tried building up some layers so that I wouldn't loose the pastel on the surface, which happened to me the only time I tried this paper.  I think this worked and I'm very satisfied with the results.

Country Road to Blue Mountain

With all the rain we're getting this week, the leaves are finally falling, so the peak is over.  I hate to see it end - I love fall the best.  it's an artist's dream season, I think.  I took a photo of Blue Mountain from the road a couple of weeks ago, when the leaves were still glorious with color.  It's amazing how great my camera is, it got the shot at 50 mph!

 11x14 - $175.00

This weekend I spent it at a quilter's retreat in Lake Pleasant.  I finished a crib quilt for my soon-to-be grand baby and then did this painting from the photo.  I love it when the road seems to reach up and has a life of it's own. 

At the Butterfly Garden

 14x11 - $225.00

Since getting to New York, I haven't had too much opportunity to paint for myself.  I was painting for the Old Forge Paint-Out, then for the Moose Festival in our town and now I'm actually working on a baby quilt for my soon-to-be new grandbaby. You could say, I've been busy......Anyway, this week I got the pastels out once again and did this of the butterfly garden at my mom's place - in Mission Viejo.  Some of the residents there took it upon themselves to create a beautiful oasis near their community center at Casta del Sol.   We visited it a few times this summer, each time I took photos and this painting is from one of my photos.  I'm not sure if I'm going to paint someone sitting on that chair, or not.  Have to give it some thought, but, for now, I like it the way it is.  I just wish I knew the names of all the flowers surrounding that walk!