Cape Cod Couple

Two years ago, we camped at Cape Cod, MA for a week in October.  It was quiet, some restaurants were still open for delish seafood, and I got to take lots of photos for paintings.  These boats were anchored near the shore in Wellfleet and I loved how they looked together. Just like two Cape Cod couples, happy to be together, waiting for their next adventure.  I painted this on a pastelbord that is 6x18. I really liked the format.

Autumn Under Foot

This past October, on a walk to our lake, I brought my digital camera and was taking shots of all the gorgeous colors on the trees.  It was a beautiful day, as autumn was fast disappearing - lots of leaves had already fallen from the trees.  One look down and I was awed by the beauty of the pattern of leaves, the colors and the fallen dew drops from that morning.  The photos I took were like a work of art in themselves but, I was determined to try to paint at least one of the photos.  I loved the white leaf that is prominent in the painting.  Where did it come from, when all the others were faded and full of color?  This is my rendition of autumn under foot.

11x14 pastel on Richeson gatorboard

Trying to get my Mojo Back!

This has been an interesting month, as we travel across the country in our small A-liner camper.  After a very harsh winter in the Adirondacks, we headed out to come to visit family in California on April 23.  We started out with the weather at 21 degrees and headed towards tornadoes in the mid-west, wind and sandstorms in Amarillo, Texas, 90 degree weather in Sedona, a swollen hand,  and fires near our campgrounds in California!  I'm finally getting to paint again, after spending a winter painting from my photos, I am now outdoors in this lovely campground in San Clemente, overlooking the cliffs and the ocean, trying to paint at least one pastel every day.  I was beginning to feel stale in my art, aimless and needing a new direction.  I've been fooling with underpaintings,  dry brushstrokes and watercolor washes.  It's been a struggle. 

I've been so blessed to have such great artist friends whom I've had the pleasure of seeing while I've been here.  It's wonderful to talk "art" again, to hear about their work and future.  It's been invigorating.  Today I met for lunch with a wonderful artist and when she came to visit the campsite she noticed a gnarled tree, growing on the cliff with the ocean below.  I had been eyeing that tree for two weeks, but just didn't think I had it in me to paint it.  She said that it was just the thing Albert Handel would paint. I had decided I was going to paint a beautiful pot with flowers at the Visitors Center this afternoon, but her words spurred me on to paint that tree.  Not up to Albert's standards, but I think I'm getting my mojo back.........

9x12, pastel on Art Spectrum tinted pastel paper

Cascade Under the Bridge

 Pastel - 18x12 on Wallis Belgium Mist pastel paper
 
A couple of years ago, we took our granddaughter, Ava, to this landmark in Pottersville, NY, in the Adirondack Park.  Called The Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, it is a natural wonder of water, rocks formations and caves.  I just finished this pastel last week from a reference photo I took on that trip.  I remember how Ava loved climbing around on the rocks below these falls.   I was drawn to paint it because of the composition and the strength of those huge boulders. 

Hydrangea Blooms

I'm so sick of winter - we've had weeks of minus 10 degrees, where walking is a literal pain.  I have to cover my face from the ice, and then my glasses fog up and I have to take them off and walk in blur.....not fun......This autumn we took a trip up to Lake Placid and I took lots of photos of this hydrangea bush.  They looked so lush and spoke to me this week of the summer and warmth to come.  We hope - snow predicted tonight - up to 8 inches......

12x18 on Wallis Belgium Mist pastel paper

Two days at the North Creek NY Fall Festival - Painting

It was a beautiful weekend, almost too hot, for Fall in the Adirondacks.  I was asked to bring some framed pastels and my easel and paint at the North Creek Fall Festival.  We had so many people and many questions about "chalk" and "how do you do that"?  I gave out lots of my bookmarks and spent time explaining the process in painting with pastel.  It was lots of fun.  I guess if I didn't enjoy people as much as I do, I might have had a huge headache at the end of the two days, but I felt invigorated and happy to share pastels with so many people who have never seen them in action!  These are the paintings I completed during the festival.

                                                               Fall Colors  9x12

Autumn on the Hudson  9x12

                                                        

Traveling Route 40, West to Albuquerque

We were on the road late last May, trying to make it to Albuquerque, NM before the sun set.  I think I took a photo while my husband was driving at least 75 mph (probably 85 actually.....).  I loved the sky and those clouds.  It's quite amazing how little cars are on Route 40 when you cross the Mississippi - I love the wide open spaces.  A fun painting for me.

16x20 on Richeson Gatorboard, pastel

Sacandaga Falls

When my grandson was about ten, we hiked up to this waterfall.  Actually, there was a trail leading to three waterfalls, off the Sacandaga River, in the Adirondacks of New York.  The photos I took of that day are in my files for potential paintings.  I've used them many times, keying in on the banks along this river. I have one painting with my grandson swimming in the scene and another  painting I did of the rocks along this shore has won a few awards.  I keep coming back to the photos and this special spot for many paintings.  This time I came in close for a painting of the waterfalls themselves.  There's something about rocks, waterfalls, and the light that hits them under a canopy of trees that is so beautiful to me.

$8x10 $145.00

Yosemite

I started this pastel before we left for California and I've been messing with it, before we left, and now, after we've been home!  In the actual photograph I took, the water was running fast and wild, but in the painting, I had to tone it down a bit, quite a bit, actually.  The color value on the bank needed to be adjusted, and I took out a tree in the foreground.  All in all, I think I'm done!  I remember standing above that bank with my grandson, totally in awe of the beauty of Yosemite, and so thankful that we got the chance to visit it with him.

18x12 - $225.00

Silent Giants

I call this painting "Silent Giants" because that's what they seem to me.  As one makes the turn  towards Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Route 40, these giant mountains loom nearby.  I'm always fascinated by the shadows on them, depending on the time of day we happen to be passing through.  On this trip, it was mid-afternoon, and the shadows are clearly on the mountains in the background.  A freight train was heading off to the West as I took the photo.  The color is so amazing!  I love the Adirondacks, for all our green and forests, but there is something so mystical about these silent giants.

19x25 $1,500.00

IAPS - Thursday - Sunday, a very Creative 5 days!

What a great five days I have just experienced!  The International Association of Pastel Societies held their convention in Albuquerque this  week and I have learned so much, been able to talk art with some of my favorite nationally known artists, and join artist friends who I haven't seen for awhile.  A great experience.  On Thursday I took a plein air floral workshop with Christine Debrosky.  I plan on posting my two paintings at a later date.  On Friday, Richard McKinley filled my head with new ideas and a very planned way to paint outdoors, also on Friday Christine Debrosky had a demo on painting the landscape.  I was surprised that she finished a very large 18x24 in three hours.  It was filled with light and incredibly vibrant.  Saturday I watched Lorenzo Chavez paint snow and streams in Colorado.  He's very personable and, since I live in an area where it snows A LOT, this was a must see for me.  I also sat through a demo Saturday afternoon with Liz Haywood Sullivan.  She uses alcohol to bring her underpainting to life.  She also painted big - an amazing cloud and sea pastel.  I will post some of these at another time.  Below is Frank Federico's demo.  He was so amazing, as he started the initial painting upside down!  He assures us that it will free us to paint a stronger painting, more creative.   He inspired me to try this method, and as soon as I hit my studio at home, I will try this method.  My head is filled with ideas and I have some wonderful photos to paint - now to get home and start!

Afternoon on the Moose River Plains

I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year.  I hope it will turn out to be a happy and productive one for each and every one of you.   I'm hoping to spend more time painting this year, after a very busy Christmas season working part time at the ski slopes.  I'm also preparing for a solo pastel exhibit at the Widlund Gallery in North Creek, NY from January 26 to February 24.  I'll have approximately 40 paintings on display and will have a reception on February 16th.

 11x14 pastel - $150.00

I painted this a few days ago, from a photo I took late August from my kyack.  I've talked a lot about the Moose River Plains and the Cedar River Flow, of which this is the main body of water.  It's a wonderful place to canoe, picnic or camp.  The area is very large and very wild and, although it's a 20 mile drive to get there, once out in a canoe, you feel as if you are alone with nature.

Morning Mist

With all the rain we've been getting here in the Adirondacks, we've had some mornings where the mist has lingered over the mountains and lakes, creating lovely fall mosaics.  Last Tuesday,  I drove to Adirondack Lake and took some photos of that fog lingering over the water and trees on the shores of the lake.  It begged to be painted.

 16x20 pastel - $675.00

A week later, it's still raining, and only things that are begging are the dogs, who need their walk in the rain!  At least we don't have to worry about forest fires now.

Summer Chickadee

 11x14 pastel  $145.00

This summer we had so many chickadees at the feeder, in competition with the squirrels, I might add, and the nuthatches.  The chickadees are friendly little birds, chicka-dee-dee-deeing away.  They are not afraid of anyone or anything, as far as I can see, and will eat out of your hand if you're very still and very quiet.

Rock Island Dusk

 8x10 - Pastel


Rock Island on Blue Mountain Lake is a wild and lovely little island in the middle of a large, deep, cold lake.  I've painted this island more times than I can count, but I still keep going back for photos and plein air.  This is from a photo I took a few years ago when we were canoeing the lake at dusk.  Thank goodness I had my camera with me at the time, otherwise I would have missed this gorgeous pink sunset on those thirty foot rocks.  I think I've mentioned that my grandson goaded me into jumping off that rock at one time and it was hair-raising!

This painting is going to the Adirondack Center for the Arts for sale.  They've asked me for a number of pastels to sell this summer and I'm happily obliging!  I'm thrilled that they're selling these small pastels.

Yosemite Valley

 18x24  $650.00

I'm still looking at my pictures from Yosemite Valley and this one was calling to me to paint.  I was reluctant to start, as I didn't think I could capture the majesty of those mountains.  I decided to work larger than I usually do and I'm still fiddling with it here and there, but I thought I'd post it and see what you think.

Beach Tree

 14x11 - $140.00

We went out to paint this afternoon at the edge of Doheny Beach.  I thought it would be foggy, as it was all morning, but the fog lifted and we had some nice shade to  paint under and nice sun for cast shadows.  I brought some larger paper, 11x14 and some 12x16.  Used the 11x14 and am happy with the results.  Painting outdoors is the most wonderful experience, even with the moving sun, the changing light, it's exciting and different every time I go out.  After the painting was done, a sailboat came into view and I added it at the last moment.

Canoing the Moose River

 11x14 - $145.00

I found some photos I took last summer of people canoing the lakes in the Adirondacks.  Just had a feeling I wanted to paint one of them yesterday.  Finished it this morning and now that I look at it, I want to grab the canoe and get back to those beautiful lakes!  I hope this conveys that feeling and the knowledge that those guys are jut loving it, too.

Girl with Scarf

Got back last week from five days in Albuquerque at the International Association of Pastel Societies.  It was a whirwind of demos, workshops, visiting with artist friends and making new friends with artists from around the world.  This organization brings together all pastel societies from around the country and the world to educate others about the medium of pastels.

 20x16 - $200.00

I went to an all day workshop with Bill Hosner, and award winning pastellist who paints people in outdoor settings.  After watching him demo with this model, it was our turn and this is my version.  His is fabulous, I have much to learn.

Yosemite Falls

9x12 - $100.00

These are the upper and lower Yosemite Falls near Yosemite Village.  It's so amazing that these wonderful falls are so approachable from the meadow and there are hikes that go up to them.  We didn't have the time for that, but I was able to take loads of pictures and did this at the park.  We would love to go back and do more hikes, especially to the top of one of these falls.