Paint A Scene From Your Daily Life

7:05AM Pastel $135.00 available click here

Today's affirmation:                I am not broken, God is creating stained glass. ~ unknown



In today's world, there are few things that we can be completely sure of.  We are so dependent on others for so many things, and much of the time, we are disappointed or let down.  Not so with the subject matter of this new painting.

I still have one child in high school, and living in the country, we rely on our county school buses.  Now, growing up in the city, like I did, I had to walk to school - you know the old tales of walking miles upon miles in the snow - but in my case, growing up in Ohio, this was the story of my life.

My son, on the other hand, has the luxury of getting picked up right in front of the house.  You can't have much more convenience than this, but WE DO!  With out fail, our school bus driver Ms. Carol arrives at 7:05AM every morning without fail!  Personally, those that know me, know that I am habitually late for everything, but not our trusty driver! I don't know how she does it, but I am in awe of her and appreciate her more than words could possibly convey.  So I thought it would be fun to paint this painting which is a scene I view every morning, Monday - Friday, a piece of my everyday, average life.

I took this picture after one of last year's snow falls.  I was drawn to the reflections of light on the road ahead of the school bus. I was excited to experiment with my Terry Ludwig gray collection in making the background trees and the ground under the snow in the fore-ground.  I always try to repeat the colors I use in the sky and backgrounds in the fore ground as well.  I like the way it ties everything together.

This painting was painted on UArt 400 pastel paper using Terry Ludwig , Unison, Rembrandt and Nu-Pastels. I titled the painting 7:05AM in honor of the time the bus arrives at my house, and has arrived for many, many years.  Thank You Ms. Carol!!

Seasoned 9x12 Pastel available $135.00 click here

Today's affirmation:  What you think, you become.  What you feel, you attract.  What you imagine, you create.  ~Buddha




Our first snow of this season here in Preston, Maryland, happened a few weeks ago and provided great photo opportunities.  The colors were so beautiful - It was a dusting of sorts, and the ground could be seen in places through the snow.
This painting is of what I see looking out of my front door.  There's a funny story that goes with this painting, and I can't help but get lost in the memory when I look at this piece.  When my family first moved into this house back in 1997, there were actually 4 pine trees in this spot.  They were grown so close together, that some sides of the trees didn't have any branches.  My husband got the idea in his head that he was going to cut them down for fear they would fall into the house at some point.  Well up the ladder he went with chain saw in hand.  One by one branches fell to the ground, then little by little the trunk came down in pieces.  It took a couple of days total for the first tree.  Some time had passed before he headed up the ladder again for tree number 2, which took a little longer this time,  he persevered - but.... after that second tree..... He said "I'm too old for this!!" And... then... there... were... two.  They stand huddled together to this day.

A Surprising Tool to Use While Painting with Pastels

Choptank River Lighthouse 12x12 pastel available $155.00

 Ohhhh how beautiful the sunsets reflecting across the water are here in Maryland. My son and I had just finished dinner at a (new-to-us) restaurant in Cambridge which is about 20 minutes from us.  We wanted to try somewhere different and chose this great place right on the water.  When we were finished, we decided to do a little sight seeing and just drove with no real destination in mind - we'd just take a left or a right when we got to stop signs just to see what might be down that road.  What a treat we found at the end of one of those roads.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Wow! the red roof of the lighthouse was almost blinding with the glow of the setting sun. I parked the car and stood at the edge of the water in sheer bliss.  The colors of the boats and lighthouse just danced on the water.  We were hoping to get a tour inside, but unfortunately they were closed for the night.  I see another trip in the near future.

This painting took a tighter drawing than the quick sketch I'm used to, but it's well worth the extra time so you don't run into perspective issues half way through the painting process.  I tend to work back ground to fore ground for what ever reason - I start to paint what's furthest from view and make my way to what's closest to view saving the focal point for last. Here, I began with the sky, then the far trees, the boats, and then the foreground water - saving the lighthouse and the reflections for last.

The foreground water had a dappled texture that I just couldn't seem to recreate with a pastel so I looked around my supplies to see if there was anything I had that would be useful...... and voila! A simple kneaded eraser was just the ticket!

Just a bit of pouncing here and there brought happy results.  These erasers are not only a favorite tool of mine for drawings, but also with pastel painting.  They can lightly lift colors off the paper, they are great to blend, and they can clean up tight areas because you can mold and shape the eraser into what ever shape you need.  Then a little stretch and squeeze and it cleans itself right up.  One eraser will last me for many months before I decide it's time for a new one. 


I'm joining in on a painting challenge..... to create 30 paintings in 30 days for the month of September.  This list was posted on one of my Facebook painting groups page, but I thought if my artist friends that work in other mediums wanted to give it a try they'd appreciate having the list to work from.  This begins tomorrow, September 1st, so today I'll be cutting papers to get ready. I'm thinking of working in a 6x6 inch size.  Wish me luck, and if you'd like to try any of these challenges, I'd love for you to post your results here on the blog.  Have a safe and happy holiday!

Can You Reuse Pastelmat ?

Lime Light 5x7 Pastel available $45.00

I was reading lots of chatter about Alain Picard's painterly apple on You Tube and I had to see what all the talk was about.  His video is a paint along - where you paint along with his instruction.  I have to say... you've got to be quick!

I searched my art supply area and found a 5x7 piece of used pastelmat.  I didn't like the painting that was on it, so I decided to brush it all off and see what would happen.  After taking a stiff brush to brush all the loose pastel off , I sprayed it with water and wiped with paper towels - over and over until nothing more would come off onto the paper towel. 

Now I have to say that I was a bit worried because I no longer could feel any tooth to the surface, although I have heard others having no issue. Maybe I used too much pressure when scrubbing with the brush -   It was smooth with barely noticeable texture, but I figured it would work out great for what I was using it for, and I was pretty sure Alain wouldn't mind my frugalness. I was able to paint on the smooth surface, but I couldn't use much pressure and had to keep the layers to a bare minimum.  What a great video and the way he makes you force yourself create a painterly look is an invaluable lesson to learn no matter what medium you prefer as a painter.

I've enjoyed seeing all the different renderings of Alain's apple on Instagram and Face Book and so I now add mine to the list.  Give it a try -

Oh.... and just a side note..... I titled this painting Lime Light because the ray of color behind the apple is actually a lime color, but for some reason the camera keeps showing it as a yellow. Yes - I need to practice my photography skills - or lack of skills.

Put Something you Love into Your Stillife

The Hymnal 9x11 pastel     available $125.00

It was the perfect day...... Zach and I had just visited the zoo in Salisbury to take photos for a class project he has, although I don't need a reason to go to the zoo. I LOVE the zoo! Well afterward we went out to lunch and while heading home we were about to pass an antique bookstore - and it was OPEN! I've passed this store many times over the years, but it was always closed much to my dismay, but today I was going to finally get to go in! What a treat..... I said ohhhh Zach.....we just have to check this place out. He shook his lowered head trying to prepare himself because he's well seasoned in my love of books and just how long I can spend in a book store.

I reassured him that I would not be TOO long because I had a mission, and was only going to scan for a certain type of book to use in future paintings.  I described to him what I had pictured in my mind and then we entered the store.  WOW! It took my breath away! Wall to wall - piles among piles- of beautiful books! I had hit the motherload!  I don't know exactly how long we searched, but there it was..... a tattered 1911 hymnal.  What a great find!  I set up a couple of still lifes and took some photos for this and future paintings.  Below are the progress photos.

Here are the pastels that I used..... some nupastels, rembrandt, Terry Ludwig, and Sennelier.  A fun fact.... my brother bought me my set of Rembrandts about 30 some years ago if I had to guess.  At the time, I only painted in acrylic.  All that time they sat waiting to be used and I am so very thankful for them.

I decided to use a failed painting - I brushed off the old painting ( you can still see the ghost image behind the charcoal) and I sketched out the new work.

Adding in the darks first

Laying in the darkest areas of the lit areas

Added some purples and greens to the apple on the left

Added reds and golds to the apple on the right

Time to focus on the hymnal and added the highlights

Memories of Fire Island Here in Caroline County

Fire Island 5x7 Pastel available $45.00

Memories, memories, memories........painting this scene today had me thinking back to my days of being a Girl Scout leader and spending lots and lots of time at our Girl Scout camp.  We had the privilege to hold our meetings at the camp so we had access to all the benefits of the camp had to offer.  And what a posh campground it was/is.

We had the most unbelievable, most fantastic ranger that took care of the property - he went above and beyond building zip lines, obstacle courses, art easels for outdoor painting and a ferry that you could ride to cross the lake to Fire Island.  In the center of this island was a firepit complete with benches for smores and singing. 

I hadn't been to the camp for a while, so Zach and I went for a visit.  We hiked from one end to the other taking in the beautiful scenery and talking about all our memories.  And with 13 years of leading a troop I have lots and lots of memories. 

I have just a couple progress photos.......I get into my zone and forget to stop to take a picture.

quick sketch

added in the first layer of color and started filling in the background trees - saving the foreground trees for last.

Underpainting with Watercolor

Thursday Evening 5x7 pastel available $45.00

Watercolor paintings are so beautiful and luminous. They have a transparency about them that just draws you in, but they can be a tricky medium to work with.  When you've trained yourself to paint dark to light in acrylic, oil and pastels, the opposite is the rule when painting in watercolors.  I've wanted to try a watercolor underpainting for quite a while, so when I happened to be walking the aisles in our local Walmart, I spotted this watercolor set and thought no better time than the present to give it a try.  Now truth be told, I'm a bit afraid of watercolor.  In my mind, watercolor is the hardest medium to master - I may be wrong, but back in high school, our art class was given and assignment to do a watercolor painting, and mine came out so awful - and I felt that I just couldn't grasp the concept, so picking up a set of these paints is a giant step for me.  Now I know this particular set is not going to produce artist grade results, but I'm only using it for an underpainting so we'll see how it goes. 

My new watercolor set

Originally, I was going to add a little water feature, but not long after I started laying in the pastels decided against it.  Wow my easel is really needs a scrub down!

Adding in the darks

Next came adding in some pinks and purples and a bit of cream to the clouds and greens to the grasses.  I also added in some wildflowers that grow all along the roadside here.

 After standing back and taking another look, I thought I really over did it with the flowers, so I blended some out ( an advantage with working in pastels) .  


Last night, my son and I took a drive to photograph the sunset at the various rivers around our house and I was a bit frustrated that I could not capture the brilliant colors that were in the clouds with the camera.  Zach said the only way to capture the true colors in the sky would be the paint plein air.  What a great idea!  What if I did a series of the same scene every day for a week......or a month?  Just to capture the ever changing sky? I love the idea! So I've begun cutting some 5x7 sheets of UArt to get ready for this new challenge.

A Painterly Lesson

Hydrangeas in a White Pitcher 9x12 pastel available $125.00

There's been a lot of buzz in the pastel art world about the new video that Alain Picard shared on You Tube demonstrating the "painterly" technique. He features an apple and invites the viewers to paint along with him.  While I did watch the video all the way through, I didn't have an apple at the time so I chose this little pitcher with hydrangeas I cut off one of my shrubs.

The concept to the painterly technique is to loose edges. Or in other words let your painting fall outside of the lines.  In the painting above you can see the lost edges surrounding the pitcher on the left side and also the handle and again within the leaves and even in the shadows. 

This was a technique that I really enjoyed and felt I grew as an artist just trying to NOT stay in the lines.  I look forward to trying more subjects in this style, and yes, I've now filled the house with apples so I plan to follow along the video with apple in hand. Stay tuned for the results.

Instagram for Inspiration

Two Pears on Branch 9x12 pastel available $125.00

I love looking at other artists artwork, and Instagram is the perfect place to see what others are doing and be inspired. I came across a painting of pears still on the tree on Instagram - unfortunately I do not remember which artist painted it, but I was excited to try this new subject.

Out pear tree this year was loaded with pears - so I went out to get some photos when the sun was shining the brightest on the fruit. Then began my sketch.

I added the dark area first - leaving room for leaves and such that were to come later.

Added in some more color...........

and more color for the background leaves.  It was at this point that I felt it just got too busy- I was loosing the main focus of the pears-so I brushed off the background ( one of my favorite bonuses of using pastels and UArt paper) and put the dark back in with just a minimal hint of other colors.

And voila! The stars of the show were back.  Now I get to go enjoy eating them.  What's your favorite benefit of painting with pastels? And where do you like to search for inspiration?

Join a New Pastel Group

Sunlight and Shadows 9x12 pastel available $125.00

I recently joined a Facebook group call Cafe Monet which is a group for pastelists to share their recent works, ask questions and connect with like-minded artists.  One of the wonderful things about this group is the monthly challenge.  A painting challenge is given at the 1st of every month and 2 winners are chosen at the end of the month.  One winner from the beginners category and one from the advanced category. The winners receive a gift of some type of pastels and will have their painting featured as the heading for the group for the following month.

This months challenge was to paint shadows.  I love finding interesting shadows and the shadows in the painting above was challenging to recreate.  I set the mason jar on my kitchen counter after filling with water and started to add some flowers, but when I saw the shadow created with just the babys breath from the sun coming in the kitchen window, I knew I had my subject.  I painted another shadow painting that I'll share soon.

If you are a pastel painter..... I highly recommend you join this group.  You will learn so much and feel so good about your work with all the positive feedback that is given. 

New paintings have been added into my Etsy store, so if you are in need of some new artwork for your walls, I invite you to check it out here   
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WendyJohnstonFineArt?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

You Choose What to Leave in and What to Leave Out

Cottage by the Bay  Pastel  9x12 available $115.00

It was a beautiful day for a walk and taking reference photos, so I grabbed my trusty walking buddy (my son Zach) and we headed to Blackwater Nature Preserve outside of Cambridge, Maryland.  My friend, Lorri, had recently posted photos that she took at this location and she had tons of beautiful photos of the water fowl found at the preserve.  I was excited!  I couldn't wait to get there and take my own beautiful waterfowl photos.  We walked......and walked.....and walked.....drove some....and walked some more..... the birds were no where to be found.  Oh was I disappointed. All in all I think we found 3 ducks and 3 blue herons, so not a total loss for the day, but I did get a few "non-bird" containing reference photos. 

This is the first painting for my Blackwater Refuge series.  I've included the original photo - I chose to leave out the boathouse in this painting, but plan on doing another of just the boathouse.  It's a lesson to be learned by all artists, that just because something is in the photo doesn't mean it has to be included in the painting.  This is where you put your creativity to the test.

Complimentary colors was my main objective while painting this. I used red and green in the tallest trees, and violet among the grasses since violet is a compliment of yellow. 

I chickened out of attending our pleinair paintout this week since the location was on the water and the temperature was 50 degrees - I HATE TO BE COLD! So I decided to do my own pleinair study this morning - I'm just waiting for the temps to rise a little bit more.  Check back soon to see what ended up on the easel.

Last Day of Capturing the Illusion of Light Pastel Class

Morning Glow 9x12 inches Pastel available $125.00

It's always a sad day when a class comes to an end.  You get used to seeing your classmates and you seem to begin to grasp the lessons being taught when BAM! its the end! I will miss my fellow classmates and I hope to see some of them in future classes, but for the fun of it, after our final class,  I had each student pose in front of their easel with their final paintings.  What a great bunch of artists! And for an extra special treat that day, our incredible instructor Katie Cassidy threw us a pizza party at her house complete with a tour of her studio.  I should have taken pictures of her studio and amazing works in progress, but I was too caught up in the moment - I didn't even get a picture of all of us with Katie!  But I will definitely remember to do that with the next class which starts on Wednesday. I'm so excited! We will be studying color harmony in that class.


Here's the Illusion of Light class along with their final paintings ( some of them were just being started) A couple of students had already cleaned up and I didn't get their pictures. (Sorry)

Katie giving a critique

And my final piece.....

I woke up that morning and rolled over to the sun shining in on my little arrangement and I jumped up to get my camera, and knew this was the next subject for the next painting.  I bought this little hammered metal pitcher at a flea market in Delaware this past fall for $3.00.  I just love it! Just last weekend I put the poppies (silk flowers) and dried baby's breath into it.

The paper that I used had a failed painting of a barn I was working on in plein air - it was just horrible!  So I took a stiff paint brush and brushed and scrubbed the old painting off which left a bright red tinted underpainting to begin this painting on.  That is one of the percs of using pastels..... if you don't like it..... just brush it off and begin something new on top.  No need to waste paper. I didn't take a picture of the failed barn because it was JUST THAT BAD, and I was too embarrassed to share it.

Benefits of Taking Art Classes

Winter Whispers pastel 20x16 available $355.00

I am finally breaking out of a long hiatus from my painting.  For the last few month's I had even considered giving up painting all together - painting can be a lonely hobby and also expensive, and I was struggling to find the inspiration and will to keep going with it. But the longer I stared at an empty easel the more lost and empty I felt.  I was given an opportunity to take a class at the Art Academy in Easton, Md. this month and I'm beginning to feel renewed again.  So this week I thought I'd share works being completed in class along with my notes that I've been taking along the way. 



First and foremost, I would like to thank my class instructor and mentor Katie Cassidy.  She is a wonderful instructor and shares her painting knowledge so fully.  If you ever have the desire to take a class in pastel painting, I highly recommend you sign up with Katie.  The classes are fun and just getting the chance to view the art work that she creates is well worth it! Thank you Katie for helping to relight that spark in me.


Katie passed out a hand-out during the last class that I thought I'd share with you. 

Questions when working from photos for your paintings:

Did you start with preliminary studies?
Are there any lines or edges that divide the painting in half or equal units?
Does the painting have a primary center of interest?
Is the center of interest in a sweet spot?  (not dead center)
Is the center of interest a strong focal point?
Are there any lines that lead the eye out of your painting?
Are there strong value contrasts in your painting?
Are the shapes in your painting interesting?
Are there any two intervals the same?
Why did you decide to do this scene? What in this scene moves you?


Can you answer the questions from this hand-out when looking at my posted painting?
 
 

The Secret to Painting Greens

Morning Prayers 18x12 pastel available $185 with free shipping

I remember this day so perfectly.... my daughter and I met up with one of my former Girl Scouts to visit her college, see her dorm, have lunch and do a little sight-seeing.  During our sight seeing excursion we were taken to this little park located in the heart of the hustle and bustle of this city in Delaware. What an amazing landscape this little place had.  I took so many pictures that day, but I've only painted one of those scenes since then.  Today was the day to capture the ducks!  It was such an adorable sight - the ducks all lined up in a row, and at one point they were all facing away from us and we were all scrambling to get pictures of "the duck butts" laughing the whole time. 
So in the spirit of our local Waterfowl Festival which will be taking place soon.... I give you my rendition of "the duck butts".

I've been doing a little bit of experimenting with my pastels and color combinations, and have learned that to make greens stand out and have interest, there is a secret..... and that secret is orange! It was time to put the idea to the test.  I painted all the areas that had green with an under-painting of bright orange.  Most of it got covered up with the following layers of color, but you can still see it in some spots.

Setting Aside Time Just to Draw

The Boathouse 16x20 Charcoal on Canson Board available $165.00

 I've heard it said that to be a good artist, you must be good at drawing.  I have to admit, when I was young, I loved to draw, and it was my favorite past time, but now I don't spend nearly the amount of time on the drawing for each painting as I probably should.  It had been quite some time since I completed just a charcoal drawing, but it felt good - it took me back to a time before color, before paints and before pastels.  I have always wanted to fill a sketchbook, but have never spent the time, so today I am setting another goal and that is to do at least 1 sketch a week until a sketch book is completely full. I enjoy looking through other's sketchbooks, and hopefully I will find as much satisfaction looking through my own.   I'm including some step by step photos of this piece - it's fun to see a picture slowly come to life. I used black and white charcoal on gray toned Canson Board.  The texture on this board took some getting used to, but I'm happy with the end results. 

Keeping Things Loose in the Background

Lost 12x18 Pastel available $185.00

I've been practicing abstracting backgrounds with my latest poppy paintings.  Putting in grasses like the one above can get frustrating and confusing and sometimes cause you to over paint them causing the pastels to get gummy and muddy which leaves you no choice but to brush it off and begin again - and when you're on a tight budget for purchasing pastels, this can also be pricey.  So this time I worked very slow - I began by toning the paper in a deep purple and made sure I could still see the paper through the pastel.  Then I chose 2 greens to lightly fill in area followed by the light yellowy green to give the appearance of light shining through.  It wasn't until this point that I put in the poppy, stepped back from the easel and chose colors that I thought would give interest and make the painting pop.  I followed the same color choices with this poppy as the others, but added a bit of a warm pink color in the light filled area.  The goal is to not paint every blade of grass, but let the viewer fill in the grasses with the information you present to them to see.  

I'd like to reveal the rest of the poem that I've been sharing.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

Jennifer Grotz’s “Poppies”

There is a sadness everywhere present
but impossible to point to, a sadness that hides in the world
and lingers. You look for it because it is everywhere.
When you give up, it haunts your dreams
with black pepper and blood and when you wake
you don’t know where you are.
But then you see the poppies, a disheveled stand of them.
And the sun shining down like God, loving all of us equally,
mountain and valley, plant, animal, human, and therefore
shouldn’t we love all things equally back?
And then you see the clouds.
The poppies are wild, they are only beautiful and tall
so long as you do not cut them,
they are like the feral cat who purrs and rubs against your leg
but will scratch you if you touch back.
Love is letting the world be half-tamed.
That’s how the rain comes, softly and attentively, then
with unstoppable force. If you
stare upwards as it falls, you will see
they are falling sparks that light nothing only because
the ground interrupts them. You can hear the way they’d burn,
the smoldering sound they make falling into the grass.
That is a sound for the sadness everywhere present.
The closest you have come to seeing it
is at night, with the window open and the lamp on,
when the moths perch on the white walls,
tiny as a fingernail to large as a Gerbera daisy
and take turns agitating around the light.
If you grasp one by the wing,
its pill-sized body will convulse
in your closed palm and you can feel the wing beats
like an eyelid’s obsessive blinking open to see.
But now it is still light and the blackbirds are singing
as if their voices are the only scissors left in this world.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been thinking of  my next subject matter to work on this week, and I've decided to spend my week at the lake - so to speak.  This week, all my painting will be lake scenes.  I'm pretty excited and have some experiments with the pastels that I'd like to try out along the way.


I'd also like to announce with great joy that I was excepted into the Working Artists Forum.  I was quite worried after seeing all the paintings of the other applicants - all I can say is I'm in very good company of exceptional artists and hope to build lasting friendships and also to learn and grow as an artist with all the opportunities WAF provides.  Thank you all for your words of encouragement and prayers. 

Have You Ever Tried Painting on Sandpaper?

Wild Passions 9x11 Pastel available $95.00

This week has been a whirlwind of art activity in this house.  Along with trying to reach my goal for the poppy paintings, I've also been working on things in an attempt to get accepted into the Working Artists Forum group.  On Monday, I will need to submit 3 paintings and 1 drawing, framed, to be judged by a panel, and they will decide if they think my work is up to the standards of the group.  I am so grateful for all of you that "like" the paintings on Facebook and Instagram because that's how I chose the paintings for consideration.  I also met with my pastel mentor Katie yesterday, and along with her husband, who is also an artist, they helped me pick the best 3 of the 9 top "liked" paintings by all of you. So thank you for all your support and wish me luck.  I'll post the paintings that were picked after I get them framed.

I've been sharing a poem 1 paragraph at a time along with a poppy painting to go along with it, so I'd like to share the next paragraph to that poem:


There is a sadness everywhere present
but impossible to point to, a sadness that hides in the world
and lingers. You look for it because it is everywhere.
When you give up, it haunts your dreams
with black pepper and blood and when you wake
you don’t know where you are.

But then you see the poppies, a disheveled stand of them.
And the sun shining down like God, loving all of us equally,
mountain and valley, plant, animal, human, and therefore
shouldn’t we love all things equally back?
And then you see the clouds.

The poppies are wild, they are only beautiful and tall
so long as you do not cut them,
they are like the feral cat who purrs and rubs against your leg
but will scratch you if you touch back.
Love is letting the world be half-tamed.
That’s how the rain comes, softly and attentively, then

with unstoppable force. If you
stare upwards as it falls, you will see
they are falling sparks that light nothing only because
the ground interrupts them. You can hear the way they’d burn,
the smoldering sound they make falling into the grass.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The poppy painting posted for today was painted on black sandpaper.  I've been trying out different grits of sandpaper to see what kind of textures I can achieve - but just a warning if you decide to try this - you will not have a pastel left when using them on the heavier grit paper - I liked the texture, but did not like using up an entire pastel after a couple of swipes, so I trashed that painting - and began again for the painting shown above.  

Mistakes Happen

Fate of the World 12x6 pastel available through this link $75.00

I came across this photo reference on the Pixabay website early this morning and was amazed at how this picture represents exactly how I've been feeling about the world in which we are living in right now.  Morals, I feel, are becoming a thing of the past, and recent changes being made to what was once the "norm" are sending this world into certain disaster.

 I've titled this piece "Fate of the World" and can add it to my completed paintings of 7 poppies in 7 days.  I have to admit, I applied the pastel way too heavily to the flower and the colors started to become muddy.  I was trying to hurry and because of this, the flower was ruined.  So what do you do when you make a mistake like this with pastels?  The answer is a simple one.... just brush it off and begin again.  I took the brush piece off of an old paintbrush and brushed off all the pastel on the flower and began again.  The brush has to have some hardness to it - a soft brush will not get into the crevices- and with a light, circular motion, you can brush off your mistake like it never happened.

I'd also like to share another paragraph to the poem I've been posting.  The entire poem will be revealed in just a few more days.


There is a sadness everywhere present
but impossible to point to, a sadness that hides in the world
and lingers. You look for it because it is everywhere.
When you give up, it haunts your dreams
with black pepper and blood and when you wake
you don’t know where you are.

But then you see the poppies, a disheveled stand of them.
And the sun shining down like God, loving all of us equally,
mountain and valley, plant, animal, human, and therefore
shouldn’t we love all things equally back?
And then you see the clouds.

The poppies are wild, they are only beautiful and tall
so long as you do not cut them,
they are like the feral cat who purrs and rubs against your leg
but will scratch you if you touch back.
Love is letting the world be half-tamed.
That’s how the rain comes, softly and attentively, then

Setting Smaller Goals

Rare Beauty 12x12 pastel available by clicking this link $145.00

I'm setting a smaller goal this week by choosing 1 subject and doing a painting a day for 7 days.  I've participated in painting 30 paintings in 30 days, and sometimes that goal can seem daunting... so I'm setting smaller goals for myself by doing 7 paintings in 7 days and by choosing to paint the same subject means my colors are already set out for me, and I'm somewhat familiar with my subject so the painting process goes a little bit quicker.

This weeks subject is poppies, and by painting the same subject over and over again, helps me to choose which colors to use more naturally.  I started this poppy with and underpainting of brick red and very bright orange, and this layered back and forth with a rose color, bright red and the orange.  The experts say never to use a hard pastel over a soft pastel, but I break this rule constantly, and find that it works fine as long as use a light touch with each layer.  Using a light touch is something I am constantly working on with myself because I am naturally a heavy hander, it seems, with everything I do, but I am a work in progress - just like my poppy shown above.  Here are some progress photos.

For the final highlights, I wanted to try something different and used a salmon color and then a bright yellow-green.  You can see this if you zoom into the painting. I really am pleased with this color combination.

Also this week I am revealing a poem that I came across for those of you out there that enjoy poetry like myself.  I will reveal a paragraph a day along with the day's poppy painting for that day, and by the end of the week you will have read the poem in full and I am hoping to hear from some of you as to what you think about the meaning behind the poem.  Here's today's addition:


There is a sadness everywhere present
but impossible to point to, a sadness that hides in the world
and lingers. You look for it because it is everywhere.
When you give up, it haunts your dreams
with black pepper and blood and when you wake
you don’t know where you are.

But then you see the poppies, a disheveled stand of them.
And the sun shining down like God, loving all of us equally,
mountain and valley, plant, animal, human, and therefore
shouldn’t we love all things equally back?
And then you see the clouds.