Sunlit Deer

Sunlit Deer

8x8, pastel
Click to Bid

Realism is a double edged sword. It can provide a painting that looks just like a photo, pleasing to a few but many prefer the looser more painterly style---paintings that leave a little to the imagination. I have been plagued with being too realistic lately. When I began pastels, my style was looser. I was just trying to get pastel on the paper and have struggled to get back to that style.

Working with the program on my computer to enhance photos has inspired me to grow in my painting. It is a known fact that value trumps color when it comes to art. Knowing that fact and implementing it are two different things. So bear with me as explore this new method. Still looks like a deer, doesn't it????

Guadalupe Color

Guadalupe Color

12 x 9, pastel

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You just know you are a photo realist painter when your smart camera says you are taking a landscape photo while zooming in on your landscape painting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, well, it is what it is.

It is fall and the weather finally feels like it (some days) here in south central Texas. I just cannot seem to paint enough fall paintings. We get so little fall color here, in fact this was last year's color, but that's OK!

D K Richardson's Workshop

 Almost completed workshop piece

10x8, pastel on Ampersand board

I know it's been about 6 weeks since my last post--believe me, I know!!! I have been working on a commission piece that I cannot share on the web without permission AND I have been working my new job. Just returned from 12 days in Memphis, which is a neat place, but it is sure good to be back home.

The best part is I arrived home in time to take a wonderful workshop given by D K Richardson at Jerry's Artarama in Austin. To me, her art is breathtaking, the realism and detail amazing. I really enjoyed the class, learned sooooooo much, and hope to be able to apply it to my work. She is an excellent instructor and very supportive/encouraging. Three of the five participants had never used pastels before. They ended up with wonderful, portraits they created all on their own. D K never touches your work she simply guides you (verbally) in seeing and applying the pastel to get the lifelike results.

I am very pleased with my painting. I have included several progress shots taken over the course of the 2 day workshop. Her method is very labor intensive, but so very worth the effort. Check out her website at www.dkrichardson-artist.com.

Initial grid and drawing

This is where my affliction of 'seeing too much" comes in handy!

                                                 

First application of color.

 Putting in the undertones of the cheek.

 Fairly, happy with this but the nose is wrong.

Pretty happy here, but sweating the scarf on her head.

Think it may still need some tweaking.

 Just have to worry about the background now.

Thanks for checking out my blog and not giving up on me!!