After the Rain

After the Rain

6" x 6", pastel

Skyscapes have been calling me lately. The sunsets have been gorgeous, when the clouds have allowed us to view them. The sky is from an actual photograph, the foreground is all imagination. Now that may not be a big thing to you, but for me it is huge! I am a 'paint what is there' sort of artist.

If you have ever taken photos of sunsets, you may know that usually the foreground is all dark, not too interesting. I was determined that would not be the case with this painting. When the photo was taken, I made a point of comparing the the foreground colors in comparison to the sunset. They were beautiful, muted, but gorgeous. There were homes in the foreground not a stream!

So 'After the Rain' is the second version of this sunset. The first version is below. I was pleased with the foreground, but decided that the square version should have an even more interesting foreground. 

Evening Reflections

6" x 12", pastel

Spinner

Spinner

12" x 12", pastel

So this critter rules the house, well not really. He is just the sweetest, most fun dog we have had. So now I am out on the porch typing this and he is scratching on the windows, barking at me 'cause he wants to be out here too! And so what did I just do????? But......I put the leash on him, in no mood to chase after him.

This is his, "I may not be the most interesting dog.......but......" pose. We just love it. He strikes this pose often.

I truly enjoy painting animals. just finished a cat this afternoon. Really not a cat person, but those paintings seem to sell well!

Speaking of selling, if you are in the area of the Bijou Theater in San Antonio, the Texas Pastel Society is displaying art there through the month of May. Go by and check it out!

Hill Country Spring

Hill Country Spring

8" x 10", pastel

The colors of the trees would have you believe that this is a fall setting, but it isn't so. Live oaks have a yellow-orange tinge when they lose their leaves and new ones are bursting forth. Add in the orange of the huisache trees in bloom, and it is fall, except, that the bluebonnets were beautiful! The photo reference for the painting is a couple of years old. The bluebonnets were just as prolific this year as they were then.

Lesson: Stop Putz-ing Around

Spring Beauty

8"x 8", pastel

Almost a month since the last post!!! Yikes, but really have been busy. Working on several paintings, won an award at the San Antonio Art League and Museum 86th Annual Artists Exhibition, plus playing pickleball (Google it).

This little painting is the latest work. In fact I just completed it about 30 minutes ago. Now it has been on the easel, in progress for over a week. Being the realist painter that I am, I was trying to include every little leaf and flower in the photo reference.........and just this morning determined that they were becoming the stars, not this precious hummer! Have been working on those leaves and flowers for days, but this morning took the alcohol to everything but the bird! In layman's terms, that means that all the pastel soaked into the board and became a muted surface on which to apply fresh pastel.

When it dried, there was no putz-ing (now I did look up the meaning of this word......didn't want to get myself in trouble here!) around, just gave the indication of flora around the star of the painting....pleased with the result.

New Found Appreciation

Demo--First ever!

14x12, pastel

This past Sunday was a first for me.........giving a pastel demo for the Pastel Society of the Southwest during their monthly meeting. This group of artists are so very talented, it was a humbling experience. They were so gracious and kind to me as I tried to hide my anxiety.

I anguished for several months trying to decide on a subject to paint. The PSSW had requested that the demo be of a still life. Now still life paintings were a staple when my main medium was watercolor, but since pastels have ruled, very few still lifes have been completed. So many small paintings were tried to help me determine the subject matter......and heaven forbid that I choose a simple composition! The demo was begun with the drawing on prepared gatorboard ( you can see the light yellow pastel on the picture below), and was worked on until the break. At the end of the break a second painting closer to completion was put up on the easel (the apple on the left and two flowers needed to be painted). Really like the subject and may continue working to refine this painting.

It really was a fun experience and I am grateful to the group for allowing me to dip my toes into the world of painting demonstrations. There is a greater appreciation for those artists who so willingly share their knowledge of creating art.

Demo...what was completed prior to the break.

Autumn Repose

Autumn Repose

8" x 10", pastel

This little painting is one of two that was accepted into the Austin Pastel Society Juried Member Exhibition. It was judged by Marla Baggetta. Had the pleasure of taking a workshop given by her this past weekend. It was awesome.  

Marla gave a demo on Friday night prior to the workshop. While I was sitting there waiting for the demo to begin, she called my name (we had name tags on!). She continued on to tell me how she liked the entries in the show especially this little landscape. My mouth gaped I am sure, but I immediately thanked her for the kind words. I asked her on Sunday, if she had time, if she would share with me what she liked about it. Landscapes are a tough subject for me. so I wanted to know how to better handle my next attempt. Sadly, there just wasn't the opportunity. But it was a wonderful experience and I learned so much.

Pair of Pears

5" x 7", pastel
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One of the areas of painting that I struggle with the most is trying to stay loose in the application of pastels or watercolor. I was looking at my recent still life paintings and noticed that this fact was glaring right at me. Persimmons has a freedom of stroke, loose, interesting. Each subsequent painting became tighter and tighter.

That is not what I was striving for so I set out to remedy that with this painting. Happy with the result

Untitled
10" x 8", pastel
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Coming up with titles for paintings is tough, especially still life paintings. Animals have names, landscapes can have titles of where the area is, but a still life.......??? So there are mums, apples and pottery in this painting......other than that I've got nothing! Oh, well.

Truly loving painting the subject matter. Bringing back my watercolor days, but so much easier to get the depth of color. Plus, that highlight is the last thing added, not saved from the white of the paper! 

All About Red

All About Red

8" x 8", pastel

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Decided to continue on with still life paintings. There is a lot of red, quite the challenge, but I like it! 

Persimmons

Persimmons

8" x 8", pastel
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Early in January, I received an email asking me if I would do a demo for a pastel society meeting, and not a local society. I was floored, and immediately set about listing all the reasons to say no. My family thought I was nuts for not jumping at the chance for the opportunity. After consulting my art mentors, I decided to bite the bullet and give that first ever demo! The kicker was that it is to be a still life demo.

When watercolor was my main medium, still life paintings were my 'go to' subject. The reason being that my teacher, Angie Banta Brown, provided the most wonderful reference photos from which to paint. She was kind enough to help me in that area for this demo. Setting up a still life requires stuff, wonderful, colorful, varied objects to display in an interesting way and Angie has the most amazing props. We had such fun arranging and rearranging all those props. 

Persimmons is my first painting from that day. Decided I had better practice a little, don't think there has been a still life created since 'Caffe' Italiano'. Stay tuned for more still life paintings, as I prepare for the upcoming demo.

Untitled-----any ideas?

Untitled

8" x 8", pastel

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This painting is the third version of this scene. One of the first two versions will be entered in the Austin Pastel Society Juried Member Show--still deciding which one. I began this with an underpainting as Barbara Jaenicke instructs. My next struggle was to keep it loose and depict the light and shadows.

Welcome all ideas on a title, just leave them in the comments section!

Linda----a special commission

Linda

14" x 14", watercolor

I had the privilege of painting this remarkable woman in December. There is a definite challenge in painting someone that you do not know, have not met. I was supplied with additional reference photos and stories of her to help me capture her spirit. She loved the beach and so this was the photo of choice.

It is humbling to immortalize a memory, especially this one. Thank you, Charlie, for the opportunity. Wishing I could have met her.

Happy New Year!!-----just a little late!

Storm on the Plains

6" x 12", pastel
Click to bid

Happy New Year!! Know it is a tad late, but there is good reason. Christmas was so busy and to add to the 'busy' I was trying to complete a very special commission. I did get it completed and on Jan. 1 it went home. I am thrilled to report that the owner is very happy. And the next day we headed to Colorado.

This painting is from a photo taken several years ago on the way to Colorado. We had stopped in Lubbock, warm, short sleeve weather. Heading to Amarillo this was the scene. By the time we got to Dalhart the snow was blowing so hard, the road was barely visible! Got to love Texas weather!

This was my first painting on Multimedia Pastel board. Began with a watercolor underpainting, looking forward to trying this paper/board again. Think I like it, only down side, I believe it doesn't like alcohol underpainting. I prefer alcohol because it dries so quickly, can get right to the pastel!

Christmas Commission

Coco and Tex

9" x 12", pastel

Hoping everyone had a blessed Christmas! We sure did. This is a commission I completed for a Christmas gift. They were such cuties, fun to paint.

Looking forward to the new year and all the opportunities to create art. Oh, so many possibilities!

Dusk

Dusk

6"x 6", pastel
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Been a busy time of year! Delivered a commission of 2 little canine cuties on Friday, but it is a surprise Christmas gift, so I have to keep it under wraps till then. Another commission in the works, but it is going to take awhile.

Painted this awhile back and never got around to getting a photo taken of it. Just love painting skies, there is such grandeur there. Took many photos on the way back from College Station last night, the sky was gorgeous!

Self-Imposed Challenge

Autumn Creek

11x14, pastel

So............. this is my husband's favorite painting (really I think he says that about most! Wise man!!!) It is currently hanging in Pitzer's Fine Arts in Wimberley, Texas if you would like to see it in person. Anyway, I digress, as you can see it is rather detailed. I feel that can lead the observer into the painting to see all that is there. But, in the art world there is the mantra that 'less is more', leave it to the imagination of the observer to fill in the gaps.

I decided that I would try to accomplish that by focusing on the 'economy of strokes' using the same reference photo. I, also, reduced the size of the painting to 8" x 10". This is  my first and second attempt at reducing the number of strokes in the painting. I used the same pastel underpainting ( set with alcohol) as I did on the original.

Autumn Creek II

8x10, pastel

Autumn Creek III

Each painting has fewer strokes than the previous one. I have my favorite, how about you, what is yours? Let me know.

Autumn Glow

Autumn Glow

6" x 8", pastel

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Around the country the fall colors are breathtaking. Well, not so much around here. We rarely get pretty fall colors. In fact, it has been several years since the leaves turned colors and not just turn brown and fall off the tree. This scene is, in fact, from several years ago....hoping to see these colors again this year.

Lil' Sparrow

Lil' Sparrow

6" x 6", pastel

The last couple of weeks we have been inundated with a group of sparrows. Oh the baths they take--9 or 10 of them in the birdbath! The water is just a flying out of that birdbath!

This little guy decided to eat a bite at the local seed bar!

Any of you in the Garden Ridge area this Saturday, plan on dropping by the Garden Ridge Women's Club Holiday Marketplace. I will have a booth featuring my art. Hope to see you there!

Calico Couture

Calico Couture

12" x 12", pastel

The Artoberfest Art Show of the New Braunfels Art League opened on October 2. I am pleased that this painting was juried in and will hang (unless sold!) until Nov. 11 in the gallery.

As I have said before I am not a cat person, but somehow some of my best paintings have been of cats! The cat belongs to one of my nieces and just seemed to be posing for me on their sofa with bright sunshine illuminating the scene.

Baby Chi and Check Out my new website

 

Baby Chi

8" x 6", pastel
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A fabulous artist and friend, Gaye Sekula, posted the photo reference for this painting on Facebook earlier this week. I commented that I saw a painting there and she encouraged me to paint it. What a fun subject matter! Such sparkle in the eyes and that bottom lip...love it!

Many thanks to Jim Street for dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century! He set up my website for me. It is a beautiful site where you can see and purchase my recent art. The site address is:    www.denisebeardart.com    Hope you will visit often!

Fall Shadows

Fall Shadows

8" x 6", pastel

The reference photo for this painting was taken last year when I was looking for subject matter for landscapes. So I drove around the neighborhood till I saw this scene. Hoping this year we can experience more fall foliage than we usually do.

Attitude!

Attitude!

9" x 12", pastel

Full body version of previously posted cat. This cat is really pretty cool, which is saying something coming from me. Enjoyed painting this one.

Received news yesterday that a painting had sold at Pitzer's Fine Arts in Wimberley. Never get over that feeling of someone liking my work enough to want to take it home----thrilling!

Autumn Grasses

Autumn Grasses

7"x 5", pastel

Click to Bid 

Really do love fall, the cooler temps, oh, yes the cooler temps! But I really love the colors of fall, unfortunately, that rarely happens here. So I rejoice in the subtle changes that we are blessed with in our area.

This originally was part of a larger painting, but sometimes 'crop art' can be a good thing. I love everything about this little painting. Some years this is all the 'color' we get! Come on cooler temps!!!

K-9 Kruisin'

K-9 Kruisin'

8" x 10", pastel
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When I pulled up behind this scene at a stop light, I was so hoping I could snap a photo before the light changed. This dog was so intent on the guy in the mirror. I felt he was trying to 'will' the guy to let him in the cab.

Occasionally, there will be a painting that just falls into place, 'paints itself' so to speak. This was one of those. Hadn't painted in awhile when I decided to give this one a try. It came together without major issues. The hardest part was coming up with a title!

Sentinels

Sentinels

6"x6", pastels

My son's girlfriend was visiting last weekend and interested in getting started in painting with pastels. I grabbed a piece of sanded paper and began showing her mark making. Pretty much ended with a couple of pitiful trees and let her start on her own painting.

When I came across the sketch again today, decided there might be a chance for this little painting. So I added a foreground, mid-ground and distant mountain.......pleased with the result.