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
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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

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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.

Got Your Goat?

Got Your Goat?

8" x 8", pastel
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Good friend and artist, Molly White, posted a photo of one of her new goats on Facebook. She then invited her friends to paint the goat in her Great American Goat Paint Off. This sounded like fun, so this is my contribution. This guy/gal really exuded personality, think I caught it!

1st Place!

A Hard Life

20 x 16, pastel

What a wonderful surprise I received tonight! The Seguin Art League had the reception for their Summer Showcase show that is hanging in the Selig Room of the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center. 'A Hard Life' was the first place winner!

The show runs through August 8 and is open M-F from 10am to 4pm. It is a great show. Hope you can get by to see it.

Freckles------Finally!

Freckles

12 x 9, pastel

Finally, Freckles went to live in his forever home! This painting has been completed for months, but had to keep it under wraps until I could give it to my sister-in-law and nieces. Well, this weekend it finally happened. It was a total surprise and I think they are pretty happy.

Keep in mind I do commissions of pets and people. Christmas will be here before we know it!  I know.....bite my tongue!

Study--sunrise

Study--sunrise

6" x 12", pastel

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Returning from my first IAPS convention in Albuquerque, my husband and I were treated to this glorious sunrise. The vista was so wonderful and changing by the minute. I was thankful for a camera with an SD card rather than film, just could not help but snap photos incessantly.

Blue Skies

Blue Skies

8 x 10, pastel

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Just returned from my first IAPS convention, what a wonderful week of learning and fellowship. So many prestigious artists sharing their vast knowledge of the pastel medium. I took a demo or workshop every day. This is a painting was started in a workshop instructed by Stan Sperlak, learned so much from each artist. 

The reference photo for the painting was taken on the first sunny day following a week of rain and destruction in Texas. It was so good to see billowing clouds against that blue sky.

Miss Kitty

8 x 8, pastel

Miss Kitty loves lying in the sunshine and greeting customers at our groomers. Those dogs do not mess with her. I'm thinking she rules the roost. Her eyes are gorgeous, sort of imploring you to pet her. She is one fluffy kitty, as well, with different colored eyes!

Getting excited about the IAPS convention in Albuquerque, so many wonderful pastel artists in one place!!