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

Pears

Pears

6 x 6, pastel

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Real original title there! But what else could I call it?

Once again life is getting in the way of painting, I hate when that happens. But at least I am happy with the way this painting turned out, more lost edges, a little more painterly.

The Very First!!!

Bountiful Harvest     (10 x 8, pastel)

I was notified today that this painting has been accepted to The Appalachian Pastel Society's 2012 Juried National Exhibition!!!! This painting was one of 74 paintings out of 230 submitted that was selected by the juror, Richard McKinley, PSA, PSWC-DP, NPS. It will be displayed October 18 - December 14, 2012 at The Asheville School Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.

This is my first ever acceptance into a juried show!!! I have to thank Rita Kirkman (check out her blog, Rita Kirkman's Daily Paintings) for the workshop that ignited my desire/ability to work in pastel and for encouraging me to enter shows outside of our local gallery. I also have to thank Angie Banta Brown (check out her web site) for years of instruction, encouragement and friendship, helping me to get to this point in my art experience!!!