Saturday, June 18, 2011

Opals of the Desert 16 x 20 Pastel


Painting this was absolute fun.   Black mat suede board provides a rich background for the jeweled colors of the desert flowers so prevalent in Arizona every spring.   People stop and stare in awe and they take cameras on long walks with the hope of seeing these desert beauties.  The flowers usually stay in bloom only a day or two, so to get a photograph at the right time in the right light is considered a treasure by artists and photographers alike.   Pan pastels were used for this painting with the smallest applicators.  They were new to me at the time but I loved using them in this particular painting.   Unison pastels were also used at times to lighten and/or brighten certain areas.                                                                                                                                                    

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Look Into My Eyes 8 x 10 Pastel



This wonderful resident of our Desert Museum drew everyone to him with his beautiful captivating eyes that seemed to smile and beckon to his admirers to stop and get acquainted.  He won me over and I just had to share the light in his eyes with others in a pastel that was a delight to create.  I chose mat suede board as the surface because it is my favorite medium for our furred and feathered friends.