Coastal Serenity

This largish stream was slowly meandering towards the ocean at Agate Beach. The color in the autumn grasses brightened up the scene after a night of heavy rain.

 

Coastal Serenity, 8 x 10.5 pastel on brown cardstock

Spencer Creek

While camping at Beverly Beach last month we went for a wet hike through the woods and along Spencer Creek. Today's painting is based on one of the photos I took along the way.

Spencer Creek, 8 x 10 pastel on brown cardstock

December Azalea

Santa gifted me with new pastels for Christmas and I could hardly wait to get my fingers dusty. We (Santa and I!) went for a long walk in the misty rain at CCC today and what did we see? A silly Azalea in full bloom! Since that's what tickled my fancy today it gets to be my first "return to the easel" subject of the week. It feels great to play with color again!

December Azalea, 8 x 10 pastel on dark blue cardstock

Floating By

I wasn't really "into" this painting today and got a little lazy with it, but I'm going to post it anyway. In a cultural village in South Korea last month I snapped a quick photo of a man poling his boat downstream with a couple passengers, and this is my "lazy" interpretation. :)

Floating By, 8 x 8 pastel on brown cardstock

Shore Pools

This one is a little different from my usual method of working. I did a lot of blending and just kept only the basic shapes of the water and sand, with a loose suggestion of a family on the beach. I kind of like it.

Shore Pools, 8 x 10, pastel on brown cardstock

Well, my post a month kind of fizzled because life intervened and made it too difficult. I am not disappointed, though. I made the right choices, given the circumstances. There are many more days ahead for painting. :)

Fish for Sale

In the mood to lighten up a bit and paint looser. Here's a simplified verson of a fish seller from an outdoor market in South Korea.

 

Fish for Sale, 7 x 9 pastel on brown cardstock

Footprints in the Sand

Late afternoon in the sand by the ocean. Any guesses on who this is?

Footprints in the Sand, 6.5 x 9.5 pastel on brown cardstock

Korean Biker Dudes

While walking to the market in South Korea, this comical duo zipped by. When my camera went up, the man stopped briefly to let me get the picture. Then he surprised me by asking in very broken English if I knew how to speak Korean. I had to admit that I was a new visitor and did not know the language, and he cheerfully wished me a good visit!

Naturally, I had to try and paint the picture of this biker dude and his cutie-patootie little dog riding on the back seat! His shirt matched his bike and he even had tassles out of the handle bars. In the field beside the road there are the ever-present wildflower...cosmos. They bloomed all over!

 

Korean Biker Dudes, 7 x 7 pastel on brown cardstock

Bridge Crossing

While walking along the Springwater Corridor in Portland on Saturday afternoon, I had my camera in hand when these two runners passed by. It was a fun reference for this little painting.

Bridge Crossing, 6 x 6 pastel on brown cardstock

Tidepool Runners

Still playing on the beach as you can see!

Tidepool Runners, 4 x 10 pastel on brown cardstock

Okay, I'll admit it. This painting was done two months ago. My goal was to do a painting a day to post in November, but sometimes the weekend is not condusive to spending time in my studio! Luckily, I had this painting on file that hadn't been posted before. I called it September's Roses, because that's when I plucked them from the garden and brought them inside to do a still life. Looks like maybe a couple lilacs in the bunch, but it was past time for lilacs in the garden, so I must have taken them from another arrangement to add to this one. Silly, I can't even remember!

September's Roses, 8 x 10 pastel on golden Canson

The Golden One

I did this one a few days ago from a local scene that inspired me. It's not nearly as fun as the beach scenes (and I'm not crazy about how this one turned out), but since I spent the day playing
 instead of painting, so you get to see fall colors again.

 

The Golden One, 8 x 10 pastel on cardstock

Three in the Sea

Thoroughly enjoying this series. Wait? I'm doing a series? Yep, looks like I am. No end in sight, and I have lots more reference material!

 

Three in the Sea, 8 x 8 pastel on brown cardstock

Wet Toes

I love these little beach scenes with figures! Expect to see more while I explore the possibilities. :)

 

Wet Toes, 8 x 10 pastel on brown cardstock

Ocean View

I had a great time playing with this one. While at the beach a few weeks ago, some of our family members climbed on the rocks to see what they could see. Becky took the photo, and I used artistic license to create this fun pastel version.

 

Ocean View, 8 x 10 pastel on brown cardstock

Timothy Lake Trail

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of walking on this trail that follows the shoreline of Timothy Lake. The sunlit trail was just asking to be painted. :)

 

Timothy Lake Trail, 8 x 10 pastel on golden cardstock

Pretty Kitty

Luckily I had my pocket camera with me while on my morning walk today, so I could snap a quick photo of a cat observing his own reflection in a large puddle. It was a fun image to try painting with my pastels!

 

Pretty Kitty, 6 x 6 pastel on golden cardstock

Bananas on Spots

This little study took all of 15 minutes. I found a spotted cloth, tossed a bunch of bananas on it and then dashed off the colors without hardly stopping to think. I enjoyed the process, even though the finished product is not a serious work. It was simply for fun. :)

Bananas on Spots, 6x6 pastel on brown cardstock

Backyard Glory

The sun came out today and illuminated the golden trees in the meadow beyond the maple trees. Of course the maples have been busy, too. Ken assures me he got the leaves cleaned up...but that was yesterday!

Backyard Glory, 8 x 10 pastel on purple cardstock

Autumn Sky

Will it rain soon, or begin to clear up? The sun was going down behind me when I snapped the reference photo for this painting. Amazing colors in the foliage!

Autumn Sky, 8 x 10 pastel on purple cardstock

Bay City Sunset

A month ago we stayed overnight in Bay City, which is north of Tillamook. We walked down to the bay and watched this lovely sunset.

Bay City Sunset, 8 x 10 pastel on purple cardstock

Halloween Colors

On Halloween day I stepped out into the middle of the street in front of my house and snapped a quick photo of the colorful trees in the neighborhood. This painting was done referring only to the photo in the camera...I didn't even take the time to download it onto the computer. What made it fun was that because the image was so tiny I didn't get involved in "detail-itis". I like it.

Halloween Colors, 8.5 x 11 pastel on red cardstock

Rod's Little Maple

Another small painting from yesterday, standing under my back porch patio roof while it rained. This is a pretty little maple tree in my neighbor's yard next door.

 

Rod's Little Maple, 5x5 pastel on black cardstock

Fuschia's Last Stand

It's raining outside today, but I had the urge to do some plein air painting, so I took my easel outside under the covered patio in the back yard and looked around for a subject. Here's amidst the mossy rocks, yellowing ferns and fallen leaves is a little fuschia bravely putting out a few more blossoms before winter.

Fuschia's Last Stand, 5x5 pastel on black cardstock

October 29th Trees

I really intended to sew this morning, but after looking out my windows to the trees behind our house, the pastel box called to me...."Just take a few minutes....what colors do you see? Pick up a pastel or two and linger a little at the easel..."

How quickly time flies when I am not at the easel! The Maples must be given a little attention today. The leaves will not last much longer. And the artist in me is feeling a need to assert herself again. It's time.

October 29th Trees, 6x6 pastel on black cardstock

Clear Lake Camping

We went camping this weekend to Clear Lake in the Mt Hood wilderness. I sat on the beach to do this painting and struggled with the wind (see the ripples against the shore line?) and the glaring afternoon sunshine, but somehow it turned out just fine! Ken sat nearby enjoying a good book, so we both had a nice time on the beach.

Clear Lake Afternoon, 8x10 pastel on red cardstock

 

Later on, while sitting at our picnic table, I was watching the last lights of the sun in our camping area and impulsively decided to try to paint it. I made a quick sketch with a black pastel, then gleefully scribbled color throughout the paper. What a fun time! I told Ken, "This is what art should always feel like: carefree and fun!" I think the painting even looks as though the artist was having a good time. Yep!

Clear Lake Campground, 8x10 pastel on green cardstock

Blue Sky in the Sand

While walking on the beach a couple weeks ago I loved seeing these huge water puddles that overflowed from the ocean onto the sand. I knew I would try to paint it, and here's the first try. Will there be another? Maybe. :)

Blue Sky in the Sand, 8x10 pastel on grey Canson

The Sun Goes Down

We were down at Clackamette Park a few weeks ago and watched the sun go down. I took pictures (washed out and blah looking), so using the landscape as reference only, this morning I re-created that sunset as it seemed to me at the time.

Backyard Sunrise

Another morning and another inspiration! Before the sun made it up, these bright clouds rolled out the welcoming mats, so to speak. I was amazed. Today I challenged myself to use only one kind of pastel (I have several different brands.) My selections were all Nu-pastels, which have a harder consistency than the others in my box. Still, a challenge is a challenge. So here's the view from my backyard, looking over the rooftops, awaiting the rising sun.

Backyard Sunrise, 8x10 Nu-pastels on grey Canson

Morning Glow

Glancing out my window this morning I was awestruck with the way the morning sunrise had cast a reddish-orange glow upon the leaves in the maple trees. They are still green, but the early light created an entirely different look. Naturally, I had to take a picture and use that reference for today's painting. :)

Morning Glow, 8x10 pastel on white paper

Guardians

My reference for this painting was a photo taken a week ago while walking past the park. I loved the way the tight clipped lawn practically flowed in so many different colors, and I was especially amused by the sight of all those large dark trees standing protectively around the young one.

Guardians, 8x10 pastel on black sandpaper

Rivercrest Park

Large fir trees in the park. Want to go on a picnic?

Rivercrest Park, 8x10 pastel on grey Canson

orange roses

How do you paint a rose when you don't want to paint every petal? That's my latest challenge. I want an impressionistic look, yet still recognizeable. I'll be working on that.

Orange Roses, 7.5 x 8.5 pastel on off-white Strathmore

Sunset over Sparks Lake

I tried an unsual paper for this painting: 600 grit black sandpaper! Yep, the kind you buy in the hardware section of the store. This surface really grabs the pastel and was fun to work with. For this experiment I decided to paint a sunset that we watched over the lake a couple weeks ago. Yes, it really was that bright. :)

Sunset over Sparks Lake, 8 x 10 pastel on black sandpaper

Dahlia in a Jar

A Dahlia blossom that was displayed in a jar at the Clackamas County Fair. I am using a different paper today and the pastels did not layer very well, so I did a fair amount of finger smudging (on purpose). Normally I just like to make a mark and leave it.

Dahlia in a Jar, 6 x 7.5 inches, pastel on cream Strathmore charcoal paper

Cherry Tomatoes

At Erika's last night we picked a bunch of sweet cherry tomatoes. The girls helped me make bruschetta to go with dinner, but that only used up a small portion of our pickings. I brought some home with me and today I thought it would be fun to paint a few of them before lunch. :)

Cherry Tomatoes, 6x6 pastel on white Canson

Reception Flowers

My nephew got married this weekend and I was gifted with this extra bouquet from the reception. Should I try to paint it? Yep.

Reception Flowers, 8x10 pastel on grey Canson

Morning Lights

This was painted a couple days ago, but not yet posted. My reference was a photo taken on a morning walk last winter. I loved the look of the sunrise combined with the glow from the streetlight on the homes down the street.

Morning Lights, 5x7 pastel on white Canson

Pansy

This little pansy was sitting all alone at the Fair Tuesday afternoon. Looks a little sad or grumpy, don't you think?

Pansy, 5.5 x 7.5 pastel on yellow Canson

August Morning

It's going to be a hot one here today, but this morning was cool and lovely. I took the reference photo for this painting in my backyard at 7:30 AM. The morning light was beautiful!

August Morning, 8 x 8.5 pastel on yellow Canson

Rise and Shine, Campers!

This one was fun to paint! One morning on our campout last week I had been up a little while and came upon our tent glowing in the early sunrise. I snapped a reference photo, which turned out much more boring than what I remembered seeing, so I took artistic license today and made this image be more like what I saw that morning...or maybe it's what I thought I saw. Either way, I love it!

Rise and Shine, Campers!, 7.5x8 pastel on white Canson

Up a Creek

Running into the far north end of Sparks Lake is a very cold creek that is usually teeming with little fish. Every year we paddle up the creek as far as we can go and I think this year we set a new record! The water level is the highest we have ever seen for August, which made canoeing here easier than years past. Naturally, I called this painting, "Up a Creek".

Up a Creek, 8x10 pastel on dark green cardstock

Art at the Lake

We just returned from several days of camping at Sparks Lake in central Oregon. I found time to do four pastel paintings while we were there! Plein air painting is quite a challenge. Just when I think I've got the color or shadow right, the light changes and creates a new view of the same subject. However, it was fun trying. :)

The first one was painted as I sat on our bluff campsite looking across the lake in the early morning. The grasses on the other side were bright green in the sunlight.

 Morning Light at Sparks Lake, 8x8 pastel on orange Canson

This painting of South Sister was done in the late morning from a beach not too far from the boat landing. South Sister always reminds Ken and I of a "monkey face", with the dark fissures of the "mouth" creating a rather grumpy looking ape.

 South Sister, otherwise known as Monkey Face, 8x8 pastel on orange Canson

This view was from the back side of our bluff campsite looking into the second cove in the southern part of the lake. I hate trying to paint rocks, so I made myself do it just for the challenge. This was in the late afternoon.

 Rocky Cove, 8x8 pastel on golden Canson

The sun was quite low in the sky when I painted this one, sitting on a tiny beach just north of the southern pool of the lake. The light was changing very quickly on this one so I tried to hurry. :)

Fading Light on Sparks Lake, 8x8 pastel on golden Canson

Sunny Grasses

We're headed out for our annual canoe camp at Sparks Lake! I'm taking along my pastels so that I can play with some plein air paintings. Looking forward to a great week. In the meantime, here is a re-post of a pastel I did of Sparks Lake last year. 

Sunny Grasses, 8x10 pastel on orange Canson

Backyard Lights

This was an accident. I wasn't planning on doing a complete work right now, but I made a few marks on paper for a quick study and it got away from me. Maybe it is still a study, and I'll do another one sometime...but maybe I won't. I was attracted to this subject because of the sun shining through the trees and the happy yellow coneflowers dancing in the light.

Backyard Lights, 8x10 pastel on orange paper

Boulder King

We were driving along a particularly boring section of Nevada last summer when suddenly there was an area with these amazing rock formations. Of course we had to pull over to rest and explore a little, and Ken naturally wanted to climb up to the top of a nearby section. I humored him and captured the moment with my camera. Here is that scene in pastel glory. :)

Boulder King, 8x8 pastel on blue Canson