Studio Notes and Reflections

I always feel better prepared to launch into a painting if I've done a good job of the under drawing. I may have some idea of how I want the painting to look, but I often discover that when I execute a careful study I will begin to express my subconscious feelings. I come to understand what drew me to the subject in the first place. Other times my thoughts and feelings will drive the drawing. For this composition, the drawing is teaching me what the "agave has to say." [...]

(November 1, 2021:  Breaking news, this painting was accepted into the International Association of Pastel Societies 39th Juried Exhibition  as part of the 7th Master's Division.  I was 'over the moon' that it was accepted into this prestigious show.)     Spring this year in central Texas was unusually wet, making sauntering off onto nature paths a bit more of a challenge.  One does not usually associate cactus with rain, but it was after a rainy morning that I captured this scene.  It was very early, and the light was low and faint.   The grass was high from so much rain, the path soggy.   Most of [...]

I was especially surprised and pleased last October when I was notified that I had earned an Honorable Mention in the prestigious 22nd Pastel Journal 100 competition for my painting Sentries to the Sunset.   I began this painting because I thought I could finally use a particular frame I had,  I needed something that would fit into a 20 x 30 format and would go with a silver/gray frame.  I wanted to try and keep my purchases down through the pandemic, so I started off with a vague plan to work in a cool colors for this one particular frame.   A Bad [...]

This is the follow up to the blog titled "Strangeo."   I think I might have arrived at my final destination.   "Strangeo" has evolved now to "Strange Splendor."   My work took me from this starting point to this ending point:     Working on a heavily textured ground, I began by blocking in my map of colors.  I think of this as the color "plan" for the painting.     I usually tilt my panel slightly forward so the pastel dust does not fall below where I'm working.  This has proved to be an essential aid to keeping my darks.  Nonetheless, I usually strive to work from top to bottom.     As [...]

It is not unusual for folks to ask me how I work.  And I know it is not satisfying to get the answer "it depends."  My process varies partly on my mood and partly on what I want to express.  If I'm looking to create something with a lot of fine detail, for example, I'll work on a sanded paper.  But lately, I prefer boards with a lot of texture 'gusto.'   Invariably however, it begins with a drawing.  Sometimes it is a line drawing, the 'bare bones' of the composition because I want to work in large swaths of color and texture [...]