Merry Christmas

Well here it is the end of Christmas day. I was going to post the Christmas card I made this year, but I can't find it on the computer. I must have thrown it out. Oh well.

The day started early. At 1:30 a.m. the phone rang. You know a call in the middle of the night can't be good. After knocking half of the stuff off my end table I finally found the phone. It was my son's friend asking to talk to him. He is eleven. I said he is a sleep and to call back tomorrow. I fell back a sleep but at 3 a.m. to tell me he can't sleep. He needs to go down stairs and see the presents. He did, but still couldn't sleep. Every fifteen minutes or so he came back into my room. I told him to read or watch TV but he said he was too distracted by the presents. Finally at 5 I got up and started playing video games with him. He said he going to play until 5:30 then wake up mom and his sister. I got him to last until six when his sister woke up.

Anyway, it has been a long day and I am too tired to work on a new piece. I'm going to play some video games and go to bed.

good night

Pineapple Trio

So here it is, the pineapple trio. I still l wasn't happy with the results as I worked on this piece, but I wanted to finish it. I don't like not finishing a piece so I took it as a learning experience. But it is difficult to work on a piece when you are not into it. However, I like the pastel medium more and more as I work with it.

This is the first pastel piece that I worked on an easel with. I had quite a pile of colorful dust on the bottom of my easel when I was done.

Oh the humanity!

My wife bought a few pineapples the other day so I thought they would make a great pastel still life. As usual I jumped right in. It didn't take very long before I noticed this piece wasn't going well. I failed to capture the pattern on the pineapple. That is what happens when you draw what you think rather than what you see. Also that purple I chose for the background wasn't working.

Fear not. I grabbed another piece of paper and started fresh. Why belabor a piece that is not working. However, the new piece is not going well either so I drowned my sorrow in a bag of peanut M & Ms.

Here is the first piece that was not going well and a picture of the said pineapples.

A hand a day

I know I am weak with drawing hands so I have decided to draw a hand a day. I'm doing better than I thought. I'll keep it up until I feel really comfortable drawing hands. Once that happens I'll start drawing feet. My other weak spot.

Statue and Three Oranges

Second pastel piece under my belt. I didn't like this one very much. But the next day I didn't think it was too bad. I like using the pastels very much and will continue to work with them. Next piece will be some pineapples.

More Trees

I set up in the park again for more tree art. I had plenty of time and so I way overworked this piece. I was very unhappy with it and questioned my abilities as an artist on the way home. But I got over myself pretty quick and set up a still life for a pastel piece.

As I often do, I am not happy with a piece, but the next day when I look it over, I am happy with it. Or at least happier. This did not occur with this piece. I still think it is overworked. How ever, I have a plan to make a new piece using this one for reference.

Pastel Shrooms

Here is my first attempt to use pastels. I was not happy with the results. But the next day I didn't think it was too bad. I posted it over at wetcanvass and got some very flattering replies. I am going to try some more pastel work.

Ballard Park Tree

Went to a local park and set up with an easel. I used charcoal. My first problem was the wind. I had to clamps holding the paper on top and nothing to hold the bottom so the paper kept blowing up. I'll start keeping a role of tape in my sketch bag.

So I had to work with one hand holding down the paper. I was unable to step back and see my work in progress, something I like to do. Second problem was the sleeve of my coat kept dragging on the paper blurring and making marks all over. Oh, the difficulties of being an artist.

Charcoal Shrooms

I just whipped this out in about ten minutes. I am much happier with this piece than the previous watercolor pencil piece which took me three nights. Next I am going to try this same image in pastel.

Three Shrooms

I just finished this piece. I used watercolor pencils and a dip pen. I'm not happy with it. Oh well, they can't all be winners. I'm not that good with watercolor or watercolor pencils. I did sign up for a drawing class at the Art Students League in New York City. I'm very excited for that. It will start in January.