Showing posts with label Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard. Show all posts

Monday, February 22, 2021

"Southern Girls Series - Saucer Magnolia Branch", A new series, and the last painting of 2020

Southern Girls - Saucer Magnolia Branch, 6" X 18" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard, Available For Sale  

Starting a new series is like starting a new year, and I had to get a jump on 2021 by getting this one going during 2020!  Although this was my last painting of 2020 technically, I was looking forward to 2021, Spring and a fresh year, full of possibilities.  We all needed to mourn 2020 and I realize 2021 could be similar but I choose to look on the bright side.  Just like I'm ignoring all the snow, ICE, sleet and more cold temperatures much of us have endured during this beginning of the year.  

Spring will come, IT WILL COME, say it with me: Spring Will Come! I am soooo ready.  My life revolves around my garden most years, ebbing and flowing with the season, embracing what each has to savor.  I think I was savoring the first 2 snowfalls, and even took a moment to appreciate the icy glaze on the branches everywhere the first ice storm we had.  And really cherished the fact we maintained power, unlike many in the area.  But now despite what the ground hog had to declare, I'm calling it over.  

Maybe it's the sunny day we're having, and my bulbs inching their way up slowly and warily.  Or the forecast of warming temps by later this week, yep probably it's this! ;)) I took down my Valentines wreath and flag, up with the St. Patrick's Day decor, and Luck for Spring.  We all need it don't you think! I willing it to happen.

The piece above came about by many different reference photos, 7 to be exact.  Blending shape of the different stages of each individual flower's opening, with the changing shades each had depending on their age.  Kind of like each of us, from the tightest bud (new, inexperienced and young), to exploring adolescents full of color reaching for experience, then middle aged in our wise ability to hold together in the wind and finally on to the slightly fading in color but full and resilient as can be.  

Gratitude Journal page
2018

This page from my gratitude journal back in 2018 shows a saucer magnolia bud in August no less!  My poor (confused at the season) tree prompted this small sketch.  Saucer magnolia's are deciduous trees that usually bloom on nearly bare branches in the Spring before the leaves have a chance to mature or sprout in earnest.  My plant tried blooming all that growing season.  One here and there.  

The quote I wrote is:

And the day came 
when the Risk to Remain Tight in a bud
was more painful than the Risk it took to Blossom!   
by Anais Nin 

I love this quote as it has much meaning to me.  Risk to bloom no matter if it's out of season or not reminds me of my art career.  Later in life I began my art career, much past the age of many.  But just like the quote and the bud in the sketch, I did finally have the courage to bloom.  And I guess that's what I wish for anyone reading this blog post.  It's never too late to try.  

Stay warm, safe and come back to visit with me all new things are on the horizon here and elsewhere. News to come soon!
Gloria

Friday, April 1, 2016

"Shauna Lily - Mona Lisa's Smile", A Portrait Finished - And the snapshots taken along the way.

Shauna Lily - Mona Lisa's Smile, 16" X 12"
Colored Pencil on  Ampersand Pastelboard




Well she's finally done, and submitted as this years 24th Annual CPSA International  (Colored Pencil Society of America) entry.  A portrait of my youngest granddaughter Shauna Lily.  The story of this portrait is tied to my CP art classes in a way and to the portrait of Cora, her older sister.



A few years back I taught a class to my students for recreating a master in colored pencil.  You can see that image below of "My Girl With A Pearl", my personal tribute to Vermeer's "Girl With A Pearl Earring" and my post of that painting here.

And of course when you do one grandchild's portrait you know your going to want to do all of them eventually.  As young Shauna watched me do Cora's piece she asked about which Old Master her portrait would be?  And with her coloring and the influence from my own mother's favorite painting we came up with a plan.  It had to be the Mona Lisa. And she liked that Mona Lisa and Shauna Lily kind of sounded the same.  While I didn't want to do her as I did Cora in the same clothing and setting, I did want the feeling of Mona's gaze and eyes that seem to follow you.  And of course the notorious smile had to be there.  Thus the title!

Next we had to take a photo as reference for her portrait and that meant a photo shoot!  Now what little girl doesn't want to model?  So we set up on a very rainy winter's morning to snap some pictures.  Below was the one I chose to work from.

Reference Photo


I always start a portrait with completing the background first so that the fine hairs which surround a person can be brought out and over the background.
Initial layers of pale skin tones defining the features.
                                 
I first lay in the pupil and iris, as adding them first help me decide the values of the skin tones better*.  The initial layers of pale skin tone colors are added to lightly define the features.  I continue adding layers of skin tone colors, varying degrees and going darker as I am contouring the features.

*Since my reference shot did not capture the warm colors that make Shauna's eyes so lovely I could not go dark enough until I had my son send me close up photos of her eyes in better lighting.  I find the eye color to be crucial in capturing a likeness as well as expression.   So I continued with the skin  a little before finishing the pupil and iris areas.



The photos below shows how I develop the skin tones further going into more detail as I go.  The shadowy right side of her face needed soft edges and working in that area one has to be cautious to not "dirty or make mud".

Excuse the iPad shadow here, oops.




Feeling like the skin tones are working well I need to get her dark hair in so I can see how the darker values in this portrait will influence the skin tones. 

  


 Completing the hair takes a while and I'm working in clumps and groups of strands as I go.   I ultimately wanted to keep the light blue highlights from the window light on her hair.  They look a bit white here but in the finished piece they are a bluish.




Now I'm happy with her skin and hair at this point but small tweaks and more softening of the right side of her face are going along as I begin her clothing.


At this point "knitting" her sweater has to happen and although I knit in real life I'm not sure I really want to do it in pencil.  But at the time this was a favorite dress for her so here goes.  I started to lay out the shadows and rumples in the sweater.

Purl stitches on the shoulder cap, stockinet stitches below.Knit 1 purl 2.  etc.  on and ooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! 

I wanted to get the garment finished because I knew that the pencil crumbles that always appear as you work (and especially on sanded board) would get onto her arm colors.  And speckles of teal/turquoise do not look good in skin!

As it was a few managed to get there anyway after I finished her arm.  !!$%&!!

Well there you have it she's finished! I hope you enjoyed a small example of the over 6 weeks this piece took.  I had shared the progress photos with Shauna and she was pleased.

Finished Piece "Shauna Lily - Mona Lisa's Smile"
   


















Thursday, March 31, 2016

Playing Catch Up With Small Details - To finish up a couple older Plein Air pieces.

"Andre's Garden" a Plein Air Study, 5" X 7" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

The delays that life brings to an artist's schedule have kept me from posting new work and updates on my Blog.  I hate to just post a picture and not let you know about the process, inspiration and possible difficulties in the completing of artwork.  Rest assured that my absence has not been due to inactivity but on the contrary.  I have been working on a colored pencil piece which I will reveal soon, along with photos in progress, as my entry into the 2016 International CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America) show.   Stay tuned.  

The small plein air works in this post were started on a previous plein air outing season and set aside since they needed a few last minute tweaks and touches before I could call them complete.  They can be seen or purchased, currently at Crossroads Art Center in my exhibit space.   The first, "Andre's Garden" above, is the home of popular nurseryman and national call in talk radio personality Andre Viette, a local icon known for his gardening expertise, in Fishersville, VA.  My intrepid Plein Air partner in crime Kathy, and I ventured there while out on a painting weekend and we found the gardens to be a pleasure.  Finding it hard to position ourselves in one spot as there were so many to choose from.  We eventually were rained out that day, thus the delay in finishing. Andre Viette's Garden.  


"Lazare Pond" a Plein Air Study, 8 X 6" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

The above small plein air works were started on a previous plein air outing season and set aside since they needed a few last minute tweaks and touches before I could call them complete.   The first, "Andre's Garden" was at a popular home of nurseryman and national call in radio persise in Fishersville, VA.  My intrepid Plein Air partner in crime Kathy, and I ventured there while on a painting weekend and we found the gardens to be a pleasure.  Finding it hard to position ourselves in one spot as there were so many to choose from.  We eventually were rained out that day, thus the delay in finishing.  Andre Viette's Garden 

The second piece, "Lazare Pond" was from a great Plein Air paint out with several Moscow School of Painting masters who schooled us in Russian oil painting techniques when working in the fresh air.  Located and hosted by Lazare Gallery in Charles City, VA.  If you haven't enjoyed the works of Russian contemporary painter's you really must look them up.  You can find their website here: http://www.lazaregallery.com/gallery/welcome.html

Kathy and John Wurdeman's gallery and home are on the scenic banks of the James River and do not disappoint.  Lazare Gallery is beautifully decorated and the wonderful collection of Russian painter's they represent here are a must see if your in VA.  Their son Jonathan is one of the Russian painter's who demonstrated his style and technique that day, and he acted as translator for us for the others Russian artists.  Experiencing the gorgeous lighting in the paintings of these Russian master's at the gallery brought warmth to the cold November Day we were painting in.  

Now at the time I had not started painting in water miscible oils, so I was working in "crayons de couleur" (the French term for CP), which is what they used when referring to my media.  All of the Russian masters looked and commented with a nodding head as they reviewed my in-progress work, not speaking very much English.  And I had to wonder what their impression was of my working in colored pencil..  

You see at the Moscow school of painting, children to teens work for 4 or more years copying and drawing only, not painting when they enter the school.  First mastering their rendering skills.  So I think they thought I was a newbie and student.  Not realizing I use this as my final media when working Plein Air.  They also seemed interested in the fact I was using my trimmed off bristle brushes to blend and fill the sanded surface of my Ampersand Pastelboard.  Well they we partly right as aren't we all life long students LOL ;))

It was a cold windy day so blending the wax of my Prismacolors was not easy.  Usually in warmer weather the wax blends easily and with little effort.  Which is one of the perks of doing Plein air work in colored pencils in my southern state of Virginia.  Use this link above to see Lazare's website and read about the fabulous work of the Moscow School of Painting as well as to see beautiful examples of their work.   

I hoping to post a little more frequently as life permit's, check back in for views of my current piece on the drawing board.  

Waiting for Spring's colors,
Gloria

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Backlit Cuties Added To Backlit Series

                             Backlit Cuties 6 X 12 Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard

Just before my final outdoor show this year and the one I co-chair for Bon Air Artists Association, I completed this addition to my series.  The 20th Anniversary of Art Affair Fine Art and Fine Craft Show is a labor of commitment for my local art group in Richmond.  I have chaired this show for 3 years and it truly is a show that not only benefits our local artist community but we give 2 VCU Art Dept. scholarships as a result and Art 180, a Nonprofit organization that provides art-related programs to young people living in challenging circumstances, encouraging personal and community change.  Located on Mary Munford Elementary School grounds on Westmoreland St. and Cary St.,  Sat. 10-5 and Sun. 11-5. 

Sorry for the brief advertisement, but this show is a nearly year round job, and has taken up much of my production time.  Although the show is a great event and we as the BAAA are the only Richmond based art group that produces such a show.  We provide an opportunity for local high school honors students a competitive exhibit opportunity where they can show with many local professional artists as well as those from out of state.

Continuing the series of backlit fruit in this format has been great fun for me and I have at least a few more up my sleeve.  Capturing the juicy water droplets on the surface of the orange skins and tray surface added to the fun.  And with the last outdoor show for this year coming up this weekend, I hope to get more work produced.  My students have enjoyed the series and as they are just now learning my techniques on sanded board I hope to pursue more kitchen art. 

I hope you like it and if your in my area you'll drop by Art Affair this weekend.  Have a colorful day!

Gloria

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