Unicorn

 

"Unicorn," Marker on 5x6.9 140 lb Arteza Watercolor Paper

Created with Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pens, this pointillism unicorn was a surprise for my boyfriend, who loves unicorns. I truly enjoyed working on it. It brought me back to my childhood, when I would spend hours drawing horses. This is the first horse I’ve drawn since those days.

Onion

 

"Onion," colored pencil and soft pastel on 5 x 5 on 98 lb paper

The onion was the most available subject today.  I began this one with a sketch using Dahlia Purple and Parma Violet Prismacolor pencils.  It was time to pull out the PanPastels.  I did a light wash in Violet and then Yellow Ochre.  I added Red Iron Oxide for the darker spots of my onion.  I made my shadows using a combination of those colors, all in pastel, along with a little Neutral Gray.  I used the colored pencil to add some finishing details.

I wanted to use a complimentary color palette to create a recognizable onion.  My main goal was to create realistic color and texture.  I will be creating some onion abstractions in my next sketches.

Emergence

 

"Emergence," pastel on 9 x 12 92 lb paper

I thought about sitting on a sandy hill at night, listening to the Gulf of Mexico.  I made a non-representational painting, focusing on the emotions of that night, rather than attempting a landscape or a figure.  I felt in touch with something spiritual, something higher.  The mystery of the Hale-Bopp Comet, visible in the sky the entire time I visited Venice, Florida, that year, only added to that feeling.  In addition to the mystical, I felt an incredible sense of serenity.  I chose many purples and blues, as these are colors I relate to divinity and magic.  I chose oranges to represent the feeling after sun has gone down, and greens to help convey the feeling of serenity.  I worked entirely in pastel on black paper, marking without thinking, without planning, just feeling.  This is an emotional piece.

Tie-dye Storm

 

PanPastel on Strathmore Watercolor Paper 9 x 6

I played with PanPastel a bit at the fountain in front of St. Jude's Catholic Church.  The rain started falling on the paper before I had quite finished.

Pear in Colored Pencil

 

Colored Pencil on 5x7 Canson 98 lb paper

I used a demo from Arlene Steinberg's Masterful Color for this bit of practice.  Despite its small size, it took a long time. 

Pear

A pear study with a Prismacolor pencil underpainting, layered over with soft PanPastel.

Pastel on 6x6 tan cardstock

Red Pepper

7.5 x 7 with Prismacolor colored pencils on 98 lb Canson paper.  I used an underpainting with complimentary colors, just like with my previous tomato drawing.  Colored pencil work takes forever!  Here is the underpainting: