Mid Summer Daydream

Like most artists, I collect photo reference by the hundreds.   Often when I bring them home, or open the file later, its just meh.   Those get tossed right away.   But sometimes there's enough in it to be kept, some get used right away and some, well, there's good in it, but I just can't see it well enough yet and those get saved til I can "see it better".     

I went thru several of these recently and with my photo editing program, along with thumbnail sketches, found the good I knew was there all along.   As much as I am wanting to go out painting, and even with warmer temps, its still awfully drab out there.  I felt the need for color this week!

Mid Summer Daydream   15x21pastel on Uart sanded paper, available

I really had fun painting this summer day, where you breathe in deep the fresh air, feeling the sun warming and the hearing the birds.   I am longing for summer in all her glory!

Yippeee!

Wendy with her new baby boys

Okay, I *should* be sound asleep by now, and I would be except I am on kidding watch...2 of my does had their babies tonight, a mother and her daughter!   Tilly is the older doe, Wendy is her daughter and each had their babies a few hours ago.   I am SO glad they waited til it wasn't subzero!   I will check them a couple times to be sure they are doing well, and that the one remaining preggo isn't giving birth.  The first 2 showed no signs of it this afternoon and when I went to do chores, they had little babies!   :happy dance!:  

Tilly with her girls, Xandi and Xena

 
So as I wait for kid-checks, I went to clear out my email.  I'm bad at letting it get overflowing!   But this time, whoot whoot, yippee and oh boy!!  I got an email I've been waiting and hoping for!......   Guess I'm heading on a new adventure this fall!   eeek!!!    How am I ever gonna get to sleep now?!  heheh!

Greetings, Artists: You have been selected to participate in our 2019 Bluff Strokes Plein Air Paint Out.  Thank you for registering! We had significantly more registrants this year than we can accommodate.  Artists were chosen to reflect a mix of approximately 2/3 returnees and 1/3 new participants.

Buffalo Gal

Buffalo Gal   9x12pastel on board   $125.

Last fall I went to Custer Park and got a ton of great reference photos.   I used one of a buffalo cow waiting for her calf to catch up, for this small piece    I'm still experimenting with a more textured surface.

This surface  forces me to loosen up and I like leaving some of the surface color, in this case a deep red, showing thru the final colors.    It gives the work a life and vibrancy, which I think is especially good for a subject like this. 

I also found these fun jumbo tacks, that do a dandy job of holding the hardboard panel at my easel.   If I only put the panel on the easel, I struggle getting to the top and bottom and I dont' like feeling penned in.  These allow the panel to be able to move left and right easily, not disrupting me.  It also helps to keep my panel at a level  so I can stand to work, freeing me up a bit more as I prefer to step back every few minutes to check on my progress.