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.