Mom's bamboo

My mom visited me from Europe several years ago. She has a natural green thumb and likes to steal leaves and shoots from plants she sees around. If this information ever gets used in the court, mom, I am really sorry. Well, that year she "found" a tiny bamboo shoot and planted it in this old wine bottle. I hallowed out the wine cork and the shoot is now gently held by it. Years passed by and the shoot grew is still alive, surprisingly... I'am known for my pathetic horticultural skills.

                                "Mom's Bamboo"    5x6 Pastel on Canson    Click here to bid

This is how the "set up" looks with my new portable pastel sketchbox. Really starting to like working with it.

Late Autumn

It is cold outside. Better to stay indoors, comfortably nestled in a big warm sofa painting away. My hart warms when I see the sun hit living room window and spill it's light...

Late Autumn, 6x7in Pastel on Canson

I made a new portable pastel sketchbox. I have a smaller one which is super portable and great to use when you are in a subway, plane, or just waiting around. But it is small, with a very limited palette of about 50 or so pastels. This new one is bigger yet still portable and light enough.

When I noticed this pencil tin box on sale for $9 I figured this would make a fine pastel box. So after few modification I managed to pack over 110 pastels. That's not bad, still, this is considered a limited palette (at least for me) but it works well for illustrative work and loose sketches.

There is enough space that I can keep pastel paper stashed in the lid of the box. The lid can fit close to 10 sheets of papers, more than I would use in a single day of sketching if away from home.

Working on a "secret" project involving smoke stacks, kids and giant trees

Learning

Recently I have been getting emails about learning pastel painting. I have read some books on the subject and took a workshop this summer for the first time, so I am always hungry for more information too.

From time to time I like to study different artists. I look at their paintings and try to figure out their techniques. But the best way to study for me is when I copy their work, simulating their look and feel. Of course, I fail more often than I get the results I look for. But it is precisely in this "failing" that I learn the most. My apologies, I forgot who the artist are below, with the exception of couple of them that are after Bill Cone. If you recognize others please let me know. Happy learning to all :)