Three Little Pigs

Three Little Pigs  11 x 17  pastel

It's been a while, but I am still in the barnyard. Took a drive the other day and these little pigs ran to greet me when I stepped out of the car to take their photo. They were backlit by the low winter sun which made their ears glow. 

I managed to take some shots during the process and thought I would share.

I used a fat marker to lay out my dark values on a rough coated gatorboard.

Then I just dove into the pig on the left.

Working my way across and starting the figure out the background.

Jed's Sow

Jed's Sow  5 x 7 pastel

I am on a barnyard kick. This gal had just gotten up from feeding her piglets. She looked really tired.

Jed's Ewe

Jed's Ewe  12 x 12 pastel  $600 (unframed)

Who's Jed you ask? Jed is our builder who lives on a wonderful farm about 2 miles from here. He has sheep, cows, pigs (litter just born), chickens, ducks and maybe other animals.

Stay tuned for the piglets, I am waiting for them to get a little bigger and less rodent-looking.

Till The Cows Come Home

Till The Cows Come Home  11 x 17 pastel

Maybe it's the weather that is keeping me in this grisaille phase, or the upcoming workshop I am taking with Robert Carsten on painting snow, but it feels like winter is creeping into our corner of the Champlain Valley.

The image for this painting was actually in fog, but I leave it up to your to decide if it's fog or snow. The cows don't seem to mind either way.

Empty

Empty 20 x 16 pastel

What a nice surprise to learn that Empty has received second place in the Vermont Pastel Society Annual Juried Show in White River Junction. This painting has had a few awards and "painted itself." 

Comments from the judge, Doug Dawson

I responded to the feeling in this painting. That feeling or mood is a product of the subject, as well as the unifying cool color.

Out of the Mist

Out of the Mist  5 x 7 pastel  $75

Took a drive on Sunday in the foggy, warm weather, and came upon this gal alone in a field. Actually, she was not alone, but I liked her best so I just didn't paint her pals. I love that this kind of day creates a grisaille.

A grisaille (/ɡrɪˈzaɪ/ or /ɡrɪˈzeɪl/; French: gris [ɡʁizaj] 'grey') is a painting executed entirely in shades of grey or of another neutral greyish colour.

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Scottish Highland 1

Scottish Highland  6 x 6 pastel

A quick sketch, maybe a larger one coming.

Autumn Row

Autumn Row  5 x 7 pastel $75 unframed

Finally back at the easel for a chance to do a painting the of spectacular Vermont landscape. The height of the foliage show is late this year, by about more than a week. This was at Shelburne Farms on Lake Champlain. Next weekend promises to be a technicolor explosion, and no rain is in the forecast.

We have had a weekend of Middlebury College parents staying here for Parents Weekend. It's so cool to finally have guest rooms (no more blow up mattresses).

Freckle Face  11 x 14 pastel  SOLD

Freckle Face went home with a new collector today, my first Vermont sale!

Butler Insitute of American Art

 Heirloom Blend 11 x 14 pastel 

 

“Heirloom Blend,” is currently on exhibit at the Pastel Society of America’s 45th Annual “Enduring Brilliance” Exhibition at the National Arts Club, NYC through Sept 30. Every year, a few select
pastels are chosen by Dr. Louis Zona of the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio,
to hang in the Giffuni Gallery of American Pastels. This years exhibit will run from December
through early 2018.

I am so honored that Dr. Zona selected my work to join the others in the Giffuni gallery. It is a great museum (with a spectacular lunch cafe), so stop in if your holiday highway travels take you west to Michigan or Illinois.

A Work In Progress

The new studio is slowly getting set up. The clip on lights will be history when the electrician puts in the track and overhead lights. But I really wanted to try to do something at the easel.

So, we have "Market Leeks". It's going to take a while to get back into the swing of things, but it sure is fun in the new space— more room, more storage and, eventually, more light.

Special Merit Award

Heirloom Blend  8 x 10 pastel  SOLD

Just received a notice that Heirloom Blend won a Special Merit Award at the Light, Space Time
Online Art Gallery.

This pastel was recently purchased by a collector who also happens to grow the most fantastic tomatoes.

Champlain County Art Expo

It's hard to believe I have been living in Vermont for two months now. We love everything about it—
the farms, cows, local food, Middlebury College, family across the street...

I decided to get my feet wet by entering the Champlain County Fair Art Expo. Got a call last night that I had won 5 awards! I will be in NYC for the ceremony, but I am sending hubby up to accept and check out the show. He is thrilled because it's the same night as the Burnett Scrap Metal Pick Up Truck Figure 8 Race and Demolition Derby. It's a great country!

In the Kitchenware category:

           Mixmaster  14 x 11 pastel                         KitchenAid UltraPower  14 x 11 pastel

        Second Place                                                      Honorable Mention

In the Just Locks category:

Commitment  20 x 24 pastel

Second Place

In the Pastel Category:

Goin' Postal 9 x 12 pastel 

Honorable Mention

Another Autumn  11 x 14 pastel 

First Place

Edgewater Gallery

Commitment  20 x 24 pastel

Commitment has been accepted into the 2017 Juried Show at the Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury VT.  This is Edgewater's first juried show, and is especially sweet because my cousin, Judy Albright and dear friend Ellen Hopkins Fountain have also been accepted, and Edgewater is in my new home town!!!

New Homes

Thank you to all the people who stopped by the RiverArts Studio Tour this weekend.

I am so happy that these paintings have found new homes—

Sugar Pond 8 x 10 pastel

 Winter Barns 5 x 7 pastel

 Campari Trio 6 x 6 pastel

  To the Palisades 6 x 7 pastel

Made in USA  10 x 5 pastel

RiverArts Studio Tour

Hope to see you this weekend at the Hastings Community Center.
Sat and Sun  11-5

Winter Barn II

Winter Barns II  5 x 7 pastel

Finally decided to try to paint today. It's amazing how much you still need your other arm-- taping, cutting paper etc. But I thought it would be fun to see what I could come up with given the liabilities.

This barn was on the way home from Toronto. Its the same barn as the post for Jan 1. 

30/30, not!

 

Some of you may have been wondering why no challenge posts. Nurse Molly has not left my side since I broke my arm Jan 1. Non-dominate arm and no surgery, so I am very lucky. And I get to keep my record of never having been admitted into the hospital!
 

I will be painting soon I hope, and maybe get in a few challenge posts after all. 

Happy New Year...