Day 1 December Hayfield

December Hayfield 5 x 7 Pastel

Day 1 of a self-imposed 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. This is my 10th challenge. The original  international version is no longer hosted but I have always found great value in this exercise so I decided to try one on my own. I am not sure where this one will take me, which is part of the fun.

I did a rough count and I have netted over 160 paintings from these challenges. I hope to add  a few more to the inventory this time. 

Happy New Year 2020 — The Year of Perfect Vision!

2019, it's a wrap

Looks like a lot of my artist friends are doing these end of year collages, so I found an app and loaded up some of my favorites.

I have spent the last two days trying to organize my working studio box. It's a start.

Murray Grey

Murray Grey  12 x 12 pastel SOLD

Now that Christmas is over I can post that Murray Grey has gone home with a new collector from the Edgewater Gallery on the Falls in Middlebury, VT. 

I am organizing my studio, cleaning out my "working box" of pastels and gearing up for a January 30/30 Challenge. Looking forward to getting back to the easel and beginning the new year with painting #400 in my inventory!!

Rambo

Rambo 10 x 8 pastel SOLD

Rambo will go home with a new collector from the Small Works Show at the Edgewater Gallery.

Rock on Rambo, I will miss you!

Edgewater Gallery Small Works Show

Very excited to be showing my work in the Edgewater Gallery at the Falls in Middlebury, VT.

The show will be from mid Nov through Dec.

It's Pastel!

Expectant Mothers  15 x 20 pastel

So happy to hear Expectant Mother's has won the Great American Holy Cow Award (4th Place) at the Pastel Society of New Hampshire's 11th Annual National Juried Show It's Pastel! I think the award is a big box of pastels, and we all know can't have too many. It's an addiction!

I have always loved this venue at the Discover Portsmouth Center in Portsmouth, NH. I have been lucky to be in this show for the past five years. I also get a chance to stay with dear friends when I do the delivery, so it's a win-win. 

Stop by if you are in NH before November 30. 

Discover Portsmouth Center

10 Middle St
Portsmouth, NH

47th Annual Enduring Brilliance

"One Scoop or Eleven?"  12 x 24 pastel  SOLD

It's been a few weeks since I was in New York at the Pastel Society of America's 47th Annual Exhibit Enduring Brilliance. I managed to squeeze in my 49th Briarcliff High School Reunion that weekend too.

My painting was selected to go to the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio — a hidden gem not to be missed if you are in that area.  

If that wasn't enough excitement, it will go home with dear friends (and patrons) in March 2020.  They have added "One Scoop or Eleven?" to their collection and have the perfect spot picked out in their newly renovated kitchen. 

Fundraisers are fun!

 Cornwall  21 x 18 pastel

Bashful  12 x 12 pastel

Cornwall has gone home with a new collector from... wait for it... Cornwall, VT; and Bashful went home to another new collector in Middlebury, VT. Both sold at the Town Hall Theater  "A Toast to the Arts" fundraising event last night.

I was honored to be asked to participate in this event. It was a fun evening that raised money for an amazing local arts venue.

I've Got Your Back

I've got Your Back  18 x 24  pastel

Trying to figure out where this image came from and I thought I could safely say "somewhere in Vermont", but alas, this is from Schoharie, NY— a few years before I moved to VT where there is a cow on every corner.

Hot X Bun

Hot X Bun  6 x 6 pastel

Easter is late this year but the local bakery already has Hot X Buns. They are very good, but not as good as my next door neighbor in Hastings on Hudson. Her daughters would deliver them to our door fresh out of the oven. 

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Three's a Crowd

Three's a Crowd  8 x 10 pastel

They say "paint what you love." I have been struggling with subject matter lately but on a morning drive these gals were out in the bright sun and begging for me to take their picture and paint them. 

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Triple Crème

Triple Crème  6 x 6 pastel

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I went back to an older painting and tried it on two different surfaces. The one on top is on UArt black 400. The bottom two are on gatorboard with a rough homemade surface of gesso and pumice. All different. 

This one was done in 2013:

Lemons, Revisited

Lemons, Revisited  6 x 6 pastel

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Kind of fun to look at an old painting and have a "do-over." Here is the first one from January 2015. 

Barn 11

Barn 11 12 x 12 pastel

I forgot to post this painting I did a few weeks ago. There is no limit to the number of barns to paint here in Vermont. 

Enjoy the weekend!

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Got Butter?

Got Butter?  12 x 12 pastel

I have been painting, just not showing the results for a few reasons: one is scheduled for a juried show and the rest were wipe outs. Yep, four of them....

I went through my books for inspiration and found Bill Creevy's "The Pastel Book" and got totally jazzed to try a new mark making approach. His example was a lobster painting, so I had that on my mind.

I painted this lobster in 2014 and decided it might be a fun image to work with, and larger.

That Lobster Painting  6 x 6 pastel

Double Trouble

Double Trouble  12 x 12 soft pastel

A few weeks ago I sold Trouble. While I was thrilled he went home with a new collector,  we were missing him around the house so I painted him again. Same sheep, different reference photo.

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Double Bass Scrolls and Beat It

 Double Bass Scrolls  12 x 30 pastel

Beat It 16 x 12 pastel

These two paintings have found a home with a new collector in Marshfield, Vermont. I knew Double Bass Scrolls would find the right owner someday, and Beat It is perfect for this kitschy kitchen collector.

Trouble

Trouble  12 x 12 pastel

I went to pick up my work from the Jackson Gallery today and found that Trouble went home with a new collector over the weekend. I will miss him, but am delighted he has found a forever home.

Day 14 Market Onions

Market Onions 5 x 7 pastel

Missed yesterday. I tried and tried and it wasn't happening. Nothing good to post. It happens. 

These onions are from a farmer's market, not sure where, but they remind me of summer— which we need right now in Vermont!

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Bucky

Bucky 7 x 5 pastel

I took a break for a day or two. But today I was inspired by a few things: the weather image on my iPhone— not the temp as much as the background color— and my virgin box of Terry Ludwig Turquoise. 

It's been said (by my husband) "There is no substitute for the little black dress" and I say there is no substitute for a dash of turquoise. In this case I took it seriously. 

As I was painting, and fussing... I came up with a great line:

Leave it or grieve it

I think my artist friends will relate to this. And maybe it applies to life in general. 

Day 9 Rocks, Please

Rocks, Please  6 x 6 pastel

I had so much fun painting Neat, Please that I wanted to try something like it again. 

I found this image I took in Montreal. We were in a French bistro and it was Christmas. I remember the warm feeling and the way the restaurant glowed.

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Day 8 Halfway, Again

Halfway, Again  6 x 6 pastel

I sliced open a glorious Indian River Red grapefruit this afternoon and knew what I was going to paint today. This is a revisit, which explains "again."  I painted this five years ago. Things have changed. 

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January 2014

Day 7 Fast Radish

Fast Radish  6 x 6 pastel

Fast because I didn't have much time to paint today. Radishes reappeared in my life a few years ago after a long absence and now I can't have a salad with out them.

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Day 6 Neat, Please

Neat, Please  6 x 6 pastel

Day 6 — Today is Epiphany, the day Canadians take down the Christmas decor. Maybe they sip a nice single malt with Bing Crosby crooning in the background. Cheers!

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Day 5 ...

Day 5 — This is the ghosted image of two failed attempts at my exploding Amaryllis, aka "Nymph."
So, it isn't a day to post a finished painting.

It doesn't always come out well, but it's stepping up to the easel that counts. You are welcome to stop by and view my pile of wipe outs and do overs anytime, it's a big stack!

Tomorrow is another day. Enjoy your weekend.

Day 4 — Chas's Rooster

Chas's Rooster 6 x 6 pastel

Day 4 — Who is Chas you ask? Chas is our neighbor and the grandson of Charles Mraz, the famous beekeeper. 

This was his rooster that roamed our neighborhood for the first year we lived here. He was stunning. Sadly, he met his demise when a vixen needed some extra nourishment for her 8 kits. 

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Day 3 — Spears

Spears 15 x 3 pastel

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Day 3 — We got some snow last night, which is lovely but I was thinking of spring, ergo asparagus. I have painted this about 4 times to fit the odd frame I had made from scraps.

Now I am wondering if the orientation should be horizontal? I've had some great suggestions when I posed this about a week ago: Monopoly pieces (which I am avidly searching for, vintage of course), olives and... more thoughts? Maybe the month will be spent painting the suggestions to fit this.

Day 2 — Marshfield Sidestep

Marshfield Sidestep  5 x 7 pastel

Day 2 — I went with a friend to check on her home in Marshfield, VT — which borders the Northeast Kingdom, a name I find wildly romantic and mysterious. 

This little piggy was at a farm we visited. He had quite the "tude" and was showing us his moves.

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Day 1 - New Years Onions

New Years Onions  6 x 6 pastel

I have decided to do another 30/30 challenge for the month of January. This one is self-imposed. Normally I do Leslie Seata's Challenge but she isn't doing one for January and I need to do one. Not sure where this will lead me, but you are invited to follow my journey. 

Cheers and Happy New Year!