"Nancy's Shed" inprogress

This is the outside of my friend Nancy's shed. The 1st block in of color had some perspective problems. In the last one I resolved the perspective problems in the shelf. This was started on location or plein air. I still have to resolve the perspective on the round vents at the top of the pastel and I need to refine the leaves. For me sometimes my corrections get worse before they get better. That is when it gets scary and I get anxious and want to quit but I know to improve I can not let my own fear of failure paralyze me. Sometimes I need to remind myself that it is JUST a piece of paper. This is a 18" X 24" pastel on Wallace paper and it is still in progress.

Egg Scale with Orange Wedges, done

Well, here it is done. I have been drawing in my friends back yard the past 2 days. It has been very nice because there is lots of shade, peace and quiet. My brother in law has been in ICU since Saturday and is on my mind so this distraction has been timely. If you believe in prayer or good thoughts we could use some on his behalf. His name is Randy. Thank-you all.

Egg Scale with Orange Wedges, first 3 steps

Here are the first 3 steps in this pastel. It is an 18" X 24", pastel on Wallace paper. I really like how important the orange wedges are in this composition. The blue complimentary colors really help the orange pop! I must go create. Later!!!

Finished, "Lonely Green Apple"

Well, this is the final version. It was painful getting here. Yesterday I tried to show some of the steps in the process but....I did a very bad job. Sorry! This is a learning curve for me. Sometimes I love the internet and sometimes I hate it. Someone was fraudulently charging on my credit card on the internet, Wednesday which really makes a mess of everything. It took me quite a while this morning to get my internet up and running again. I just hate that!!!

"Lonely Green Apple", in process

I tried to post this this morning and did something wrong and lost everything...so I gave up. Now I am trying again. 

The bottom photo is the still life I set up in my studio. Then the line drawing. After that I took a very dirty chamois and blocked in the dark values. I used fixative between each step.  Then I started laying in blocks of color. The last one (bottom left one) the color is more refined but a long way from being done. I will add more steps tomorrow.

This lonely green apple kept me awake at night because it was really giving me a hard time.  As I worked on it the apple felt cut out instead of in space and the apple grew to large and became a new species of apple that I have never heard of. This is a part of the growth. Everything is not always easy. Tomorrow I will post a few more steps.

Orange Wedges, Finally done

Well, I think it is done. I added more detail and some corrections on the 2 right oranges plus some detail in the right corner. I spent 2 1/2 hours yesterday just doing tiny little corrections. I really am having to learn to slow down to do this finish. I am so used to going a mile a minute that this is hard for me. What do you think? Is it done?

Orange Wedges, more developed

Well, here she is with more pastel added. I have made drawing corrections on the glass and a lot of value corrections, especially in the glass. It is not done yet. I am trying to force myself to stay with these pastels....till they are really finished. For me...this is very hard. I love to start paintings but hate the finish where I have to slow down and really think. Also there is the fear that I will ruin the piece if I push it to far. I know I am not alone in this feeling but the feeling is real and I have never been big on conflict and risk even in my painting.

Orange Wedges, block in

I have posted my still life set-up. The set-up was on the ground in the sun and as the sun changed I decided on the light that I was going to use. Then I shot a photo of that lighting so that I could adequately finish the pastel. The pastel that is posted is only a block in that was done from life. Tomorrow I will post the progress on it as it goes into the next step and as I develop the color more fully. This is done on Navy blue Canson paper, and is an 8" X 10" pastel. I just learner that I should use the smooth side of the Canson paper not the textured side. I wondered why I did not like the textured side!  : )

"Yellow Calla with Cup", pastel

I think it is finished now. The only possible change maybe to whiten the cloth under the yellow calla lily but I am not sure...so I wait, think, analyze until I am sure.

"Yellow Calla with Cup"

This is not the final version of this pastel. It is a work in progress. As I add more pastel and make drawing corrections, I will post those as well. This is an 8" X 10" pastel on dark blue Canson paper. So far this is done from life. I am trying to stay with my pastels longer than usual and when the going gets rough...I am trying not to move on to another painting but stick with it and resolve the hard problems. Any feedback would be appreciated.