Faces#852-#852

It has been the craziest, busiest week for me with appointments, a roof that needed immediate repair, a last minute painting that needed to be sent out, and about a million other things. Just crazy busy, but fun. 

The faces below, face#851 and face#852, just seemed to come out of me this morning when I sat down to paint. There was no plan at all. They are pastel on black Canson paper.

 This one was a birthday gift that I mailed off earlier in the week...

I have more faces drawn and more to say that I wanted to post, but am just so spent right now! Until next time, take care!

"Saltwater Taffy"

As I worked on this piece below, I was thinking about the ambiguity of the sky at times...where you don't know whether it's a sunset or if it's day break...could be either. A sunset reminds me of the day growing older; or if compared to a stage of life, moving closer toward the time of a great reward with God beyond this life. But day break....glorious daybreak makes me think of being born...of a renewal of life with God, robust with possibility. 

"Saltwater Taffy" 16" by 20", pastel

I have been trying to compile a series of five pieces for a submission for months now. But I think this piece along with one other I did recently are strong candidates, a good start.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! Hard to believe it's wrapping up! Until next time, take care!

I'm publishing from my tablet again today with faces through to #850. Just 150 more, and I'll have met my goal for this blog. I think sometimes I could just rush it through, but then as long as I'm enjoying whatever pace I'm going, it isn't that important. Hey...I'll get there just the same. I try to have the same attitude about other goals in my life; to enjoy the journey and process unhurriedly... It's an adventure to be savored after all. People are noticing me a lot more lately...tell me I'm glowing, tell me my work is at its best, wondering what change has come over me. It's the renewed appreciation for life that God has given me!

I have another mixed media piece to show, and some sketches below...

"Lady Of The Shells" 16" by 20",mixed media

God bless you, thanks for visiting, and take care until next time!

A Day At The Beach

While some family members and friends of mine were at the beach this weekend, I was painting one! I had posted on Facebook the now framed and titled painting below, and my childhood best friend saw it and made inquiries about buying it. I told her "no", because it was a gift...but promised to make her a painting with a beach theme of her very own.

"Once Upon A Daybreak", 20" by 32", pastel and mixed media

Here it is before adding any of the mixed media elements...just a virgin stretch of beach.

Here it is finished. It truly does remind me of the shores of Cape Cod where we spent our summers as kids! She loves it and can't wait for it to arrive in her mail box.

Last night I added another face to my count, bringing me to 846!

And below, in what may be its finished state...

I wish everyone a good Monday! Until next time, take care!

Summer Heat, Faces #834-#845

This is my first time publishing a post from my new Nexus 10 tablet, so bear with me! I have added a new blog header, and a Gallery II page this week. And I'm finally posting the backlog of sketches I have had done, as well as a new piece "Summer Heat". The new piece, shown first, is 16" by 20"' pastel on mat board, below.

Then, below, I have a drawing in charcoal on a sheet of decorative paper...

And then, more charcoal as well as drawing pencil on toned tan and regular sketch paper...

That's the extent of my new publishing adventure using the tablet. Thanks for reading, and until next time, take care!

Untitled Mixed Media Piece

Wanting to escape from the world for a while, I turned my phone off and threw myself into working on this 20" by 32" mixed media piece (below) all day and part of the evening on Sunday. Still trying to come up with a title for it as of this writing, but it is to be a gift for someone...

Here it is below, shown in photographs as the piece progressed. I started with a large piece of mat board in a pale salmon color, painting the landscape directly on the board in pastel. Then, using both drawing pencils and pastels, I rendered the shells on pastel paper and cut them out to be attached to the piece. I also cut and added the marbled paper strips and triangles. 

In this next photo, I have added a scallop shell which I rendered and cut from a decorative paper with gold accents.

More decorative paper is cut, auditioned and added...

The finished piece again, below. I think I am going to go with a black mat border before framing.

Hope the week is off to a good start for everyone! Until next time, take care!