Pastel Workshop
Monday, December 26th, 2005Hope everybody had an enjoyable holiday!! Attached is some information regarding some workshops in Taos this coming summer and fall.Art Workshops Taos' 2006 schedule is complete. We again will be housed in Taos Art Museums' historic Nicolai Fechin Studio. We have lengthened the teaching day and have added several exciting guest instructors: In March we have Jan Enright (owner of El Prado Gardens)- "Your Personal Southwest Garden Design". June brings Mary Jane Grinter (of Lawrence, KS)- "Watercolor Portraits". In July is Nancy Baldrica (of Colorado Springs, CO) - "Brilliant Watercolor, and the Personality of Pigments". In September we have Mike Beeman (of Cheyenne, WY) - "Pastel Portraits". To learn more about these people, click on the AWT website - instructors.
http://www7.taosnet.com/awt/instructors.htm
Lori Malott, Joan Fullerton, and Nancy Stewart will fill out the year with oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor and printmaking classes. See the schedule at -
http://www7.taosnet.com/awt/
Jake
Friday, December 23, 2005Best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'll try to get a few new posts in next week.
"Jake"Pastel
10"x10"
Ball Jar and Daises
Monday, December 19, 2005This is a new painting just completed today for a friend. Daises are always fun to paint!
"Ball Jar and Daises"8"x10"
Pastel
Eagle Dancer
Wednesday, December 14, 2005This painting is after one of the exciting aspects of living in Cheyenne, Wyoming...every July during Frontier Days we have the Feather Dancers that come and visit and perform and share their wonderful outfits and dances.
"Eagle Dance"Pastel
22"x30"
The Mystic
Monday, December 12, 2005Just completed this on Gray Canson paper with NuPastels, Great Americans, and Terry Ludwigs.
"The Mystic"Pastel
11" x 14"
David WIP #8
Friday, December 9th, 2005
I'm going to look at David for a while on my board before I decide to do anything else. I see a few things left that I want to do in the beard and a few minor things in the face.
Right now I'm getting ready for the Two-Shot Art Invitational in Torrington so, I won't be posting for a few days. Check back after the weekend and hopefully I can post a finished version of David.
David WIP #7
Thursday, December 8th, 2005I've block in more of the head with the lighter shapes and added some cool tones above the eyes and along the side of the nose. Started to block in lights on the beard but keeping it fairly soft and loosing some of the edges to the background. I still like the cool tones of the background against the general warmth of the head .
"David WIP #7"Pastel
11"x14"
David WIP #6
Wednesday, December 6th, 2005
Starting to block in more of the lights around the eye, nose and top part of the head. I also darkened the top right of the head with a warm brown to push the cool lights of the hair forward. I also strengthen the blue in the background so I have a nice warm/cool relationship. I've basically have the warm portion of the head in the middle surrounded by the cools of the head, beard and the background. I still try to keep most of my edges soft.
"David WIP #6"Pastel
11"x14"
David WIP #5
Tuesday, December 6th, 2005
I start to introduce some of the lighter values around the eye, parts of the beard and suggest the hair. I'm using a mixture of the NuPastels and the soft Terry Ludwigs.
David WIP #5Pastel
11"x14"
Dave WIP #4
Monday, December 6th, 2005Now the fun part begins... I take a dark brown stick Of NuPastel and start blocking in the dark shapes with a little linear drawing of where the features might be. I squint at my resource material to block out the detail, everything needs to be kept simple. I'm looking for large shapes of distinct lights and darks, warm and cool relationships...I'm not thinking so much of eyes, a nose...just shapes of various values!
"Dave WIP #4Pastel
11"x14"
David WIP#3
Sunday, December 4th, 2005
In response to a question from yesterday's post, I use nothing but the soft pastels. The initial block in is with a mixtiure of NuPastel ( The harder sticks) with a little Rembrandt and Great Americans, both of those brands are a little softer than the NuPastel. I soften the edges with my little finger and sometimes use a chamois cloth or kneaded eraser. On the Canson paper I don't use any mineral spirits, turp, or any other wet medium...it would just buckle the paper.
In this stage I've simply built up the background a bit more and started to block in the beginning of where I want to place the head. Any questions you can e-mail me at: Beemanmj@Bresnan.net
"Dave WIP #3"Pastel
11" x 14"
David WIP #2
Saturday, December 3, 2005After blocking in some cool tones I like to come back and soften most of the edges...I try to keep everything out of "focus" at this stage
Dave WIP #2Pastel
11"x14"
David WIP
Friday, December 2, 2005This will be a WIP ( Work in Progress) to try and share a working process of how I approach a pastel portrait. I'm working on a warm gray Canson support with NuPastel, Terry Ludwigs, Rembrandt's and Great Americans. My first step is generally to get some cooler tones establish in some abstract shapes and a warmer tone in the area of where the head might be placed. There is no definite drawing established at this stage...just shapes and value. If you have any questions please feel free to drop me a note at Beemanmj@Bresnan.net
WIP "Dave"Pastel
11"x14"
