Mountain Flowers #1

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006
This small ACEO painting was done after a photo I took while up in Estes Park, Colorado a few years ago. I'll be doing ten small paintings using this scence as reference. I thought it would interesting to see what would develop creatively after painting the same scene over and over again...will they be different or will they all just look alike???? All the paintings will be auction off on E-Bay...I think!!

"Mountain Flowers #1"

2.5" x 3.5"

Pastel

SOLD

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

"Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #6

Monday, January 30th, 2006
Thanks everyone for your kind comments! I think this is about it... I changed the jaw line, and background color a bit and added a few more light shapes to the face under the left eye.I'll probably set it up on the viewing easel for a few days and see if anything jumps out at me and make some minor changes if needed.

"Braids wip"

11" x 14"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

"Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #5

Sunday, January 29th, 2006
Getting closer...blocked in most of the big shapes and now starting to develop the smaller ones. the alignment on the jaw and hair line will have to be redone... I'm also looking for where values are close and join together so I can lose a few more edges. I also think I'll make some adjustments on the background colorAs you can see there is also an opportunity to go back in and make changes as needed. If I have to remove any pastel I use a palette knife or razor blade and scrape off the areas that have too much of a build up. I don't think I'll have to do that here...I'll just glaze the color on top.It's also important to keep a soft touch as your painting develops!

"Braids wip"

11" x 14"

Beemanmj@bresnan.net

"Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #4

Saturday, January 28, 2006
Now this is whats fun...painting the light as it hits the form. This is a fairly low key head with the light source coming from the upper left. I'm doing a lot of squinting to work in the appropriate values in along with looking for areas I can apply some cool touches.

"Braids wip"

11" x 14"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

"Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #3

Friday, January 27, 2006
Now don't let this scare you...I think it's going to get better. I've blocked in some greens, sienna's and violets for the foundation or base for and basic indicators of where I want the features to be.

"Braids wip"

11" x 14"

pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #2

Thursday, January 26th, 2006
After looking at the original block I decided to wipe out a little of the brown stuff and soften some of the edges on the cooler colors. Lately I've been using some guidelines before I start with any of the features. I measure the top of the head to the bottom of the chin and get an approximate eye, nose and mouth placement. On different approaches I may just start blocking in with the eyes and move to the nose and down the face. All these guidelines do for me is make sure I don't stray too far off with where my features belong.

"Braids wip"

Pastel

11" x 14"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

"Braids" Pastel Portrait WIP #1

Wednesday, January 25th, 2006
This WIP will be done on a 11" x 14" warm gray Canson support with a mixture of NuPastel, Rembrandt's, and Terry Ludwigs. I believe I've also placed in the palette a dark brown pastel penWednesday, January 25th, 2006 cil.The first thing I want to do is to simply establish a color foundation of warm and cool colors on the paper with a brownish mass in the approximate area of where I want to place the head.

"Braids" WIP #1
11" x 14"
Pastel
Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Portrait Study

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Another portrait study...on Canson paper with Nupastel, Terry Ludwigs, and Rembrandt's. I've been experimenting with different foundations for the base colors and thought this was an interesting combination.

"Portrait Study"

6"x8"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Yellow Headed Blackbird

Monday, January 23, 2006
I've really been enjoying doing these bird paintings ...just a different kind of portrait! This is painted on warm gray Canson with NuPaste, and Rembrandt's.

"Yellow Headed Blackbird"

7" x 12"

pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Portrait Study of Kaitlyn

Saturday, January 21st, 2006
This is a 45 minute portrait study of Kaitlyn...one of models we use for figure drawing.

"Kaitlyn Portrait Study"

11"x14"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

The Bandana

Friday, January 20th, 2006
I thought this was an interesting pose with this little boy and his bandana.

"The Bandana"

8"x10"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Buddies

Thursday, January 19th, 2006
Another ACEO daisey painting...some different choices of colors in this one!

"Buddies"

2.5"x3.5"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Reflective Times

Wednesday, January 18th, 2006
One of the things I like about pastels is experimenting on different surfaces just to see how the medium reacts to various papers. This small sketch was done on green sketching paper which worked quite well as the support and the green provided an interesting foundation for the portrait colors.

"Reflective Times"

5" x 6 3/4"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Daisies

Tuesday, January 17th, 2006

Finally I have everything up and running...what a mess when you switch pc systems. Here is a small painting that was done recently on Canson paper with Rembrandt's and Great American's. "Daises"

5"x7"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Red Vase

Sunday, January 14th, 2006
This little painting is one I did a few years ago and came across it while swithching pc's. It may have been one of first attempts at trying to portray glass. If I had it today I would probably add a few more darks in the background and work on the shape of the vase a little more.

"Red Vase"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Updates

Friday, January 12, 2006
I'm presently switching to a different pc and as soon as I can access all my files (which I hope is soon) I'll have some new work to post.

Sophia

Wednesday, January 10th, 2006
This is an older painting that was done as a demonstration at the gallery on paint night a couple of years ago. Sophia is my three year old white boxer....my grand dogger!!

"Sophia"

Pastel

9"x12"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Watering Hole

Monday, January 9th, 2006
In Cheyenne we usually see a herd of goats that are brought in for weed control along the creek. The "Watering Hole" is another 5"x7" is painted on Wallis paper mounted on foamcore. I did start with a dark watercolor wash of blues, greens and violets and then I applied my pastels. I used NuPastel, Great American and some Rembrandts.

"Watering Hole"

5"x7"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

The Artist

Sunday, January 8th, 2005
This small pastel is painted on Canson paper with NuPastels, Rembrandts and Great Americans.
It is currently being auctioned on my E-Bay site.

"The Artist"

5"x7"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

The Crow

Friday, January 6th, 2006
Just finished this small painting Tuesday.

As the artist sat and pondered,
what to draw as his mind wandered,
came a thought so soft and fleeting,
were those wings that he heard beating?
Darker than a tell tale heart,
the artist- he began to start,
scratching, sweeping, blending madly,
wild-eyed, with chamois handy.
The backboard he was ever rapping,
dare I say he was tap, tap, tapping?
What then appeared was almost weird,
a bird so dark that it was feared.
Was that a raven dark and dreary?
A meanacing bird that makes one leary?
Would this be Poe's Raven evermore?
Nope. It's a crow, and nothing more.
Poem by Lisa B. from Wetcanvas.com

"The Crow"

7.5"x12.5"

Pastel

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Marty WIP #5

Thursday, January 5th, 2006
I've worked in a few blues and violets in the darks on the left side and a few more lights around the nose and under the mouth. I believe I'm finished for the most part...what I will do now is put the painting in a mat and keep it on a viewing easel for a few days to see if anything bothers me. I may make a few minor changes before I finally frame it.For example as I'm looking at the photo I notice a dark on the right side under the eye that I will probably soften.Thanks for watching!

"Marty WIP #5"

Pastel

11"x14"

Beemanmj@Bresnsn.net

Marty WIP #4

Wednesday, January 4th, 2006
I added some background color along with a few lighter values in the fur. Seems to pop it out a little more than the nuetral gray I was using. Now I need to focus on the smaller shapes and my edges.

"Marty WIP #4"

Pastel

11"x14"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Marty WIP #3

Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Continue to block in major value patterns and start thinking about a background. I've used a warm gray for the time being but I think I'm going to need something with a punch and fairly warm to provide the contrast I'm looking for. A lot of temptation to start with my lighter values but holding off until the foundation is established.

"Marty WIP #3"

Pastel

11"x14"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Marty WIP#2

Monday, January 2, 2006
Blocked in some of the warm and cool grays along with the major darks. Most of my attention has been around the eyes, nose and mouth trying to get the right value and alignment.

"Marty WIP#2"

Pastel

11"x14"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net

Marty WIP #1

Sunday, January 1, 2006
This work in progress is of my nephew's dog, Marty. I'll be painting it on a Steel Gray Canson paper with NuPastels, Great Americans and Terry Ludwigs Darks. The image size is 11"x14".My initial sketch is a little different from my regular process because of my focus on developing a rendering that somewhat resembles Marty. I start with the center and line up the eyes, nose and mouth...as I would with a regular portrait. Squinting, I use a linear process to block in where the light and dark shapes will appear.

"Marty WIP"

Pastel

11"x14"

Beemanmj@Bresnan.net