La Platas first snow

This started out as a news paper clipping from 40ish years ago. It is of a first snow fall in laplata canyon Near Hesperus Colorado . My Mother loved it she kept the clip that area holds a lot of sentimental value .  She gave me that clip to see if I could do some thing with it.  This is how it turned out.  It became one of her Christmas  presents she was over joyed when she saw it. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I am going to make this again artistic license change the river and far tree line and mountain .This is true to photo .

 

This is a pastel painting 10 x 16  I used colorfix primer on 100lbs watercolor paper toned a warm grey.  I used Nu-pastels, Blick brand soft pastels  Schmincke and Sennelier .

Roses another one

This is a similar shape to one  I I did in colored pencil  but did this one in pastels. I have not done flowers with pastels before. I like how it turned out .

 

This is 9x12 Strathmore pastel paper a grey colored paper. Mainly used soft pastels  but hard and pastel pencils were used. Thanks for looking.

Weathering the Storm.

This one was a quick loose representation of the reference I have. One of my cousins took the photo of a small herd of buffalo hunkering down in a blizzard .  When ever I see these magnificent  Icons of the old west it is a bitter sweet moment. I am happy to get a chance to view one and a glimpse into Americas past, its bitter is knowing millions were killed for just their hide leaving the meat to rot on the plains.  Uncontrolled slaughter took the herds  of million down to the verge of extinction . I have read some herds were so large it took days to go around ,some herds were said to have a million heads thats a lot of bovine there. Now they are a rarity . One article states before 1492 there were 60 million yes 60,000,000 but by 1890 there were 750.

This is Pastel on grey Strathmore  pastel paper . It is 9x12 with hard and soft pastels .I used Nupastels , Blick artist pastels, Sennelier and Schminke Pastels.

Here is a older couple  both are of Monument valley .  That is one place that truly inspires me.

This is an acrylic  16 x20

 

 This on is a pastel   9x12

I did these 2 in the fall of 2012  .

Reworked one of Paintings from last fall

I has miss placed the reference I used on this one.  Actually I had a house full of kittens in play mode 24/7 everything got put up.

So I ad-libbed the lower part of the mitten after it was done  I wasn't happy .

The photos color is off on the pic above.

This is the finished reworked Mitten .Much happier with it. I need to keep references close at hand. I recall someone said paint what you see not what you think you see.  above is a good example .

Illustrations For a Childrens Book #2

Here are the second set of illustrations .  The hardest part is keeping the people and the puppy looking similar from one scene to the next.

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I had fun doing these . I think I will explore more in this area of art.I have a relative who has some ideas we need to explore. She has some old books she had written decades ago might try a new set of art work for them. It seems like its hurry up and wait then repeat.

Illustrations for a Childs Book

I did this set of drawings for a starting out author  just so happens I am a starting out artist . I  am waiting to see this set get published . I want to display them since I am pleased on how they turned out.

I wont give away any story details . These illustrations are colored pencil on  8 1/2  x  11 Stonehenge 100% cotton paper . 100% cotton can last centuries .

This is book 1 book2 is for another day. I hope you enjoy viewing them knowing the story I really enjoyed drawing them.

I was preoccupied with family holidays I did some painting and drawing got a few works done redid a couple . The last of January I came down with the swine flu H1N1 it did a number on me spent all of February in the hospital and till the 12th  of march in medical care. I didn't get much blogging done or any art done either.

After the medical treatment was over I spent 14 days in a physical  rehabilitation hospital. It is just so good to be home. My better half was at my side the whole time if I was coherent enough to know it or not.

In the coming days I will post  the new works. 

I really want to display a series of  illustrations I did for 2 childrens books .  Waiting to hear the status of the books from the author .  They were done last summer and fall. I want to display them I am proud of them.