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  Natures Spirit is soft pastel on Rives BFK print making paper. My process was to paint the paper with a underpainting of acrylic ink and fluid acrylics in blue and antelope brown. After it was dried, I applied a thin layer of golden ground for pastel with a foam brush. After that was dried, I applied some mark making with Pan Pastel. I followed that up with additional layers of pastel to create this impression of nature. I originally walked through a local Arboretum and I took a lot of photos of a creek. It was a beautiful day and the colors were wonderful. I used one of the photos as ..read more

Fire Flies in the Garden was created this summer. Fireflies or lightning bugs have always been a part of my summer. I remember them from my time growing up. I was outside in the evening and there were lightning bugs everywhere and they were beautiful. There are fewer lightening bugs these days so it is a delight to see them at all.  The frequent use of lawn chemicals kills them.  This is why my yard is full of things other than green grass.  I have bugs, snakes and worms in my yard!  I want a small nature habitat.  When I see lightening bugs I know they have a safe sp ..read more

  I'm coping during this very unusual time we are all living through.  And actually I have many positive things to be grateful for.  I have noticed that my work is changing and developing.  Why?  I really do not know but I do know that work reflects the individual.  Change is hard to notice but I do think it is reflected in all we do and art is a definite barometer of change.  I've had a lot of time at home!  To say the least!  We have all changed so many things.  I'm not one of those people who are venturing out except for the weekly golf ga ..read more

Escaping by going nowhere ..read more

Sunlit Garden acrylic on canvas   I've been trying to get my footing this week just like so many of us.  Last week I was in Florida teaching what may be my last workshop for awhile.  I loved my group and had a great time with everyone.  Its something I love doing.  But, I'm in that "vulnerable population" with my age and immune disorder.  So I've canceled one workshop and may be on the verge of canceling more.  My galleries are shuttered for now and operating online only.  It was just a month ago that I had so much to do I was stressed out.  Matting works for France, painting two commissions ..read more

  How do you loosen up?  How do you work more expressively?  This does take practice if you work in a more controlled manner.  Take some time to practice different ways to make marks with pastel and/or paint.  Here are some things I suggest.   Work at an easel instead of a table.  Working at an easel allows your arm to move more freely.  You can also get distance between you and the surface.  Move back and forth also.  Don't stand too close to the easel.  Take a step back to see what mark or color should go next and then walk up and make that mark quickly. Move your entire arm while makin ..read more

I have been invited to exhibit 10 of my soft pastel paintings in France!  I'm very excited about this opportunity.  The exhibit is Pastels of the World in Bourbonnais and will be held in Montlucon, France.  Thirty US pastel artists have been invited to exhibit and provide demonstrations and workshops.  The opening is April 24 in Montlucon and I will attend.  I'm studying my French and planning a trip to Paris before the event.  I have not been to France since winter of 1973.  I've always wanted to return but it just hasn't worked out until now.  Many of my most recent abstract floral pastels f ..read more

Here is a painting I started a few days ago.  I painted two at a time on one wall.  I began each with an underdrawing of orange pastel and charcoal which was then fixed to the canvas with mat medium.  People often ask me how I mix acrylics and pastels.  I use a mixed media approach on my works on canvas and my soft pastel paintings.  I begin the pastels with an fluid acrylic underpainting on paper.  Then I draw on top of the underpainting and apply clear gesso before I begin to apply pastels.  My canvas works also begin with preliminary steps.  I begin by drawing directly on the canvas.  I oft ..read more

Jardin Rouge is soft pastel on Rives BFK paper with clear gesso.  I began this painting during my demonstration at Ober Anderson Gallery in Kirkwood, Missouri.  I taught a three day workshop in Saint Louis for the Gateway Pastel Association and ended with a demo at the gallery.  I finished this up after getting home.  I had taken a break on some of my floral pastels for awhile but will return to them again soon.  I find them very satisfying.  I love working with non-objective abstracts and these abstract realistic subjects.  The garden series is appealing because I can combine observationa ..read more