". . . a brush with nature"

This piece is part of a series of paintings where I am exploring toys that were once near and dear to some child's heart, but have now been left behind for other, more "grown up" interests. When my husband and I discovered this particular pull toy in a dark and dusty corner of a vintage/collectible store we were both smitten with it. We both imagined what the stories were that it had to tell. 

Is momma proud of her ducklings or perhaps oblivious to what her youngsters are planning behind her back? Are the siblings planning a prank or simply sharing a secret between themselves? And what on earth could they tell us (if only they could speak) about the lives of the small children whose hands had played with them throughout the years? 

Just imagine...

If you are an artist yourself, do you like to think that your work tells a story to those who see it? Will it make the viewer remember a special time in their life or evoke a strong emotion within them? Maybe it will cause that person to stop short, consider the painting in front of them or simply ponder it for a while . . . reaching a conclusion that is quite different than what you ever considered when you first put brush to canvas or pastel to paper.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter, does it? If you’re like me, you simply want to share a bit of the world as you see it and hope that viewers will connect with it, too, in some positive and emotional way.

Just imagine…

What Sees the Owl

“His velvet wing sweeps through the night:
With magic of his wondrous sight
He oversees his vast domain,
And king supreme of night doth reign.”

This is, of course, only the first few lines of a much longer poem by Elizabeth Sears Bates, but I thought these words spoke to what I was thinking about as I worked on this painting of a magnificent owl soaring through the night sky. He is most certainly the master of his domain, the mystery shrouded forest below, illuminated only by the light of a winter’s moon serving as a perfect backdrop for his solitary flight.

Can you hear the soft whisper of his velvety wings and feel your hair lifting ever so slightly as he passes overhead? I hope so, because I can. .

I read this somewhere quite some time ago, but the thought has really stuck with me. We all are really only “happy by choice” . . . or, adversely then, unhappy by our own mindset or the decisions we alone make. 

Every day we are presented with many opportunities to be unhappy . . . but at the same time there are many more chances to experience joy. For example, I treasure each and every moment I get to spend with my husband and love of my life, Al, and the times we share with our children and grandchildren making new memories and reminiscing about old ones. I am also filled with a delight I find hard to express when I hear Al sing and play his guitar, because this is something that brings great happiness to someone I love so deeply. We also find joy together in the woods surrounding our home and my studio. It is a place we enjoy experiencing together as we watch the birds and other wildlife around us. And, of course, the creation of art in my small studio in the woods brings me immense happiness each day, too.

Look for the small things around you that make you smile and grab onto every opportunity to do what you love so that you, too, can be happy by choice today and every day.

But is it Chalk?

The answer is “no”.  Chalk is what kids use to draw their hopscotch game out on the sidewalk with or what teachers used to use to write on a blackboard. (Okay, that really was a LONG time ago, wasn’t it?)

                                         
             Shown above I am working with Pure Pigment Pastel.

Anyway, what this is is PASTEL. And PASTEL is a wonderful medium that artists have been working with for centuries! 

Just consider many of the great masters that come to mind and you might be surprised to learn that they worked in pastel at one time or another. Edgar Degas painted in this medium both indoors and en plein air, but he certainly wasn’t the only one. Manet, Whistler, and Mary Cassatt painted with them and others used them as a favorite drawing medium. Those artists included Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci. Rosalba Carriera painted portraits with pastel of the Paris aristocracy in the 1720s. Pastel artists of the mid to late 20th century include Georgia O’Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth and David Hockney.
And then there is me. Although not nearly of the same renown, or level of achievement of any of the artists I have named here, I am proud to say that I am a pastel artist, too!

So, you might now ask, “What exactly IS pastel then?” 
That’s a great question. A pastel is a color stick made from ground pigment combined with a small amount of gum binder. 
Pastel is pure pigment! How cool is that?! Because there is not a liquid binder involved, there is no chance of darkening, fading, yellowing, cracking, etc. And, of course, there is no drying time involved. An artist can be completely spontaneous in their approach to painting with pastels. 

“Is special care and considerations necessary for a pastel painting?” 
Of course, there are some steps to be taken to protect a pastel painting just as there are steps to protect any original piece of fine art. Pastel paintings must be framed under glass with a spacer to prevent the surface of the painting from touching the glass. Pastels should be kept out of direct sunlight, but this is true with any medium. And when transporting a pastel painting it should be face up, as flat as possible or, at the very least, angled back from the top. 

Think of it! Pastels are truly the most permanent medium of all because of the way they are made. Pastel masterpieces painted centuries ago still retain their freshness and brilliance even today. With proper treatment and care your modern-day masterpiece can and will be treasured for years and years to come, as well. 

If you would care to read even more about PASTEL, I would like to share the links to a couple of articles I wrote and published online several years ago. I have saved them on my website under Articles at the following links.
Everything You Wondered About Pastels
Shipping Pastel Paintings For the Faint Hearted

Thanks for taking a further look!