Hooked I and Hooked II

Hooked I and Hooked II 12x12 each on gallery wrap canvas
I need a change of subject matter, some of you out there I am sure feel you need to do something fresh and different, well.............this is my shot at going from fluffy to scaley . These pieces will be for sale at a Show called THE SQUARE FOOT SHOW to be held in Bismarck ND , Aug. 6-30,2013. Nothing fishy about the show, check it out.

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny pastel 5x7in
Yes, another bunny and we still have snow and more expected here in Minnesota, hope this little guy stays warm. I have tried to keep the strokes in this painting soft and have done no blending other than layering pastels. This is done on Wallis paper which works well with my style of work.

Blushing Apples

Blushing Apples 7 x 5 in. pastel
Another in my apple craze, between apples and grapes it is hard to know which is my favorite. These are from a tree at Mt. Carmel Retreat Center where I spend much of my summer teaching. Wanted to hint at some stronger colors in this one. No blending with fingers only color layered on color to keep it as fresh as possible.

Little Jewels (miniatures)

Little Jewels (miniatures)  2.5x3.5 in. 

Years  ago I did many oil miniatures and loved it, they do make original art affordable and collectible to people who either do not have space or finances for larger pieces. This is my first time to attempt this with pastels. I was inspired to try this by reading Karen Margulis, kemstudios. blogspot.com and the fact that I was recovering from surgery and needed smaller pieces to work on. The top landscape is Sunset in Lake Country and the bottom piece is More Little Green Apples. I used Artist Trading Cards in illustration board that I gave a coat of clear pastel base by Art Spectrum and an assortment of pastels.

Yes, God Really Did Make Little Green Apples

Yes, God Did Make Little Green Apples   oil on panel 6x8
One of my favorite fruits, I prefer apples in their natural setting and homegrown, not the polished ones in the grocery store.I wanted this to be a casual piece and the emphasis on the apples.
I have been trying to be a little more relaxed with my brush strokes and have taken the self imposed challenge of hold my brush on the end and standing and arm's length away as I work on each painting. , I am pleased with the effect.

The Sisters

 

The Sisters  6 x 8 oil on linen panel

This group of trees sits together near a little marsh  here in Alexandria. It has a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers that change the view almost on a monthly basis.  My husbands aunt lives in a setting over looking this area from her window, it not only provides a variety of  scenery but attracts many birds that come to the feeders outside her window. She calls when she sees a change in the colors or scene and urges me to bring my camera  and am never disappointed.

Milkweed Explosion

Milkweed Explosion 7 x 5 inches Pastel
I am a great admirer of weeds and wild flowers, grasses etc. They have a beauty all of their own, kinda wild and wooly instead of sophisticated like so many of our cultivated flowers and shrubs. Of course I appreciate them most in their own habitat and not among my veggies and posies in the garden.
The silky texture of the little parachutes help the seeds travel in the wind to go many miles, again to seed themselves in another spot.