Posts Tagged ‘pastel’
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
I produce about 24 drawings a year. They don’t all turn out well, which is neither surprising nor heartbreaking. This piece is a dud. The composition was dramatic with beautiful color and familiar material – I’ve drawn a lot of nasturtiums over the years – but the final product failed the “can this leave the house?” test, so it went to the Strawberry Hill Transfer Station rather than the gallery.
In order to pass the test, the painting must be entirely “meant”. van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” passes the test – every passage is approached with the same degree of confidence and finish. The viewer doesn’t doubt the wall behind or the surface (a table?) beneath the vase and flowers. The painter didn’t piddle off in the corner, where he wasn’t sure how to indicate a further room. A great painting might be drawn badly (Velasquez drives me nuts) but the passage is carried through like a knife though water – we are unfazed by any discrepancy.
Tonight I have a small crystal bowl full of huge purple blackberries to start on; we’ll see where it ends up.
Tags: drawing, pastel
Posted in art, meta, still life | 2 Comments »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Blackware with Portfolio, pastel on board, 18 x 24 inches
Tags: drawing, pastel, still life
Posted in art, still life | 2 Comments »
Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Papaver o. and tan vase with snow flowers
Tags: pastel, still life
Posted in art, still life | 3 Comments »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
This week I bought six new pastels – Sennheliers in shades of blue-brown and green-gray, the perfect colors for shadows in summer. I haven’t added them to my inventory spreadsheet yet, but this is what is represented in the photo above. (The decimal point denotes a change of tint.)
| code |
color |
comment |
| 700.5 |
black |
six sticks |
| 548.3 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.5 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.5 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.7 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.8 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.3 |
blue violet |
|
| 548.7 |
blue violet |
|
| 640.3 |
bluish green |
|
| 640.5 |
bluish green |
|
| 640.7 |
bluish green |
|
| 640.9 |
bluish green |
|
| 727.1 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.3 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.7 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.8 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.8 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.9 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.9 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.5 |
bluish grey |
|
| 727.3 |
bluish grey |
great color |
| 727.5 |
bluish grey |
great color |
| 727.7 |
bluish grey |
|
| 411.1 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.3 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.5 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.5 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.7 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.8 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 411.9 |
burnt sienna |
|
| 400.3 |
burnt umber |
|
| 409.1 |
burnt umber |
|
| 409.5 |
burnt umber |
|
| 409.7 |
burnt umber |
|
| 409.9 |
burnt umber |
|
| 409.8 |
burnt umber |
|
| 343.3 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 343.5 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 343.7 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 343.8 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 343.9 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 343.9 |
caput mortuum red |
|
| 318.3 |
carmine |
|
| 318.3 |
carmine |
|
| 318.5 |
carmine |
|
| 318.7 |
carmine |
|
| 318.7 |
carmine |
used |
| 318.8 |
carmine |
|
| 318.9 |
carmine |
|
| 318.9 |
carmine |
|
| 627.1 |
cinn green deep |
|
| 627.3 |
cinn green deep |
|
| 627.5 |
cinn green deep |
|
| 627.7 |
cinn green deep |
|
| 627.9 |
cinn green deep |
|
| 626.1 |
cinnabar green light |
|
| 626.3 |
cinnabar green light |
|
| 626.5 |
cinnabar green light |
|
| 626.7 |
cinnabar green light |
|
| 626.9 |
cinnabar green light |
|
| 202.12 |
deep yellow |
|
| 202.3 |
deep yellow |
|
| 202.5 |
deep yellow |
used |
| 202.7 |
deep yellow |
|
| 202.7 |
deep yellow |
|
| 202.9 |
deep yellow |
|
| 231.1 |
gold ochre |
|
| 231.5 |
gold ochre |
|
| 231.7 |
gold ochre |
|
| 231.8 |
gold ochre |
|
| 231.9 |
gold ochre |
|
| 231.3 |
gold ochre |
|
| 709.1 |
green grey |
|
| 709.5 |
green grey |
|
| 709.7 |
green grey |
used |
| 709.8 |
green grey |
|
| 709.8 |
green grey |
|
| 709.8 |
green grey |
|
| 709.9 |
green grey |
|
| 709.3 |
green grey |
used |
| 709.1 |
green grey |
|
| 704.1 |
grey |
|
| 704.3 |
grey |
used |
| 704.5 |
grey |
|
| 704.7 |
grey |
|
| 704.8 |
grey |
|
| 704.9 |
grey |
|
| 704.7 |
grey |
|
| 347.3 |
indian red |
used |
| 347.5 |
indian red |
|
| 347.9 |
indian red |
|
| 347.7 |
indian red |
|
| 205.12 |
lemon yellow |
|
| 205.3 |
lemon yellow |
|
| 205.5 |
lemon yellow |
|
| 205.8 |
lemon yellow |
|
| 205.9 |
lemon yellow |
|
| 236.3 |
light orange |
|
| 236.5 |
light orange |
|
| 236.7 |
light orange |
|
| 236.8 |
light orange |
|
| 236.9 |
light orange |
|
| 339.1 |
light oxide red |
|
| 339.5 |
light oxide red |
|
| 339.7 |
light oxide red |
|
| 339.8 |
light oxide red |
|
| 339.9 |
light oxide red |
|
| 339.3 |
light oxide red |
|
| 201.3 |
light yellow |
appears green |
| 201.5 |
light yellow |
|
| 201.7 |
light yellow |
|
| 201.8 |
light yellow |
|
| 331.5 |
madder lake deep |
|
| 331.7 |
madder lake deep |
|
| 331.8 |
madder lake deep |
|
| 331.9 |
madder lake deep |
|
| 538.1 |
mars violet |
|
| 538.1 |
mars violet |
|
| 538.3 |
mars violet |
used |
| 538.5 |
mars violet |
used |
| 538.7 |
mars violet |
|
| 538.8 |
mars violet |
|
| 538.9 |
mars violet |
|
| 707.1 |
mouse grey |
|
| 707.5 |
mouse grey |
|
| 707.7 |
mouse grey |
|
| 707.8 |
mouse grey |
|
| 707.9 |
mouse grey |
|
| 707.3 |
mouse grey |
|
| 620.1 |
olive green |
|
| 620.5 |
olive green |
|
| 620.5 |
olive green |
|
| 620.7 |
olive green |
|
| 620.7 |
olive green |
|
| 620.8 |
olive green |
|
| 620.3 |
olive green |
|
| 620.3 |
olive green |
|
| 620.3 |
olive green |
not as dark as it looks |
| 235.3 |
orange |
|
| 235.5 |
orange |
|
| 235.8 |
orange |
|
| 235.9 |
orange |
|
| 235.9 |
orange |
|
| 619.3 |
perm green deep |
|
| 619.5 |
perm green deep |
|
| 619.5 |
perm green deep |
|
| 619.7 |
perm green deep |
|
| 619.9 |
perm green deep |
|
| 618.3 |
perm green light |
|
| 618.5 |
perm green light |
|
| 618.8 |
perm green light |
|
| 618.9 |
perm green light |
|
| 372.1 |
perm red |
|
| 372.5 |
perm red |
|
| 372.5 |
perm red |
|
| 372.9 |
perm red |
|
| 372.8 |
perm red |
|
| 371.7 |
perm red deep |
|
| 371.8 |
perm red deep |
|
| 371.9 |
perm red deep |
|
| 370.3 |
perm red light |
|
| 370.5 |
perm red light |
|
| 370.7 |
perm red light |
|
| 370.9 |
perm red light |
|
| 397.1 |
perm rose |
|
| 397.3 |
perm rose |
|
| 397.5 |
perm rose |
|
| 397.7 |
perm rose |
|
| 397.9 |
perm rose |
|
| 633.3 |
perm yellow green |
|
| 633.5 |
perm yellow green |
|
| 633.7 |
perm yellowish green |
|
| 633.9 |
perm yellowish green |
|
| 372.3 |
permanent red |
|
| 371.3 |
permanent red deep |
|
| 371.5 |
permanent red deep |
2 sticks |
| 570.3 |
phthalo blue |
|
| 570.5 |
phthalo blue |
|
| 570.7 |
phthalo blue |
used |
| 570.9 |
phthalo blue |
used |
| 675.3 |
phthalo green |
|
| 675.5 |
phthalo green |
|
| 675.8 |
phthalo green |
|
| 508.3 |
prussian blue |
|
| 508.5 |
prussian blue |
|
| 508.7 |
prussian blue |
|
| 508.8 |
prussian blue |
|
| 234.3 |
raw sienna |
|
| 234.5 |
raw sienna |
|
| 234.7 |
raw sienna |
|
| 234.8 |
raw sienna |
|
| 234.9 |
raw sienna |
|
| 234.1 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.1 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.3 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.5 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.7 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.9 |
raw umber |
|
| 408.5 |
raw umber |
|
| 545.3 |
red violet |
two sticks |
| 545.5 |
red violet |
|
| 545.7 |
red violet |
|
| 545.8 |
red violet |
|
| 522.1 |
turquoise blue |
used |
| 522.1 |
turquoise blue |
used |
| 522.3 |
turquoise blue |
|
| 522.5 |
turquoise blue |
|
| 522.8 |
turquoise blue |
used |
| 522.1 |
turquoise blue |
|
| 505.5 |
ultra light |
|
| 505.5 |
ultra light |
|
| 505.7 |
ultra light |
|
| 506.1 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.3 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.5 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.5 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.7 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.9 |
ultramarine blue |
|
| 506.9 |
ultramarine blue |
great color |
| 505.9 |
ultramarine light |
|
| 505.8 |
ultramarine light |
great color |
| 536.3 |
violet |
|
| 536.5 |
violet |
used |
| 536.7 |
violet |
|
| 100.5 |
white |
6 sticks |
| 227.1 |
yellow ochre |
|
| 227.3 |
yellow ochre |
|
| 227.5 |
yellow ochre |
|
| 227.5 |
yellow ochre |
|
| 227.7 |
yellow ochre |
|
| 227.9 |
yellow ochre |
|
Tags: drawing, pastel
Posted in art | No Comments »
Monday, July 27th, 2009
So, I’m thinking of starting a new title theme for my work, along the lines of Russian primitive icon labels. They are typically one long sentence that tells the story of the work: St. Paul rides a Lamb out of the gates of The Holy City at Sunset as beggars strew Palm Fronds. . .you get the idea. This painting would be called “Hansa Roses and Dianthus in a Bell jelly jar with black cherries on a Dutch plate on Jane Wineberger’s table linen around mid-day in July”. I know what everything is in my drawings – it would be hard not to what with staring at those items for hours and hours. Seems like I ought to own up to the knowledge, especially when I want to emphasize the object in the context of the painting, as is the case with the Dutch plate which belonged to my neighbor Rose, who died on Midsommer.
I guess the proof will be going forward, if I can keep to a schema. You should let me know what you think.
Tags: garden, pastel, still life, summer
Posted in art, still life | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Mel's Lane
18 x 24, pastel on marbled board, sunny afternoon in Stonington.
Tags: architectural landscape, cityscape, pastel, Stonington, summer
Posted in art, landscape, the neighborhood, urban landscape | No Comments »
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
Cosmos in a Green Vase
Finished last night; pastel, 16 x 20 on Ampersand Museum board. I’m getting more done during garden season this year. I think it has to do with confidence in the process. Petras Vaskas, who taught ceramics and moldmaking at the old Philadelphia College of Art, used to tell me that worrying about the work increased the load by half again, and he was right.
Tags: pastel, still life
Posted in art, still life | No Comments »
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
The Salt-glazed Pot, 18″ x 24″, pastel on board
I ran across all the sketches, photos and color swatches for this piece last night as I was cleaning up my studio area. The teapot is very old, salt-glazed at a factory in central Connecticut, the bowl is Danish. This one spot on our kitchen table is brilliantly lit for a few weeks in the winter.
Tags: drawing, pastel, still life, winter
Posted in art, still life | No Comments »
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Finally off the easel: pastel, 18″ x 24″, a view down one of the many roads to the working waterfront in Southwest Harbor.
Tags: architectural landscape, harbor, house, ocean, pastel, spring
Posted in art, landscape | No Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
Monday nights I don’t work. The work day is generally grueling with all sorts of left-over bits in my inbox, and then I have other commitments. It’s a good night to unwind, do laundry, pay bills and clean the kitchen from that late night experimental dinner dish you tried out on your friends. You know, the one with roasted barley? It requires a lot of clean-up.
Anyway, the drawing currently on the easel is an 18″ x 24″ landscape set at sunset in Southwest Harbor. There’s a huge tree (very reminiscent of “Hunters in the Snow” sans crows), a grassy bank, an odd house, some water and a little snow. It’s taking forever.
Here, instead, I present a little drawing that required pushing a handful of flowers into an old pot and two days work and is none the worse, I think, for brevity.
Tags: pastel, still life
Posted in art, gardening, still life | No Comments »
