Old Fashioned Blooms

These double ruffled daffodils may have been blooming here for all of my old house's 107 years. I love the ragged forms, and the random green and orange touches within these blossoms. They are keeping company here with some budding twigs of flowering quince in a couple of old white grapevine-patterned pitchers. Set against the black tole painted tray and some vintage linens, I thought they looked sweet... yet striking.

6"x18", colored pencil on Ampersand pastelbord

Pastry Wheels & Pitcher

These old pastry wheels have cut a lot of ravioli. Neither one really works any more, but they serve very nicely as models! I tried using them once, with the romantic notion that cutting my homemade ravioli with my grandmother's tools would transform them into "Nana's Ravioli". (Well, they do look like little magic wands!) They basically fell apart in my hand, as if to say,"We are done! Get your own pastry cutters!"

6"x6", Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

Vinca

Here is one of my favorite miniature pitchers... again. (It's the same one that Joseph is holding onto a few posts back.) The tiny vinca blossoms and vines were a good fit for this two inch tall container. These beautiful little flowers are blooming like blue stars in my front dooryard.

The snow is finally gone!

5"x7", colored pencil on Pastelbord

Two Teas

I happened to set these two teapots next to each other in my kitchen one day, and immediately saw a still-life in the making. The shape of the quirky old flowery one was such a contrast to the modern silhouette, yet they shared that apple green color. It made me think of an old lady in her vintage dressing gown having a visit with her great-granddaughter.

What I regret now is starting this on paper, rather than ordering, and waiting for, an appropriately sized piece of pastelbord. I've heard the expression, "Your patience will be rewarded". I'd like to add to that, "... and your impatience will be punished"! This has taken me way longer than it should have, and it has some problems. The pastelbord allows me to layer lights over darks, and I guess I've become accustomed to that luxury. Here, I was stuck with some early color and value choices because the paper just doesn't have the tooth to grab the pencil once there's a layer in place.

Well, for what it's worth, here is "Two Teas". And now I will return to my pastelbord!

9"x12", colored pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper

Forsythia

A couple of weeks ago I cut some forsythia branches and put them in water because I was desperate for spring. I knew that eventually, something would sprout from those bare twigs. It was a joy to see the bright yellow blossoms, especially since there is still quite a bit of snow out there!

I will sharpen this up a little, but I like it at this stage too... soft and sketchy.

6"x6", colored pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

Another Work in Progress

My almost four year old grandson, Joseph, very graciously posed for me the other day. I told him my idea, of an assortment of pitchers on a cloth, with him peeking over the tabletop. He got right into it, wanting to do it immediately. I set up the pottery, and he stepped behind the table. Well, he was really too tall to just peek over, but before I said a word, he crouched down just enough to create the scene I had imagined. What a guy!

I plan to finish this up over the weekend. Seeing it in this format helps me identify those areas that still need work, even though the colors are kind of weird in this scan. The yellow wall is showing all kinds of oddball hue variations, and the "seam" is definitely showing. I'm not the best technician! Hopefully I'll find a way to show it more accurately when it is complete.

6"x18", colored pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

I think it's done...

Since my last post, when this was a work in progress, I took a little trip to visit my sister in New Jersey. (I put a sign on my studio door that read, "Precarious Still Life Set Up. Please Do Not Disturb!) Unfortunately, I brought the flu... or some such nasty bug... home with me, and as a result, wasted several days lying around like a lump. I finally made myself get back to work on this yesterday, and I felt much better right away!

Espresso & Lace/ work in progress

I am going to be away from my studio for a few days, and I know I will feel the need to look at this once in a while, so I'm posting it here for myself! This is slightly cropped at top and bottom, almost fitting onto my scanner.

The pizzelle theme is continuing, despite the challenges these pieces present. (Tricky to render, difficult not to eat...) I have one or two more compositions "cooking" in my mind, and hope they will be an interesting subset in a body of work I'm currently putting together. More on that later!

9"x12", Prismacolor and Coloursoft pencils on Ampersand Pastelbord

Pitchers and Pizzelle

Every time I make pizzelle with my grandmother's old pizzelle iron, I think, "These are so beautiful, I should paint them!"

Then, we eat them all.

So, the last time I made them, I put some in a tin and put them aside so they could have their portraits done. It's hard to believe, but I did not eat them ( luckily, I forgot about them!) and yesterday I started working on some still life set-ups. They are quite fragile, so I've been locking my studio door when I'm not in there, to keep out the cat. Also, they smell heavenly, and could easily tempt a hungry passer-by!

Here, I have grouped them with two little pitchers, which also belonged to my grandmother.


6"x6", Prismacolor and Coloursoft pencils on Ampersand Pastelbord

Bride & Groom

Here is a commissioned portrait that I finished recently. The idea of adding the stained glass window to the background had me a bit concerned, at first. The strength and intensity of it could easily take over, and visually overpower the happy couple. I think that toning down the brightness of the glass colors and lightening the value of the leaded outlines between them kept the window "in its place".

This was a joy to create! I'm wishing many years of love and happiness to these newlyweds!

"Heather & Jeff", (crop), 11"x14", Prismacolor and Coloursoft pencils on Ampersand Pastelbord

Sophia in Summer

Feeling the need for some warmth, I looked through some photos I took last summer, and found the inspiration for this little portrait. The day was not warm... it was HOT. Over 100 degrees. In the shade. My niece, Sophia, my two sisters and I spent a wonderful, yet sweltering, day together at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania in mid-July. Just thinking about it makes me feel all happy and toasty!

5"x7", Prismacolor and Coloursoft pencils, on Ampersand Pastelbord

Sophia & Josh

After finishing a half dozen pieces with Prismacolor pencils on the Ampersand Pastelbord, I was still undecided about continuing to use the boards. The process of matting these pieces for framing makes me a bit nervous, because of their weight and thickness. I haven't been able to find any guidelines for the best way of doing this, so I've resorted to what I would have to call a "Mickey Mouse" method, which involves lots of framer's tape and odd bits of matboard for support... an untidy mess hidden on the back side of the artwork and mat. If anyone has a good system for securely matting these boards, I would love to learn about it!

Anyway, I wanted to do this portrait of my niece and nephew together, but did not have a Pastelbord large enough on hand. I used a toned sheet of Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper instead, and, while I'm pleased with the result, I really missed the toothy surface and the sturdiness of the board.

Materials aside, with this wonderful pair as my subjects, I have no complaints!


9"x12", Prismacolor pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper

Vintage Portrait

Here is a recent commission, drawn in graphite from a wallet-sized photograph. I really enjoy doing this sort of thing occasionally. There is something about creating a new, fresh version of an old image that can just delight people so much. It's always fun to see or hear about their reactions, and it feels good to know that my little pencil drawing will be appreciated in a very personal way, bringing memories of moments and even the sound of a voice long gone that I know nothing of.

8"x10", graphite

Winter Solstice

The Turn

By a twist and a tilt
we go 'round the bend,
That some call beginning
and some call the end.
And some call the middle,
Whether going in or out.
By fact and by figure
there can be no doubt.

We have measured to the nth
and so we've found,
That now is the place
where the earth goes around.
A calendar face, a shadow on ground.

Marking an x
by this common connection,
Feel the rumble and turn,
Changing direction.
Worry one side might freeze
while the other might burn.
Yet we turn to perfection,
Though we mark it or not.
And bend 'round the bend
to a sunnier spot.

Len Faria

To mark the winter solstice, I am sharing this little collaboration; a poem, "The Turn", written by my brother, and a recent art card of mine, titled "Winter Solstice Sun".

Last but not least...

My third and final grandson portrait for gift giving this Christmas. This was one of those times when, half-way through, it seemed like I was completely off, and was thinking of starting over. Luckily, I forged ahead, remembering how many times I've felt that frustration, only to be pleased in the end at the outcome. (Come to think of it, that happens in all sorts of places besides making art, doesn't it?)

I'm pretty happy with these three little portraits. Of course, the fact that these guys mean so much to me probably colors my perception a bit! They are a joy!

6"x6", Prismacolor pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

Another Grandson... one more to go

This is my oldest grandson; big brother to the cutie in my previous post. They are quite a pair! As these will be hung together, I chose poses with similar lighting, and kept the backgrounds simple. The third and final grandson portrait, which will be posted tomorrow, has a very different look, as you will see.

The Ampersand Pastelbord is definitely feeling more comfortable to me now, and I'm off to buy some more today, and a new batch of Prismacolor pencils as well... I've worn them down to the size where they become little art supplies for the two and three year old boys I have been drawing!

6"x6", Prismacolor pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

My Youngest Grandson... and another tag!

Here is a little colored pencil portrait of my youngest grandson. This is part of a Christmas gift for my son and his wife... the other part being a portrait of this adorable guy's big brother! I'll post it in a couple of days.

Now, it seems I've been tagged once again; this time by Alvin Richard, an amazing painter whose acrylic works often give me goosebumps! Previously, I was tagged by Robyn, and although I did tell some things about myself, I never got around to tagging other people. So, now I'll make up for it, and do it right.

1. I was fired from my first job, at the age of 16. It was at a "Friendly's" restaurant. The manager told me, "We were looking for a friendlier waitress."

2. I lived in the same house from birth to marriage.

3. When I turned 50, I celebrated by taking a hot air balloon ride. It took off in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, a short distance from the famous Portland Head Lighthouse, and traveled northwest toward Sebago Lake. There was a small plane flying around us at the beginning of the flight, and its passenger was a photographer for Conde Nast Traveler Magazine... taking pictures of us!

4. My husband and I share our house with a 20 pound cat.

5. My sisters and I played a game of Squiggles (... make a scribble, give it to someone, they make a picture out of it...) by mail, for years!

OK, here's who I'm tagging:
Cooper Dragonette
Gillian Mowbray
Nicole Caulfield
J Matt Miller
William K Moore

Thanks, Alvin!


6"x6", Prismacolor pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

Hello Santa

I have been busily working on a commission piece which will be done in a couple of days, and a few ACEOs as well. Three pencil portraits will be started next week, with several more to follow... and all will be complete by Christmas. I also want to give some gifts of art this year, and I truly hope I can do it all!

So, I have tacked up this Santa over my drawing table, with the idea that if I get everything done, he'll put something good in my stocking!


8"x10", Prismacolor pencil and acrylic paint on watercolor paper

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is next week, so, of course, I've had pies on my mind. While I seriously doubt that I will have the time, patience, or frankly, the desire to meticulously carve out a pie crust like this, I really enjoyed illustrating the concept! It was good, too, to be reminded as I worked on this little piece, of some of the countless things I am thankful for. By the time the drawing and thinking were done, I was feeling exceedingly blessed!

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!

(This little art card (ACEO) is one of my current listings on ebay. 2.5"x3.5" Prismacolor pencil on Bristol)

Grapevine

This little drawing is for a wine bottle label. I had fun with these tendrils!

6"x6", Prismacolor pencils and ink on Bristol