Another portrait update

This is another small update on the portrait of my mother.

I'm working on the patterning on the sofa cover, trying not to make it too strong and distracting.  As it takes up two thirds of the surface, I still have a ways to go, so I'm doing other little pieces in between to stop the boredom setting in.

I have told you that this is done on Stonehenge, but as I noticed the watermark tonight, I realized that its Somerset.  That would explain why its shedding as I blend or brush it.  The charcoal works well on this but doesn't give as smooth a gradation of values as I would like for portraiture.  But too late to turn back now!

The Arts Map

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Are you on the Arts Map yet?

The Arts Map is a listing of artists and their contact information and the work they produce from across the globe.   If you're travelling and want to check out some new artists or find a workshop, this may be the place to do it. 

You can search the site by name, location and medium to find who is doing what and where.  Google Maps pinpoints the address, making the artist easy to locate. For those uneasy about placing their exact location, you don't have to, but of course the location won't be accurate on the map, just the town that you choose.

There is no charge to sign up and place your dot on the map.  I've created mine here and have the distinction - dubious or not - of being the most easterly in North America at the moment.

The Arts Map is about inclusion, not exclusion. Our goal is to provide a resource which will benefit the entire arts community.

We hope you will create a marker and put yourself, your work, or your organization "on the map."

It is a beta release, meaning that the program is still undergoing some tweaks and upgrades.You can read the FAQs and learn more about the program and decide if you want to join in.  The world of art is all about exposure and networking.  I see the Arts Map as another tool that helps this process.

Surf

 Surf

6 x 9  soft pastels

I invested in a new box of pastels today to augment what sticks and stubs I already had floating around in tubs and trays.  There is an immediacy about pastels that fills the gap between drawing and painting.  The feel of them as they deposit pigment on a rough surface is very satisfying, almost as much as the intensity of colours that can be created with them.

The drawback with creating pieces in pastel is the challenge of shipping them when someone buys one who isn't local.  Its rather more elaborate to ensure the pastel doesn't disappear from the surface or get smeared by the time it reaches its location.  However, so far, so good, with any shipments of pastels that I'd made.  As long as I sandwich it with a gap between and make sure the piece can't move it works well.

This piece is still water, but not another river view of Salmonier.  This is a view of the ocean breaking over the rocks at Flatrock.  The beach, if you could call it that, has a handful of rocks at its edge, breaking off from the flat rocks that give the area its name.  The movement of the water over the rocks is endlessly appealing to me.

This little study was more a trial run of the new pastels than a serious piece.  However, blue is the other attractant to me, so air whipped water turning turquoise always captures my attention.

Ambitious Peep

Ambitious Peep
9 x 12  watercolour

I have distinct likes and dislikes in foods and it usually is a texture issue.  Marshmallow is one of those things that I cannot abide, smelling it, touching or (shudder) eating it.

However, I had seen shelves full of Easter treats for the past month or more and one of them was the culprit - Peeps.  Pure marshmallow covered in bright shells of coloured sugar.  I kept meaning to buy them as they appealed in shape and colour for future paintings.

Then a few days ago Chris Beck had posted about the challenge she had with Jelaine Faunce and Pablo Villicana Lara in her blog, I'm Painting As Fast As I Can.  They each had created a piece around Peeps.  I strongly encourage you to go visit all three artists and images, they are priceless.

So, with images of Peeps in my head, and a box of the (shudder) marshmallow candy in my studio I played around with various Peeps images. The result was the cross between a Peep and a goose egg.

This watercolour is about 9 x 12.  Thanks for the extra inspiration Chris, Jelaine and Pablo!  Happy Easter!

Back road at dusk

I love the time of day when light is fading.  It starts to dull colours in landscapes and intensify colours in the sky as the sun moves down in the sky.

In Newfoundland there are so many gravel roads in varying conditions that are not travelled as much but always turn up interesting views.  This is near the end of a small back road with a view of a tiny community across the water.  The skies are dramatic, almost looking as if they were on fire with the sun and the dark clouds above them back lit.

This piece is 22 x 15 and in pastel.