Time Lapse- Painting "Goosed"

I tried my hand at time-lapsed videos when I painted "Goosed", a 5x7 pastel.  I was talking on the speaker phone and chewing gum while filming this...yikes!  Lesson learned!

Goosed   5x7 pastel  N Equall

You can't see my reference material.  I have a laptop to the left of my easel with my photos on it.  I only use my own reference materials- photos that I have taken myself as well as sketches done on location.  My pastels are in a Heilman pastel box set on top of a mechanics cart (to the right of the easel).  I paint primarily on Wallis paper, which is an artist's sand paper.  With this painting, I sketched it in first with a pencil, and put the background color in before applying pastel to the bird.

A note about the timer...I had set the timer for 20 minutes to lay out the painting and sketch in the landmarks.  The time lapse starts when there was ten minutes left.  After the timer went off, I stopped using it.  I spent just over an hour total on this painting.  That doesn't include anything other than actually applying pastel.

I've been using the timer/clock while I'm painting both in the studio and outdoors. My perception of time gets all screwed up while I'm painting.

A Few New Paintings

Puffed Up  8x10 pastel

On a cold, foggy April morning, I came across this little red winged blackbird, sitting on a sign post on the side of a country road out by Hillsboro.  It wasn't bothered by me and the camera, and seemed content to hang out while I clicked away.

A. Crow  8x10 pastel

A. Crow is one of my neighborhood crows.  This crow loves tasty morsels, but is very skittish.  One day I put a couple pieces of dinner roll on the deck for the birds.  The crow watched and waited as a Steller's Jay took a piece into a nearby tree. Rather than fly down for her own piece, she went after the Jay and stole its piece.   About an hour later my husband said that as he was driving home he saw a crow fly over the road with a large piece of roll in it's beak.

Misunderstood  8x10 pastel

Another goose.  I was at my neighborhood park, and there was only one goose left.  I don't know what happened to the rest of them.  The goose spends a lot of time hissing at anybody who comes close to it.  I understood why when I saw a nice looking family walk by the goose, and they allowed their leashed dog to lunge at the goose.  They laughed that it was funny when the "mean goose" had to run for it's life to get away from their dog's snapping jaws.

My First Solo Show! First Thursday in June

I'm very excited to announce my first solo show at the Elizabeth Lofts Gallery in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon.  Thursday, June 7 2012 .  6pm-9pm.  Live music, wine, art...fun!

The opening reception is open to the public.  If you haven't visited the Pearl during First Thursday, you owe it to yourself to check it out!

Now, back to work for me.  I've got a show to get ready for!  See you on the 7th!

Artworks NW 2012- Third Place!

My husband Paul, Deuce and I went down to Roseburg this weekend to attend the Artworks NW reception at the Umpqua Valley Art Association (UVAA).  My painting "Second  Chances" was selected to appear in the show.   The judge (Michael Cooper) picked 43 out of the 254 submissions to be in the show, then first, second and third places.  I was very thrilled to receive third place, which included a cash prize.  Here is a link to the UVAA website and photos of the artwork in the show...http://uvarts.com/galleries/hallie-brown-ford-gallery/

I'm so glad I got to be there for the reception.  The show was really good, and the judge's work was jaw dropping.  There were a LOT of people there for the reception. The building is gorgeous, the gallery is gorgeous, and I was again struck by what a gem that Roseburg has in the UVAA.  I was totally impressed last summer at their plein air event, and found this event to be equally impressive.  I'm very excited that UVAA will be putting on another plein air competition this September.

The reception was Friday evening, so we had all day Saturday to explore the area.  The weather was perfect, and we drove out east of town, following the Umpqua River up to the forest.  Such fun!  We took the scenic route home today, going through Glide and Lorane, then stopping in Coburg for a bbq with my sister and her family before driving back here to Portland.  I am so happy and tired!

Second Chances  16x16 pastel  N Equall