Abbey

Abbey, 8 x 10 Watercolor

I just sold this commission. Abbey loved to help her mom do puzzles.  I love the humor of “helping” with the puzzle, the personal history that made it special to her mom, the sunlight, her dynamic position, and the overall composition.

My first try on this painting, I used Indigo as my blue, and I had so much trouble; that and Payne’s Grey lift so easily they are impossible to work with when it comes to details.  For this take, I went back to my old standby, Ultramarine.  Mix that with Burnt Umber and you are good to go for light or dark greys, blacks, or blues.

The other problem I originally had was that the photo was overexposed, with her face in darkness and her stomach and the puzzle totally washed out.  But I loved the photo, so I ran it through Photoshop on AutoFix about five times until it looked like I could work with it.

Square

Square, 6 x 6 Pastel

My kids and I are participating in the RoCo 6×6 art show.  I did this pastel on mat board from photos I took when I visited my uncle playing in the Over and Under band for the East Meets West local square dancers.  When I told my son I was calling it “Square Dance”, (get it? get it?) he showed his approval with an eye roll.  Ah, everyone loves a pun.

Here are my kids’ contributions:

Butterfly by K Kolberg, 6 x 6 Crayon (P)

Untitled 1 by A Kolberg, 6 x 6 Acrylic

Sunny Days by A Kolberg, 6 x 6 Acrylic

Apple by K Kolberg, 6 x 6 Crayon (P)

Dudley

Dudley

Today I finished this watercolor commission.  Dudley was described as the happiest dog ever.

Meridian Centre 1

Meridian Centre 1, 8 x 10 Charcoal and Color Pencil

As I walk around Rochester at this time of year, there is not a lot of color. Instead of using artistic license to add color, or working really hard to “find” it, I started thinking of making a more monochromatic drawing to reflect a simplification of what I see.

I didn’t need to go far from my house to find a plain landscape that could be accurately rendered in just charcoal and ochre pencil on white paper.  I also threw in some terracotta pencil highlights.

I used the smoother back of pastel paper for this.

Oh, what a wet and muddy walk that was.  How I suffer for my art!

Torrey Pines 1

Torrey Pines 1, 8 x 10 Pastel

I finished this pastel today.  This is from Torrey Pines State Reserve, my favorite part of our trip to San Diego a few years ago.  This is my first pastel from outside New York, and it was nice to be able to use blue for the sky.

Related story, when my son was about four, he was drawing a landscape with crayon and I asked him, what color is the sky?  White, he answered, and that’s the crayon he reached for.

Sonnenberg Gardens 1

Sonnenberg Gardens 1, 8 x 10 Pastel

I did this pastel yesterday.  I’ve only been to Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY once, and I only took a few photos.  I wasn’t painting landscapes then and wasn’t really thinking about collecting images – I’ll have to go back.  And I hope I’ve learned my lesson – take photos of things even if I’m not really interested in painting them right now.

This was in the Japanese Garden, designed in 1906.

Highland Park 1

Highland Park 1, 8 x 10 Pastel (O, P)

I did a pastel of my favorite park today.  Highland Park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead, who also designed New York’s Central Park, and it shows; it’s truly special.

I’ve done several paintings and sketches from flowers in Lamberton Conservatory, which is on its grounds, but this is my first landscape there.

Interloken Trail and Watkins Glen

Interloken Trail 4, 8 x 10 Pastel

I finished two pastels today.

Watkins Glen 1, 8 x 10 Pastel

Interloken Trail 4 is done on an orangey paper, and Watkins Glen 1 is done on dark gray.

I took this photo while my kids were still pushing through the last of the prickly scrub blocking 1/4 mile of the trail along the left side of the pond.  Who says artists don’t suffer for their art?

In case you don’t know about Watkins Glen, it’s a gorgeous park in Watkins Glen, NY, in the Finger Lakes.

Interloken Trail 3

Interloken Trail 3, 8 x 11 Pastel

I’m on a roll with landscapes.  Today I finished this pastel.

The Interloken Trail is in the Finger Lakes National Forest, the only national forest in New York.

This was done on maroon paper.

Interloken Trail 2

Interloken Trail 2, 8 x 10 Pastel

Today I did another pastel of the Interloken Trail, using maroon paper and my new greyer greens.

My son reminded me that at the moment I was taking this photo, he was up ahead being stung by a wasp that had made its home in a gate latch.