Painting on Pastelmat

This is my first attempt painting on a new paper called Pastelmat.  Since I often paint animals, I thought I’d first test how suitable the paper is for fur.  I used my dog as the subject.  My usual method of painting fur didn’t work on this paper, so unless I figure out a way to get the results I want, I won’t be using this paper for animals in the future.  I can see great possibilities with other subjects, though.

"Old Friend"
12” x 19.5”

Soft Pastel on Pastelmat

Pastelmat is an amazing surface.  It is so smooth, you wouldn’t expect it to grab onto the pastel, but that’s exactly what it does.  I’m looking forward to experimenting with different subjects and discovering what I can do with it.

Dog Painting From my Live Presentation Last Night

I’d like to thank all of you who attended my EBSQ Live! Presentation last night. It was great to meet some new people, and overall a very fun experience. Here is the painting I used for the demonstration. It is my dog, in one of her favorite sunny spots in the house. If you missed the demo, you can see it on my web site here.

"Sunny Spot"

10” x 20”
Soft Pastel on Suede Matboard

Another Portrait on Velour Paper

This is a portrait of artist Tracey Allyn Greene and her cat. I had planned on painting Tracey in oils, but when I saw her photo with Poe, I decided to use soft pastels on velour paper instead. After I was about two hours into the process, I realized that my choice of paper wasn’t a good one. I debated trashing it, but Tracey was already alive on the page, so I decided to persevere. Although I wish I had done it on suede matboard instead, I’m pretty happy with the results.

Tracey & Poe
12” x 9”
Soft Pastels on Velour Paper

Annie: A Portrait

"Annie"

12"x9"

Soft Pastels

This is a painting I completed for the Pet Portrait Swap show on EBSQ. I love doing this kind of work. The instant gratification of pastels, the challenge of making the dog come to life, the pleasure I feel when I've accomplished my goal. Well, I suppose I feel that with all artwork, but the instant gratification aspect is what really compels me to use pastels. I just love them. The velour paper is perfect for fur. Not always easy to work on, but once you get the hang of it, the results are lovely.

Check out the Pet Portrait Swap on EBSQ.