Buddha

This is a painting of my favorite statue at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the big island of Hawaii. I suppose because of the cold and snow I’ve been daydreaming about the summer vacation we’ve planned, which includes another visit to the Hilton Waikoloa. We had such a fabulous time there, and I am so looking forward to going back. This statue was by our hotel tower, so we saw it every day as we boated in from or out to another part of the resort. For some reason, just looking at it made me happy.

8" x 10"

Soft Pastels on Suede Matboard

Buddha & Hydrangeas

This is my submission for the latest challenge from Karin Jurick’s Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. I procrastinated on this one, so I painted it in pastel in order to finish it quickly. This time I blocked in the shapes, then refined from there. I originally left out the thin vase directly behind the Buddha, but I wasn’t wild about the empty space. I thought it might look better with the vase and the reflection, so I drew it in. I’m not sure I like it better, but since it’s there now I’m going to pretend I do.

7"x5"

Soft Pastels on Suede Matboard

I used mostly Sennelier soft pastels on this painting because I wanted to see how they work on suede matboard. I’m impressed! There was very little dust, and the color stays put. After using them on velour paper, I was ready to give up the Senneliers, so I’m thrilled they work so well on the suede matboard. They are so nice and soft and creamy, and I love them.