I'm back to pastel

'Light Corridor' 36"by 24" Pastel on sandpaper with a wet pigment underpainting. Plein Air, done this afternoon.

I'm back to pastel. My first love. My explorations in oil and acrylic taught me that I already am where I want to be. Loose. Expressive. Looking forward to a whole new body of work.

Portrait demos at IAPS

We attend the International Assoc of Pastel Artists trade show every other year. It was in Albuquerque 6/2-6/5 2011. I look forward to it. We set up a booth and I do Portrait demos to show the artists how I handle my underpainting and pastel technique on my Wallis paper.

I like to do 1 hour portraits of those artists attending who are willing to spare the time.
The first one is Dawn. The next one, showing the underpainting and the finished portrait, is Connie.

I wish I knew how to do a layout on this blog post thingamajig. I would have put the underpainting before the finished piece. But it's what it is.

I have a few more I'll post later.

My new drawing class worked.

I taught my new curriculum last weekend. I was higher than a kite for days afterwards. It worked even better than I hoped. Here's one student's feedback.

Thanks, Barbara, for sending me your response to the drawing intensive. I appreciate you.

Hi, Kitty--
I went to Hipbone today for the first time in a few years. ... Compared to what I was doing at Hipbone the last time, today's drawings are leaps and bounds better than those. It's all due to that workshop, Kitty. For the first time I liked my gestural drawings, and the foreshortened long pose actually got some good words from Jeff. For the first time I covered the paper with the drawing instead of sight-sizing the model onto the paper--I knew how to do it!! It was FUN, I was excited, and I like what I came home with. There is still, of course, a long way to go but your workshop vaulted me over into the high-speed lane and learning should go on as long as I work with the lessons you taught me. Many many thanks--again--for your patience, your knowledge, and your dedication to passing on what you learned so long ago. We are all so grateful to you!
Barbara

CPAP success

At the sleep center last night, although I didn't sleep much, 3 hours, the doc pronounced me well wedded to the machine and all signs are go. Who can sleep in a doctors office? Even if it is disguised to look like a motel room.

Back to the easel.

I now check my gmail

I now check my gmail
You may also use my email address: walliscorp@yahoo.com

Jack

Pastel on Sandpaper with an underpainting of wet pigment. 36"x28" Ala Prima, done in 95 minutes with an audience and while making comments.

My favorite portrait to date. Everything worked. Jack was a perfect model. Have you, when doing a portrait, had the sense of interference on a vibe level, coming from the model. I believe some models are compelled to attempt to control the process, although I don't think it's a conscious impulse. Sometimes I feel it so strongly that I can hardly see the model. Jack was the exception that proved this is true. I was relaxed and free while I painted him. I learned to identify this interference and, I hope, to be able to deal with it with more awareness when next I encounter it.

Boy! I'm Good!

I hung a show today.

After spending the last 15 years making Wallis Paper the success it is, while taking the opportunity to drop out of showing and search for the next level in my work; my breath was taken away by how good the show looks. I wish you could all see it. In my time of hiatus, I have continued to grow. I am happy and proud.

The show is at:
Lexus of Portland
8840 SW Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97225

May 3 thru May 30
Sun 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-8:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM-7:00 PM

There will be a reception at my studio
10915 SW 37 Ave, Portland
May 8th and May 9th 3 to 5 PM
See what's on the easel now.