Well the opening night is over. Now it is on to Summer. There won't be too much to post these next few months, except maybe some restoration work and camouflage on graffiti strewn rocks in Writing on Stone Provincial Park. 
In the mean time these are a few practice color sketches from old thumbnail drawings in which I started but did not finish in the winter.

And another color sketch from a drawing started and never finished. Trying to clean up the studio for some more creative endeavors in the fall. I plan to go full tilt after summer is over, since I have no teaching assignments this year. (May be prompted to teach privately).
Parks will keep me challenged in the creative process and maybe other ideas will come from the vibes (and spirits) in the arid desert rocks.  I may find my way to an awakening of sorts, while engaging in the spirits of our ancestors.
Or I may come back broken, burnt, and bewildered. I choose to pick a more positive future vision and hope to find a true version of my way home. 

Ok, this isn't the next best pastel painting journey, but it is  a journey through process. Process of not just pastel painting but other life strategies that take away from the painting process. Spring brings weather warm enough to maintain some house and yard work. New patio stones for planters and more in the back to rid myself of the small patch of grass, too small to bother.

Along with the brick work I managed to shingle the other half of the garage, stain both the wood walkway and the deck. Flowers planted. Ready for more searing hot weather in Summer.

And a bit of time left over for a couple of pastels. 9x9 on paper

and a small 4x4 pastel on paper.

Our last figure drawing group before we dispersed for the summer. This is an acrylic painting done from the model. About 2 hours total. 12x16 inches

Art Takes Flight Art show and sale was a Bust. No traffic. But we did get a fun afternoon sketching and painting the gentlemen at the booth next door. Thanks for letting us stare at you all day!

Oh My! Where did April go!
I haven't been painting in pastel for months now. My mind has been on finishing a large 4'x5' canvas in acrylic. I finally finished. As much as I am about to do anyway, as I am very tired of working on it. It has gone through transitions from the first basic concept. It was just a matter of experimenting with what worked and what didn't. I forgot the behavior of acrylic and the brush gets in the way of what I want to get down on canvas. I am itching to get back to my pastels. Anyway these are the changes and progression (or regression) shots of this painting in process. Aptly named "The Struggle is Real"
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Taken most of March working and reworking a large acrylic painting. By the middle of March I was so frustrated with working and reworking and putting in the hours on this large 4x5 foot painting I gave up. Put the brushes down and swore off the creative, artistic life forever. I decided to do a little Spring Cleaning despite the entire month not being Springlike at all. I reorganized my basement and organized the framing end of my artwork and where things were to go and what I actually had. It has been two weeks and I am still not accomplished this hurculean task. Meanwhile, another project at the Fort has come up. New work and a revamp of the old. A good decision to take off some pictograph symbols and extend the mural makes a better flow to the room.

I decided to reveal some figure drawing practice, since this does take up some of my time as well. Instead of taking my old standby to figure club, the step out on a limb to take only my paint and see what happens. I was quite happy with the outcome after 1 1/2 hours from a live model. 9x12 acrylic on canvas.

This was a practice piece before I headed out to paint the live model. This was done in about the same time but from a photograph. 9x12 acrylic on canvas.
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Most of this week was dealing with the snow. Also in the artistic realm it was dealing with the thought process for a new painting.  Another 4x5 foot canvas is on the wall. A general idea wiped out repeatedly until I had to give up on it altogether before I went mad and dived to deep down into the rabbit hole. I feel a weight lifted, having given up on the idea. I am excited to start in a new direction this week. Any artwork I did get completed this week only entailed some thumbnail sketches. I always go back to doing these when in a stressful state of mind. It is my kind of meditation.

The snow is overwhelming. It is getting to me this week. Having to think about walking the neighbors dog while she is away in some beautiful warm beach somewhere. But then it really is kind of peaceful when your out in it. Then jarred awake again from the scraping the hard concrete clearing the walks for the 100th time. Well, I exaggerate. It seems like 100.

I feel good about getting something done in which I rarely accomplish. When I first built this grainery (silo) frame I had intended to put wooden frames in the window but I ran out of time to do so by show time. I thought I would never get the inspiration to redo this piece. But I guess it was in my original thought process to do it this way. I am glad to have rebuilt and added old weathered wood frames. I hope I have another opportunity to show this piece again, otherwise it will sit in my basement with the rest of my paintings. 24x48 inches faux steel grain bin with 4 10x10 pastel paintings.
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I had a horrible time this week with color combinations and becoming bogged down in my own mind. I kept adding more and more colors that didn't want to fit into the scene. The basic problem is not working out the composition in the first place. Makes the painting to have no where to go. 12x12 pastel on paper

Another terrible day of trial by fire. Perhaps the fear of color has rubbed off? Or maybe it's the size. I upgraded to 12x12 square and seem to rush it to finish in a short amount of time (one hour). When things are not working on a smaller sketch, it seems so much easier to fix, than when the problems occur on a larger piece. The time limit thing is a game with my own head. The day is only complete if I have at least one painting done.

And it continues. I thought I would just do a monochromatic painting. Then I couldn't leave it alone and added some yellow for my lights. Ugh. There is always next week.

Then to end off the week with painting backdrops for the local theater group. 6 4x8foot panels and 2 2x8foot panels. 

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Today I decided to do a progression of my process. This will be for a talk, I was asked to present about my work, this week. 

After letting the oil painting dry for a couple of days, I went back to finish this one. Still not satisfied with the color application. Strong frustration in trying something new. 16x20 oil on canvas.
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Working on the same premise of wanting to try oil painting I dashed this 16x20 off for as long as my frustration level could handle. I love the smell of oil. (I don't necessarily think this love is mutual to my body or mind...maybe time will tell). I love the feel of oil. That slick way that it goes on to the canvas. My need for speed and getting things down fast is what is frustrating me. I love how it blends but not when I don't want it to blend. Then there is the brush thing. I am not using the right one I know. But it is this get the color on without blending into other colors. I gave up after an hour and moved on to another pastel, just to get a feeling of accomplishment tacked to my motivation board.