Clara's Pnk Sweater - original oil pastel portrait drawing

I love horizontal portrait paintings - in this one, the model was sitting with her arm along the back of the sofa with an oscillating fan blowing on her (hence the hair flying out behind her) - just got started working and it was so satisfying to scribble madly with the lipsticky Sennelier oil pastels on Pastelbord, seldom stopping to add a lot of detail.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Her Sketchbook - original charcoal portrait drawing in progress

She really seems pleased with her artwork and I'm looking forward to working on this some more and getting it finished - much to do, though, to get to that point.  Thanks for stopping by!

Taking a Break - original oil pastel figurative

Nothing like a little snooze between chapters - on 7 x 5" Pastelbord, using Sennelier oil pastels.  Thanks for stopping by!

Shelley's Blue Ribbons - original oil pastel portrait painting

I think this model has such a sweet face - a pleasure to paint.  I drew
very quickly, then moved to another location in the room for a different view.   I generally do that in a long pose, so I have a few different sketches/drawings/paintings instead of just the one pose for three hours, plus with three hours on the same pose, I tend to overwork it.   This is another piece using Sennelier oil pastels on sand colored 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Waiting Again - original oil pastel figurative

I hope he shows.  This oil pastel is on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking - have a great weekend!

Woman in Purple - original oil portrait painting

Another one of those I wish I'd had more time on.  The model had such a classic, old-fashioned - maybe even a medieval sort of look - I think it would have been great to have her dress up in period clothing.  Oh well.  This painting is 10 x 10" on gessoed panel.  This afternoon, I was spending time drawing while listening to a dark mystery where the main character was trapped in a locked room - it was chilling - and at that moment, a friend knocked on the door of my studio - nearly scared me senseless!  Took a little time to get over it, too.
That'll teach me - music while I paint tomorrow!  Thanks for stopping by!

Lee's Daughter - original oil pastel portrait drawing

This study of a young woman who posed ever so briefly was done on 7 x 5" carton board from Judson Art Outfitters or Amazon.  I love working on this stuff - give it a try.  Thanks for stopping by!

Lady with a Fan - original oil pastel figurative

This oil pastel is on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks for stopping by!

Solace - original oil pastel figurative sketch

Listening to Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder as I post.  Love all that talent. Never paid much attention to bluegrass 'til I lived in Virginia and there was a bluegrass program on Sunday afternoons  - can't remember the station now.  Anyway, it wasn't long before I was hooked.  Sort of got off-subject here - this oil pastel is on Pastelbord, 7 x 5".  Thanks for looking!

Lainie's Tea - original oil pastel figurative painting

A little experiment with totally blunt (unsharpened) oil pastels on 7 x 5" Pastelbord - just to keep me loose.  Much fun to do and although I see a lot of things I could improve upon, I'm just leaving it and moving on.  Tomorrow I am definitely and absolutely going to have my country dance painting finished, but it might be too wet to photograph.  Well, we'll see.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

The Flapper Redux - original oil portrait painting

Here's what can happen to a painting that started out as something totally and completely different.  Check out The Flapper.  I can't really explain it, but I had much more fun with this version.  There are a few things to work on, but I'm essentially finished and now I'm moving on to a country dancers painting that I'm loving.  This piece is 10 x 10" on canvas.  Thanks for stopping by!

Mad Jive - original oil figurative painting

She looks a little wild, hence the title.  The struggle to make things loose continues.  This one is 7 x 5" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

On My Easel - Sketch for Flamenco Guitar - original charcoal figurative drawing in progress

Here's the plan - I will paint this in oil, with a few minor changes and it will be wonderful.  In my dreams.  (Picture of me with mouth curved down).  The same pose, more or less, is on my oil pastel blog today.  Usually since I'm such a 'drawer', the drawing or sketch is better than the resulting painting.  Maybe this time it'll be different!  Did this on 12 x 9" Canson illustration paper using a Prang charcoal pencil - the kind with the string - and I loved it!  It has a wonderful feel to it and covers well and quickly.  Thanks for stopping by!

Portrait of Julee - original oil portrait painting

This was a fun thing to do - trying to keep it loose.  In order to do that, I painted the whole thing with a #14 Bright and then made sure not to fool with it when I got home - always my downfall.  This piece is on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!

The Thursday Nude - original watermedia drawing of a nude

This little study of the model was great practice and I never seem to get enough of that!  I used a Derwent Intense crayon with a watercolor brush on Yupo.  It's about 7 x 6".  Thanks for visiting my blog!

At the Soirée - original oil pastel figurative drawing

This drawing happened quickly - I had been thinking about this tilt of the head, so I just experimented.  There wasn't a model in sight, so I simply had to make do.  And I just let it be the way it is - pretty loose, my favorite thing, actually.  For the support, I used multi-media artboard that I purchased from Jerry's and I love it!  I think it'll take lots of abuse and the surface is wonderful - accepts everything I've tried.  I'm SO thankful to be living when there are many art products available - no grinding colors myself - ugh!  The artboard is 10 x 8" and I left a little border around it, so maybe it's about 9 x 7".  Thanks for stopping by!

Blue Jivers Again - original ink and watercolor figurative drawing

I must have a new fave - black ink or marker with touches of blue watercolor.  Actually I love so many kinds of media - no end to the fun!  As much as I adore my tango dancers, I'm crazy about the energy of the jivers - they never tire.  For this 6 x 6" Bristol paper piece, I used a black Sharpie.  Other favorites are Prismacolor markers and Itoya.  Added a little watercolor just for fun.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Sketch of Moira - original oil pastel portrait drawing

I've drawn and painted this model before and it was great to have her as the model again. She holds the pose so well - I'm not at all sure I could do that.  This drawing was done on 14 x 11" Art Spectrum Colourfix paper,  using gloriously gooey Senneliers.  Colourfix is thought of and advertised as a surface for soft pastel, but it is absolutely perfect for oil pastel - its surface allows the application of multiple layers.  If you like working with oil pastel, do give this paper a try.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Doodles on My iPhone - original iPhone figurative drawings

While I was waiting for family to finish shopping at the Apple store this weekend, I decided to doodle  a bit, since I had never used this app before.  The "models" didn't stay put, of course, but I just used my finger and drew a few of the shoppers as they waited.  I LOVED doing this and no one ever suspected what I was up to.  I have lots of them, but am only sharing a few.  I know they look like some kind of crazy shorthand, but every mark means something to me, plus jogs my memory, and I can use them for "real" pieces.  Thanks for stopping by!

They Say It's Good for the Heart - original oil pastel figurative drawing

Nothing like a little glass of wine for heart health - don't know if that's true, but lots of folks swear by it - plus they love the cure.  This drawing is done with Senneliers on 9 x 12" Art Spectrum Colourfix paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Snuggle - original oil pastel figurative painting

This one's been around for awhile, but I just never thought to post it.  I used Sennelier oil pastels on Colourfix paper and the painting is about 8 x 8 1/2".  Thanks for stopping by!

Smoky Tango - original figurative oil painting

Sort of a departure for me, this one - a little more abstract.  I think I left it pretty loose.

Above is a photo I took of my friend, Rosemary, who is a wonderful artist, after my demo at the Kerrville Art Club in Kerrville, Texas, on Tuesday.  She's helping me get my stuff out of the meeting room and back into my car.  It was a fun afternoon doing a charcoal drawing, which appears on the monitor in the background, and visiting with other artists!

This painting is 8 x 8" on gessoed panel - thanks so much for stopping by!

On My Easel - The Flapper - original oil figurative painting in progress

Here's what I was working on today while listening to a book that deals with the 1920s, Only Yesterday, which I had to read in college, but which I get much more out of now, plus The Sleepwalkers, by Christopher Clark, about the events leading up to WWI.  So, it follows, I guess, that I want to paint a flapper.  This is only the very beginning of this piece as you can tell, and I hope it will turn out well, but, sigh, hoping is no guarantee.  It's on 10 x 10" stretched canvas.  Thanks for looking!

Redhead Tango - original figurative oil painting

Just for fun, I used slightly different dancers this time - he doesn't have his hat and his partner is a redhead.  I love the colors in red hair and those redheads who have a greenish tint - well not really green exactly, but a greenish undertone - are fascinating.  I LOVE painting them.  And I was so interested in the way she has her head turned while he plants a kiss on her cheek.  A devil to paint, but I enjoyed it.  This painting is 6 x 6" on gessoed board. Thanks for looking!

More Rodeo - original oil figurative painting

Rodeo - dusty but wonderful - I love it!  This painting is on 10 x 10" gessoed panel.  Thanks for stopping by!

Red Skirt - original oil figurative painting

I've been seeing lots more variety in the attire of flamenco dancers, lately, and really like this trend. Seeing really good, emotional flamenco is such a wonderful experience - not to be missed!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Jivin' Blues - original mixed media figurative drawing

Just totally fooling around - well I guess that's obvious.  Sharpie and watercolor on Yupo - 9 x 12".  Thanks for having the nerve to look!

Bronc Rider II - original watercolor pencil figurative drawing

Here's another drawing from the rodeo here in Junction a few weeks ago.  These guys really earn their points - and for those who think the horses aren't well treated - they are beautifully cared for and truly valued by their owners.  I also did a painting from this drawing, which I'll probably post at some point.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Two-Step Sweet Talk - original oil figurative painting

Tonight they're two-stepping at Barney's and loving every minute.  I never tire of my little dancers, whether western, tango, or jive - I LOVE them all!  This was fun to do on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for looking!

Ink Nude - original ink drawing of a nude

The model was actually texting as I drew.  After doing an outline on Yupo using an Itoya pen, I put lots of blues and reds on the drawing, using watercolor sticks, then rubbing it off.  The green is plain watercolor.  It's about 8 1/2 x 6 1/2".  Thanks for looking!