Autumn Apples

Here is a quick, colorful still life I drew in pastels for Spring Bull Gallery's October exhibit titled "Step into Fall". Sometimes I feel like I have two completely different sides, one that likes to take lots of time with intricate colored pencil pieces and the other that likes to complete quick and loose pastel drawings. Hmmm.

Continuing on Rocks & Foam

I'm working on this piece a little at a time and really enjoying rendering the stones. I'm making them a little more colorful than they are in my photo, I do have some rocks in my studio to look at also. The colors I'm using consist of many grays and browns with touches of other colors; blues, purples, red/orange, yellows. The more I look, the more color I see so I have to back off a little from making them all to colorful and not realistic. My goal is soft and subtle rocks, foam and sand with subtle colors added. While I enjoy working on the sanded grounds in which the pencil can be applied quicker, I have to say my favorite surface is rag illustration board because its durable and takes the pencil softly. Once in a while I don't mind taking forever on a drawing because I enjoy the process and the outcome.

Nantucket Lighthouse

This is a small colored pencil piece I did of Brant Point Lighthouse in Nantucket. Its 7x9" on Rtistx board. I used solvent to dissolve & smooth the pencil for the water and the sky so the texture of the board didn't show through. I used Prismacolor Verithin pencils to add details, they are perfect for this kind of drawing and adding fine lines or details. Thank goodness Nantucket is still standing this morning after Hurricane Earl came through last night. To our relief, it ended up not being much of a big storm at all.