Substrates Part II

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One of my favorite new surfaces to work on is UART sanded pastel paper. Similar to Ersta, which was not ph neutral and therefore not a suitable choice, the UART has a great sanded surface that holds pastel well.  Unlike Sennelier LaCarte, which is great for slowly building glazes of color, the UART creates a painterly surface.  Many layers can be developed with thick applications.  It is a completely different way of working than with the LaCarte and I love the abillity to chance course.  Especially since I have started working in oils again since last year, working with the UARt really opens up a new experience in painting in pastel.  These paintings are from a series I am developing from a trip to Ashland Oregon in November.  The light on the river running through Lithia park made for a plethora of great views to explore.

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Images of Water on Different Substrates, Part I

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I’ve been focusing much of my energy, in spite of the occasional detour, into exploring images of water in various settings.  Water as a theme opens up the opportunity for creative exploration as well as its metaphorical and contextual meaning.  Last week I was back in love with my LaCarte pastel card as a working surface, especially when I executed this painting of an irrigation ditch here in Eureka.  The fog was rolling in in the distance but there was still some waning sun at my back that was opening up the color.  It made for quite a beautiful spectacle.

Choosing the substrate to work on is not always a straightforward proposition.  In this case I knew I wanted to build soft layers of color incorporating a soft yet controlled touch as the composition drifted into the distance.  I could not have been happier with the outcome.

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BLOG DAY AFTERNOON

This is my first day of my first blog…ever.  I still have to play with all these tags and tools and settings and links and yadayadayada but for now I simply blog.

Today is a great day.  My daughter is no longer in finals so I don’t have to pick her up at 12:45 from her high school like all last week, thus breaking up my work day.  Today I played with figuring this bloggie thing out and managed to get some treadmill time in too.  I had a piece in mind to start on in the studio so I headed out there and got a great start on a new piece.

The pastel I’m showing you here is from last week.  I’ve been drawn to the architectural qualities of campers and trucks.  Why you ask?  Something about the randomness of vehicles in front yards of the rural landscape I wander here in Humboldt County.  There’s a stillness and a sense of melancholy about these scenes.  I created this small 9×12 image from a trip up Highway 36. “Camper”

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Victoria Ryan