Day 6: Looking into the Canyon

from January 6, 2012
Looking into the Canyon, a soft pastel on 6x6 royal blue Colourfix Suede.

1. Today's piece is a really late starter for the day, where I set up at the easel beginning at 9 PM. I'm using a new surface today: Art Spectrum's Colourfix Suede, a surface similar to PastelMat, but on a thicker stock. There is a bit of pebbling of the surface (especially visible in areas where you use blending techniques), but so far with my successively built layering style the paper is performing well.

2. I've worked on the rock structures on this vista of Bryce Canyon in Utah, and brought in an self portrait figurative element into the piece. I'm not sure how much further I can take this piece in the next 20 minutes, but will give it a shot to make some minor adjustments before I officially call it the end of day 6.

3. Due to official time constraints, I added just a few touches of light values here and there, including on the near rock viewpoint and the foliage in the foreground. I've filled the tooth of this paper, so I can't do much correction to the figure. I believe that I'll have to revisit this composition in the future as a full-fledged larger image.

This was ultimately a test of being able to "put your pastels down" at a specified time. : )

Artist Cards, Editions and Originals (aka ACEOs)

I am getting back into making ACEOs, trading card size art for the masses! What fun. I especially enjoy the small format for some subjects and feel that this is a way to reach a much broader artistic market at a lower price point. The piece below is a scenic image from Bryce Canyon and Rainbow Point.



On the same road trip, I passed a lovely group of four horses enjoying a hot afternoon graze next to a rest stop in Iowa. I captured my favorite of those horses here in this simple composition, Munch a Bunch. Both of these pieces (or perhaps new pieces if you're looking after November 6) are currently up for auction on eBay...so get your bids in now!