Pastels!

Although I don't mind if the summer goes on a little longer, I can't wait to do my pastels study in the fall! I'm fairly new to pastels, only first used them about a year ago, so I feel like there's still a lot to learn. Since then I've seen work from a lot of pastel artists that have made me want to get better. One artist's work - Marianna McDonald - I came across at a Lexington Gallery Hop, earlier this year, I think it was, and I just now found out she's actually from Lexington. I really like how a bunch of well-placed scribbles can turn into a beautiful landscape:






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Some people weren't able to be at my art show, so I might put up certain pieces on my blog from the art show, since they can't be seen very well in the pictures I posted of the gallery. And while I'm on the topic of pastels, I'll include this one which I did last fall/winter which I call Autumn Memories.



This is a self-portrait and has a lot of little things that have meaning to me. Some of the meanings I will leave ambiguous, but I would like to explain the symbols. The boots represent travel, which for me was going off to college. On the side is an ocarina for music which I felt was very significant to the time I am referencing. And the tin man is hiding in there behind me, because sometimes I don't have a heart, I am more insensitive than I should be, and that leads to my own demise. The bird I say is there for emotional support. He can fly (freedom) and is there to ensure me that soon I will be free from the emotional things holding me down. And he was right.


All of this is leading up to my newest pastel drawing that I finished today.





Meow.

art show!

June 4th I had my first solo art show ever.




And there's pictures!

There are graphite & charcoal & pastel drawings, watercolors, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, ceramics, photography, digital art, and prints (as in printmaking), and it's all in the gallery until July 31st. (and most stuff is for sale, just ask) :)
















I made lemonade and hummus for the event, too.









Was a great time!