Regina Calton Burchett – Drawings & Pastels

I think I’ve become addicted to taking photos.  I tell myself it’s because I hope to paint these someday soon, but I think I’m already set for life as far as subject matter goes.  Inks Lake, from what I read, is the second busiest state park in Texas and it’s beautiful.

I wanted to do a small drawing that looked old, like the subject used to be… this is an anniversary gift, drawn from a photo, of a one room schoolhouse that was on my husband’s family land in Kentucky.  He knew the building growing up – it’s gone now, but has special memories for him of what it was for his ancestors.  Colored pencil, pastel pencil, 8×10

Sepia sketch of Kentucky one room school house

Sometimes I update my “Colors” page, where I combine two things I love – color from a part of a painting (or a photo) of mine with a poem or just a few lines that seem to be illustrated by that color.

Here is my writing from today, which is a reminder to practice having a positive and grateful attitude, and to expect (and work for) great things in your life:

~ Vermillion Lightness of Being ~

That lovely feeling

of expectation, anticipation

of knowing something delicious

is just beyond the horizon, like an unopened gift

One of the many beautiful hibiscus I’ve had over the last month or two, and very much appreciated.

As a project for drawing a flower, here is:
1) the original photo of a hibiscus that I took (reduced here, but you can right-click to download the full extra-large photo if you like – about 280KB)
2) a grey-scale reduced version of the same photo
3) another version where the image has been reduced to 16 colors (via my Paintshop Pro graphic software)
4) another version where the hue has been adjusted to a nice minty green

I’m going to work at drawing one of these this weekend, and will post it in a few days.

Hibiscus – Original	Greyscale Hibiscus
16 Color Hibiscus	Hue Change Hibiscus

I went to a very fun class today with my friend Pat, who is a neighbor and artist also.  The class was held in the back room of one of my favorite restaurants, and taught by D.K. Richardson, an excellent pastel artist and portrait artist.  One of the things she had us do was contour drawing, where you look at the object being drawn, and as you following the contour with your eye, you draw the same thing with your hand – without looking at what you are drawing.  Short marks, checking often to see how far you are off, not sketching, but really trying to tie your hand and your eye together, while leaving your brain out of the exercise.

face contour, 6b pencil

It was hard, it was fun, and definitely something different.  I’ve tried this before on trees or still lifes, but never with a person. I made her face too wide, but other than that, liked what I ended up with during the 15 minute exercise.  We also drew in the highlight and shadow shapes.

I don’t intend to ever  become a portrait artist, but I would like to eventually put people in my pastel paintings.  Generic people that nobody knows.  So these classes are excellent practice.  And as long as I keep practicing, I will hopefully keep getting better as an artist.  Hopefully.

Choir Sky, Pastel, 11x14

An hour here, an hour there…..
This time of year, my work keeps me tied to the computer about twelve hours a day. But once every few days, I just chuck it all and go to my studio for an hour or so. It helps my brain and my frame of mind too.

Sherbet Sky, Pastel, 11×14

So here is one I finished tonight (I think), two that I’m in the process of painting now, and one I’m going to finish any minute!!

Bastrop Sky Revisited WIP (painted, wiped, painted, wiped, now in version 3)

Bastrop Sky revisited WIP

Bear Creek Sky – WIP for a long while to come…

Bear Creek Sky WIP

LFB-WIP
Started a few years back, but I’d really like to finish it soon

LFB WIP

Due to reasons beyond my understanding, I had to move my Wordpress blog to a new website name (from the old name of http://blog.fallshadows.com), so please re-subscribe to the new address of http://www.fallshadows.com/blog

This is supposed to be a blog about art (and writing) and art in progress, so I’m posting a small part of a large painting I started a little over a week ago. I’ve never painted a pastel this large – 24″x36″, so am working hard on not being overwhelmed.   I’m focusing on one section at a time and enjoying what I’m doing, with no timeline.

New easel, new painting setup

large sky in progress

This is about 1/8th of the painting, but a fairly large section.  Even this section is not totally complete, but getting there.