Regina Calton Burchett – Drawings & Pastels

Two of my paintings were accepted into the APS juried show at the Round Rock ArtSpace. I’ve not been to this venue before, and am looking forward to seeing it!

Kerrville Clouds

Sister Oaks in the Fog

This exhibit will be at ArtSpace, 231 E. Main Avenue, Round Rock, TX 78664, for the month of August, with a reception on Thursday, August 4th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.

The Colored Pencil Society of America has some beautiful pieces on their website that are simply amazing!!

Before I found how much I loved pastels back in 1999, I worked with colored pencil quite a bit, as I enjoyed the meditative aspect of drawing and the interesting effects one could get with a variety of applications.

But because of the hierarchy of “importance” in the art world, oil paintings are Number 1 on the monetary value scale, and colored pencil falls toward the bottom of the list. Which in many ways is very sad, because pencil artists – especially these excellent artists featured on the CPSA website – spend an amazing amount of time creating their beautiful pieces.

I hope you’ll take the time to look these over – they are very impressive!!

My friend Jo Castillo sells a variety of items from her Cafe Press shop – I have a great rooster apron from her! I opened a shop there back in 2006, but have not done much with it. Since I’ve completed a few of my jungle animals, I decided to try it again. So here, if you are interested, are items for purchase, with a lion, elephant, or tiger… or one of my favorite trees. My shop is Mello Ello

Chaparral Skies

I started this quite a while back, and would like to do more large paintings.  In some ways, it’s kind of like picking up branches and twigs from the yard after a storm – you have to focus on the little area in front of you to keep from getting overwhelmed.  But it didn’t make my back hurt so much.  It was fun and a scene I love.

Every morning is a gift with the birds who live here – to see them and hear them starts the day in a grateful way

Ducks at Laguna Gloria

Pastel, 10″x9″

Artists
See beauty
in soft shadows on grass,
the graceful bend of a wrist,
in a ripe pears pride in pink and gold

Musicians
Hear beauty
in the winds scuffle of leaves,
quiet whispers between lovers,
sea waves rushing the evening shore

Dancers
Feel beauty
in a morning bird’s song
the ping of sharp rain against glass
a factory engine’s thrumming, insistent beat

Writers
Realize beauty
In the strength of their comrades,
the ebb and flow of life’s contentment,
in natures power and God’s gentle grace

We strive to share beauty,
to express and preserve it,
sharing a moment of peace with a burdened soul -
for our fellow travelers, hoping to make their spirit sing
If just for a short time

Margaret Adie is a wonderful photographer with an amazing eye for the perfect photo. She’s done a recent series of poppies and was kind enough to allow me to do this pastel from her photo. Check out her photos, photo books, and other very original art pieces at her website here!

Final Version here: http://www.fallshadows.com/blog/2011/06/12/painting-a-large-pastel-36×24-chaparral-skies/

This is the largest pastel painting I’ve done to date – 36″x24″ – and I am still working on it. I generally work to bring a painting forward all at once, but there are areas of this I really like and hope not to touch again. There are areas that are just roughed in, and other areas that definitely need more work.