End of the Year Drawing: Great Gray Owl

I normally don't use colored pencil but I wanted to use up some black paper that I have so I decided to do an owl. I'll post the finished drawing and a couple of WIP (Work in progress) shots.

Stormy sea... or is it stormy sky?

I had fun working on this small piece of art. Since it was a rainy week-end, it was the perfect piece to work on... Now if I can only take a little more care with the horizon.

Desert Canyon

About every fourth painting that I do, I base the painting on another piece of artwork. Usually it comes from "Southwest Art" magazine. Since it is art work owned by another, I would never attempt to sell it and I always try to attribute it to the original artist. And I will do so with this painting once I find the missing issue which I used.

Great Gray Owl

This painting is based on a photo taken by Belinda Lantz.in Fish Camp, CA (just outside of Yosemite). Although there are moref Great Gray Owls in the boreal  forests to the North, I believe this subspecies is the second rarest bird in CA with the greatest concentration of GReat Gays near Yosemite National Park.

Where am I?

Where am I? The original plan was to draw from a photo of Pinnacles National Park. But as the painting progressed, the mountains came to look like those found around San Luis Obispo.

Hornbill

I haven't done a good job of posting lately. I'm trying to keep a visual record for myself, but it is still awkward to post a painting that looks silly. This sketch is of a great hornbill, taken by my friend, Paul Bronstein who faithfully sends me photos he takes while working as a docent at the zoo. This was a pretty quick sketch (about an hour). I like the black paper, but it doesn't hold the pastel too well.

Waiting the blade

I took a photo of this pile of pumpkins a couple of years ago. Yesterday I received some new pastel pencils in the mail so I took 'em on a test ride to the pumpkin patch. It was a joy to work with them. I'm anxious to try a landscape later this week.

Pumpkin Patch Produce

I drew a quick sketch this morning of a couple of pumpkins from the Avila Barn pumpkin patch, which my wife picked out as she bravely "enjoyed" a morning chaperoning a busload of kindergartners.

Georgia Marsh

This painting is done from a photograph taken by my daughter, Kelsey. It is of a wetland area on the island of Saint Simon, a small island off of the coast of Georgia.

A Couple of Pictures from South Dakota

Earlier this summer, my niece, Michelle, spent the summer working in South Dakota. She and the family she lived with hosted my wife and daughter for a short visit. I promised Michelle that I would paint a favorite picture of South Dakota for her. I ended up painting these two which I cleverly named: SD cabin and SD Lake (you have to figure out which is which).

Guacamole, Anyone?

This is a quick sketch done on black paper. I would like to say that after drawing this piece of fruit, I ate it; but, sad to say, I drew it from a photo.

National Elephant

I haven't completed a pen and ink drawing for a long time. I finally had enough staff meetings that I could get some drawing done. This style of drawing, stippling, is labor intensive, but also quite relaxing. As I explore other art mediums, I hope to always squeeze in a drawing or two.

This elephant was photographed at the National Zoo in Washington, so I presume that it is the National Elephant. (Republicans may be pleased by the thought of a national elephant until they realize that it has lived entirely on the government dole.)

Honestly, I was not impressed with the elephant enclosure, it was large but barren. But while I was there, the zoo was constructing an elephant walk way that went throughout the zoo, so that the elephants could go wandering. I'd love to see the elephant enclosure once its completed.

I've included the final sketch and two earlier sketches, too.

This is a Lanner falcon with some creative plumage coloration. I did this earlier this year. I finally got it framed and hung. It's one of my favorites.

Yosemite Falls

If you want to see water in Yosemite Falls, you'll have to look at a photo or a painting 'cause it's pretty dry right now!

Avocado in Pastel

During the summer I had the privilege of meeting each Tuesday night with a small group of artists wanting to explore new styles of art. I was sad to make my leave when I had to return to the world of middle school teaching. However, I felt like working in absentia so I met up with a pastel group in Santa Maria; this is one of several sketches that I completed Tuesday night.

A Few Big Trees

I finished my season in Yosemite yesterday. It was a very good season. I was able to do a lot of art. I went with the intent of learning to work with Pastels. I completed about a dozen drawings. I also joined a weekly art group in which we explored various aspects of design and creativity. Did I mention that it was a very good season?

Seemed appropriate to post this drawing as a tribute to the end of the season. This is a drawing of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia; this is where I work.

 I'm hoping that as I get busy with the school year that I will be disciplined enough to make time for art.

I haven't posted any new art this past month because of a failed computer. Hopefully, the situation is remedied.  This post compares a before and after depiction of a mountain sheep. Originally the subject closely resembled another realistic pastel drawing and I was experimenting with different colored papers. In the end it was pretty boring, so I decided to play around with color. Earlier this summer I read on another blog that "Value does all the work but color gets all the credit." So I decided to see if that were true and play with more abstract colors. Which do you like better?

Big Horn Sheep: Experiment with Colored Paper

I decided to do the same drawing twice on different paper using pastels. The subject was a big horn sheep photo by my buddy Paul. He is  a docent at the LA zoo and provides an endless supply supply of fauna photos and encouragement.

So, of the two nearly completed drawings in the final photo which do you prefer, the golden background or the gray one?

North Rim

Last week, for our family vacation we spent a few days at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Each morning I crawled out of bed and over my sleeping spouse to sketch the sunrise greet the canyon. After the first day I gave up trying to work in color and settled on Pen and Ink. Here are a couple of sketches.

I called this spot with the lonely pine Reception Point because it was one place in the campground where I could get cell service.

This is an unfinished view, but it was cold on the edge and breakfast was calling.

We pitched our tents among a group of aspens.

This dune study was done at the Guadalupe Dunes complex about ten miles from my home in Santa Maria. For those familiar with the area, this is where the Oso Flaco boardwalk approaches the shore (I removed the boardwalk from the photo.

If I'm drawing bears, I must be thinking about Yosemite. I plan to make several versions of this bear, experimenting with different types of paper. This paper is actually sandpaper (museum quality, of course). The next drawing will be on a more traditional type of paper.

This rooster was complete last week-end, the final weekend in April. I used a table place mat as an example.

Four White Horses

I tried to convey a sense of wind and coolness with a limited palette, but the palette kept growing. Completed during the week end of April 28-29.

This pen and ink drawing is based on a photograph of Paul's, a friend that shoots a lot of photos as a docent at the LA zoo. I always appreciate his generosity in sharing his images.

Oak Savanna

This is a typical scene in the Santa Ynez valley, an oak savanna. One comment from a reliable critic is that it lacks a central focal point, like some deer or cattle or something. What do you think?

A couple of years ago, a friend was writing a book about the adventures of the humming birds in her backyard. She asked me to do a few quick sketches as illustrations. These are a couple of small sketches which came at the end of the chapters. The two drawings don't go together, but this is how they were submitted to the publisher.

Barn Owl

I do draw things other than birds, but I did draw the falcon in my last post and this one back-to-back. This is, of course, a barn owl.

First Post: First Pastel

I am becoming fixated on creating blogs! This time I am interested in using the blog to keep track of the art I make. It's amazing how many times I come across small stashes of art that I've stuck in a closet or under the bed. The main purpose of this blog is as an organizational tool for me, but if it can bring anyone else some enjoyment, so much the better.

This falcon, a lanner falcon, is taken from a photograph from a good friend in the LA region. Paul Bronstein works at the LA Zoo several times a week as a docent and always brings his camera along. My collection of reference photos is made up largely of work that he has generously shared with me and allowed me to use.

About a month ago, I started using pastels for the first time. Like nearly everything in life, it has both its advantages and disadvantages.