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.