The cameo pastel

The cameo pastel

I love Fall! People are actually more organized...maybe because there is so much more (it seems) to do!

Lots of small portraits have been ordered from my clients right now so I am busy creating memories for many people. This time of year everything is starting into the secrecy stage :-)

 cameo pastel

 This cute baby was just 2 weeks old when her photo was taken as was her brother (who is now 2). I suggested to their mom to do separate portraits simply because each one at 2 weeks, put together, will look like a set of twins!

 cameo pastel

There was a little coordinating of clothes and colors of course-but all timeless!

Bella, cameo past

This small pastel was photographed on my easel but is a popular size for gift giving. They frame out to around 12 x 15 (with mats) Almost any kind of photo will work-even the old black and white ones pulled from a relative's album :-)
I call them "cameos"...the face (of a person) is usually around the size of roughly a saucer...then of course I add a bit more to balance the portrait and...Walla!, a cameo  portrait





So did everyone order pastels? No. Another popular medium is pencil. Yep. Soft, black and white pencils :-)

3 separate pencil portraits, cameos

I have combined 3 pencils together for display purposes but each one is a cameo. Pencil is super hard for me to photograph as you can see! Each background is white but the soft, subtle shades of gray get lost in a photograph! So enjoy by using your imagination!

Coming up later-more cameos featuring dogs and h

The timeless appeal of babies

Molly giving hugs. Pastel: 10 x 12

In the long world of art there has never been a subject more appealing than babies unless it was mother and baby images (think Bible)
So when the opportunity comes to create a pastel portrait from an adorable photo, what artist can resist?


1 year old Baby Molly had just given her mother the "Barney hug" when her mom snapped this charming image with her cell phone (who would have thought) and I created a 10 x 12 pastel portrait of the image to capture that moment in a timeless manner!


Now who wouldn't love Barney as well?

The beauty of GREY

Waiting for the Class

I love to create portraits for my clients and this gorgeous Grey is no exception!


I photographed him, per her request, at one of the shows and later created this 18 x 24 pastel based on a selection from the group.


You simply have to know horses to know what photos are the best to work from and which are not :-)


The tiny roan flecks are difficult to see in the image but are more obvious in the actual piece!

Corgi Eyes!

How can you possibly resist such a face? 

This 11 x 14 pastel of  Pembroke Welsh Corgi was created from my photo using pastels and sponges. The effect is soft, yet clear! 

Animal Grouping: 5 horses and two dogs!

This very large 30 x 40 pastel of 5 horses and two small dogs was worked from a variety of photographs-some of which I took and some that the owners had. It was challenging to come up with a viable solution to incorporate so many animals of such diverse proportions! Finally I hit upon the idea of putting the little dogs on a more even level with the horses by sitting them on top of the tack trunk! I'm happy to report that the owner was thrilled and  as a portrait artist, well, it doesn't get any better than that! I have since added the farm initials to the tack trunk :-)

Theresa

The Portraits

Vintage 1963

Ah one of my favorite things to create-portraits from old photos.
The gentleman pulled out a tiny 2 x 3" black and white photo of his family and I created this 18 x 24" pastel from his color descriptions.
When he first saw it, he cried. We walked into the framing shop and he is like a child at Christmas, already anticipating the look on his wife's face at Christmas. Yes, life is good! And the ability to create and bring joy into someone's life is even better!

Cameo Pastel of child

My cameo portraits are super popular and this one was created from some photos that I took of my subject. Grandma commissioned one of another grandchild several years ago and now it was Lilly's turn. :-)

Pastel of an English Springer Spaniel

I loved creating this pastel for the family. Actually it is a gift for the mother's birthday of their adored family dog who passed suddenly last May. In the only one good photo they had, Breezy is partially asleep. I opted to open his eyes and let him peak out at the viewers with his "Are you thinking about going somewhere?" look. The daughter is thrilled...I'll bet Mom will be too!

Who doesn't love a Labrador? Yellow, Black or Chocolate, these easy going family favorites live up to their goofy reputation! Such was the case with Sawyer and Fred who delighted in having me create their portraits in pastel. OK. Maybe it was the ham biscuit but I know for a fact that their owner was thrilled!

Keeshond pastel

Prince was loved by his owners for 15 years and they felt his passing keenly. So they approached me for his portrait and we settled on a full body pose of Prince with his trademark "smile."!

Most of my dog portraits are created from client supplied photos via the Internet.
And most are combination images meaning that I work with the best head sot, the best body shot and embellish from a client's memory.

After all, photos are far from accurate! And in the minds of an owner of a beautiful friend, prince still had his magnificent coat and happy look.

Secretariet and Ponies

There is something about being in a camper listening to the rain on the roof that makes for a sound night's sleep!
All day yesterday and last night the rain fell steadily and the riders and their horses bore it with good humor. We are beginning to think that "Saint Clements" was the saint of rain :-)
I have spent some productive days with my pastels and completed two more commissions.
The lovely aged gelding to the left is "Pinky" a grandson of Secretariet and as red and gorgeous as his grandsire. It is an 18 x 24 Pastel.

(Collection of Mike Seagrove)








Since we wil be on the road all day tomorrow, I decided to add this pastel which I completed in Saratoga as well.
Peyton and her pal, Lone Star were at the Rosemont Show in Virginia where I photographed them for their portrait.
(Collection of Melinda Smith)

Many artists tell me that they cannot work in public, but I find that I can easily slip into a zone when I am concentrating and "working in public"
doesn't bother me.

And the speed in which I work is two-fold. First of all, pastel comes easily to me. I am a drawer and pastel is just an extension of that ability.

Secondly I cannot procrastinate at a show! I can't clean the house, work in the garden, feed the goats or ponies, wander off on another tangent......in other words, I keep my nose to the grindstone! So it is not speed as much as the ability to concentrate and stay focused when I am creating artwork! Until next time!