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11 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
News From my Studio
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Friday Feature: Displaying & Storing Pastel Minis
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Does your head ever spin so much that you can't sleep? That was me last night. I had decided it was time to try to do my first You Tube art video and I tossed and turned trying to decide what I would start with. I get so many questions about storing my mini pastels that I thought it would make a good You Tube video.
I just needed to figure out how to do one! I have only recently discovered You Tube. Sure I knew about it but I didn't realize it was a treasure trove of great videos on any subject that interests you. I found a video interview with Tony Hillerman and a video on how to speak Navajo. (some of my current interests) So why not put some of my tips on You Tube?
So I am going to start a new blog feature called Friday Feature: What's in my Studio. I will blog and post a You Tube video featuring art supplies, techniques and tips that I have found helpful. If you have suggestions for topics please let me know!
WHERE TO FIND ATC/ACEO mini SUPPLIES
Here is my first installment of the Friday Feature. I hope you enjoy it. If you don't have time to watch or listen (it's about 6 minutes) you can save it in your You Tube playlist until you have a chance to tune in
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| 'Winter Landscape IX' 2.5 x 3.5 pastel ©Karen Margulis sold |
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| A selection of display & storage options for mini pastels |
I just needed to figure out how to do one! I have only recently discovered You Tube. Sure I knew about it but I didn't realize it was a treasure trove of great videos on any subject that interests you. I found a video interview with Tony Hillerman and a video on how to speak Navajo. (some of my current interests) So why not put some of my tips on You Tube?
So I am going to start a new blog feature called Friday Feature: What's in my Studio. I will blog and post a You Tube video featuring art supplies, techniques and tips that I have found helpful. If you have suggestions for topics please let me know!
WHERE TO FIND ATC/ACEO mini SUPPLIES
- I find frames and mini easels at local craft/hobby and art stores. I have even found mini frames at Walmart!
- I like Jerry's Artarama for their wide selection of ATC supplies. They have the Krystal Klear bags and mats as well as precut 2.5 x 3.5 paper. Here is the link to their ATC page
- http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/artist-trading-cards.htm
- I have found 5x7 and 8x10 mats with 2.5x3.5 openings on Ebay. Do a search to find a seller.
Here is my first installment of the Friday Feature. I hope you enjoy it. If you don't have time to watch or listen (it's about 6 minutes) you can save it in your You Tube playlist until you have a chance to tune in
Painting Shadows & Light on Snow Part 2...The Light
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"Take that pure white pastel out of the box!"
That was advice I got a few years ago. So I did and I rarely use white in my paintings. Oh, I will use an occasional spot of pure white for a highlight but most of the time I can't even find my pure white in my box.
Instead I use very light values of many colors in my lightest or white objects. I try to create the illusion of white with my light values and by surrounding them with darker colors.
To paint the white in snow it helps to remember that white snow is reflective. It reflects the color of the light so if the light is warm, the snow will have a warmth to the white such as a pale pink, peach or yellow. If the light is cool the snow will reflect this coolness. Doug Dawson explains it so well in his book 'Capturing Light & Color in Pastel'.
It is important to remember that these colors also become cooler into the distance due to the effects of aerial or atmospheric perspective. And sometimes it is hard to see these shifts but we do need to address them and often exaggerate them. This is what helps me:
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| 'After the Storm' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis click here to purchase |
That was advice I got a few years ago. So I did and I rarely use white in my paintings. Oh, I will use an occasional spot of pure white for a highlight but most of the time I can't even find my pure white in my box.
Instead I use very light values of many colors in my lightest or white objects. I try to create the illusion of white with my light values and by surrounding them with darker colors.
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| My favorite lights are Diane Townsend soft line and any Terry Ludwig light pastel. These pastels are not white but are very pale values of colors. See the pale blue on the left and pale yellow on the right? |
To paint the white in snow it helps to remember that white snow is reflective. It reflects the color of the light so if the light is warm, the snow will have a warmth to the white such as a pale pink, peach or yellow. If the light is cool the snow will reflect this coolness. Doug Dawson explains it so well in his book 'Capturing Light & Color in Pastel'.
- At sunrise or sunset the light reflected by the snow is pink or orange.
- Shortly after sunrise it turns yellow-orange.
- Later in the morning is becomes yellow.
- It starts to cool off around noon and becomes yellow-green.
- From noon to sunset the process reverses itself.
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| Close up showing the light colors in the snow...no white! |
It is important to remember that these colors also become cooler into the distance due to the effects of aerial or atmospheric perspective. And sometimes it is hard to see these shifts but we do need to address them and often exaggerate them. This is what helps me:
- The snow in light is brightest and warmest in the foreground.
- As it recedes into the distance it becomes cooler and duller....yellow then orange then red is filtered out.
- The snow in the distance tends to be duller often a dull greyed pink.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pastel Surfaces
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All you really need to paint with pastels is a few pastels and a piece of paper. Simple. But it gets complicated when we look at all of the options available to us. Let's take paper. It used to be easy. You had Canson Mi-Teintes and other drawing papers and if you wanted more tooth you would make your own surface (more on that later this week)
Now have a look at the papers and surfaces we have to choose from today. Overwhelming! I always recommend trying the paper sampler packs from Dakota Pastels. This allows you to try many papers before purchasing larger quantities. But I have another suggestion for learning about papers.
Last night while researching homemade pastel surfaces I stumbled on this wonderful Squidoo Lens on Pastel Surfaces by Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark an excellent art blog. What on earth is a Squidoo lens you ask? It is simply a webpage that you can create on any subject that interests you. The pages are called lenses. I have my own Squidoo lens on Pastel painting. But Katherine's page is amazing! It covers everything you could ever want to know about papers and surfaces for pastels. Click here to visit the lens. Here are some of the things it covers:
Today's painting is the demo I did for last week's demo for the Booth Artists Guild. I did an oil stain underpainting and a limited pastel palette (Richard McKinley Great Americans)
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| 'A Dreamy Summer Day' 16x20 pastel ©Karen Margulis This is the demo I did for the Booth Artists Guild. Purchase here |
Now have a look at the papers and surfaces we have to choose from today. Overwhelming! I always recommend trying the paper sampler packs from Dakota Pastels. This allows you to try many papers before purchasing larger quantities. But I have another suggestion for learning about papers.
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| My demo for the Booth Artists Guild last week |
- A listing and description of all the available papers and supports for pastels
- Reviews of the available papers
- Links to resources on making your own supports
- Links to resources for purchasing supplies and papers
Today's painting is the demo I did for last week's demo for the Booth Artists Guild. I did an oil stain underpainting and a limited pastel palette (Richard McKinley Great Americans)
2013 HGTV Dreamhome Sweepstakes: Blessing or a Tax Burden?
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Okay. If you haven’t heard so far this winter, HGTV is running their annual dream home giveaway. This year the special home is in Kiawah. I have been entering to win this home ever since the Sweepstakes was launched back on December 28th. I enter twice a day (once on HGTV and secondly on Frontdoor.com). I have viewed this home numerous times observing the different panoramic photos and wishing daily I will be the lucky winner. A 3,000 square foot coastal retreat seems like the great getaway from the rat race. As much as I covet winning this contest, the numbers guy in me encouraged a further drill down of the prize (benefits and costs). This analysis revealed painful expenses that hide within this too good to be true prize.
7 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Celebrate Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
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Inspire Your Heart with Art Day! Now that's a great holiday. I didn't know that it was a holiday until I got my Cesar Milan newsletter and he was sharing dog art. So I looked it up and thought it would be a good thing to share with artists and art lovers everywhere!
"Inspire Your Heart With Art Day is a day to celebrate all forms of art and the effect it can have on your heart. Regardless of the piece, Art is valued and appreciated for all sorts of reasons by many different people."
Take time today to look at a piece of art and ask yourself these questions: What is is telling me? How does it make me feel? What emotions is it evoking inside of me?By the way, if you are an artist these questions are excellent ones to ask yourself BEFORE you start on the painting. If you can't answer the questions for yourself then it will be difficult to get your message across to your viewers.
Whether you're an artist, art lover, or enjoy a piece or two, take time today to enjoy art in all of its beauty and enjoy it with all of your heart.
If you are looking for some online galleries then I highly recommend visiting both of these Daily Painting websites. Artists (including me) post new work every day. You can get a daily email showcasing all of the latest work.www.dailypainters.comwww.dailypaintworks.com
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| 'All Is Right in my World' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis $145 in my Etsy shop |
Inspire Your Heart with Art Day! Now that's a great holiday. I didn't know that it was a holiday until I got my Cesar Milan newsletter and he was sharing dog art. So I looked it up and thought it would be a good thing to share with artists and art lovers everywhere!
"Inspire Your Heart With Art Day is a day to celebrate all forms of art and the effect it can have on your heart. Regardless of the piece, Art is valued and appreciated for all sorts of reasons by many different people."
Take time today to look at a piece of art and ask yourself these questions: What is is telling me? How does it make me feel? What emotions is it evoking inside of me?By the way, if you are an artist these questions are excellent ones to ask yourself BEFORE you start on the painting. If you can't answer the questions for yourself then it will be difficult to get your message across to your viewers.
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| 'Wander Through the Daisies' 11x14 pastel $155 in my Etsy Shop |
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| 'To Dream Among the Aspens' 8x10 pastel $75 in my Etsy Shop |
If you are looking for some online galleries then I highly recommend visiting both of these Daily Painting websites. Artists (including me) post new work every day. You can get a daily email showcasing all of the latest work.www.dailypainters.comwww.dailypaintworks.com
Love Pastels? Here's a Great Way to Show it
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I try to be a Pastel Ambassador. There are so many misconceptions about the medium. You've heard them. "Pastels aren't as good or valuable as oils" "Pastel paintings are very fragile" "Pastels are the same as chalk" "Pastels are pale colors" Whenever I have the chance to talk about pastels or do a demo, I like to share all of the wonderful things about pastels.....
Pastel Artist Sticker by kemstudios
More Pastel Stickers
I used a photo of my own pastels and designed the sticker at Zazzle. I just received my order and I am thrilled with the color and quality of the sticker and the button. I put a sticker on my Heilman Box and I'll put one on my car and on my suitcase. I put the little button on my painting apron. If you share my love of pastels and 'Getting Dusty' these items are available in my Zazzle store. I'll be adding more items to my Get Dusty collection. I am also working on stickers with some other art sayings.
A Get Dusty button or sticker is a great icebreaker and will open up the conversation about pastels. The perfect opening for a pastel ambassador to share the wonders of pastels!
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| 'In My Box' 6x6 pastel ©Karen Margulis |
- Pastels are made with the same pigments as oils and other paints....just made with a different binder. Simply put we are painting with dry sticks of pigment.
- Treated properly pastels won't dade, crack or yellow and will remain as vibrant as the day they were painted.
- Pastels do need to be framed under glass but they are a lot more resilient than many believe. You can't just blow a pastel painting off the paper.
- Pastels come in hard and soft and in all shapes and sizes. Best of all they are made (many by hand) into the most brilliant and beautiful colors. They can be an addiction for the pastel artist!
Pastel Artist Sticker by kemstudios
More Pastel Stickers
I used a photo of my own pastels and designed the sticker at Zazzle. I just received my order and I am thrilled with the color and quality of the sticker and the button. I put a sticker on my Heilman Box and I'll put one on my car and on my suitcase. I put the little button on my painting apron. If you share my love of pastels and 'Getting Dusty' these items are available in my Zazzle store. I'll be adding more items to my Get Dusty collection. I am also working on stickers with some other art sayings.
A Get Dusty button or sticker is a great icebreaker and will open up the conversation about pastels. The perfect opening for a pastel ambassador to share the wonders of pastels!
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| Put your 'Get Dusty' sticker on your pastel box |
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| Put your 'Get Dusty' button on your painting apron |
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