Sunday, April 10, 2016

Cliff Drive Santa Barbara - original pastel painting

The show is just around the corner! If you are in Southern California - please come by! Would love to see you.

The painting featured below is titled Cliff Drive Santa Barbara. It is an original pastel painting and is available.

40th Annual Art Exhibition and Sale

California Images & History

April 22, 23, & 24, 2016

Civic Center Plaza, 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA

Celebrating 40 years, the San Dimas Festival of Arts 2016, California Images & History begins on Friday, April 22 with a Premier Opening & Reception at 6pm and will continue through Sunday afternoon, April 24, until 4pm.
Previously, the Festival proudly showcased artists who reflected the ‘Old West Attitude.’ Beginning last year, the Spring show adopted a new theme: California Images & History. This change better highlights the vast diversity of the state with art that exemplifies the splendors of the coast, vast mountain ranges, flourishing wine country, and Hollywood.
This year the Festival will feature their 2nd Annual Plein Air Event on Saturday, April 23rd. The public is invited to view a select group of artists set up their easels and paint San Dimas’ picturesque downtown area, including the Historic Walker House, Martin House (located on the corner of Bonita and Walnut). For the Plein Air landscape purists, painting will also take place at the last year’s location at the Tzu Chi Foundation during the same time as the downtown event. (The 100-acre campus is located at the end of Valley Center adjacent to ViaVerde.) More info below...

Sunday, April 24th will feature the Quick Draw at 1:00 pm in which participating artists have one hour to complete a work of art with the prying eyes of the public. It’s a frenzied and exciting event in which artists reveal their talents, and good humor under a big white tent. At 2:15 pm the Quick Draw Auction begins and all the art that was created al fresco is auctioned off.
The California Images & History event will begin on Friday evening, April 22 with a Premier Opening Reception at 6pm.
Viewing of all the unique and original fine artwork is free of charge and open to the public on Saturday April 23, 9am–9pm, and Sunday April 24, 9am–4pm. The Friday Premier Opening Reception and the Saturday Awards Dinner requires a reservation.

Pastel Painting in Progress - French Bulldog

Here is a painting in progress. The pastel paintings are done very much in the same way an oil painting is done. I start with a base color. Usually I work with a precolored surface. With oil painting I would lay in a foundation color so the white canvas wouldn't show through. So this is the same basis. Since I am right handed I work from left to right unless it is a landscape or still life in which case the entire surface is worked uniformly. With pet portraits, so I don't damage an area that is completed, the surface is worked from left to right. While working an area of the subject I lay in mid tone values first - then work light to dark. With pastels an artist can "fill the tooth" of the surface so it is important not to over work any areas. Once the entire subject is painted I go back and reinforce the lightest lights and darkest darks. My greatest area of interest is the eyes. If the eyes aren't right the entire painting will look odd. If the painting is about a sleeping animal it is important to convey the comfort of the animal.

Oil Painting in Process

The following pictures show an Oil Painting in process. The first images show my beginning sketch. I use a common pencil, ruler and an eraser. Once the beginning sketch is satisfactory the sketch is secured with a layer of black oil paint. When the first layer is dried I apply a base color over the entire canvas. I love working on a burnt sienna foundation. There are paintings where I start just working directly on the white canvas and there is no base layer or foundation. It really depends on the painting. From the base foundation I start layering colors. It is a slow process due to drying time. This is where it really becomes fun. I should really make a recording of my husband saying, "You're done - stop messing with it!" Thanks for taking a peek. This painting is of a cat named Lynxy!

Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord