Sierra

I have painted Sierra several times in the past, but when you get a wonderful model, one tends to keep them....especially when they're your granddaughter.  She's only 14 but loves to model for me.  She's growing up so fast.  She has the perfect hair that I love to paint.  I painted this, of course, with pastels and loved the shadows in her face from the sun when she was looking out the window.   I value the opinions of all my Artist buddies...my question....Should I omit the shadows?

St.Mary Lake - Montana

I enjoyed our trip to Montana a few years back.  I took many reference pictures.  St. Mary Lake is in Glacier National Park located on the East side of the park and is 9.9 miles long -300 ft.deep.  During the Winter, the lake freezes completely over with ice up to 4ft. thick.. We took a 2 1/2 mile hike that day and I remember how beautiful the lake was...I saw so many colors that even a camera doesn't see.. Well, at least my camera!.. I have another beautiful reference picture of the lake that I might someday paint in pastels..I enjoyed getting my oils out for this little painting.

Julia

When I visited my friend, Josephine, she showed me a picture
of her beautiful granddaughter who recently made her First Communion.  I looked at Julia's face and thought it would make a
beautiful pastel painting.  I realized afterwards that one of you should have painted the flowers for me..LOL.  You all do such amazing jobs with florals...yet...I find it extremely difficult..I have practiced in the past and will continue to practice.  I'm on a mission!!