China Doll

Some little girls needs to be photographed.  This little girl was in the Bronx Zoo a few years ago looking at all the animals.  She didn't take her eyes off of them for one moment.. you wonder what they're thinking about!.  At that moment, I photographed her for a future pastel painting!!

Yosemite - once again

I painted this awhile ago but I wanted to paint it again.. not only because it was a beautiful place that I visited many times, but last time I used canson paper... this time I used sanded paper... putting all my values down first with pastels and then I applied an alcohol wash.. it came out looking like an oil painting.  After it dried, I used my pastels finishing my painting as I always do.  I enjoyed using the sand paper however, it eats up all my pastels.. lol

Forever Friends

This is a commission that I did for a friend.  Maggie, the golden retriever and Pippin, the Chihuahua mix lived only blocks away from each other...they would play with each other every day, play wrestling in the backyard until one day Pippin moved away.  Pippin misses Maggie so much.  Her owner has a video where Pippin actually watches her friend in front of the TV...!!!   I have to admit, my dog doesn't do that...lol 

At the market...

This pastel painting is of a woman doing some shopping at a local produce market in India.  Sue Clinker, a blogging buddy,  just got back from a trip to India and she was nice enough to give me permission to use the beautiful photo reference.  The market was mainly fruits and their local flowers.  I love how elegant she looks with her colorful and neatly pleated sari.  I think the traditional costumes are so beautiful.

Skye in a Hoodie

My granddaughter posed for me with her "hoodie" on... I asked her to look down so I can get those perfect shadows on her face... I took the perfect  shot that I was looking for... Unfortunately I wasn't able to photograph the portrait very well...it's a bit lighter in person.  It's so wonderful having the model always available... well, for now anyway!!!

The Lower Falls in Yellowstone

The Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.. In my eyes one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the USA.  The Yellowstone River tumbles 308ft to the Canyon floor creating this amazing foam..  It was very difficult capturing the true beauty of this place in pastels, but I enjoyed trying with every color I had..lol..

Hiding

Recently while in my Tuesday workshop, we were asked if anyone wanted to paint this little girl.    Rich  had taken this picture of this pretty girl when he visited Guatemala.  Of course, I loved the picture and had to paint it.    She looked like she was trying to hide in back of this branch.

DON

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday.  I was able to visit my Aunt and she's doing so beautifully...when I looked  at her, it was so hard to believe she's 104...so healthy and so happy already planning her 105th birthday!!!
This is Don... Don is in my oil workshop that I go to on Wednesdays.  After we work on our paintings, we sit and enjoy each other's paintings by doing a critique.  Don had such a pensive expression on his face that was perfect for this pastel portrait.

First Christmas for Cali

 Don't you just love those ears?  As you all know I adopted Cali 9 months ago and this will be her 1st Christmas with us.  We had a photo shoot of her sporting her new Santa dress.  She posed so  beautifully for my daughter staying perfectly still until she finished taking some photos.  I think she was a model before she was adopted!!.
I want to thank you all for the wonderful comments and support you have given me throughout the year...You all mean so much to me.!!   I've been so busy for the Holiday season so I will post again in January!!    I will be visiting my Aunt soon for her 104th birthday!!  Imagine!!Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

Lovely Lady

 This was my beautiful Mother-in-law when she was about 20 years old.   I fell in love with the reference picture when I first saw it.  It was a black and white photo but I chose to add a little color since she had such beautiful blue eyes.  She was born 1900 and my granddaughter Skye was born 2000 - 100 years later sharing the same birthdate...   I hope you like this pastel portrait....I enjoyed painting her so much.

Siblings

 This is a small oil painting of my two grandchildren, Bianca and Nikolas a few years back when they visited me.  They were having so much fun in the water that day.   I tried to paint this a bit looser than my "norm" and not painting in too many details.  Right now I'm working on a pastel portrait but with the Holiday's coming up its taking me a bit longer.  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving !!!

Lifetime Dream

I received a picture of my cousins son with his future wife in the mail...it was a "save the date" picture for their wedding next year.  I absolutely loved the reference photo and painted a pastel portrait of them... a beautiful pose that needed to be painted.  Two very happy and beautiful people about to share their lives together.