One of my friends has a lively Persian cat, Gypsy, with personality plus. Initially, I wanted to do a pet portrait of Gypsy using conte on paper. However, after seeing a slide presentation DVD of Richard Schmid's work, "Sequential Sketches", I decided otherwise. One of the slides showed a portrait painting sketch created using only two oil paints, permanent rose and yellow orchre, and a rag to wipe out the light areas of the portrait. Simple yet effective.

Gypsy is my first attempt at this technique. The canvas is 9 x 12 inches and is on a panel. I used two colors of oil paint - permanent rose and yellow orchre. First, I applied a wash over the entire canvas and then began wiping out the light areas with a cotton rag. A paper towel would also work. I left some areas thin where the paint actually ran to give a translucent and abstract effect. Then I began mixing the two colors and applying them in a slightly thicker consistency than the initial wash, continuing to wipe and draw with the paint - playing with the slight temperature variations of the two colors.

In some areas, I wanted to keep a more translucent and abstract appearance so I just let the paint run and left it as is. In other areas, I wanted a more refined appearance. This would be the features of the cat's face with an emphasis on the eyes. The light areas are mainly the white of the canvas wiped out with a rag. I also wanted to suggest other areas - Persians have a lot of fur and I did not want to paint in each and every piece of it, but just suggest the cat's overall fluffiness.

As the painting neared completion, the eyes needed more emphasis. To accomplish this, I added a small amount of ultramarine blue to the permanent rose to add the darkest dark areas - the iris and area surrounding the eye and the nose. This added focus to the eyes and gave the painting the extra vibrancy it needed. As a final touch, I used a touch of flake white to add a luminosity to the white areas of the eye and added a few whiskers. When the painting is dry, a coat of  varnish will be lightly sprayed on the painting.

This is a different approach to oil paint for me and one that I definitely will attempt again.

After buying pastels, looking at pastel paintings, and marveling at the beauty of how they look and the beautiful colors, I finally found the courage to give them a try. I reached my "tipping point". After working through my first attempt, I must say that I am hooked on pastels. How did this come about? After taking an oil painting workshop with Marc Hanson, he gave us some tips on using pastels and also a demonstration. What finally hooked me is how he now frames his pastels. No mats.

There is now on the market a thing called EconoSpace. It is a peel-and-stick spacer that comes in clear or black that adheres to the glass. The glass is then placed against the pastel that has been mounted on a board. It is then sealed around the edges and placed in a normal frame that would be similar to those used with an oil painting. Wow. I had not idea that there was such a thing. I love pastel pieces, but I have always felt that there is a prejudice against works that are matted and framed by collectors for whatever reason. Galleries tend to shun them and just want oils. Collectors may feel that matted works are similar to prints. Who knows. By mounting pastel works on a board, using spacers and then framing them under a museum glass, they look and have the feel of an oil painting.

I am hooked. There is something about being able to put pure pigment on paper and have a finished piece. No drying time. Pure pigments. Beautiful hues. Vibrant. The list goes on and on. I am hooked and I am here to educate the collector on the long-lasting beauty of pastels.

Please feel free to send me an email or leave a comment.

Enjoy the segment! I would love to hear your comments on how you feel about color or your experiences with it.

MaryAnn

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