Iris's portrait

Now I am a bit overwhelmed. I try to paint everyday, in which sometimes I cannot do that. I also do Scavenger Hunt sketching, join weekend art event, and try to be more active in "watercolor" forum at Wetcanvas. The good news is that I finish with my two art card exchange projects. So today is a special treat to get to do a portrait of something I love and know real well. This is Iris from a recent photo. It is about 9x12 inch done with Conte crayons.

Dutch chickens

This is about 11 x15 inch using Conte crayon, done as a part of WDE project on Wetcanvas hosted by Connie. I feel a great satisfaction after finishing this one, especially after I did the bottom chicken, I felt "I get it" in doing hard pastel/Conte work. It felt free and fun and I let it loose.


I'd been painting and sketching by the storm (after the two depressive weeks in late Nov.) but some of the small paintings are for art exchanges so I cannot post them yet here until they arrive at desination. Now I am glad to be back to my creative self.

I wish everyone have a great holiday celebration.

Venetian masks

This is about 6.5x10.5 inch using Conte crayon on rough watercolor paper, done as a part of WDE project on Wetcanvas hosted by Connie.

Yellow stone national park

This is a 4x6 inch postcard Conte crayon (hard pastel), done from a reference photo of Molly French. I am sending this one to an art exchange buddy in Malaysia. I am glad he likes it.

Home Grown...Orchids

These are the blooming orchids at our garden since July. They came out to celebrate baby Iris's birthday in mid July and are still going strong. So before they are gone, yesterday I manage a short plein air 5x7 using Conte crayons.

First art from the new studio

I was about to do tax on my new studio table; Tone stopped me and said the first thing created in that room should be my art. I couln't agree more. So I did this Conte crayon painting from my memory of a Thai vine called Soi-In-ta-nin, which climbs all over the univ. library's gazebo as the first piece under the new studio set up. It is about 8x11 inch.

Plein Air in the Park

I am back to feeling well again. I remember I swear when I was sick that I would walk/run 100K this year or bike 200K after I recover. So far I did walk 2K and bike 3K. I am so thankful for good health.

This weekend we headed out to the park for a change. I did some waterlily studies. The park surprised us with wonderful beds of cannas and holly-hock in perfectbloom. It did them pleinair with Conte crayon. I was very happy to sit on the grass hill overlook those flowers in the cool morning sun. Life is good.

The holly-hock & orange cannas are 8x11 inch in Conte crayon.



The waterlily are also 8x11 inch in Conte crayon. I think the blue top part of the water lily was a mistake so that was my learning lesson to sketch first.

Baby Sketch#2

I tried this yesterday. It seems improve a little from a day before. Anyway I enjoy making it so much and decide to put some Conte Crayon on the sketch. Her body still looks off proportion here and there but that is OK. I will try some more.
6x15 inch Conte Crayons.

Happy wheel...

This is a postcard of Conte Crayon for Wetcanvas so Thankful for. Yesterday we drove by a new car-wash plus cafe establishment in our neighborhood. There is a giant white pin-wheel in front of the place, about 4 feet diameter and 15 feet tall. I had to stop and took several pictures of it. Today I got a chance to do this outside the house in our little garden. I did not want any chalk dust in the house. I must feel very happy when I paint so I add in several colors. Pardon my almost symmetrical composition, just move your eyes to the side a little and I hope it wont bother you too much.