Still Life With Cactus Blossom

It has been awhile since I put anything new here. I plan to get some help with my website and want to start over with one of three or four different sites such as Artspan. I am posting a pastel titled originally "Still Life With Cactus Blossom" but I want to change the title to "Cactus Blues" instead. I won first place in the Still Life division of the Texas Pastel Society's first annual juried competition/show. The juror was Lorenzo Chavez, one of my very favorite artist. So I was quite honored.

Bright Morning and Low Tide

This pastel is 27 x 38, the largest I have done. If you have ever been to Port Aransas, Texas they have the famous south jetty. This was painted at the foot of the jetty. I always have wondered what that jetty rock is doing way off by itself. It had rained the night before but cleared bright and sunny. The rock off by itself was so dark I just had to paint it that way! The price on this pastel is $875.00. It has a wonderful frame around it. I will ship it free and insured.

I just found out today that Andrew Wyeth has died. Mr. Wyeth certainly changed the way I look at art. Up until I first saw Christina's World I thought the only function of a painting was to be as pretty as you could make it. Mr. Wyeth was fierce and frightening in his honesty and it stunned me like I had been struck with a baseball bat. Mr. Wyeth, thank you for opening my eyes.

San Antonio Country Club Sale

I finally had my sale at the San Antonio Country Club. I had sixty small pastels for sale and sold thirty two. I was very pleased with all of the positive feedback and of course all of the sales. I would like to welcome all of my new collectors!
My next sale is later this month at the historic Courand house on the banks of the Medina River in Castroville, Texas. I will be displaying many of my large oils and small pastels there.

The Pastel Journal

Got a letter from the Pastel Journal magazine informing me that one of my pastels, Red Behind Trees, won an Honorable Mention in the 10th Annual Pastel 100 Competition and will appear in the April 2009 issue of the magazine. Very exciting for me!

Going crazy over sunsets

I almost feel guilty painting sunsets because you can use the most outrageous colors without feeling silly.

eternal sunshine

Sometimes I will get so caught up in a color, in this case the color yellow, that the color becomes the subject and the actual subject, trees on a horizon or whatever it happens to be a landscape of, isn't the subject anymore. This pastel is really just about yellow. I have never been sure whether this pastel works or not, but I have gotten some positive feedback on it, so here it is.