Small Treasures

Working on a couple larger projects and some basic housekeeping in the studio, but I had the need to see something through to completion. I had some small scraps of pastel card measuring 5" X 7". So I set up a little floral still life and went for it. Hours later, I had a finished piece. Although it's small, it gives me the sense of completion that I was seeking.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

As a young artist I would tend to get discouraged. As a matter of fact, I would become discouraged far too easily and give up. It took me decades to persevere after frustration set in. This is pastel on sanded paper. I have been doing pastels on watercolor paper or drawing paper. A sanded surface is a new and an ever so frustrating experience. I have brushed off the surface twice and then today something wonderful happened. I felt like Alice stepping through the looking glass! Welcome to Wonderland! I don't know yet if this piece is finished, but it is far closer to where I want to go than anything I have done before.

Spring

Spring is a long time coming this year. There have been a few hopeful days, but this morning we were visited by what is called a "Wintry mix". Sometimes you just have to make Spring. This is a 11" X 17" collage of my dreams for Spring. I incorporated an anonymous quote that I found, "Spring is a heart full of hope & a shoe full of rain." That sure beats a shoe full of Wintry mix.

At the Michigan Union

The Ann Arbor Area Pastelists show is at the Artists Lounge in the Michigan Union, 530 S State Street through March 28th. This is one of my plain air pieces that is included in the show.