In the art world, there is a language one must learn. Outline translates to contour. Form to mass. Lightness or darkness of an image to value. Color = hue. In the pastel world, the surface you apply your pastel to is referred to as support.  There are an array of supports one can use... sanded surface, un-sanded surface, prepared surface with a grit substance called gesso.  Each has its own unique properties when receiving the application of pastel. I have tried them all and am convinced that SUPPORT MATTERS... Support matters....in life, too. Sometimes it's the make it or break it moment when the support you ask for is given or not... As a parent of two adult children who are in the productive "making it" phase of their lives, I am their cheerleader. I am their support. Their coach. Every moment is an opportunity to make their day .... or break it. Support matters.  As an artist, I am selective to whom I reach out to for support...Usually it is my fellow artists who offer the best support...they've been there. Making art is a solitary journey...even if you are in a studio full of others making art at the same moment. Each one of us is putting our creative juices out there for everyone to see...and judge. Be kind. Encouragement goes a long way for one to reach success......Support matters.   As a world citizen, how I live and make my footprint on the earth matters to me. I try to portray the beauty of my surroundings with my landscape paintings. I support the earth in my contributions to organizations that matter to me and the world.  https://www.nrdc.org https://earthjustice.org  Please check out these organizations to see the work they do to protect our environment.   Here is a recent painting now available! "Placidly Purple" http://donnatheresafineart.com    I love to paint birds and animals. I am a fierce advocate for humane treatment of all animals big and small. I contribute monthly to this organization and by supporting me you also contribute!  https://www.humanesociety.org "Fur Baby" http://donnatheresafineart.com    As a concerned ally of people of color and marginalized communities, I have intimate knowledge and experience having raised children, now adults, who are different in our world. Of course, to me , they are perfect! Unfortunately, some people perceive others different from them a threat .I support the organization, Southern Poverty Law Center, whose mission is to fight hate and teach tolerance. You can check out their work here: https://www.splcenter.org    I so hope you have continued this far in your reading of my message to you. While I love to share my art with you, I thought it important for you to know who you are supporting when you support me!   I now have fine art prints available in my print shop! The originals of these prints have sold and so I now offer premium giclée prints among other products. Please check it out at: https://geogalleries.com/DonnaTheresaFineArt/   https://geogalleries.com/DonnaTheresaFineArt/15414/img/292579/     https://geogalleries.com/DonnaTheresaFineArt/15414/img/292557/ Thank you for taking the time to read my latest newsletter. Be safe, be well, and take good care of one another.  Much love to you and yours, Donna Theresa

A NEW YEAR…A STUDY IN VALUES

Happy New Year my friends in art and life!

I hope this greeting finds you all in good health and good cheer!

Winter is a time for inward reflection for me. Spending more time indoors by a cozy fire with a good cup of coffee and the silence of a winter day allows me to evaluate , reassess, sit, and just be. My exploration of “tonalism” with winter landscape compositions has been my latest painting experience.

Tonalism was a short lived art movement during the early 20th century. Working within a carefully chosen palette of closely related colors, the Tonalists aspired to emulate musicality and inspire contemplation. By arranging color and forms, they believed that landscapes could evoke emotion and suggest deep, cosmic harmonies. Their gentle color schemes and softly brushed contours quickly became popular, influencing musicians and poets. Unlike their contemporaries, such as the Luminists and the Impressionists, the Tonalists favored cool palettes and often chose nocturnal or modest scenes of contemplative quiet. The simplicity and attention to composition found in Tonalism contributed to the abstractions that would develop in 20th-century American modernism.

A limited value range contributed to creating mood and emotion. Value, in art terms, is the lightness or darkness of a particular hue or color.

Using a limited value scale creates a subdued composition with little contrast. It’s much like an overcast winter day. Thus winter landscapes are the ideal way to explore this style. The paintings I share with you here are my attempts in a tonalistic approach to winter landscape.

The new year seems to be the universal time to reflect, renew, re-evaluate….and in this writing as with my previous entries, I often find myself connecting a life as an artist to living life. So many principles correlate.

Values in the human experience can be a compass to a good life. They can be large intangible concepts like kindness and generosity. They can be conditions desired for daily living like a quiet house or a lively one. They can be personality traits you may admire in others. Naming personal values can lead to self awareness and self improvement. I strive to improve in my art practice and in my human practice.

Having said that, I created a mantra for myself:

Be Kind

Be Helpful

No Judgement

No Opinion

What do you value? I would love to hear from you!

As always, I am grateful to share my artful journey with you all and from the bottom of my heart, I wish for you the very best in the New Year.

Cheers!

~Donna Theresa

"Solstice Twilight" Original Pastel 8 x 10
©DonnaTheresaFineArt
Available @ donnatheresafineart.com

The longest day of the year approaches as the last days of 2018 wind down. As is so inevitable, often we take this time of year in the calm winter days to review our lives over the past year.

Did you set any goals? Did your dreams come true? Was life good to you this past year?

For me, 2018 proved a fruitful and creative year. I wish to thank all of you my friends and art enthusiasts for your support as I continue on my artful journey. Art is meant to be shared. It gives me humble pleasure to share my artistic creations with all of you. If I can shine a little joy and beauty your way every now and then, my efforts are rewarded.

From my heart to yours, thank you and may your season of gratitude be fulfilled…

Happy Solstice and Cheers in the coming of the new year.

DonnaTheresa

Stepping Up My Game!

A Riverview Morning Walk  Pastel 10 x 17

Capitola Palms Pastel 14 x 10

 This past weekend I participated in The Capitola Plein Air Painting competition! For three days I awoke at dawn and headed out for a day of painting putting as much pastel onto paper as I could get done! I produced 8 paintings in 3 days! Phew, I am tired and taking a much needed breather!

Jetty At High Tide  Pastel 8 x 10

Morning Cliff Walk  Pastel 6 x 8

Rail or Trail  Pastel 10 x 11

The other participating artist were the best in this area and beyond, some having flown in to compete in this event! Intimidated? You bet! However, there is something I learned a long time ago in my dance training....if you want to improve, train with better dancers! So too, it is with art...I was honored to be juried into this competition and excited to paint alongside some seasoned professionals. 

Success vs. Satisfaction

"At Peace"  Pastel 12 x 15 © Donna Theresa Fine Art
Available @ donnatheresafineart.com

About a year ago I started my online blog documenting my daily artistic journey. It was a way for me to stay accountable to a practice of daily painting and to see my growth. I did not take on this endeavor with the hopes of people even finding me on the world wide web let alone follow me. As time passed and I shared my images and musings of daily life as an artist and mother, woman, dancer, etc., I was pleasantly surprised to receive positive comments and words of appreciation for the art I was sharing. Sharing is what I wanted to do. Isn’t that what we teach our young children? The native peoples of this land measured success not by what they had but by how much they gave away…

So what is success? Is it sales of artwork or any creative expression ? Or is success giving away our joy and beautiful creations? Are we satisfied with our success? That is, how we define our success determines our satisfaction.

This past weekend I fulfilled one of my yearlong goals I set out when I began this journey of artistic expression. I was juried into our county wide annual Open Studios Tour. I opened my studio and my home to the public and I put my creations on display….And to my surprise I was successful and received many visitors who were buzzing about admiring my work and, yes, buying it! And, yes, that was satisfying. As artists, validation comes with the sales of your creations…for someone to want to display your work in their personal space is a great compliment. However, the satisfaction came with the time and energy I gave away to each and every patron who engaged with me and my work. In the studio, I demonstrated technique as I painted on a work in progress. People were amazed that one could created with sticks of bulky chalk. They wanted to do it too! I spread the good news of the medium of pastel as an accessible medium to create one’s own beauty … one’s own satisfaction.

The weekend of October 20th and 21st is encore weekend…All the artists in the county open their doors again to welcome art enthusiasts to their studios and homes. Again, I will be among them..and that brings me great satisfaction….and perhaps success! Follow along on my artistic journey. Please comment below and get updates when I post.

Cheers,

Donna Theresa

First Few Days of Fall

Picking Time  Pastel 12 x 9 © Donna Theresa Fine Art
Available @
donnatheresafineart.com

First Day of Fall  Pastel 9 x 12 © Donna Theresa Fine Art
Available @
donnatheresafineart.com

Season is defined by change....especially on the cusp in between seasons...I feel that transition most when autumn arrives...It's as if I go to bed one evening and the air is warm and thick with summer only to wake up the next morning with a chill in the air that is thin and crisp and full of the sounds of the waking hours ...The light is more luminous as the sun begins to travel lower in the sky which lends to compelling shapes and shadows to stare at and wonder how to render that....

Change is good. I love change..Travel to new places...rearrange the furniture or if that's impossible at least arrange a new tabletop display...or in my case rotate the many paintings I have in my inventory...the side benefit of being an artist...a never ending supply of wall decor...

Autumn is my favorite season....My birthday is in the fall and my mental calendar starts in the fall. The year starts at the end of September for me...I have to believe that is a leftover memory /feeling from childhood as I anxiously awaited the start of the new school year.  Yes, I was one of those kids who loved school...

So tell me...what's your favorite season and why?

Would love to hear from you.....

Velvet Dreams

"Velvet Dreams"  Original Pastel 15.5 x 12 © Donna Gross
Available @ donnatheresafineart.com

Dreams are like velvet sometimes....fuzzy, unclear, nebulous, a distant memory that fades more and more with each passing moment.

About a year ago this time... or maybe less than a year I decided to pursue my fuzzy, unclear, nebulous, "how can I do that?" dream.... I set realistic goals and a timeline.... I let go of expectations and just put my best foot forward only listening to the voice of joy....the voice that asks..."Does this make me happy?"

For me , that dream started with three goals resulting from my commitment to try and paint everyday...put in the time ... be consistent... set my priorities so that I am pursuing joy, which for me is to paint in the luscious medium that is pastel...to "paint" with a stick of chalk is a visceral experience...my fingers so close but not touching my paper...the feel of the various textures each stick offers because each stick is a handmade piece of art itself....

I digress...

So with that commitment in mind (painting everyday) I set my goals...

Submit my work to juried local and national and even international exhibition competitions....

check..

Develop a website...

check... you can check it out here!

donnatheresafineart.com

Apply and get juried into Open Studios 2018 Santa Cruz County...

check... you can come by my studio!

Slowly those velvet dreams became clearer with every stroke of my pastel stick....

Tell me your velvet dreams

Leave a comment...follow me and subscribe for more musings on life and the artistic journey that gives such joy that I must share it with all of you!

Sunset to Moonrise

"Moonlit Sonata"  Pastel 9 x 12 © Donna Gross
Available @ donnatheresafineart..com

This composition I have tackled before....It used to be a sunset entitled 

"Settling Down"

I recently treated myself to a new set of Terry Ludwig's pastel set of 14 luscious violets.  So I thought I would rework a piece using a different palette. Now the moon rises....and I have named it Moonlit Sonata....Ironically, right now I am plugging away learning Beethoven"s Moonlit Sonata on the piano.  For me, living artistically is the key to my happiness.  Whether playing classical piano or rendering beauty in the landscape with pastels, or dancing ballet....I am in my creative element and that brings me joy.  What brings you joy?  I would love to hear about it....

My Favorite Place

"An Autumn Walk At Wilder Ranch"
Pastel 12 x 12 © Donna Gross
Available at donnatheresafineart.com

Do you have a favorite place?  Perhaps there are more than one.  How lucky one is to find a spot that inspires and rejuvenates.  A place that brings renewal and peace.

We all know the state of affairs in the world.  Well, the very young are spared the drama.  

Oh to be that young again..... As my young adult son claims, "Growing up is hard."

I agree.  I've done my time in the trenches of life. Now I am so lucky to be on the other side of that growth and struggle.  Now, I find myself in growth without the struggle. 

Sure aging has it's challenges, and I am lucky to have good health, but I am talking about feeling like one has a place in the world....a sense of belonging.

It took me well into my fourth decade of life to have that sense of belonging...and it began when I started a family of my own.  So to my young adult son I say..."Thank you for anchoring my life and giving it purpose...don't worry , it will all be ok...you have a place always..in my heart."

New Brighton Beach

"New Brighton Beach"  Pastel 9 x 12 © Donna Gross
Available @ donnatheresafineart.com

 Investing in art materials is just that , an investment Living in beautiful Santa Cruz California calls for painting outdoors. So I invested in the product most plein air pastelists buy ....a fancy Heilman pastel box The fun part is loading the box with my personal selection of favorite sticks. I then created my “art bag”...hat, paper, gloves, towels, apron , support to put paper on , etc.  For days now, I have been driving by this spot on a cliff overlooking the beach nearest my home and imagining setting up there and painting. This painting is the result of that dream. My first outing with my plein air set up.

Fields of Lavendar

Lavendar Lane Pastel 8 x 10 © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

Today's piece brings Provence home...

Revisiting an Older Piece of Art

"Dust in My Sandals"
Available@ donnatheresafineart.com

Preparing for an upcoming Open Studio , I am building my original art inventory .  Referring to previous original works I have completed, I am reinventing the image .  Using a larger piece of high quality archival sanded paper by Pastelmat
 ( 15.5" x 12"), I am finding this a most rewarding practice. Improving upon already existing work builds skills and most of all confidence. It helps me to see the pastel marks that I made on the previous piece versus working from a photo. It's a more direct instructional experience for me. To reproduce a piece of art relieves me of the interpretation needed to paint from a photo. To practice what one has already accomplished with a measurable bit of success is confidence building.  As an artist , half of the challenge is having such confidence. Confidence to even claim my place in the world as a creative person...an artist ... to me that takes some moxie, some gumption, some confidence!

Off Season

"Soquel Creek"  Pastel  15.5 x 12  © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

"Robin Blues"  Pastel  11 x 14  © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

Summer greens can get a bit monotonous....Why not paint the colors of autumn in summer? Or the springtime lovelies.... exercising my artistic license....off season.

I prefer off season for most things but mostly for travel.  The magic of winter in Yosemite coupled with the absence of the throngs of people make for a desirable winter getaway.  Venice in the winter, I hear, is also very magical...so why not paint off season? How about a paint/ travel adventure in the off season??  I'm packing my bags and my pastels!! 

Bon Voyage!

"Three's Company"  Pastel 14 x 11 © Donna Gross
Available: donnatheresafineart.com

Tomorrow I leave for a grand European vacation with my family.  New adventure awaits .... more memories to be made.  Our fabulous family of four has traveled together several times....Hawaii, Belize, Washington D.C., Paris, Australia, Alaska....to name a few.

Travel allows me to put my life on hold... to peak into another dimension of life .... to appreciate the grand glorious world we inhabit...to ultimately return home with a renewed gratitude...I will return with oodles of inspiration for future works of art! I plan to sketch and watercolor during my travels creating a journal of colorful visual entries.... trying a new medium will add to the newness of everything.  Stepping out of my comfort zone is what I love to do. Curiosity is what motivates me to create....what better way to achieve that than to travel!

The above piece is the last pastel for awhile....it is a larger version of a small tree study I did awhile ago.....Hang onto that vibrant color !  It'll be back! 

~À bientôt~

Working Bigger than Usual

" Resting Place"  Pastel  14 x 11 © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com  

Working this size takes planning.  It's a practice I am actively practicing!! Planning...

In composition, I plan where I want my viewer's eye to go...from point A to point B and perhaps other places along the way.  In value, I plan where the sun is in my composition and appropriate shadows...execute highlights... it's a win win combination....planning.

In my mind, in my daily life, I am planning...when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom I sleepily think about what the next day's plans are.... however, am I present?

When I paint, I am most present than at any other time in my everyday.  

We are born innocent with only our moment to moment experience .... as we grow out of that innocence and join the rest of humanity in this thing we call life, each moment becomes everything but that very moment...then , for some of us, we notice all the planning....all the noise in our heads and if we're willing, we find a way out of that noise and into the present moment.

For me, it is the creation of beauty when I paint.  Tell me what brings you to the present moment and out of planning.?

Inventing the Landscape..A Series of Small Works

SOLD

SOLD

This series of small works are all pastels 4 x 8 matted and framed under glass using clip frames.
A handsome addition to any small space.
Available @ donnatheresafineart.com

Capturing the Light

"Three Friends"  Pastel 12 x 9 © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

This is a work in progress... Trying to continue to capture the light and define the shadow meanwhile enjoying the friendship these three buddies are sharing....or perhaps they are simply tolerating each other's presence all the while knowing they are in competition for the next morsel of food...

not too different from the human species....no?.... could we evolve beyond competition?  could we embrace each individual as equally worthy?  not being one to be a pessimist...I regret to say that I don't see that happening in my lifetime.... the best one can do is 

be the change you want to see....

A Good Day at the Easel

"Settling Down"  Pastel 9 x 12  © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

Sometimes paintings paint themselves...today was one of those days...I didn't struggle...my feet didn't ache from standing too long...my coffee stayed warm until the end....it just flowed....I am so grateful.

More from the Neighborhood!!

"Home"  Pastel 6 x 9  © Donna Gross
Available contact artist

"In Full Bloom"  Pastel 6 x 8  © Donna Gross
Available contact artist

Continuing a plein air painting practice in the neighborhood! I love being outdoors in nature and I love painting with pastels....combining the two in one activity is the best it can get for me!

What do you love to do?