The many colors of Snow!

"The Colors of Snow"  Pastel  9 x 12


Todays work was a paint along with pastelist Karen Margulis.  Karen is a generous artist who posts many lessons on YouTube and lately on her Patreon page for us patrons.
Since winter is upon us...although here in balmy Santa Cruz, California today's temperature reached 70 degrees!....
it is time to study the nuances of snow.
I love painting winter landscape!  I love the muted colors and the stillness that the landscape portrays.  Todays piece told me that it was in the late afternoon...maybe 4 o'clock or so....the sun is slowly setting....the birds are ready to bed down for the night....all is quiet and still.
Follow me through this wondrous season as I explore the many colors of snow....

Daily Practice with a Good Demo

"Blue Evening" Pastel 14 x 11   Lesson courtesy of Marla Bagetta

This was a lesson in keeping it loose...big bold strokes on a bigger piece of paper! Loads of fun and in the direction that I would like to go with my pastel painting.  Learning through online tuition has its benefits and challenges....following along with a video demo allows one to pause the streaming and catch up or rewind and review a particular section....the lesson is mine forever...I can view it and repeat it or build another piece around it...it's a worthy investment...there is a community forum page where students share their work and get feedback..it's important to connect through art...being an artist is a solitary endeavor....so it's important to connect.
That being said, there is nothing that can replace a living breathing teacher right there with you, guiding you, giving corrections and encouragement....tomorrow I get to indulge in such an activity with my favorite art teacher, Susie Wilson who is a master at figure drawing and most everything else.
Until tomorrow......have a lovely day.

Let It Snow!

"Winter Wanderings" Pastel 12 x 12 © Donna Gross
contact artist

Let the snow painting season begin! Artists, art blogs, holidays art shows....let's paint the white stuff!
Remembering that snow is rarely white is the key to making snow convincing.
Today's practice came from a photo inspiration courtesy of the website
pmp-art.com
I am excited to change seasons and begin my practice of wintery landscapes and friendly critters that live in the snow!  Follow along ...but first grab a warm cup of hot chocolate !❄️

My photo reference 

A really good lesson...

Pastel 12 x 12

I have invested in a series of online pastel painting lessons by Marla Bagetta.  I have admired Marla's work for some time now and decided to take the financial plunge and invest in some art tuition.
Marla produces a series of video taped live lessons where she takes the student through a piece from beginning to finish.  Included is commentary on planning stages, preliminary sketches, color theory and choice and reference photo accessibility.  I completed this piece in a
little over 2 hours...longer than recommended...but that's the stage I'm at I guess....The never-ending stage of learning.
Marla talks about the 4 stages of learning.....
The unconscious incompetent stage
The conscious incompetent stage
The conscious competent stage  and finally
The unconscious competent stage.

Today I felt like I was maybe moving out of conscious incompetence and tasting a little bit of conscious competency....
I look forward to the unconscious competent stage someday...the fleeting moments of watching the painting paint itself while you watch your hand move about making luscious marks on the paper and then you realize it's time to make dinner and ..... voilà......beauty.....
Practice, practice, and more practice.....
Keeping the beginners mind alive.

Still Life Practice.....Again and again and....

"Pick a Pepper"  Pastel 6 x 9 © Donna Gross

Wanting to improve at an endeavor....that's what this is all about for me.  Not getting attached to the outcome, the potential, anything .... Strife for progress...throw away perfection...Don't compare myself with other artists..(that's a tall order!)

I try to paint everyday...I also play piano and try to practice everyday as well! Life isn't over because you "retire"...in fact it seems like it is just beginning without the expectations...

Sounds good to me.

My inspiration, preliminary sketch, and yummy pastels!

Still Life Practice

" La Grenade"  pastel  9 x 12 © Donna Gross
Available donnatheresafineart.com

My preliminary sketch and the pomegranate

This was yesterday's still life practice.  A little trivia for you, my friends....

The word grenade referring to the explosive used in war came from the french word for pomegranate...because the shape of the pomegranate resembled the little bomb and also when thrown on the ground the juicy seeds scatter .... like it's unfortunate namesake.

Thanksgiving came and went with a lovely quiet time spent with my family.  Children home from college, lots of games of scrabble, a movie night, and for the feast we all went out for Thai food.

My kind of holiday...hope yours was wonderful as well.

Feathered Friends ...

"Redpoll in Winter"  Pastel 5 x 7 © Donna Gross
available....donnatheresafineart.com

Look at this cutie! I just love birds and painting them....birds are the indicator species for our environment.  Where there is an abundance of birds, the environment is healthy. So true for the opposite...

I became interested in birds when my husband of 23 years and I began dating...In fact our first date was to go birdwatching! Not your usual first date, but I was curious...Early in our marriage we went on a "birding" trip with overly enthusiastic birdwatchers to Costa Rica....They proved a bit extreme for our liking.  Didn't do that again! 

My husband feeds the neighborhood birds...so there are lots of little lovelies to look at all day.  There are wetlands near our home here in Santa Cruz, Ca. where we can look at ducks to our hearts content...just couldn't ever imagine harming one let alone hunt one....I prefer to paint them and appreciate the joy they bring to my everyday.....

The piece above is available for purchase as are all the paintings you view here on my blog. 

For now, if you are interested, please contact me via email and we can work something out!

In the meantime, go out and look and listen to your feathered friends.....

My inspiration