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...

Good News!

donnatheresafineart.com

Hello friends!!

I have a new website! Please come and take a look ! 

Maybe you'll fine as much joy as I find in creating this artwork!

Enjoy....