Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

Cheerful and Colorful Paintings in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media and Collage
nancystandlee@sbcglobal.net

Monday, May 31, 2010

Oil Pastel ~ San Francisco de Asis Church ~ Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"Taos Church"
9" x 12" oil pastel on gesso board 3/4" cradle

I hope you had a very pleasant holiday today. I painted at the Upstairs Gallery studio with some of the Canvas by Canvas members and some of us experimented with oil pastels. We love to visit the local art shows in the spring and this year we discovered a New Mexico artist, Jennifer Cavan, and enjoyed her work. The peeps decided we wanted to explore this medium and discovered there is a lack of information. I ordered two books, The Pastel Book by Bill Creevy, and Oil Pastel for the Serious Beginner by John Elliot and bought some oil pastels and Ampersand gessobord.
Maryann was recently in Austin and went to the Ampersand store and purchased a few samples for us to practice on, also. For the reference, I had a photo I'd taken in 2003 of a Taos Church while attending an art workshop at the Sipapu Lodge.
Any comments, suggestions on how to improve the painting? I'm not for sure the best way to even sign my name. It's been about 96 degrees here this afternoon and after painting I had a few errands to run and was wondering when I returned to the car would I find a melted mess in my trunk but the painting survived. Now to go read and research on how best to varnish and seal this painting and when.
Tonight there is no more Jack and 24 but I still have Clint Eastwood's Birthday to celebrate. Oh, darlin', I can't believe you're 80. Call me anyway. I loved you in "The Bridges of Madison County."


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10 comments:

Connie Michael said...

Call me anyway?! You crack me up.

Your painting looks great. So happy it didn't melt!!!

Nancy Standlee said...

Connie, wait till you reach 74 1/2, 80 year old men look pretty good, especially the likes of Clint.

Jolene said...

love your Taos pastel. Have you ever seen Don Tiller's work, I think you would like it very much. I have always wanted to do an oil pastel, do you use a brush and turp???

Nancy Standlee said...

Hi, Jolene. No I'm not familiar with his work but will look him up. No didn't use a brush or turp. Don't have any turp period. Just unboxed these today. No. I played in my journal just a little bit with them. Smudged with my fingers some but don't like that feel.

Jo Bryan, Artist said...

Don't touch it. It looks great. Sign it on the lower left side of the church, low, in a darker brown. This is one of my favorite things to paint. Have painted it many times, and it always sells. Never this angle, but I have lots of photos from this angle. Will have to try it. Yours looks great. It is a fun work. I don't like the feel of oil pastels, so rarely use them, but they sometimes add just the right touch to my watercolors or acrylics at the end. Good luck with them.

Nancy Standlee said...

Thanks, Jo, for the encouraging words. I have several more photos of this site so I may try some other small paintings.

Nancy Laliberte said...

LOL--Nancy, I just love reading your blog! Love your Taos painting, too! I have worked a bit in oil pastels and have a handy, rubber-tipped blender tool or "color shaper" that I found at Blick's. I like to use it for blending instead of turps. Also, check out the Oil Pastel Society web site. It is amazing what one can do with oil pastels! Have fun! I know you will!

Nancy Standlee said...

Hi, Nancy. I have some of the shapers for acrylics and read you need the darker grey ones. I really don't like that feel on my fingers.Funny you should mention OPS I joined today as an associate. Got to thinking about it and it was pretty funny. Finished one little painting and here you go join the big girls and boys group!! I've spent all day at the computer reading blogs and web sites and Wet Canvas. They have a great oil pastel group..even posted that one little effort there so my Taos church is getting around. Thanks for the visit and hints. Give me some more. n

Paintings by Patricia said...

Hi Nancy
Great little painting and I use mostly Senneliers and Holbeins. BTW there is no varnish for an OP, the jury is still out on that and under glass is the best way to preserve them.
Hope you try more.

Nancy Standlee said...

Thanks for the visit and info, Patricia..and what a wonderful group of oil pastels you have created..wow! I will have to try the Holbeins on the next art order.