Archive for March, 2009

What’s New? Same Pastel Ground

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Here is a painting that has literally been brewing in my head for almost two decades.

Monestary at Meteora

This is a monestary in Meteora, Greece. There are several of these monestaries that were built hundreds of years ago on top of these pinacles of rock. This is truly a place to get away from things. In some of them, people and supplies were pulled up the steep incline in baskets. I was fascinated by the image of trying to build one of these!

I finally decided to try my new painting surface for this painting. I used the same pastel ground since I had some leftover: 1 c. gesso, 3/4 c fine pumice, 1/4 c. water  and some acrylic paint to make it a light gray. I covered both sides of a 16 x 20 in. acid free mat board with straight gesso and one side with this ground. However, this time I used a brush to intentionally leave brush marks. I wanted these marks to help with the striations and shapes in the rocks. I tried to leave the sky area smooth. I used watercolor for an underpainting and then soft pastel on top.

This is a high key painting to try and convey the clear skies and intense summer heat in Greece. I liked the effect of the brush strokes in the rocks.

Right now I am working on a painting of our trip to Ireland. This one is on Wallis paper, a sand paper. I have also just finished a couple of miniature landscape pastel paintings that are only 2 x 3 in. It takes longer than you would think to paint such a small surface.

Until next time,
Sue Flanagan

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in What's New | No Comments »

What’s New? More on pastel grounds

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Misty Morning on Apple Canyon Lake

This pastel painting is called “Misty Morning on Apple Canyon Lake.” I woke up early one morning when I was on a retreat in northwest Illinois. I stood on the dock and took this photograph. The beauty and quiet have stayed with me. This is the second painting I have done of this scene but the first on a homemade support. This time I did not use a commercial acrylic ground.

I took an acid free matboard and applied a ground with a roller. The recipe for the ground was published by Richard McKinley in the August 2006 Pastel Journal. I used the Simple Grit Mixture No. 1: 1 cup acrylic gesso, 3/4 cup fine pumice powder or marble dust, and 1/4 cup water. This time I was careful to accurately measure all of the ingredients.  I also mixed in a variety of acrylic paints to make the ground a light gray tone.

I applied this mixture to one side of the matboard and straight gesso to the other side so that the board would not warp. Even so, the board tends to warp a little. If this bothers you, compress the support under something heavy for awhile or use a heavier board.

Then I did a water color painting. After that dried, I applied the soft pastel on top. I liked this surface so I used it again to make this painting, “Misty Winter Morning.” I guess I am into mist right now.

Misty Winter Morning

After the ground was dry, I lightly sketched in the big shapes. For the foreground hill, I applied extra texture with rice paper and light acrylic modeling paste. When this was thouroughly dry, I again, did a water color painting with pastel on top of it. I still feel this is a pastel painting because that is the pigment you see. What difference does it make if I use pumice, paper or paste for texture underneath? Next time, I will try the next formula for making a ground with acrylic gel medium instead of gesso.

This month I am showing 15 paintings at Essential Chiropractic and Health Center, 7229 W. 103rd St. Palos Hills, IL. 60465.  Dr. Rory McKenna is the owner. There will be a reception at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 26, 09. Please come and bring 5 nonperishable food items for the local food pantry.

Hope to see you there,
Sue Flanagan

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in What's New | No Comments »