New pastels

Quiet Marsh

15 x 11 soft pastls on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I was so excited when the honk came announcing the arrival of the mail carrier with my new set of Sennelier landscape half sticks. I chose this set because of the wonderful greys and the lights that I seem to be lacking. The box seemed to be carefully packed, but when I lifted the lid, I was very disappointed. At least 20 of the pastels were cracked, broken, or crumbled. I called and left a message with the place of purchase. Apparently they were not carefully enough packed to make it across the ocean. I know that I can crush each stick, add distilled water, and recreate the shape, but that seems a lot of work when I paid good money already. Hopefully, the place of purchase will find a better solution.

On a more positive note, I have spent a little time taking stock of all the positive things that have happened this year for me and my artistic endeavors. I have sold some paintings, been accepted into a show, then a gallery (for a two month show with my husband), painted almost every day for six months, and started this blog. My plans for 2008 include continuing to be faithful to the painting and blogging, continuing to increase my skills, and work on marketing my paintings.

Today's painting is of a small hidden marsh at Kualoa Beach Park. You have to walk to the east end of the park and climb a small wall to see it. I thought it was quite enchanting.

When Sugar Was King

The Old Sugar Mill

11 x 15 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I painted this old sugar mill last summer. The sketch was done en plein air, but I did the painting in the studio. I was out on the North Shore of Hawaii with my painting friend when we discovered a wonderful park in Haleiwa. The park is on the water at the west end of town. You can look back toward Haleiwa to the east, out across the vast Pacific to the north, or west toward the mountains. I had always wanted to paint this place, but hadn't seen it from this vantage until that wonderful day. On other days, my friend and I have driven all over the area around the mill taking photos of plantation style houses and buildings. Someday, I will have to get those out to paint.

We just took down our show and this painting is hanging in the living room. I thought it would be fun to share.

Painting Trees

Royal Poinciana

7 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

We have some great flowering trees in Hawaii. There are golden shower trees, plumeria trees, African tulip trees, and the Royal Poinciana. This list is not complete, but these are the most prominent. My husband took some great photos of a large grouping of these trees, so I thought I would try a very stylized approach to doing a tree portrait. The trunks of the trees are very clunky and hard to represent accurately and believably. When they are in full bloom, there is very little green. Next time I paint this tree, I will put it more in context with its surroundings.

Painting in the Studio

Morning

7 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I have to admit that I am basically an indoor person. I prefer the comforts of my studio to fighting the wind, bugs, and occasional rain of the great outdoors. I am, however, getting ready for a great outdoor adventure with my husband as we make our studio portable, and hit the road next summer to paint across America. I have done some pleine air here in the islands, and was rained out only one time. I know the light here and the colors of the water on the different sides of the islands. I also know that no one makes the right greens for this place. I am excited about discovering the way the light glints off the Puget Sound at sunset, or the limestone cliffs in the southwest in the morning. I want to go back to Glacier Park and find that great stream with the old wood bridge where I know I can set my easel for a great painting. I look forward to fields of sunflowers, old barns, snow covered peaks reflected in quiet lakes, rushing rivers, and so much more.

In the meantime, I will paint mostly in my studio, with my running water, full sets of pastels, and windows I can open and shut at will, thereby controlling the climate. Today's painting is from a very old photograph. I don't even remember where this marsh is. Perhaps I will rediscover it as Tom and I explore America.

Color Theory - Analogous Colors

Clapper Bridge - England

7 x 10 soft pastels on Wallis

Miki Willa

Today, I decided to work with seven analogous colors. I started with orange and moved around the color wheel to blue violet. I was able to achieve the "whites" by using a very pale yellow. The greens range from yellow green to blue green. The values on the river don't show up well in the photo, except in the bridge shadow. I did an underpainting using pastels and turpenoid (with the blue label). I thought that since I was working with color, I would also do an underpainting using complementary colors to what I was going to use for the painting. I am still trying to get comfortable with this technique.

This is another reference photo from Wetcanvas! This one is by marie d. I really liked the old bridge made with stone slabs across the top. The photo looks like it was taken on a lightly overcast day. The sky and water were rather dull, but there were distinct shadows. I tried to retain that feeling in the painting.

Color Theory - Split Compliments

English Bridge

11 x 15 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

When I first started taking classes from Helen Iaea, she had me create a small color wheel. To go with the wheel, she gave me many other small circles with areas to cut out. They were each labeled with a different color scheme. I got them out the other day, and decided I would try do do some paintings in the different color schemes. Today's painting is a split compliment scheme using mostly red, yellow, and green. I did throw in the blue for the stream because I liked the way it looked.

I found the reference for this photo at Wetcanvas! in the image gallery. It was posted by impshlady. I normally paint from my own photos, or en pleine air, but I have been feeling a need to paint non-island scenes lately. I am grateful to the artists at WC who have generously shared their photos for the rest of us.

Winter Evergreens and Snow

Evergreen

5 x 7 soft pastels on D. Rowney paper

Miki Willa

I woke up wanting to paint a snow scene today. I was inspired by this post by Michael Chesley Johnson. Follow the link to his video demonstration to see how he handles snow using oils. I was toying with the idea of adding ornaments and a star at the top, but decided to let it rest before making a final decision.

Other Artists Blogs

Ohia Blossom

Christmas preparations are upon me, so I am not sure I will be able to paint much in the next two or three days. I thought I would take the time to send you on to three of my favorite art blogs. First is Painting My World by Karen Margulis. Karen is a pastel artist who does great landscapes and animals. Her marsh and beach scenes are very good, and she paints daily.

The second is Making a Mark written by Katherine Tyrrell. Katherine is a colored pencil artist and she shares her work occasionally on this site. Primarily, she researches and shares information about art, artists, and art blogging. Her daily entries are always informative, and often inspirational.

The third blog I have been enjoying lately is Pastels by Casey Klahn. Casey doesn't post every day, but it is worth subscribing to for his reviews of materials, insights into his art, and introductions to other artists.

White Plains Day

White Plains Day

12 x 15 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Pastel Board

Miki Willa

My husband took a photo at White Plains Beach on Oahu last August that I used for the reference. The clouds were so amazing that day. The clouds here are so interesting. I read somewhere that you should not try to paint strange clouds because no one would believe them. It also said that cloud forms do not have flat bottoms. They do here. In the painting, they are not as flat as they appear in this photo or the reference photo. I used what I learned about cool and warm colors to create more dynamic clouds.

End of Spring

End of Spring

11 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Several years ago, I visited Nishiwaki, Japan. Nishiwaki is a small city located about an hour inland from Kobe. There was a park near the home where I stayed that boasted that it was the exact geographical center of Japan. Everywhere we visited in the city and the surrounding mountains was so beautiful. It was nearing the end of spring and cherry blossom time. One Saturday morning, my host drove us up into the mountains to a very old Buddhist temple. Once parked, we grabbed bamboo walking sticks thoughtfully provided by the monks. We climbed steadily up a steep winding path. Around one bend, we were greeted by a grove of very large greenish blue bamboo. Around another, there was a complex of buildings that housed the monks and some worship areas. Further up the path, we came to a very ancient temple. I did not take enough photos of it, but I did get one or two I liked. This painting is from one of those photos. The temple felt ancient, but was in excellent condition. This building is no longer used, but I got the feeling it was very lovingly cared for.

Still Life with Fountains - cool

Still Life with Fountains - cool

9 x 7 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

This was much harder than I thought it would be. I was trying to work with values rather than color, while staying with the cooler colors as I see them. The wood was done with cooler colors than the other one, but they look so warm compared to the rest of the colors. Some of the color pinks show peachy next to cooler purples. This has been a very interesting exercise during which I learned the value of using both cools and warms in a painting. Color temperature can help set a mood if judiciously and thoughtfully placed. I don't think I will be doing this still life again any time soon, but it was a good learning tool.

Still Life Fountains - Warm

Still Life Fountains - Warm

9 x 7 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I learned many things about myself doing this painting. The most important is that I am more of a cool color person. I think each of the colors I used is yummy as a small part of a mixed temperature piece. I had a hard time resisting the colors in my pallet I think of as cool colors. I did use some in the cast shadows, when I remembered to put them in. There was not a strong light source showing in the reference photo, so I had to select one. I noticed when I looked at the photo that I totally forgot them on the left two pots. I will fix that on the cool color painting. I also want to drive the center piece more into the background. As it is now, my eye is drawn to it as soon as it gets past the green. I decided to leave the green as it was and add some of it into one of the pots. I am not sure it really works, but I still like the green. I also need to work on making the fountains look more like water is coming down the sides from the bubbling top. That will be a real learning experience. I will have to do some research on how that can be done. tomorrow, I am going to work on the cool color painting from the same reference photo. I already know some value adjustments I am going to make so I can develop a clear focal area. I think I will also make the front right pot into a working fountain. I guess tomorrow will tell. What an interesting exercise along the journey.

Warm Still Life

Still Life with Fountains

detail of WIP

Miki Willa

Some days, it is really difficult to get in enough painting time in the morning. I left home at my usual early hour, but the traffic was a bit worse than usual so I got to work later. By the time I got set up to paint, I only had 20 minutes left before our staff Christmas celebration. Fortunately, I did the sketch for one of the paintings yesterday. I should not have taken the time to do the second one before I started painting. When I finally started, I decided to work one element at a time. I don't usually do this, but I am glad this time because I have something to show.

I tried to stick with only warm colors, but sometimes I found I needed something a bit cooler. The lavender I used in a couple of places was the warmest one I found in my pallet. I love the green on the wall. I think this may have been the reason I selected this photo. I does need to be toned down, but it was such fun to paint. I will wait until I have finished the whole painting before I go back to it. I may be able to work a bit of it in somewhere else and see what that does. The other challenge I am finding is creating the rustic look in some of the pieces. I am enjoying working with colors I don't often use. There is a luscious peach in my Great American set I have never used before. It may become one of my new favorites.

Cool or warm colors?

I decided that my next challenge would be color temperature. I hear the terms warm and cool color bandied about in workshops, classes, and in books and blogs. I thought it would be important for me to have a better understanding of what they were in order to further my painting skills. After doing some research, I have discovered that artists and color theorists alike don't agree on what they are, how important knowledge about them is, or whether or not there are hard and fast rules about them.

Do warm colors come forward and cool ones recede? Can a cool yellow be cooler than a warm blue? Does greying a color make it warmer or cooler? I thought I knew some of the answers, but after reading what is out there, I am no longer sure. I am going to try it anyway. This week, I will be painting the same still life in warms colors, as I see them, and cool colors, as I see them. I will also be experimenting with mixing warms and cools for effect in landscapes. I will let you know what I learn along the way.

The photo is of the still life I will do in the warms first, then the cools.

Small Delights

Small Delights
11 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix
Miki Willa

Another Big Island painting. On the way to Akaka Falls, I came around a bend in the path to discover this wonderful small waterfall. Akaka Falls is pretty spectacular in its drop and splash, but I really liked this small delight better.

Onomea Bay

Onomea Bay

7 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Onomea Bay is one of the most beautiful places I saw on the Big Island in October. The day we went was overcast, but the setting was wonderful. This painting is from a composite of two photographs. I have thought it finished several times today, but I just noticed something else I want to fix. The low light colored bushy tree to the right of the palms doesn't read as tree in the photo. I will have to go back to the painting and take a look. It is a strange and unique tree, much like a smoke tree I have seen in the South. I am often tempted by these lush scenes and want to get all the colors and layers in. This may be too fussy in that way. I think this scene will be one of my learning scenes that I go back to as I learn more about composition. Perhaps doing some more pleine air will help me develop a better eye. I do think, however, that the

Kilohana Crater

Kilohana Crater

9 x 11 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

The Kilohana Crater is all that is left of Mt. Kilohana on Kaua'i. Kilohana is one of the newer of the extinct volcanoes on that island being between 3.65 and .65 million years old. You can't get there unless you are on a backroads tour of the island, but it is worth the very bumpy ride along old cane haul roads. During the gradual climb to the rim of the crater, you leave the cane fields to find a wide variety of interesting plants. It was all very green with occasional wild orchids dotting the sides of the road. Tall trees with very wide canopies could be seen dotting the slopes. The most amazing sight for me was when we rounded the last curve and came out on the crater rim. The bottom of the crater will a vast sea of purple. I have since learned that it is a highly invasive species, the malabar melastome, that has destroyed all the native growth at the bottom of the crater. The environmentalist in me wants to help destroy it, but the artist in me was very glad for the vision.

Hanalei Valley

Hanalei Valley

9 x 11 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

The Hanalei Valley is one of my favorite places in the islands. Located on Kauai near the north shore town of Hanalei, this is a very fertile place that has a long history of farming. This view is from the overlook at the top of the ridge before you follow the highway down to cross the first of the one-lane bridges into Hanalei. If you turn left just past the bridge, you can follow the river past rice patches interspersed with taro patches, or lo'i. The valley has a long and interesting history. It is worth a visit to the Horiguchi Rice Mill, the second building on the right in the painting, to learn about this rich history. Much of the taro for the islands comes from this place.

I also wanted to show off my new portable morning studio. It is a far cry from the several boxes perching on my desk and surrounding surfaces. Bless my wonderful husband for this wonderful gift.

Win some, lose some

Lily Pond

4 x 6 colored pencils on sanded paper

Miki Willa

I know that I said I was going back to pastels, and I tried to this morning. Unfortunately, it was not a good painting day. Time and real life got in the way. I feel certain I will be back to it tomorrow. I did start a painting on my new Heilman box and easel that Tom got me for my birthday. It made quite an improvement in my morning studio. I will finish that painting tomorrow. In the mean time, I thought I would give colored pencils one more try on a sanded surface. I like the look of this one better, but I really don't like the composition. As I said, you win some and you lose some.

In praise of colored pencil artists

sketch for composition

colored pencils on Strathmore sketch paper

Miki Willa

I spent some time looking at the August 2007 CPSA winners this morning, and was in awe of all that talent. It made me go hunt down my old colored pencil set. I had a photo I wanted to sketch for composition before I did it in pastels. I decided to use my colored pencils. By the time I was finished, I was even more impressed with real colored pencil artists. Even in the best circumstances - all the colors you want/need, a good pencil sharpener - it takes patience and perseverance to create a good colored pencil drawing. I learned a lot about the composition I will use for the pastel painting, as well as learning about my lack of patience. I must have had more patience when I was younger and loved using colored pencils. I think, for now at least, I will stick with my pastels. The setting for this drawing is an abandoned sugar and molasses mill on Kaua'i. I just loved the truck.

Small Beach Scene

Small Beach Scene

5 x 8 soft pastels/watercolour underpainting

cold pressed Strathmore watercolor paper

Miki Willa

Every once in a while I have to try something to remind myself of why I don't do this more often. I really don't like to work on watercolor paper with my pastels. I thought that if I did an underpainting, I wouldn't constantly fight the paper. I was wrong, again. Hopefully, I have learned my lesson. I really need some edges to define the sand spit in the distance. I think I will do this scene again on paper I like. I will consider this a practice sketch. I can see things in the composition I will change for the next one, although I like it (the composition) for the most part.

Simultaneous Contrast

A Rose by Any Other Name

7 x 7 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Believe it or not, the rose is the same in both pictures. In the first one, I took the photo before I put in the light background. Before I took the second photo, I put on a light background because I thought it would work better. I am just amazed at the difference. The photos were taken under the same conditions. The colors of the rose appear totally different, but I can assure you I didn't touch the rose, only the background. The green in the leaves is even different.

Richard McKinley wrote a column here about why this happens. It is called Simultaneous contrast. It is the notion that every color, or value, will respond differently depending on what it is next to. While I have been exploring light values in my paintings, I can see how this works in creating shadows while still using lights. A darker light next to white becomes very dark if there are no other darks around. I am going to have to work to apply that to my landscapes where I do distant mountains or meadows.

In the pink

Pua nani

7 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Plumeria blossoms come in a variety of colors. Most of them are cream with pale yellow highlights. They also come in pinks with orange and red centers. They have a very strong and sweet fragrance, and are a favorite for making lei. I thought these would be good for my light value work. Today, I really missed not having white in my collection of pastels. There are some edges I wanted more pure white, but I had to make due with my palest cream. Maybe I will break down and get a stick of white for special occasions.

Monstera

Monstera

7 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

The real flower is larger than the painting. We have these giant leaved plants that grow around tree trunks in the forests here. They are Monstera plants. I have seen them for years, but I had never seen a blossom. A couple of months ago, when I was on the Big Island, I was getting ready to go into Big Island Candies when I spotted this flower in the parking lot. The plant was growing up a light pole and this nearly two feet high blossom was sticking off to one side. When I was looking for something to paint during my study in light values, I came across my photo. My challenge was to turn form on the center part while keeping it as light as it needed to be, without using white. The photo just barely shows it. It works better on the real painting.

Value and Hue

White Hibiscus

7 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

There is so much to learn, and remember, about color as it applies to painting. I spent a little time doing some research today and discovered some new things, and refreshed my understanding on things I already knew. Here are just a few interesting tidbits from my journey.

Yellow is the first color the eye recognizes. This is important to remember in a painting. Using bright yellow away from the focal area can draw the eye away. Using it in a pattern that leads toward the focal area will bring the eye there. Judicious use is important because yellow is also the most fatiguing color in the spectrum. Statistics show that couples fight more in a yellow kitchen. Check this out at http://www.colormatters.com/optics.html.

Value was at the top of my research list today. As I see it, value has to do with the darkness or lightness of a hue (color). Value defines form and creates spacial illusion in paintings. If values are close, shapes will seem to flatten out and seem closely connected in space. None will stand out from the others. Value is very important in creating aerial perspective.

Tomorrow, I will look more at hue and simultaneous contrast. For more on value and hue, check out http://www.wetcanvas.com/ArtSchool/Hagan/color_psychology2.htm and http://pastel-pointers.pasteljournal.com/default,month,2007-08.aspx.

The painting was done without using white. My goal was to create a white flower using light value pastels that would indicate white.

What's next?

West Maui Hills 2

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I have painted this scene three times, and I like this one the best. The clouds were very difficult as they really formed an X over the hills. Of course, when you paint clouds in an X formation, no one thinks they look real. I am much happier with the depth in this one, too. I as much freer about color than I usually am. This brings me to what I will do next week.

After doing a week of cloud studies, I find that I really need to do much more work on value and hue. I think I will focus on light values this week and follow up with darks the following week. I am sure the mid-tones will be very present in both, since that seems to be what I use most often. Keeping lights light is a current challenge that I would like to overcome.