Just off the Easel: Lacey the Lab

Just finished this sweet little Lab named Lacey... I remembered to take pictures frequently this time to show some of the progress.

I'd love to capture enough images to make a video so you can see each color as it is laid down... soon I'm going to figure out to do it!

Lacey the Lab
oil pastel on Colourfix paper
8" x 10"

Lacey the Lab
oil pastel on Colourfix paper
8" x 10"

Thanks for reading!
Bethany

Just off the Easel: Blue Ridge Beauty

I love the NC mountains and paint them every chance I get!  Here's a new piece:

Blue Ridge Beauty
9" x 12" oil pastel over watercolor

This one I painted using Canson's Montval Acrylic Paper.  I underpainted with my Van Gogh travel watercolor pan set...

watercolor underpainting

Next, I used clear Colourfix pastel primer to give the paper a tooth for the oil pastel and to seal the watercolor.  Then I broke out the oil pastels and laid down the detail...I'm using Erengis and Sennelier oil pastels mostly, and a few Gallery Extra Soft oil pastels.  I limited myself to about 10 colors.

finished!

I loved working on this simple, relaxed piece.  I'm looking forward to trying out the acrylic paper with my acrylic paints... stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

Bethany

Just off the Easel: Red Barn and Pasture

The Artists for Animals Affaire was wonderful and the weather held up for us!  I made some new friends, shared information about oil pastels, and even had a chance to work on some paintings...

Red Barn and Pasture
8" x 10" oil pastel on board
Available in my Shop

In the next week I'll be sharing two more paintings I've finished, a pet portrait commission, and another plein aire piece that I started at the event on Saturday.  I also have some cows and an amazing red barn that I took photos of Saturday that I am dying to paint!

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Thank you for reading!
Bethany

Shady Spot

Here's the finish of "Shady Spot" that I first posted about here.

"Shady Spot"
7" x 9" oil pastel on board

This is another oil pastel painting I did from some reference photos I took last Spring at the UNC Botanical Gardens.  I had to simplify the composition since there were so many beautiful plants in the background!

It will be up this weekend at the Artists for Animals Faire in Apex at my booth (see previous post here).  Hope you can make it to this fun event!

Just off the Easel: Paul Green Cabin

Paul Green Cabin
6.5" x 9" oil pastel on Colourfix

This image has been waiting to be painted since last Spring...I finally got around to working on a painting based on the photo I took at the UNC Botanical Gardens.  I really enjoyed painting the light in the meadow and across the trees.  This area of the gardens is really natural and beautiful.


The Paul Green Cabin was restored and moved to Chapel Hill in 1991. Playwright Paul Green(1894-1981) wrote many plays, including "The Lost Colony," the oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States.  He was born in Buies Creek, NC and attended what is now Campbell University and UNC Chapel Hill.    Green served as a professor of drama at UNC until his death in 1981.


Contact me to purchase here.

I hope to visit some more local gardens this Spring and plein aire paint while the weather is still cool enough not to melt my oil pastels!


Thanks for reading!
Bethany

A Call for Wine and Animal Lovers!

Just over a week until I have a booth at the Artists for Animals Faire at Cloer Vineyards in Apex: 

It will be a great event benefiting local animal groups.  See the Apex Arts Council website and this WRAL article for more information!

I'm busy getting ready for the show, working on a few commissions, and enjoying some beautiful Spring weather!

Let me know if you plan to attend this event on my Facebook event page.  I'll have some special pricing on my pet portrait commissions, some new cards and prints, and new work to show off!  If the weather cooperates, I will be painting en plein aire during the event!

Fun at the Auction Preview!

We had a great time at the Auction Preview on Friday!  A sincere thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with me.  Here are a few photos from the event:

My painting at the Auction Preview!
(photo from NCMA flickr stream)

live music!

The NCMA staff convinced me to make a video
to make an animated GIF for the website!

I'm planning on going to the actual Auction on Saturday, April 14th.  If you are interested in attending, please visit the NCMA's website to buy tickets here.