Snow Day Memories

 Snow Day 7 x 10" pastel

I'm currently reading a book titled "The Midnight Train" by Matt Haig. With no spoilers, it is about an old man who dies and boards a train to eternity. During the trip he views the passing of his life outside the train windows. The train stops at pivotal moments during his life where he can examine them more closely. I'm enjoying it very much, but there was one sentence that I appreciated so much, I had to stop and write it down: "Doesn't the mundane starch of reality always turn to sugar with memory." Goodness that struck home! You don't aways comprehend the happiest moments or times of your life until they are reflected upon.

I was on vacation recently with family and was thinking how I couldn't wait to get home to journal about it and review the photos. It's as if, even though I try to "be present" (and I think I do a pretty good job of that), I can't fully process how wonderful it all is until a can take that time to reflect - let it become sugar. 

This piece is from a photo taken more than 20 years ago. It's a beautiful memory that has become more beautiful with time. My kids are grown. We don't get snowfalls like this very often anymore. Life speeds by - like a train. When it is my turn to board that train, I hope it stops here. I will soak up the joy of my babies and throw myself down into the snow and make a snow angel and bask in the blessings that my life has been so full of. How sweet is that?!

Speaking on the piece itself, I haven't done a pastel for a very long time - years actually. But I was just in the mood and pastels are a quick medium. Here are the steps:

I did a small pencil sketch first then switched to Nupastels and pastel pencils on colored pastel paper. 

The last thing I did was tone down the snow a bit. Didn't want it to be quite so brilliant of a blue.

I'm not sure how much time I invested, but each step was less than an hour.

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Waterfall at Lake Cumberland

 Waterfall at Lake Cumberland 16x22" oils

This one has been in progress for 26 years! haha! I started it 26 years ago after a big family vacation on a houseboat at Lake Cumberland. This one holds a lot of great memories. It was our first evening on the lake and we were looking for a place to pull over to tie up for the night. We kept checking little inlets and agreeing "this is fine, just pull over." The holdout was, I believe, my brother-in-law who wanted to keep on looking. We ended up at this beautiful waterfall. (The heron was inserted from another photo). 

I started it 26 years ago, and it has just been pinned up on my studio wall this whole time waiting for me to decide I had enough experience to finish it. Below is what it has looked like all this time. You may not see a big difference, but I do! Haha! I finished the heron, made the water splashier, gave a bit more depth to the background, and hit the rock with a palette knife to give it more texture.  Woo hoo! DONE!

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Swans

Swans - oils 12 x 22"

My most recent piece and some of the steps:

I started on a clayboard surface with a yellow ochre wash. I think it's more difficult to start on white and if you're not too heavy handed with paints (as I tend to be), some of the warmth can shine through.

The neck of the big swan was just a bit too long so I shortened it a bit.

For me, the water was the most challenging part. I think I did a decent job with it.

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