Busy Birds, 7X12 soft pastel on card
I step outside into the fresh morning air;
a swirl of eager chatter encircles me.
I lift my eyes to the busy scene:
birds playing a game of musical chairs
amongst the bare branches of the tall trees.
All weight is lifted into the cool gray sky,
agendas fade and I pause upon the stair.
I breathe in life.
I feel a small and glorious part
of the nature of things.
neighborhood chatter
Your life is carrying on, business as usual. Then you look up, and, pow! An image, a person, a sound, a smell…it just gets you. It steals your attention away from the course of everyday life, and gives you pause. It’s a moment when your senses are flooded by emotion…nostalgia, gratefulness, love, perhaps sadness or pain.
I am working to soak in these unexpected treasures as they come. When I see my boy lining up snowballs, for instance, or I find him reading far after bedtime in his fort, I am thankful for the moment’s fullness; I snap a picture, and I create a piece of art to convey that moment that took hold of my heart.
It’s raining and thundering on this February Sunday. In my art room, I was irritably trying to muster the focus I needed to finish a planned pastel of a cotton field. My daughter quietly slipped into the room, and perched on a tall, yellow metal chair behind me. I turned to look at her, and saw her slowly smoothing a long silk scarf on her head as she watched the rain out of the window, dressed in a puffy pink tutu with her little feet propped up on the bottom rail.
She was beautiful. I soaked it in.
Rainy Day, pastel sketch on paper
Ahem, ahem…let me clear my throat before I begin on this apparently sensitive subject.
I myself have been known to get quite feisty over the matter, cheeks flushing and all. I have most recently been in a bit of an irritable mood over the query, and I just can’t shake it. So, it must be addressed. Allow me to present the case:
“Order in the court! Will the defendant please rise. Pastel picture, you are now on trial. Please answer the following question:
Are you a painting, or a drawing?” Continue Reading…
I’d like to introduce you to a member of the family. This unique relative likes to think outside the box, does not like to be constrained, and has an oily quality.
Meet soft pastel’s cousin, the oil pastel.
regular sized oil pastels
Now, let me tell you how I met the oil pastel, well, good oil pastels. We can all remember those crayon-like oil pastels from school art class; how their waxy marks just make a smeary mess. Who knew there was something better out there!? It’s like the difference between blackboard chalk and good soft pastels: like a whole different art medium. But I digress… Continue Reading…
my pastels & card
There they are, those beautiful sticks of soft pastels. They are about the size of my pointer finger, and while mine may be a bit messy, they are full of beautiful, creamy, vibrant color.
I have my pastel card cut and I’m ready to begin.
Wow: big pastel, tiny paper. How is it to be done???
My biggest sellers are mini pastels, 2×3″ to 4×4″ pastels on card, framed. When teaching classes, one of the tricks my students are encouraged to master is the ability to hold a chunky pastel just right, in order to achieve a very fine line. It can be done!
No matter how rounded my pastels look, I can always find an edge. Sometimes I have to break them (painful, I know…but it must be done!), or use a small “crumb.” When handled correctly, I can get a thin eyelash even on a small piece of art. Continue Reading…
I love to read, and I read everyday. I read when I rest with baby, on lazy mornings while sipping coffee, and every night before I go to sleep. This love of reading has been literally passed down through my dad’s side of the family through generations. We have this tradition of book-sharing, and you MUST initial the inside cover signifying completion before you pass it along.
My favorite books are, as I call them, light mysteries…you know, the kind without any disturbing, gory crimes. Just good “whodunits” that keep you guessing. For example, I’ve read all the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, most books by Dick Francis, and I’m currently reading my grandfather’s 1930s editions of Valentine Williams’ Secret Service Series. Love it.
Writing inspires me. Much of my art has been inspired by words: poetry of William Blake and Emily Dickinson, Southern literature like Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, and poetry and stories that I write like Little Feathers and my Such is Life series.
Here are a few of my pieces that have been inspired by literature: Continue Reading…
The lights dimmed and the curtain raised, the stage once again reveals the now-familiar, bustling family of five.
In the driveway of their small suburban home, the father is buckling the well-padded baby into her snug carseat, making skilled attempts to wiggle her arms through the straps, as she works hard to get them out. The mother pulls at jackets and lifts under arms, ushering the bundled older children into the back of car with their loads of explorer-worthy trappings. Finally, children strapped in place, the parents take their seats and the family van pulls onto the road.
It’s a vacation day: pancakes have been eaten, lazy sipping of coffee has ensued, relaxation has crept into this usually-busy group. It’s a crisp, sunny day and the normally scheduled, organized family feels the need for a bit of spontaneity.
Time for a family hike. Continue Reading…
Beginnings…there’s something about them that you just can’t forget.
I remember down to every detail, the moments when I first met each of my children. I remember the first time I met the man who has been my husband for almost 11 years.
And I remember when I drew my first pastel. It was seven years ago, and began as a doodle, just to entertain on a dull afternoon. I sketched out a picture of my first baby in black. Then I absent-mindedly added a bit of color here and there.
Congratulations all around! My firstborn pastel entered the world.
Snack Time, 8×10 pastel on newsprint
From there, I dabbled here and there and stumbled my way to my own set of pastel techniques.
If you’d like to meet my first “full color” pastel, as you might say, visit my previous post Memories.
You know the feeling: your nemesis approaches. You want to cringe away; your eyes narrow, lips compress. Your palms might begin to sweat, or you get fidgety, anxiety rising. The dreaded moment draws near when you and your adversary are forced to interact.
It’s time I confess my greatest enemy. Continue Reading…
An intermission has ended, as the routine of life has been lived another week. The audience takes a seat once more, as the curtain is raised.
The stage, reset, now reveals a sunny winter’s day at the small home on the fringes of a bustling Southern city. The young working mother takes her place in the haven of leather armchair, a brief respite from the busy game of everyday life. On stage right, the baby naps in her crib. Stage left, the other children play together in a tango of happy cooperation and bossy annoyance.
Her head resting askew upon her supportive hand, the mother reminisces upon the events of a few days past, when the city slowed to a crawl. The spotlight centers on her place, as she recalls the day when the snow began to fall. Continue Reading…
I'm a self-taught pastel & watercolor artist and instructor, raised and based in Birmingham, Alabama. I constantly collect stories and pieces of the world around me, turning them into works of art. Inspired by nature, I love to share what I've learned and build connections and community. I invite you to browse and join my site. I hope you find something that inspires you!
Voted one of Birmingham's Best Local Artists 2013, Birmingham News & al.com
Featured in Birmingham Magazine, March 2018
Visit the Commissions page on the top menu to find out more about my pastel & watercolor portraits. Portraits are drawn from photographs in a timely manner with the highest quality materials to ensure they will be enjoyed for generations!
Thanks for visiting my site! I am an awarded pastel artist and instructor based in Birmingham, Alabama. A self-taught artist, I have been working with pastels for over 6 years, selling in shops, galleries, shows and by commission. I teach pastel workshops for adults, and love to help emerging artists on their journey into the art community.
