Winged

"Winged" Pastel 6" x 6"

A small, abstract piece in pastel on a heavily textured surface.  I started to see wings forming, and maybe even a Phoenix...?

You can purchase the original artwork for as little as cost via Daily Paintworks auction.  Prints are available at My Etsy shop.

Tree Line

"Tree Line" Charcoal and Pastel 5" x 3.5"

An abstracted landscape piece that began as a non-objective drawing...took some fussing and fighting to get this one to develop.  Very limited palette for this piece...

Mesa

"Mesa" Pastel 6" x 3"

A small abstract landscape in pastel.  This began as a non-objective piece with some random scribbles of charcoal, which I heavily sprayed with fixative to create a wash.  I developed the values a bit more, added some subtle olives, browns, and rusts, and discovered this landscape hiding in the work.

The surface is acid-free foam core board treated with pastel primer to give it some tooth.  I love the textures I get with homemade surfaces...well worth the extra prep time.

The original art is currently up for auction and can be yours for as little as $6!  Click to bid!

Lean-To

"Lean-To" Charcoal and Pastel 3" x 6"

It can be a bit of a challenge to come up with titles for abstract pieces sometimes.  This piece was starting to look a bit forest-y, but not quite...so I guess it started to suggest a primitive structure one might construct in a forest...?  It's mostly done in grays, but there is some subtle brown and sage green in there, too; each monitor is a bit different so hopefully you can see that bit of color in yours...

Geyser

"Geyser" Pastel 3" x 6"

A small abstract landscape in pastel, just sort of playing around with colors and the different results I got as I layered them together on my textured surface.  I like how the little bit of rust color peeks out from the olive areas.

Tangle

"Tangle" Charcoal and Pastel 6" x 4"

A small, abstract drawing in charcoal and pastel.  Like most of my non-objective pieces, it began with some random scribbles.  Eventually they developed into something that reminded me of a tangle of branches.

Blue Abstract

"Blue Abstract" Pastel 8" x 8"

I'm starting to take the abstract drawings out of the sketchbook now!  This is a monochromatic, non-objective pastel drawing on paper.  I suppose I started thinking about windblown grasslands and nests when I was working on this one.

Strata

"Strata" Pencil Drawing

Another non-objective pencil drawing from my sketchbook.  By non-objective I mean that I don't have a subject in mind when I'm working; I'm not representing a specific thing in the piece.  It's sort of art about nothing...Seinfeld fans should love it!

As I develop these drawings, they do begin to suggest forms, objects, or scenes.  This one reminded me of layers of rock, that one might find in a canyon...

Reflections

"Reflections" Pencil Drawing

From the sketchbook, a small pencil drawing that began with the stone shapes, but they were a bit too...direct?  Specific?  Anyhoo, I took my eraser to it, which suddenly suggested ripples in water.  I just love those happy accidents when I'm working!

Fronds

"Fronds" Pencil Drawing

From the sketchbook, a non-objective drawing that developed into organic, fern-like shapes.  The title "Fronds" seemed as appropriate as any.

My non-objective drawings start quite literally with a bunch of scribbles...I scribble some more, erase, smudge, hatch, etc., until a suggestion of form develops.  Usually these drawings start to resemble landscapes or images of nature.  I enjoy working this way a great deal; it's wonderfully meditative, and keeps me in touch with my artistic voice I think...

Raccoon With Crayfish

"Raccoon With Crayfish" 11" x 16", Pastel