Thor's Hammer, Bryce Canyon, UT

In leading a demo for a floating pastel underpainting, I chose the photo of Carolyn, fellow Pastel Society of Virginia member, to use as an example, which was an unusual move for me, as I only paint from my own photos. However, this image was so compelling.

The underpainting didn't cover the entire surface. I mostly worked in darks and greens, saving all the lights for later. This way, the edges I wanted to be sharp and colors deep wouldn't be hazed by floating chalk from the lighter pastels.

Almost entirely done in Pastel Society of Virginia meetings, this painting was so much fun to model and sculpt.

Thanks, Carolyn.


Thor's Hammer, Bryce Canyon, UT
pastel
9x12 Pastelbord

Featured Artist in August - Breeze By!

My time as Featured August Artist in the Exhibition Series begins Monday. Before then, catch the final days of  Megan Coyle's show and read this review about her collages. My show will be about half pastels and half photographs, with a few new pen and inks with watercolors and a smattering of oils, all featuring summery themes and a lot of the outdoors.

I'd check it out just to read the quotes. One favorite is, "Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it," by Russel Baker.

See you at the Opening on Thursday, August 4! Breeze By!

Welcome to Half Moon Cay

This beautiful arch created en plein air at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, was our introduction to a day of kayaking and a lot of laughs. A cay essentially is a key, except that a cay supposedly has nobody living there. Turns out that Half Moon Cay, err, Key has 34 people as inhabitants. It's a private island owned by Holland America and Carnival.

Welcome to Half Moon Cay
4x5
Pen and Ink with Watercolor
SOLD

Remains to Be Scene

In commemoration of 150 years since the Civil War began, the Manassas Art Guild has held a juried art and photography show concerning both the event and lush Virginia. I entered five pieces and had four accepted.

The show runs at Hylton Center at GMU in Manassas from July 13 to August 13. Gallery hours are 12-6pm Wednesday through Saturday.

The entire show is seen here on Facebook. My photography blog can be visited here: bfbutlerphoto.blogspot.com.

Blandford's Arch
Metallic Ink Photograph
11x14

Lily Pads 1 & 2

The plein air trek last week was to Mason Neck State Park to see the lily pads in bloom. There were no blooms in sight, but we found these quaint, miniature lily pads to paint instead. These tiny paintings remind me how much fun it is to glaze watercolors, although outdoors things dry very quickly!

Currently on display at The Loft Gallery on Mill St in Occoquan:

Lily Pads 1 & 2
Pen & Ink with Watercolor
3x3

Get Away - San Juan

Get Away - San Juan
Pen and Watercolor
5.5x8.25

Pastel Society of Virginia

NOTE: Look to the tab above for the latest on the Pastel Society of Virginia, our exhibits and membership.

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This topic gets a good number of hits here daily and, b/c our PSV website is still under construction, I will offer up some details here.

Bottom line: I wish I had a nickel each time someone told me this project was overdue or that they had wanted to create this society themselves! With everyone's help, we will fulfill the dreams we've all had for so long.

We meet to paint/critique/support on the third Thursday evening and fourth Tuesday morning at the Springfield Art Guild Community Room at Springfield Mall. In the future, we'll mix it up with some weekend and plein air opportunities. Everything is flexible and we ask for patience as we get our groove. Meeting topics will develop in time as we develop additional structure. Further, we intend to be a major stop on the workshop circuit to draw big name pastelists, b/c Virginia has been long neglected.

Our goal is non-profit status when someone steps up to pursue it. We also have IAPS membership to come. Most of us are located in Northern Virginia, so we meet locally by default; however, if others want to join us or to extend our reach to other areas of Virginia, all is in the realm of possibility. It takes many hands and not all will be mine!

For the record, I am more of a start up personality, so I like to brainstorm and see what can happen to develop possibilities. Hence, I am not the administrative, maintaining sort, so others will need to step up into positions of leadership.

Very exciting, our first exhibit will be in the SAG room and runs from August 27 through October 1. The Opening will be Sunday, August 28 from 2-4p.

Any Virginia or local dry pastelist is invited to hang; we will have over 25 slots. To share the load, all participating artists will need to volunteer during drop off/hanging, reception food/set up/clean up, reception demo, and/or pick up.

Please comment with additional questions or email me from the sidebar link. We currently communicate through several mass emails a month; let me know if you would like to be included on our email list.

Bonnie Ferguson Butler, Founder
Pastel Society of Virginia

Leaving Miami

Pastel and oil kits can be cumbersome, especially for someone like me who acts as if every expedition is like car camping.

Expanding my repertoire with a much more portable medium, the next few plein air paintings were created with Sakura pens and a WN travel watercolor set.

Leaving Miami
5.5x8.25
Pen & Ink with Watercolor

Judith Beheading Holofernes (Caravaggio)

I'd never done street painting, but it seemed like a logical thing for a pastelist to try. To make doing something new even harder, I chose to do a portrait instead of a landscape. My inexperience showed, but it was a lot of fun working with Via Colori and Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts.

I chose to replicate Judith of Judith Beheading Holofernes a la Caravaggio, or at least that was the plan!

which in two hours developed into

She became Amazon Molly Ringwald! I am spoiled by the many colors in my pastel set and a straight on perspective!

These are some street painters looking up the alley toward Market Square.

Here's my favorite label of the day, which is at the entrance of Frederickburg's St. George's Episcopal's cemetery.

If I get up my nerve, I will try to do the street painting festival in September, although it is probably three times the size of my little 20 ft2 Judith.

A Title And An Invitation

Save the Date for my Breeze By Opening on Thursday, August 4 from 6-9pm in Old Town Alexandria!