The Survivor, for at least 1200 years

The Survivor (at Shangri La, Orange, TX), Pastel, 9x12

Bob Rohm - what a great instructor he is. Very generous with his time, he unlocks little mysteries that surround landscape painting. While taking a workshop from him, I purchased his painting, Evening Color. It was an award winner, a landscape with a grouping of trees. The main tree, in the foreground, is rendered so believably that I truly feel I could reach around the tree. Bob used value and color with a mastery that is my gold standard for tree painting.

Landscape painting is a struggle, a constant string of what-if's. I try to make it about shapes, masses, light and shadow. As with any other subject, it takes lots of doing to get it right. So my summer is dedicated to the "lots of" painting landscapes. I love painting the sky: clouds with big color, soft clouds, dramatic ones and subtle ones, receding and directly above ones. I think I paint skies ok - but can I paint a tree I can reach around?

Shangri La in a little Texas town? Yes, it's a beautiful mix of botanical gardens and nature center, with a terrific history, in Orange, Texas. The boat tour down Adams Bayou drifts past a tree aged to perfection during its 1200 years. This tree of unbelievable beauty is the one I dared to paint, hoping to reach the bottom rung of the Rohm gold standard. Track the progress with these photos. In the first photo, small guide marks quarter the paper; this helps with initial drawing. The sun was behind the tree, so most of the beautiful yellow greens were obscured by the foliage.

Does the final painting make me feel the volume of this giant? And the main challenge - can I see AROUND the tree? 

Three money saving tools for pastel artists

I love saving money, especially when it gives me a new convenient tool! Try these inexpensive ideas.

1.  Prop your arm. I'm working close up on a portrait, on the eyes, with a pastel that almost has a point, trying to place one dab of color in just the right spot, and my arm slips. That beautiful lady now has inch thick mascara. Oops. 

With just a slight request, my husband created a perfect arm prop. His creative solution hooks over the back edge of the support - no touching of the pastel surface. The best part? It's cheap (free, if you have one on hand already) and quick to make. Just make a 180 degree curving bend in a flat curtain rod, like in the photo. The rod's surface is smooth against the arm and strong enough not to flex.

Hooked over the back of my support, the center of the easel keeps it from sliding. If I need to reposition it to the left side, I clip the support and nestle the prop against it - no sliding. When not in use, it hooks on the side of the easel frame, out of the way.

2.  Make a point. My new and improved homemade tool for sharpening pastel sticks or pencils, described on my Facebook post

3.  Scratch it out. That dab of soft pastel blobbed on too thickly? Gently touch it with a pushpin to remove excess. Layers of color look too thick to read as grass texture? Scratch lines through it with a pushpin.