dahlia 5

I'm really enjoying working on this piece even though it's really going to take a long time. So far: first wash, dark umber,

2nd black cherry. Now I'm breaking down into working on smaller sections so the upper left corner is all I'm working on right now. There I have used process red, dahlia purple, dark green, and crimson lake. I'm a little concerned about developing some wax bloom with so many layers and so many yet to come. Every piece is an experiment of some sorts so I'll be deciding if I want to go with a solvent or a fixative spray.

dahlia 4

still edging along. I'm trying to just concentrate on one petal at a time so I don't get so overwhelmed by the total size and get inclined to rush. Rushing is a bad thing with colored pencil because then I start to let my strokes get too large and textured looking. I'm working at putting in the black cherry wash but, I've also laid in a little mulberry and tuscan red. I've worked for an hour so far this morning and need to give my hand a short rest before I put in another hour today.

deep down dahlia 3

First wash finally all in. Dark Umber. Just beginning with the first layer of a color today, probably black cherry. I want this to have high contrast between the pinkish white tips of the petals and the purple/maroon depths of the shadowed part. Play opens this thurs. so probably wont have too much time to work on it this week.

dahlia take 2

Ok, so it still doesn't look like much yet. I'm laying in a dark umber wash to set the deepest shadow areas and develop some form to the flower. Every time I get a little bored with the one color I dink around a little with some of the potential colors I think I want to use for the highlights. This is a full 22x30" sheet of stonehenge paper. People always think I'm nuts to do such large paintings in colored pencil. What can I say, they're right. But, it gives me the time to be fully immersed in the subject, time disappears.

wow, long time no post

sheesh, you might think nothing's been going on since king and I. you'd be wrong but,.... you sure couldn't have told from THIS blogger! It's surprisingly hard to get ANY art work done when one is "playing" on stage. BUT, I've kicked in gear again.

I've starting doing some florals just lately. Finished one of daylilies, and one of azealeas and now I'm starting a very ambitious, large painting of a dahlia. I'm going to call it Deep, Down Dahlia. (I think) It's going to take a VERY long time I'm afraid. I'm having a lot of aches and problems with my right hand. Yes, of course I'm right handed. Anyway, I thought I'd share the on going process, stay tuned. I know. It doesn't look like much right now, only 2 hours in.