Artist's Block

So now that the class is over what do I do? Starting by gathering the tools of the trade, I bought a small adjustable table for my bedroom "studio" and some pastel paper (Canson Mi Teintes). Now I had something to paint with, but what to paint? I have a number of photos I took of the garden of my old house and thought something in that group of pictures must be pastel-worthy. I settled on a photo of a red maple in bud. It's one of my favorite photos and simple enough that I should be able paint it with my limited skills. I picked out one of the blue-tinted sheets of Mi Teintes and started to paint.

NuPastel on Canson Mi Teintes, textured side

Here's what I learned: I do not like the textured side of Canson Mi Teintes. I had to do a lot of blending with shapers and paper blenders to make the texture less noticeable. Some people might like the texture, but I don't, especially when I am going for a more realistic look.

For my first effort, I am pleased with the result. This painting now hangs in my main-floor powder room.