Monday, March 31, 2014

"Sassy Siblings"

"Sassy Siblings"  8x8" pastel on UArt - my set-up actually has wonderful delicate Baby's Breath in it - sitting there just waiting to be painted. I waited until late into the progress before punching in some light blue and white spots indicating the patient little flower. I stepped back. Nope. That's not right. Blended the white spots together. Nope. Added more green background. Still not right. So I took a towel and rubbed off any indication of Baby's Breath and reworked the background and the right hand flower. Boom. It worked. I will be the first to tell you not to overwork a piece. But on the other hand, don't "settle" for something that isn't working. Make it work, or scrub it off and redo! Watch for prints of this Daisy series coming soon! SOLD thank you Christine P.

Friday, March 28, 2014

SOUTHWEST WEEK MAGICAL

 
SOUTHWEST week here in Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree has been a kick . . . so glad I brought my pastels - looking back on these is magical . . . the layers of orange and turquoise, the mark-making, the decision-making, it's all just a... big experiment backed up by 40+ years of painting. Each of these paintings began with a "plan" - a design, a pattern, a feeling - contemplation on which color to use when... continually asking myself "what if . . . " what if I put purple over the orange and let just a bit peek through; what if I put marks here and then partially cover them up; what if that spikey plant behind the cactus turned into a black and white design . . . WANT TO LEARN MORE? Take an Evenhus pastel workshop - Beginners workshop in Wenatchee "Discover Pastels" May 16-17 at Pybus Market Event Center - still room for a few more; "Mood, Magic, & Melody" in Springfield, OR at Emerald Art Center Aug. 14-17 www.emeraldartcenter.org ... email me for more info on either Jennifer@evenhusfineart.com - Please share with your friends! Thanks

Thursday, March 27, 2014

"Desert Trek"


"Desert Trek" 8x10 pastel. Lovin' these desert textures and colors ... This did not end as I had planned ... but they often don't which is why painting is so much fun ... I just follow my muse. These paintings from the Southwest will soon be available as prints. Watch for a post next week...

"Tonto's Tap"


"Tonto's Tap" ...wasn't I thrilled this morning when I ran across this cacti in full perfect bloom! These sit outside Tonto's Bar and Grill in Cave Creek, AZ... 8x8" pastel on UArt 400...the magenta is not quite as dark as shown here...

"Trumpet Tango"


"Trumpet Tango" 8x8" pastel ... Love trumpet vines - so challenging... I mirrored the curve of the flower in the horizontal line and the vertical lines in the background.

"Courtyard Caper"


"Courtyard Caper" 8x8" pastel in the desert... if you pay attention, a magical world will be revealed...one of unique texture, movement and melodies...simply stop and listen, see, feel...it's all there

"Blue Heat"


"Blue Heat"  8x8" pastel... love playing with the colors of the Southwest and mixing things up... $100 adds this to your collection ... jennifer@evenhusfineart.com to purchase.





Wednesday, March 19, 2014

"Last Dance"

"Last Dance" 5th in my Daisies series - these flowers have given their all for my work - staying fresh and eager to pose ... but this morning when I went into the studio ... the Gerber Daisy says - it's now or never to catch one more pose - and so I did...
"Last Dance" $100 unframed jennifer@evenhusfineart.com to claim it!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

"Limelight"

"Limelight" - 4th in my Daisies series - the small daisy gets the "limelight" this time. He shines with pride at being the center of attention. This piece took twice as long as the others - one of the daisies just refused to be painted. I must have scrubbed it off 7 or 8 times before finding just the right value ... thinking I was done with it, I was still not satisfied with the petal shapes, so I made a couple bold strokes and those "made" the painting... I love how, after all that, I was still able to maintain a simplicity of the shapes. SOLD Thanks Peggy T.

"Scarlet Moment"

"SCARLET MOMENT" a third in the daisy series. I wanted the Gerber Daisy to be front and center on this one, and She is very happy to take on this role, since she, of course, thinks she is the "best" daisy! This is 8x8" on mounted UArt - SOLD Thanks Kayla O.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

"Golden Reign"

...second piece is "Golden Reign" 8x8 pastel on mounted UArt...I love the complementary blue vs orange at top and the yellow vs violet at bottom..makes the piece vibrate! More of my bold color and dynamic design ... $100 unframed ...SOLD Thanks Kayla O.

"Dappled Daisies"



...the first of two small pieces this evening - the first "Dappled Daisy" 8x8 mounted UArt.  I really like the composition and the gray against the orange and how the vase disappears against the background, so you have to really think and look to see it. $100 unframed 
SOLD Thanks Kayla O.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Pastel 100 Award Winners

I'm honored to be featured in The Pastel 100 Special Issue of the Pastel Journal!
"Summer Pasture" received the Bronze Medal award and "Scarlet Rush" received 4th place in the Abstract category. Thank you Pastel Journal for this incredible honor and to Meredith E. Lewis and Ruth Rodgers for their well-written articles. The Pastel Journal is now on newsstands - pick up a copy and enjoy all the fabulous artists and art!



 

"Intruders"

My hubby likes to throw wheat out for the quail in the winter and the chickadees like to get in on the act too. I paid close attention to the composition of this piece - moving the birds to just the right place for maximum eye movement...
"Intruders"  8x10" oil on panel  $150  SOLD  Thanks Jennifer H. of Canada