Adventures into painting with pastels

Getting back to posting to my blog has been a challenge with organizing an event, classes, work and house.  Needless to say, it's been a struggle.  But here goes...



copyright Linda Young
The Old Barn 2, pastel
8-1/2" x 11"



I've had pastels for about five years, tried them without instruction once and decided:  not for me!  I was a watercolor artist and that's how I'd stay.  Until a few months ago, those pastels didn't bother me sitting in the cabinet out of sight but one day, I had to move something from off of them.  They bugged me and the thought of them nagged at me for the next few days: "You're NOT just going to let us SIT here without trying to learn how to use us."  ...are you?

Unfortunately, because of the many years of hair spray and hair coloring chemicals and inhaling them, the dust from the pastels really bother me indoors and this past Tuesday night, decided I couldn't take any more of them in an indoor classroom setting.  I'll keep on trying when the opportunity presents itself outdoors and in plein air; but won't be painting with them indoors again.

The paintings are in the progression of learning about them through several weeks of classes with Donna Mitchell. The first painting was of an old barn, the second was of the flowers from a flower show at Macy's in New York City, the third is of an old mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the fourth is my attempt at a portrait.  I didn't have a subject in front of me, so I copied from an "Artist's Magazine" ad showing a partial view of a man's face. I know his eyes are not right but I post it anyway.  It's just my learning process.

There is one more which is of my rescued Westie, Hannah; but it's a long way from being finished.  Right now, with all the underpainting colors she looks like a Yorkie.  Problem is:  Westie's are white!

copyright Linda Young
Flowers at Macys, pastel
8-1/1" x 11"

copyright Linda Young
The Old Mill 2, pastel
8-1/2 x 9-1/2"

I know his right eye (facing you) is out of proportion but at this point, it doesn't matter to me.

copyright Linda Young
Half Man, pastel
8-1/2" x 11"

After posting these, I do see a few things that need correcting; but in due time it will get done.

Linda Young Watercolors P O Box 941 Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Still Life, bottles

copyright Linda Young 2012
Bottles and cloth
10 x 13"
watercolor

Linda Young Watercolors P O Box 941 Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Azaleas of Italian Lake, painted today



copyright 2012 Linda Young
Azaleas of Italian Lake
9" x 11" Pastel

 My painting friend, Clare Klaum, told me Saturday at Mechanicsburg Art Center how beautiful Italian Lake was with the azaleas blooming.  I mentioned to my husband after that, if the weather was nice on Sunday, I thought we should do a picnic at the lake; I could paint and he could photograph and read his book.  He liked that idea.

It rained Sunday morning but by noon, the skies were overcast and the temperature was warm enough to finalize our plans and go to the lake.  The rain had gone and the sun was trying to break through the clouds.  This is a painting which I did in pastel today.  Pastels are very much an unknown territory for me; but I must say is a lot of fun to put down the colors with intensity.  If you make a mistake, you can just go over it and rework the area again.  My teacher, Donna Mitchell told me she thought I was going to love pastels.  At first I was skeptical and after using them more today and in a short period of time--I think she's right.

My first love will ALWAYS BE watercolors, however.

Linda Young Watercolors
P O Box 941
Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Camp Hill Plein Air Art Festival

It was a shot, a long shot; but I thought I'd give a try and enter the plein air competition at Camp Hill, Pa. this year.  My friends have been painting plein air for years and one of them even won last year.  What could it hurt to enter? 

I decided not to tell anyone just in case I was setting myself up for disappointment; but I wasn't disappointed.  I was notified today, I was accepted into this year's competition. 

There is much to learn about Camp Hill scenes, so I imagine my husband and I will be taking a few trips there just to walk around the area looking for places for me to paint. This is a first for me to enter a competition that I am just learning about.  

Painting plein air--being one with nature!  I love painting en plein air and the comraderie that goes along with it.  It's going to be fun...plus, I get to take a week off from my day job to do it!

Here's the link to check out the days and times for the daytime activities. 
http://www.pleinaircamphill.org/schedule/index.php



Linda Young Watercolors P O Box 941 Carlisle, Pa. 17013

I think they are jonquils, plein air

Jonquils
6-1/2" x 10"
Watercolor

Painting outside today.  These flowers blossomed overnight and in my driveway, I sat up my chair, palette and paper to paint them while life passed my by on the highway.
Too bad some people never stop to smell the flowers along their way.

Linda Young Watercolors
P O Box 941
Carlisle, Pa. 17013

A great day to paint at the lake

Clock tower and Inn at Boiling Springs Lake
6-1/2" x 10"
Watercolor

March 15, 2012


I joined several other plein air painters today; the temperature was in the mid-60's and there was hardly any breeze.  It was a wonderful day to be outside painting.  I only had an hour and a half to paint, so I had to finish this painting later in the day after work.  I tried to keep the "plein air feel" and as I usually do, paint very lightly.  I guess it's called high key ???  I am going to try painting a lot darker to concentrate on the shadows and then paint in the light areas.  That will be my next attempt at plein air painting.  I love to paint outside!!!

Linda Young
Watercolors
P O Box 941
Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Just Waitin' for someone to take me for a ride

Just Waitin' 14" x 22" Watercolor on Arches WCP

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day by the docks where these boats were tied up. I wish they were mine; I'd have loved to take that big one out on the water. Can you just imagine and feel the warmth of the sun and breeze?



Linda Young Watercolors
P O Box 941
Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Follow up to blog about child and woman in the lake

I'm writing this for those wondering what happened to the people from the experience at the Boiling Springs Lake.

I still had the telephone number of the husband (Don) on my phone and decided I'd call to find out how everyone was doing today.  He told me his wife had two black eyes and stitches on her brow.  He said he didn't know how many because she wouldn't let him look at it.  I asked him if it was a defect in the stroller that caused them to go into the lake but his answer was "no" and proceded to tell me how it happened.

His wife was throwing bread to the ducks and one piece fell on the brickwork that was next to the edge of walk area.  She attempted to kick it into the lake and lost her balance.  She reached for the stroller to help regain her balance but instead pulled the stroller right along with her into the lake as she was falling.  The child (who will be two years old in June) went underwater with her.

At the time I talked to her husband, his wife was across the street helping her daughter get moved into another home and was doing fine.


Linda Young Watercolors P O Box 941 Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Plein air’ist to the rescue!

Just the beginning of a plein air adventure! 

Today was supposed to be 66 degrees; but the time I got to the lake it was very breezy and cool with the temperature more like high forties.

I was at the Boiling Springs Lake about an hour and saw a lady pushing a stroller near the spot I was painting. I heard her say, “ see; the ducks know you are here to feed them and they are coming here to see you!”
The next thing I knew, I heard “Help, help, help” and looked up and saw the lady and the baby with the stroller in the lake. The baby’s stroller was tipped over with the baby’s face in the water. I ran over and (God knows where the strength comes from) pulled the stroller out of the water without getting a drop of water on me. The grandmother was bleeding under her eyebrow; apparently, she slipped when she tried to lift the baby stroller out and cut her eye on the brickwork that lined the lake. Her glasses fell off her face so she might have even hit a rock in the waist deep water. The baby was crying looking at her grandma and her grandma was crying after this accident.
She had a very bad cut on the orbit just underneath her eyebrow; and it looked to me like she would be needed a stitch or two to close it up. The blood was dripping down her face onto her wet clothing. Another man appeared with his two grandchildren to help her get out of the water; but she said she’d manage herself. He went to the Appalachian Trail Center office to get some blankets for the baby and woman who were soaked from the cold spring water that is a constant mid-fifty degrees all year long. Needless to say, they were even colder with the wind that was blowing. Grandma’s wet clothing were now pretty blood-stained.

Her cell phone also went into the water along with her glasses which were recovered; the baby’s sippy cup bobbed and drifted away toward the dam. Because her phone had gotten wet and didn’t work now, I called her husband for her to explain what happened and to come get her at the Trail office. I later heard the baby crying again about fifteen minutes later when the grandfather/husband came to their rescue.

At last report, the child and grandmother went home for dry clothing and then would be taking grandma to the hospital. Grandma was going to need some attention to close the wound under her eyebrow; I’ll bet she’s going to have a bruised and blackened eye tomorrow morning and a bad headache too.

Plein air artists come across many different things during their adventures like wild animals, low flying birds that unload on your palette, swarms of bees or ants; but I’m not sure if there has ever been one that could tell you about pulling a baby out of a lake!

The painting had only gotten started and the photo shows what was done by the time of the accident; but, I’m glad I was there to help.   (They fell in right by the bench in the painting above)


Linda Young Watercolors P O Box 941 Carlisle, Pa. 17013

Evening in the Garden at the York Flower and Garden Show

Evening in the Garden, watercolor by Linda Young


I arrived at the York Fairgrounds at 9:30am and located the Toyota Arena where the flower show would be opening their doors to the public at 10. Entering, I saw many flowers and beautiful garden arrangements; it was hard to choose the area I wanted to paint. Drawn to one in particular, Milk's landscaping had a beautiful block of three different waterfalls and floral designed gardens. They gave me permission to paint in their garden area anywhere I wanted to paint.

I selected a little corner that had a small wooden birdhouse, assorted greenery, tulips and flagstone pavers. A small path light illuminated the corner space where I stood and sketched the composition I wanted. Painting about a half hour, the bright interior lights of the arena suddenly began to darken and the arena became dimly lit as if it were night time. Night time in the garden where I stood had become a restful and peaceful place and in the twilight, the distant sound of the water falling across the flagstone rocks trickled into the waiting pool below.

Evening in the Garden
6-1/2" x 10" Watercolor
en plein air

Linda Young Watercolors
P O Box 941
Carlisle, Pa. 17013