Original Pastel, "I Have a Dream"

I was notified a few days ago that my painting "I Have A Dream" has been awarded "Best of Show" in the May challenge at CFAI.com.

Purchase here

I'm thrilled to have this honor.

Several years ago, before cell phones etc, I was attending an Easter egg hunt when these two darling babies  suddenly embraced.  I was lucky enough to have a camera pointed in their direction at the right time.  When I saw the image, all I could think about was Martin Luther King's famous speech.

SUMMER MARSH, 3X5, OIL, SOLD

I was in the Big Apple earlier this summer and while there, visited the Student's Art League.  They have a great facility and and wonderful gallery, open to the public, where they display their pieces for sale.  I don't remember the name of the store next door, but rightly enough, it was an art supply store.  While checking it out, I found these little 3x5" Winsor-Newton panels.  I have never seen this size before and thought it would be fun to try a few.  It was also the perfect purchase size as I didn't have much room in my roll-aboard suitcase.

Purchase here

SOLD

SANDCASTLES, 11X14, PASTEL, SOLD

If you read my post yesterday, I was comparing my "angel painting" to my granddaughter's pose in this image. I thought it would be fun to post this today.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Don't eat too much or cook to much. Enjoy!

PEPPERS, ARTICHOKES AND ONIONS

I took photos today of two or three new paintings that I have been trying to finish up, and when I loaded them on the computer, they all had major glare problems. So,rather than not put up a new post, I am, once again posting one of my older pastels. This one is kind of interesting because I glued a type of hand-made paper all over and then worked the pastel over it. This is the only photo I have, and it is actually a detail which doesn't show the most interesting part of the collage effect. I did this technique two or three times,and they were a great success. I really need to buckle down and do a few more. I hope you enjoy it. If you are interested in purchasing, please e-mail me for details of price and size.

THE GARDEN, 18X24 PASTEL

Today I am posting another of my pastels from a few years back. I wanted something with a rather peaceful feel for this post because of what I am about to discuss.

Almost anyone who paints has had first hand experience with the healing powers of art...either received from a favorite piece or gleaned during the process itself. We tend to forget that not everyone who needs this visual medication has access to it and when this fact was discussed at lunch with my paint buddies recently (Pieces of Eight),who all had close friends battling cancer, we decided to do something about it.

Our idea is to paint several small masterpieces, pouring out all the love and goodwill we would want to share with someone dealing with cancer, and send it on for a months stay with them for whatever inspiration it may provide during their recovery. Then we thought if each person who enjoyed the work could share what it had meant to them and maybe send a photo or two, we could post those on a blog, developed specifically for this purpose, to further inspire others in using art as a remedy for healing. I am reporting it all here as I will need your help in proposing some special friends you know who might like to be on the list to receive the first painting we send off on its mission of mercy.

Recipient names need to come with an additional CONTACT name, including both e-mail addresses and the CONTACT's mailing address. The 8x10 painting will arrive by mail to spend a month in the custody of the recipient, During that time, we'd ask the CONTACT to share some comments, or a photo. When the month is over, the CONTACT will follow the very simple instructions for sending the piece to the next person. The post office will supply a Priority class box at the flat rate of under $15.00. I'm sorry to say that until we can work out details of mailing through customs, we must confine our journey to the US and Canada.

Yep, we have lots of residual ideas on this adventure, ranging from local press releases to ways to raise money for the cancer institutes, but, really we just want to share art and good will. So, SEND ME A NAME, if you are willing to be the contact for a friend who would benefit. Just leave a comment under this posting or e-mail me at jmschiff@bellsouth.net. I will keep you posted here and let you know when the new blog is up and running so you may all join us as we trace the journey. We expect to ship the first painting out some time in late spring. I know you will enjoy being part of the healing prescription for art!

inc. ship. in US

18x24 pastel $645.00 Option 2 $645.00 Option 3 $645.00

ACROSS BALLARD PARK, SOLD

I have had some requests for pastels of late, and it has become my second favorite media. Oils are my favorite and when I became involved with them, I kind of buried by pastels on the back of the shelf. As beautiful as they are, with their clear color and sparkle that you cannot achieve with any other media, they are a mess to work with. Within minutes I'm covered with pastel dust (very unhealthy) and so is my studio. When I finally complete a painting, the framing process is misery. It takes me several tries to get the mats on without smearing pastel dust on them or the glass. Then, if you move them around, inevitably dust falls on the mats and you must disassemble and clean the mats and glass again. I won't even go into the routine to mail one! Having whined about all that, I do love the look of that pure pigment.

I thought I had better give it a try again. It is amazing how fast you loose your touch, or rather, I did. I filled up the tooth of the paper with pastel much too early in the process. I definitely need more practice with this media. Anyway, here is my attempt.

I HAVE A DREAM.....

I am working on several things right now, but, wanted something to post. I was going through my file of older paintings and found this, which is actually one of my favorites. I was at an Easter Egg Hunt several years ago and suddenly these two little girls(around 18 mo to two years) turned to each other and hugged. It was too good to be true and I had to paint it and I had to name it after Martin Luther King's famous speech.

This is a pastel, don't have the exact dimensions available, but probably around 20x24.

MELBOURNE HARBOR - SOLD

Can you tell I have been in a nautical frame of mind lately? This is a 24x30 pastel that I did several years ago. It was the first BIG painting that I sold and I was really thrilled. Actually I would be just as thrilled to repeat the sale today! I have been unable to paint for several weeks, so I am relying on some of my earlier paintings to post. I hope to get back into the swing of things in the next week. I have severe anxiety when I go more than a few days without getting paint smeared on me!

GEISHA - SOLD

When I first started painting, I worked with an incredible instructor for years, Sandra Johnson, a wonderful artist who works primarily in oils and pastels. Sandy started me off in pastels which I learned to love. For pure color, they cannot be beat. This is a 14x18 pastel on Canson paper.

BLUE HERON - SOLD

These days I paint primarily in oils, but I also enjoy pastels. When I have a pastel on the easel I find I have to stop and study it each time I walk by. I always get inspired, pick up a pastel and off I go. When I paint in oils, it's not that easy to be spontaneous. The down sides to pastels, in my opinion, are of course the dust and the framing issues. Not to mention my hands get really, really dirty. Still, the pure color and sparkle can not be duplicated. This 12x12 was painted on Canson paper.