July 12, 2008 My First Blog Entry

I decided I need a blog to share what I have been working on and to keep a record for myself too.

This past week has been eventful. I gave my first colored pencil class locally. There were 15 students for three evenings. It's been a lot of fun for me to watch them all progress. I will be giving three more classes next week and hope to get a photo of the class that I can share.

While cruising the Caribbean and teaching with Ann Kullberg and Nicole Caulfield in May, Nicole introduced me to Ampersand pastel board. When we got back home I ordered three 8" x 10"pieces in gray, green and sand to play with.

This was my first try on green Ampersand board. It is done from a shot taken in my husband's rose garden one morning after the sprinklers had run. The dark background is watercolor enhanced with colored pencil. Ampersand takes watercolor well!

Then after my California family went home last week I did this one of our granddaughter. I used the gray board.

I didn't like the skin tones so I did it again on the sand colored one and I love it! The skin tones are so much warmer.

I hope my California children will. I am going to give it to them.









I love working on Ampersand. The work goes so fast. These paintings would have taken me literally weeks on Stonehenge paper. While the rose took me about a week, I finished the first portrait in three days while cleaning up the house from our children's visit as well as throwing a dinner party. The second one was completed in less than 8 hours! Amazing for CP!