The "Goal Post" for April 2012 - Page 7

Turpintine45 · #91 04-11-2012, 07:20 PM

Thanks for you kind thoughts Doug and Charlie. She is such a wonderful and talented lady and she has taught me so much. You guys have added to that but I would never have got here without her encouragement.

Robert I am glad you have found a caring nurse to give you your treatments. They should all be that way but many times overwork just burns out the good ones. I hope your energy comes back once you have rested and you can create some more wonderful paintings. Oh you did, well done with your puzzle piece Christine will be pleased.

Charlie 95% is practically a whole tick so well done!
I was thinking about joining too then they said Europe only so I guess I can't but maybe one day I would be brave enough to an International contest. ( but I only whispered that!)

Christine you did have the occasional mutter but you were only whispering too! I can't blame you as they have all given you fits!

robertsloan2 · #92 04-12-2012, 01:45 AM

LOL Christine! Yep, I stand corrected - you clearly stated end of month or as soon as possible. Still, coming in fourth out of everyone definitely counts as ASAP. For me, I wanted to do it several days ago but pushed it up to first decent hour capable of painting.

Mercy, hope you can join PGE as soon as possible, sounds like you had budget issues just like I did. I went a little nuts in Swap Shop this month too so there went my savings goal unless I get a painting sold or another check.

Charlie, 95% is definitely worth a tick! Saving the last finishing touches for morning just makes sense, approach them with a fresh eye. I'll bet it's gorgeous. I loved the last one.

Doug, yay for your latest painting! Going to go look at your blog.

Aelfwynn · #93 04-12-2012, 03:44 AM

Robert, my budget issues apply to the larger stuff, really, collecting enough money for orders of supplies (since, for example, sticks of pastels from the local store cost 2.90 instead of 2.40 online, I can't make myself buy them from the store --I can get a lot more this way). I have a small amount set aside every week for just spending money (that's what I use for art supplies), and I even managed to not spend all of this week's on Monday! LOL

PGE associate membership only costs EUR 10, coincidentally exactly how much I have on hand to spend! It seemed too neat a coincidence not to take advantage of.

My new pens to sketch/journal with should arrive today! Yay!

My next supply-spending-question is, should I get a set of Polychromos to replace/expand the set of Faber-Castell Studio pastells I have (and frankly don't like that much...). I'll have to save up a while for that, though, and if I decide I don't want to by then, I'll be able to spend the money on something else! (a set of Derwent pastel pencils comes to mind...)

robertsloan2 · #94 04-12-2012, 04:15 AM

Congratulations on your PGE membership, Mercy! That's so awesome! Yay for your new supplies. Yes, I would seriously suggest you get Polychromos to replace/expand from your F-C studio pastels. Good choice buying online, saving .50 per stick adds up fast! Also check the price per stick on sets. This is some of why I buy General Assortment sets - the price per stick is lower and I found out to my surprise that there is no useless color. There are colors that get used in large areas and wear down fast, versus colors I may only need to buy once.

I have also found that hard pastels can do the job all the way through, especially on certain papers. It's fun to do the whole painting in hard pastels like Polychromos and they have a sweet texture.

Tick - I just blogged! Did a new Rob's Art Lessons blog on New Supply Freeze, the sudden dread that you're not good enough to use them when you buy something new and expensive. A friend of mine just bought the full range set of Pan Pastels and was afraid to do anything at all with them, so I wrote about a 1500 word email coaching her on how to get past that fear... then realized that was an article and wrote down the information again in my blog.

I get over it by charting the New Thing and playing with it before doing anything serious, which usually shows me the advantages and the reasons why the new sticks etc. are so much better than student grade.

ullahennig · #95 04-12-2012, 04:26 AM

Hi everybody! I need some help regarding defining my goals. I have this box of soft pastels, and you know I did one piece with them, but then I had a look at Robert's website about oil pastels, and I went to my local paper and office things shop and they had a box of 24 oil pastels--and I could not resist buying them, and of course, trying them out. Uploaded my first piece to the oil pastels forum. And--got terribly hooked on them! I absolutely want to do more with them. On the other hand I've got a bad conscience because I'm having a break with soft pastels. Probably I am talking nonsense, but that's the way I feel at the moment....

robertsloan2 · #96 04-12-2012, 05:22 AM

Ulla, enjoy both types of pastels. I do, so do many of the pastelists here. I drift back and forth which ones get more of my attention but some of the techniques are similar and it's very cool you got into both. I'll go have a look at your post!

Colorix · #97 04-12-2012, 05:46 AM

Jen, it is not Europe only -- it basically says that you agree that it is a good idea to further pastelling in Europe, and that's easy (like I could agree that it is a good idea for, say, India). Only restriction is that only European *residents* can serve on the board.
I find it is absolutely best to have a live teacher, as they (the good ones) take an interest in your development. But when there are no teachers to be had, learning from other painters is the best that can be had. (Pardon me lousy grammer, I'm not entirely awake.)

Rob, glad your new nurse is good, and that the treatment perks you up!

Ulla, no wonder you like the OP, they're much more similar to CP. You'll find your mediums as you test them, and you'll get favourites. I like the OP, but lack time to learn their peculiarities.

I've got so much to do now that I'm split into 20 pieces, trying to do everything at once, and of course we know the result of that... So today, I'm going to do one thing at the time, and finish each task or part of tasks, (instead of fluttering around like a drunk butterfly) before I tackle the next thing or doable part of thing.

Aelfwynn · #98 04-12-2012, 02:21 PM

Oooops, landed myself another regular goal >.>

I've just offered to send my grandmother (who's turning 85 this year and has fairly early-stage Alzheimers as well as a slew of other stuff, and lives in upstate NY) sketch postcards once a month. Some of her health stuff is forcing her to be a bunch less active now than she was a little while ago, and she's BORED, my mother says. Of course, it depends if she says she wants to get them or not.

Dougwas · #99 04-12-2012, 03:07 PM

Mercy- I am sure the sketch postcards will put a smile on your grandmother's face. That is a great goal to add. have fun with your new pens. I have the full set of Polychromos and use them often for the first layer.

Robert- I will have to go and read your article. I used to be like that, but now I snap the pastels into usable pieces the day I get them. They are new toys and have to be played with.

Charlie- Good luck with your tasks. Tick them off one at a time.

Speaking of getting new supplies, mine arrived today while I was at the doctor's office. Have the new meds for three months and new art supplies. It was a good morning.

Part of the new supplies is Art Spectrum Suede paper. I want to try Pans with it and might do that this afternoon. The other stuff was frame mats, paint brushes and another stay wet palette. New toys to play with.

Doug

Aelfwynn · #**100** 04-12-2012, 03:45 PM

Doug: *pastelenvy* I wish I could buy the full set of polychromos! Unfortunately, my main art supplier only has the 60 pc. set (and smaller ones), even though they have all the colors in open stock. >.< I'd rather have the full set because then they'd have a tin to live in.

spirothet · #**101** 04-12-2012, 03:51 PM

Charlie, somehow I don't see you fluttering around like a drunken butterfly. I get the impression you work best under pressure.

Ulla, great idea to experiment. My suggestion though would be to keep working with your new set of pastels to really get a feel for it. As Robert said though he goes back and forth spending time in all the areas he likes. Isn't this group great and WC as well?

I can add another tick. I completed the daffodil and posted it in the spotlight. I have one more to go and more than half a month to do it in. WhooHa!!

Cali

robertsloan2 · #**102** 04-12-2012, 09:20 PM

Mercy, your grandmother will probably love getting the sketch postcards. They would break up the boredom, give her something cool to look forward to. Heck, you might interest her in painting, it'd be something to break the boredom. Find out if she's interested in art supplies.

Charlie, I can just imagine you fluttering around like a drunken butterfly probably wearing bright colors as brilliant as your paintings. Taking a magenta stick and dancing past three or four different pieces adding a stroke here or there - it'd be gorgeous, you know. But you're organizing yourself and that always lets you soar. Use the methods that work for you.

I miss my Polychromos, Doug. There's good reason for me to quit spending money on new supplies and turn the next check toward getting a box from Arkansas. I might even be able to figure out which box they're in.

TICK - painted today, a Pans sunset cloudscape, posted it, blogged it, there's another one! Still haven't updated OP site but I'll do that too one of these days. Today was good since I managed to paint. Love the Pans for that.

Aelfwynn · #**103** 04-13-2012, 04:33 AM

Robert, Painting's probably of out of the question, she has rheumatoid arthritis really really badly in her hands.

ullahennig · #**104** 04-13-2012, 05:31 AM

Just want to let you know that I can tick off another goal: put my art on postcards! We've got a drugstore where you can upload your image files and put them onto whatsoever. Took my heart into my hand and created a postcard with one of my oil pastel experiments. Went over the image file a bit in photoshop and put it onto a black background. In 4-5 days I will get a set of 10 postcards. I am so excited!

robertsloan2 · #**105** 04-13-2012, 03:40 PM

Ulla, that's excellent! Great idea to put your oil pastel experiments on post cards. You can do that with your pastels experiments too.

Mercy, sorry to hear that. Even more reason she may appreciate your hand painted post cards. RA is so hard to live with. I feel for her, knowing so many friends who have RA.

Got started on today's Daily Painting, blocked in the land, now to start playing with the sky. Still using Pan Pastels.

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