Virtual Paintout - Greenland III - March 2015

"Ice Float"
6x9 inch, oil pastel on panel

Virtual Paintout - Jerusalem - May 2012

"The Shuk"

11.5 x 16.5 inch, pastel on paper
(private collection, Brussels)

The Google team has recently added Israel to Street View.  I am finding some amazing views in Jerusalem and have been trying them out in pastel. Above is a covered market in the old city: the winding path goes on and on and every step along the way could inspire another painting. Below I used oil pastel to capture the panorama from the Mount of Olives.

"Jerusalem Skyline"

6x9 inch, oil pastel on watercolor paper

Virtual Paintout - Санкт-Петербург - март 2012

"Невский проспект"
21x29.5cm, Neocolor II in Daler-Rowney sketchbook

This month's Virtual Paintout takes us to Saint Petersburg! I can't believe how much it has changed since I saw it in 1988 (as Lenningrad). I tried to find my photographs to locate the same views but have misplaced them. By clicking around in Google Street View -- looking at views from bridges -- I wound up on the Nevsky Prospect and began to draw in a sketchbook with Caran D'Ache Neocolor II's. Here's the link:

Street View

Virtual Paintout - Fairbanks AK (II) - August 2011

This afternoon I took out my pastel pencils, which I (also) haven't used in a long time, and tried them out on another Alaskan scene where these caracteristic rows of trees are reflected in a lake. See the Google Street View here .
Google says the address is approximately "Interstate a-4 / Jeannette Way, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States".



"Jeannette Way"
11.5 x 12.5 inches, pastel pencils on paper

Virtual Paintout - Fairbanks, Alaska and Points North - August 2011

I think Bill Guffey chose a cold spot on purpose for our summer paintout this August. However, the weather here in Brussels has been worse than what I'm seeing on Street View Alaska! It rains nearly every day and people have been wearing winter boots and trench coats recently. Hopefully August 15th marks the start of our real summer.

Meanwhile, I decided to take out my pastels and see if they hadn't dried out (they seem to still be usable). I was also eager to try out the colored paper which was part of my birthday present from my daughter. I don't think I've ever used pastels on colored paper before. I was planning to do a few quick sketches of this road that I found between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay (Dalton Highway)and then decide which view to paint in oils but I'm not sure I'll get any further than this.

"Points North"
12.5 x 8.5 inch, pastel on orange paper

Bristol, UK

The Mshed museum and harbour (oil pastel).

May 2011

The weather has been exceptionally sunny and warm this April and May. Wish I'd done some painting on location. Unfortunately, I've only managed a couple of colored pencil drawings:

I'm also eager to paint the Studio Atelier Sunflower photo this month and something on the Riviera for the Virtual Paintout. Here are my preliminary sketches using Neocolour IIs and pencil:

1) café in Nice, 2) house on Route Stratégique, 3) La Place Masséna

Virtual Paintout - Boston Area - January 2011 (Happy New Year!)

I don't have much time this month but wanted to try using oil pastels again. The Google Street views of the Boston area don't have much colour so I've added my own but I don't find that very easy. Here's the link: Google Street View

"House for Sale!"
27x36cm, varnished oil pastel on paper

Virtual Paintout - San Miguel de Allende - October 2010

Well, I haven't had much time to myself this month but didn't want to miss out on painting Mexico so yesterday I got out my Sennelier oil pastels. When I first bought them I thought they'd been on the shelf too long cause they were so sticky and gooey. I've since found out that people like them this way so I'm giving them another shot. Blending with your fingers creates nice effects but I think I need to buy stronger soap to wash up! I selected this street for it's flowers (obviously) and found the cars quite colourful as well. Maybe I'll return to this scene with oil paints some day.

Here's the reference material in Google Street View: LINK

"San Miguel de Allende"
8.5 x 12 inch, oil pastel on paper

(private collection, Brussels)

Taking another look at some pastel drawings from a few years ago

From a photo I took of Lake Nockamixon in Pennsylvania. 

"By the lake"
27x36 cm, oil pastel (not Sennelier)













From my photo taken in the Hameau de Colming in Lorraine.

"Coeur du Hameau"
27x36cm, pastel pencil