2023 Monthly Slideshow Challenge
January: Then and Now
Shirley Vogelsong 9x12 I feel I have gained a style since my first painting although it looks like I already had started to acquire it. Painting the second painting I felt more confident as I had the knowledge from years of painting on how to do it. The first painting was done on a smooth pastel paper and the second was done on sanded paper.
Shirley Vogelsong 9x12
Denise Wagner
Shirley Vogelsong 9x12 I feel I have gained a style since my first painting although it looks like I already had started to acquire it. Painting the second painting I felt more confident as I had the knowledge from years of painting on how to do it. The first painting was done on a smooth pastel paper and the second was done on sanded paper.
February: Warm
Shirley Vogelsong I find that puppies and dogs give me very warm feelings. Just looking at a dog picture gives me a happy warm feeling and just painting dogs I am in my glory.
Jill Foster Colourfix paper primed with micaceous iron oxide 7x5 When the sun is beginning to set and the last swim of the day is over, there is great comfort in having a small campfire by which to warm and dry one's body and swimsuit. And to look forward to enjoying an alfresco meal of roasted wieners with marshmallows for dessert.
Anna Crane 8x10 I think one of the best feelings in the entire world is smooshing one's face into a black cat that's been lounging in the sun.
Shirley Vogelsong I find that puppies and dogs give me very warm feelings. Just looking at a dog picture gives me a happy warm feeling and just painting dogs I am in my glory.
March: Birds
Stephanie Condon
Denise Wagner Pastel pencils and Nupastel
Brooke Peters
Stephanie Condon
Congratulations to the First Quarter Prize Winner: Denise Wagner
April: Fish
Judy Leasure
Jill Foster 6 x 6 As I worked on this painting, I came to the realization that I had used every primary and secondary color to some degree. It made for a very colorful painting and was really fun to do. The bright sunshiny yellow/orange seemed to shimmer through the water and work its magic as it touched everything around it. I used a free photo ref. from Michael Abraham.
Denise Wagner 8 x 10 Multimedia Board I used Carbothello Pastel Pencils. I'm showing the fish slowly moving out of the light.
Judy Leasure
May Challenge: Flowers
Judy Leasure
Shirley Vogelsong I attempted to paint peonies on velour and found out it wasn’t very easy. It was hard to blend the colors for one thing. It was interesting though to see how the pastels reacted to the velour and the black showing through was good for shadows.
Denise Wagner A Plein air painting of flowers on Canson Artist Series Mi-Teintes Pastel Paper using soft pastels. The yellow ribbon and yellow flowers bring unity to the painting.
Judy Leasure
June Challenge: Sunrise/Sunset/Nocturn
Susan Nicholas Gephart 11x14 Pastel on Multimedia Artboard
Joe Nadzady 22x28 Pastel on Artfix sanded paper This was done for a friend and his fiancé inspired by the sunset on the river in Harrisburg the evening before they immigrated to Israel.
Donna Housel 9x12 Pastel on U-art paper I took the reference photo while out walking pups before bedtime.
Susan Nicholas Gephart 11x14 Pastel on Multimedia Artboard
Congratulations to the Second Quarter Prize Winner: Shirley Vogelsong
July Challenge: Celebration
Shirley Vogelsong My cupcake represents birthdays, the Fourth of July or any summer celebration. I used mainly CarbOthello pastel pencils. A very simple painting but fun to do.
Susan Nicholas Gephart 17x12 Pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes "Delphinium Day" was inspired by the beauty and celebration found in my garden flourishing in the rains of July. Some years I struggle as a gardener to keep the large backyard garden alive with watering. It has been such a joy to see everything growing. Even my ferns are still alive! I celebrate the joys of the stunning color reaction of blue placed on orange Canson Mi- Teintes paper!
Jill Foster This painting shows several kinds of celebrations. It celebrates the first snow of the season and the first snow that is moist enough to shape a snowman easily. Yay! Then there are the gifts which are exchanged at many different celebrations for various reasons. The colors are primarily Christmas themed, so Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day can be included, too. And, of course, the little tree can be decorated with beads and baubles to add to the joy of any occasion.
Shirley Vogelsong My cupcake represents birthdays, the Fourth of July or any summer celebration. I used mainly CarbOthello pastel pencils. A very simple painting but fun to do.
August Challenge: Time and Space
Shirley Vogelsong I used Canson Mi- Teintes dark blue paper. The pastel set I used was the Susan Nicholas Gephart set I won and was pleased it had the brilliant colors I needed. My source for the painting was from the Internet and remembering the one I saw as a teenager. My only time to witness this awesome sight.
Eileen H. Rivoir
Jill Foster 3x9 in ArtSpectrum sanded paper This started out as a doodle...I had thought to incorporate the element of time into the painting somehow, but this image slowly evolved and I liked it, so I left it alone without adding anything else. When I lived in Big Sky Country, I used to drive out to a friend's ranch to skywatch...We'd lie back on the hood of the car to admire a sky full of energy and movement.
Shirley Vogelsong I used Canson Mi- Teintes dark blue paper. The pastel set I used was the Susan Nicholas Gephart set I won and was pleased it had the brilliant colors I needed. My source for the painting was from the Internet and remembering the one I saw as a teenager. My only time to witness this awesome sight.
September Challenge: Self Portrait
I decided to keep this painting simple and did a tracing of a recent photo. I used watercolor for my face and pastel shading of hair, top and earrings. Ink for the outline. The paper I used was a sketch pad.
I sketched and did my preliminary drawing in pastel. Finished the painting in oils.
I decided to keep this painting simple and did a tracing of a recent photo. I used watercolor for my face and pastel shading of hair, top and earrings. Ink for the outline. The paper I used was a sketch pad.
Congratulations to the Third Quarter Prize Winner: Jill Foster
October Challenge: Bakery Items
Marianne Fyda
Jill Foster 6 x 8 Photo reference: Andee Harston This colorful stack of macarons was done on Pastel Premier Italian clay paper. I had worked on the Pastel Premier white before and didn't really like it, but the Italian clay had a different feel to it and was a pleasure to work on.
Denise Wagner I painted 'Baking Bread' with soft pastels and pastel pencils on Clairefontaine Pastelmat in the color Sienna. The size is 9 x 12. The busy baker is kneading flour with her hands, a rolling pin, and putting part of it in a glass bowl. She is very messy and has gotten flour everywhere.
Marianne Fyda
November Challenge: Holidays
Stephanie Condon
Eileen Rivoir
Shirley Vogelsong I chose a Christmas decoration, painted on green 5x7 Canson paper using a variety of pastel pencils. It could be used as a Christmas card if I am so inclined to make a few.
Stephanie Condon
December Challenge: Crystals
Denise Wagner Snow crystals fall on the fawn as he sits and patiently waits for his mother. Pastel pencils and soft pastels on UArt pastel paper.
Denise Wagner Snow crystals fall on the fawn as he sits and patiently waits for his mother. Pastel pencils and soft pastels on UArt pastel paper.