Sunset on the Murray River

Sunset on the Murray River
Approx 47.5cm x 51cm
Pastel on Storm Blue Colourfix Paper
Copyright Susan Borgas
Commissioned

Yes I know it has been quite awhile since my last post and I do want to thank everyone of you for your emails and comments that still have been flowing in. I had to prioritize what was important to me and step back from deadlines (blog posts) that where in fact eating into my creative time to the point of destroying my urge to paint. As you know blogs are consuming to write and maintain, so much so that they encroach on family time as well as producing work. My health has improved a lot and after arriving home from a recent two week holiday by the beach I am ready to get stuck into some painting once more. Please don't always expect 'works in progress' as I have done in the past but I will post my new works as they are completed.

This commissioned piece that you see above had me scratching my head quite a bit. I did learn a lot from it and had to really think hard because the reference photo was developed from a film camera and was basically all black in the shadows of the background and foreground. I don't know about other artists but do find commissioned work more stressful to do as I know that it is often expected that the painting look like the photo. Well in the end when it come to the dark areas I put some music on and just went with the rhythm , using the darks pastels that I used in the sky and water and went for it.

The painting was commissioned as a surprise gift from wife to husband. They already have two of my oil paintings, one from my very early days, the second around the middle period. The husband was very emotional to receive this painting, because it was one that he had wanted painted for quite some time. The pair were very happy that I found so much to paint in the shadows and was a real relief to hear. I have to admit I got a real buzz out of it in the end.

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technorati tags: pastel, water, sunset

Saral Transfer Paper

Katherine from Making a Mark asked me in the comments section of my last post how do I transfer my drawings to my support. I thought why not make a post about it in more depth to the reply that I gave Katherine.

This work in progress is the third drawing that I had prepared for my artist in residence stint at Wilpena Pound a few weeks back, which I ended up not using due to running out of time. Because I wanted a detailed drawing so that I didn't have to concentrate so much with so many tourist looking over my shoulder, the Saral transfer paper is ideal. One thing I have found out though is to make sure a light hand is used when transferring the drawing onto AS Colourfix paper or the lines can be hard to cover with pastel. I found this to be the case with any method of transferring a drawing because I believe I dent the paper slightly or break down the grit with the marks that I make.

There are two other ways I transfer as well by making my own 'carbon paper'.

1. Tape drawing to a window with the drawing faced against the glass. With vine charcoal, trace all lines that I can see that is showing through from the light behind the drawing. Remove drawing from window then face the charcoal side down onto the AS Colourfix paper and proceed to redraw the drawing so that the image transfers.
   
   
2. This last one is the method I use the most but perhaps not as ideal for a lot of detail to be transfered. I have a large sheet of paper and rub pastel dust that has fallen into the gutter at the base of a previous painting onto it. This makes a nice carbon although it can be rather messy. I do like the grey tones for the transfered drawing and find them easier to cover if I am using pastels in a particular area lightly.

Getting back to the Saral transfer paper, it can be used again and again. There are five colours.

• Graphite
• White
• Blue
• Yellow
• Red

For the artist that works with a great deal of detail and strives for realism, I can truly recommend this product to them.


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technorati tags: draw, drawing, artist, art

Water Course, Wilpena Creek WIP two

Installment two of this work in progress after a long busy period in my life then to end with the worse bout of illness that I have ever had for a very long time. Anyway moving on from what is past, this pastel is now coming along nicely.

It is funny how you see things wrong when an image of ones work is put up on a monitor. That distant flat middle ground in front of the hills needs to have the values checked. Something does not 'mesh' there and I will let you know what I end up doing if I adjust it.

Yes you do see a little pool of water. I don't think I will place a lot of water in the bottom of the creek, just a hint of moisture to give some interest to the composition.

Until next time, take care!

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technorati tags: landscape, pastel landscape, pastel, artist, Australian landscape, Wilpena Pound, photorealism

Launching ImageKind

What a shock, two posts in one day ! Well I did think launching my prints with ImageKind deserved its own post . Much to my own surprise I have already sold two so you can imagine I am as happy as a pig in mud.

If you are reading this in a feed reader it would be good if you visit my blog to see what I am talking about. You will see two additional items in my column that gives you easy access to my available prints at ImageKind. If you love my latest work and wish to buy a print, you only need to click once on the top ImageKind button in the column and you then can make your choice of print size and even have it matted and framed if you wish. Now how easy is that!

You don't like the recently finished painting; well you can also choose to click on an image in the second banner at my blog and take a closer look at the details about the artwork or even choose to "buy my artwork" to see all of the prints on offer.

I am not sure if my blog will be slower in loading with these extra widgets, so please let me know if it is the case and annoys you. I can always revamp how I display some of the other items that I have further down the column.

Don't forget, Christmas is just around the corner and framed prints do make a lovely gift.


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technorati tags: prints, imagekind, landscapes, pastel, art, artist

Timeless Land, Melrose

Timeless Land, Melrose
Approx 34cm x 48cm
Pastel on burgundy Colourfix Paper
Copyright Susan Borgas
Sold

This is the second painting that I had promised to show you. It is of my recent work in residence at Wilpena Pound.

After a workout yesterday (puff puff) wrapping the framed painting safely for the post, it was sent off for a destination interstate today.

As you can see the work is a little different to what I have done in the past yet it is still all about my beloved eucalyptus trees that I do so much enjoy working with.


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technorati tags: pastel, trees, landscape, art, artist, flinders ranges

Water Course, Wilpena Creek WIP

Water Course, Wilpena Creek WIP
Approx 34cm x 48cm
Pastel on Terra Cotta Colourfix Paper
Copyright Susan Borgas

I do enjoy working from a detailed drawing with this one no exception. I guess that is the realist painter in me that seems to have me by the jugular and isn't going to let go. I will never become a photorealist artist because I don't have the desire to spend anymore time on a painting than I already do.

Anyway I don't think that I would get paid for the hours that I would have to put into photorealism work. So many viewers of my work in real life are surprised that up close to my pastels, it is in fact not like a photo, as they thought when standing back, but made up of many marks with some more realistic than others; depending on what I want them to see in focus.

Between finishing two paintings started at Wilpena Pound and cooking for shearers on the family farm, I did manage to start this work in progress (WIP) since I have returned home. Amid packing paintings for shipment, more cooking for shearers and a funeral of a dear artist friend on Monday who has been my mentor from the very beginning of my journey with art. You can see some of his work here. I also have a shopping day Tuesday in readiness for our sons wedding later this month and because of all of this the next few days will have spasmodic posts to this blog. This isn't a promise but may get the odd photo up on SnapShots during that time.


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technorati tags: pastel, landscape, artist, artist, photorealism

Brachina After Rain

Brachina After Rain
Pastel on Colourfix Paper
Copyright Susan Borgas
Sold

It feels strange to be posting again to this blog after such a long break and hope that my readers will be back with my absence forgiven. I must say that the exhibition was a great success with many sales made.

This pastel painting was one of my works in progress while working at an exhibition that I am involved with and of course the reason for my absence. This painting has to be scrutinized yet to make sure all is well with it. This photo was taken in a hurry so that I had a post for you today and any adjustments and a better photo will be placed on my website when I update it. The darks in this photo are over saturated to what they are in real life.

There is also a second pastel painting that I also managed to bring near completion and will be shown here in due course.

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technorati tags: pastel, landscape, artist, art, pastel painting