Crayon Sketches- Eggplants Little Girl Cat

Still having "puter" problems...yesterday worked on my daughters Asus lap/book a real miniature,17 x 26 cm, but really helped me be connected... download some images from the latest wde  .... was hard to use the images as reference on the small screen... so downloaded them on a disk on key and put them in my dvd and voila on my TV... so while my husband fiddled with the computer did some sketching....  since I knew I wouldn't have Photoshop to edit I took pictures under my spot lamp in web resolution, and even found a way to edit on the little laptop..and save to post on the site..... but I had taken a a regular photo that was in MY computer... that I had not edited cause my computer kept crashing...  so this morning... cross fingers edited and posted here.  Will have to take photos of the two other sketches as soon as there is enough light out there.....

This is a small still life of two eggplants... a favorite food here.... even though Tom , my brother-in-law has a different opinion!!!! Done in less than an hour using  Caran d ache neocolor I oil and wax crayons. My set is really on its last legs and not many art supply stores carry them.. my main purpose was to have a color sketch for a possible oil painting. Loved the contrasts and the different shapes...Size is 20 x 20 cm and was done in less than an hour.....

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These are the ones I took at night.... low resolution... wow what a difference...

Was quite pleased with the little girl... got a reasonable likeness... on scale from 1 -10 [10 the best] got about an 8+.... 

here is the last crayon sketch of a cat on a wall... Crayon Caran d'ache Neocolor I

22 x 27 cm on plain brown paper....

By the Sea

First I am having real bad computer problems... haven't been able to use the computer for more than 30 minutes... may have to do a complete reformat of my C drive and build up the computer from scratch... not something that I look forward to....but what the heck... there are worse things....

This is the first of maybe a series of seascapes... these are my two small grandsons player at the sea in Crete this past August.  Oils and palette knife with a little brush work on the figures.

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 May do some tweaking on the figures... had problem when I had to re-work the background... this took several sittings... when will I be able to paint on one sitting????

Trees

In the later part of November Heleni , our workshop instructor, mentor, and friend suggested that we try painting outdoors.  The weather has cooled down and the cold of winter had yet set in.  So a few of us lugged our easels and tables outside to the roofed area at the entrance to our community center. This also corresponded to renovations that were started in the auditorium which forced us out of the main room to a much smaller room or outside...luckily the weather during December was mild and only once did we have to rush inside because of a sudden rain!!!! It was during this time that I did these tree studies...the closest thing for me for plein-air painting. All were done in oils on cloth covered cutting board, or kappa board or massonite. All were done using the palette knife!

Two studies of the HUGE Eucalyptus tree near the parking lot and library. 30 x 40 cm

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One study of the Chinese Flame tree that lines many of our the streets. 34 x 48 cm

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Two of some Palm Date trees and Washingtonia. One 34 x 48 cm and one 30 x 40 cm

Date Tree

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Washingtonia

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