Back in the Studio with Pastels

Well, It has been very busy over the last few months. I was fortunate to win Best In Show at Frisco Art Discovery Center Art exhibit in October.  I created over 15 new pastel pieces for this show! The hard work paid off!
I'm learning more about pastels each day! The pure pigment colors are awesome, if you don't mind the dust, I woud recommend giving them a try.

Today's artwork is a pastel and color pencil piece that I started in July. The title: Before the Dance" is a piece that took me awhile to figure out the background design. The young lady in this painting was about to perform a dance at the park. She is sitting down gathering her thoughts or concentrating just before the dance. I edited out the group of people that were standing around her waiting for the perfomance. I placed her in a peaceful and soft surrounding that I imaged best suited her poise.





Before the Dance with white background! (unfinished)

________________________________________________________________________________

Before the Dance with background completed!













Before The Dance: colored pencil

My next attempt was a little more challenging. I started with a figurative colored pencil drawing. This is a drawing of a young lady that was performing in the park in Decatur, Illinois. My husband and I caught her just before her performance was to begin. She was sitting on a bench in the shade. I image she was performing the dance in her mind, thinking out each move as the music played in her head. She was young but there was a gracefulness and sense of poise that drew us in. This piece is not yet completed I still need to do the background. Maybe a few soft trees iin the distance to balance the cast shadows of the trees on her back? We will see. Stay posted....

Step #1 - "Before The Dance" Artist: Barbara J. Mason

Step #2 

 

Step #3

 

Final:  Step #4