One Down and One To Go

Here is the revision of the first of the two pieces that I painted in my workshop last weekend. As indicated in a previous blog I realized the painting was composed of four objects. A rule of thumb for a good composition is to have an odd number of objects. To rectify this issue I added two additional turkey eggs laying on the table next to the basket. This eliminates the totally symetrical look of the painting without the extra eggs. I have named this piece, "Turquoise Plate". On to the next revision.

Equine Eye

I was always one of those young girls totally crazy about horses. I read every horse book and spent many happy hours galloping around fields holding a piece of rope (my reins). When I got married I had my first opportunity to own a horse. I lived, breathed and loved horses for many years. I rode across the state of Michigan as a trail rider, studied and showed in dressage at both the state and national level, and bred and raised several foals. It was a wonderful time in my life. I do not have horses now....but they still hold a warm place in my heart. Horses have personalities and express many emotions. Their eyes are so soft and expressive.....I have always loved close-up photos of equine eyes. I decided to paint an equine eye. I spent the time painting this piece reliving many memories. If you have ever spent time with horses I hope this painting brings your memories to life as well!

Still Life Workshop

Last Friday and Saturday I participated in a Pastel Vintage Items Still Life workshop with instructor and friend Liz Kenyon. As always Liz provided a lot of direction, inspiration, guidance, and fun. I painted two pieces.....both of which still need some final touches. In addition to the final changes I had planned, I realized during the group critique that I had created each with an even number of objects. I will be adding an additional object to each. I thought I would share the pieces post workshop, but pre needed work. Watch for the changes.

Facebook Presence

I would like to announce that I have created a Facebook business page that I would like to invite you to become a fan of. The page title is "Karen Budan Pastel Painting Fine Art". I have linked my blog to this page so all entries will automatically show up on the wall. This creates another easy way for interested folks to follow my blog as a pastel painter. I look forward to having you as a fan on Facebook!

"Nap Time" wins Honorable Mention

The Arizona Pastel Artists' Association Spring Juried Show opened Friday, April 16th at the Sedona Art Center's Community Gallery. Although the entries are juried into the show by digital image, the judge, Vince Fazio, judged the awards Friday morning once the paintings were hung in the gallery. I was pleased to learn that "Nap Time" won an Honorable Mention. I was one of the show monitors Friday and Saturday and it was fun to see people's reactions to the little calf all snuggled down into the straw. He was fun to paint....and obviously fun for viewers as well!

Exciting News in Today's Mail

I just went to get the mail and found exciting news! My painting, "Market Colors" was juried into the Pastel Society of the West Coast's 24th Annual International Exhibit, Pastels, U.S.A. PSWC is one of the largest pastel groups in America with a number of professional artists as members. Their membership shows are competitive.....but this annual open show is very competitive and hard to get into. Needless to say.....I am thrilled. The show will be hung at the Art Museum of Los Gatos in Los Gatos, CA. from June 3rd through July 9th. What great news!!

Santa Barbara Workshop

I recently completed a week long plein air workshop with Richard McKinley in Santa Barbara, CA. I have worked with Richard a number of times, but this was a new group of pastel artists for the most part. I did find some old friends from previous workshops with Richard, Janie Hutchinson, Willo Balfry, and Linda Connelly. All three took part in the Italy workshop with Richard in 2008. This workshop was for advanced painters and with a few exceptions the participants had worked with Richard previously. The weather was mostly sunny....but not very warm. We also had a lot of wind which dropped the temperature. I tried to be in the sun as I painted to keep my fingers from stiffening up from the cold. Richard's goal for the workshop was to push each of us to the next step in our painting. I shared this goal....but I was also seeking help in bringing my landscapes to the same level as my still life paintings. I think I made some inroads into the issues that I am dealing with in my landscapes. More practice in application of Richard's input will hopefully make the difference for me. I worked on 5 paintings during the week. One of them was completed on site.....unless I decide to make any final changes. Here is "Carpenteria Bluffs". Let me know what you think!