Pastel Painting: A Year in Review 2020

As the year 2020 comes to a close, I think about the accomplishments with my paintings. It’s been a year of wondrous highs, extreme challenges, and despairing lows, but my creativity continues to evolve which makes me happy.

Photo: "On the Coneflower"

 Creativity itself is the high and when the muses are present, my emotions soar with flaming excitement. However, every painting has its challenges and it’s frustrating when I think I’ve overcome one issue only to face it again on another painting. Then there are the times when my emotional state is at rock bottom and I can’t get out of my own way and the creative fire is doused with cold water.

The year started out on a high with two people wanting the last painting I did for 2019. So, I did another. It was kind of cool to end one year and begin the next using the same photo. Of course, I made changes so the two paintings are not exactly the same. 

Early on I was challenged with doing more paintings this year than last year and I’ve been able to pull that off in spite of the horrendous events of the year. It’s certainly been a challenge with pandemics, country in political chaos, and lack of easily accessible art shows. 

 

I began using other people’s photos I’d see on Facebook (always with their permission and giving them photo credits) because I don’t go out much anymore.  I’ve still used photos of florals taken in my yard and old photos, but when I see a photo on Facebook that really calls to me, I have to ask permission. Everyone has been so gracious.

Photo: "Foggy Winter Morn." Original photo courtesy Wanda Santti.

In late summer, a hard decision was made not to mat and frame any more paintings. Oh, the paintings look amazing when double matted and framed, but as I’m not participating in any shows, there are no sales, therefore the expense of framing is not wise.

Roadblocks and challenges

Questions run rampant in my brain and easily drive me crazy. There are many possibilities and when I can’t make decisions, my mind just spins around until I collapse in depression. These issues have repeated throughout the year.

Sometimes the painting goes OK, and other times, it’s such a struggle. I just can’t seem to get it… I don’t want to say “right” because it isn’t about right or wrong, but whether I’m satisfied. Then I’ll let time pass before I dare tackle the painting again, but eventually, I finish – whether I deem it good enough or not – it’s time to move on. (And from a distance, they all look good.)

Another challenge is with the difference between the inspiration photo printed on regular copy paper, which I take in the studio to work from, and how the original photo looks on the computer. I’m missing crispness, darkness, contrast, and proper vibrancy an original photo has.

Yet, in a way, the painting is OK as it is. I’m not trying to make it exact to the original, except I love that vibrancy in the original photos which I’m not able to attain in the painting. Then, too, if I’m not comparing the original photo to the painting, the painting usually looks pretty darn good.

The lesson here is to not compare the original photo to the painting. After all, I’m not a photo realist. The photo is only for inspiration. Yes, a goal for 2021 is to figure out how to create more vibrancy in pastel, but it’s really not important, for now anyway.

What’s been challenging me mostly lately is why can I do some fog scenes well and in the next one, the scene ends up looking muddy? Why do I do some awesome skies and water, and in other paintings, the darker horizon and foreground pastel dust muddies the sky and water?

Should I sit to work?

This is a question that’s been on my mind for a while. Much of my work, writing and editing, is done sitting by the computer, so I need standing up time. I’ve been standing up at easels for years to do charcoal drawings and pastel paintings. Now I’m doubting how I’m seeing the scene. I stand up painting, however, when I look at the progress photos, I’m sitting which not only puts me at a slightly different angle to the scene, but closer, and I see areas I want to “fix.” This means repeated trips to the painting which means it takes me longer to do a painting than some others.

Photo: "Mirrored Autumn" is in its final stages, still not quite done. Will I finish it by Dec. 31? 

I have to recognize, too, is my style of painting means I need more time to finesse to make me happy with the picture. My artist friend, Nan, keeps saying I’ve chosen harder scenes this year.

I’m happy with what I accomplished this year. I’m considering reorganizing my studio again. I revamped it twice already.