Frances Boys Pastel #9

Frances Boys Pastel #9, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

www.djfitzgerald.com

Done! Signed, sealed and delivered! Literally!! This was for a local friend/client... so I did not have to ship it! She loved it! Actually after I took this photo I went back and nit-picked it some more... mostly the bay horse's chest area... it was not very distinct in the photo. And I think I have it a little too yellow brown instead of a reddish brown... But that is just me! Also played with the tree on the left some and the background in general.

I think I like this paper... it has its good points and a few bad points. Good points... the color quality is wonderful. I love that I can use pastel pencils on it. The quality of line is also good. One draw back is that I have to be careful not to load the paper up too much.... then I lose that wonderful line quality. And it smudges rather easily... even with spraying with a fixative. But the pastel does not seem to come off...

My next project is of two little boys on a fence. It will be the first one I will be doing without dry mounting.... and it is the first one of people on this surface.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Frances Boys Pastel #8

Frances Boys Pastel #8, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on clairefontaine pastelmat
private collection
actual size 19"X26"

http:www.djfitzgerald.com

Almost there....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Frances Boys Pastel #7

Frances Boys Pastel #7, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

www.djfitzgerald.com

I am still enjoying this paper!!! It is better if I can stay fresh with my pastels. Which is a little hard for me when doing horses... especially the chest and neck areas. I like to build up the pastels for that richness that I like so much. And when those areas are shadowed it is that much harder.

Frances Boys Pastel #6

Frances Boys Pastel #6, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

http://www.djfitzgerald.com

The chestnut horse is pretty much done... but I will go back and touch up some things in the end. Right now I can see that I need to work on the left side of his neck some more... it pops out instead of going back. And I want to go back and work on both of his forearms... the black is a little too intense.  Some of that is the photograph. But it needs to be toned down a notch.  Now working on the bay horse....

Frances' Boys Pastel #5

Frances' Boys Pastel #5, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

www.djfitzgerald.com

Almost done with the chestnut... still working on his neck and chest.

Frances' Boys Pastel #4

Frances' Boys Pastel #4, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

www,djfitzgerald.com

Love the way the reins turned out. In the original photo Frances is holding the reins up. I had to go into the memory banks for the million of times I have painted or done reins in pastel to come up with these. I will be doing that for the bay horse too!

Studio Work Area Panorama

Studio Work Area Panorama, originally uploaded by debifitz.

This is a panorama of my work area. A little cozy! But then I don't have to reach very far for anything! and I have a lot of surfaces to lay pastels on.

Frances' Boys Pastel #3

Frances' Boys Pastel #3, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

http://www.djfitzgerald.com

.....

Frances' Boys Pastel #2

Frances' Boys Pastel #2, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on Clairefontaine Pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

www.djfitzgerald.com

Coming along nicely.... This paper does take some getting used to. The pastel just looks different on it. And I am finding that with the horses, I tend to use more of my pastel pencils.

Frances' Boys Pastel #1

Frances' Boys Pastel #1, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 18"X22"

http://www.djfitzgerald.com

This is another pastel progression that I am doing on Clairfontaine pastelmat. The size is 18"X22". I actually started this one on a piece of velour board. But I so enjoyed my last project on the pastelmat, that I started this one over on the other sheet that I had unfortunately dry mounted... evidently a big NO NO! I just got an order of 5 large sheets of the pastelmat after I had already started this piece. The other wonderful thing about this paper is that it comes in a larger size 29"X40"! I have a portrait commission coming up soon for 6 horses! I will need that larger size! This is also the first time I have worked on a surface this dark. I had to use a white pastel pencil for the drawing. I will have to get a white lead pencil... the pastel is just a little too soft for drawing details.
Oh, and the Frances of "Frances' Boys Pastel" is the women riding the horse in the oil painting in the header of my blog!

Susie, Uranda, & Stella #8

Susie, Uranda, & Stella #8, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 19"X26"

http://www,djfitzgerald.com

It is done. Have have shown it to the client and they ordered a giclee! Very happy about this! I was kind of nervous because of the new paper and having so many photos to work from. The photo of Susie was taken 2 years ago with a different horse and dog. They decides to change both the horse and dog! I took the photos of the Uranda last march. And Stella was from a photo Susie took from her cell phone! They tragically lost Stella and she really wanted to have her in it. Luckily it all worked out! I love it when it all comes together! I really enjoyed this paper although it took some time to get used to. I am looking forward to doing another project on it without dry mounting. Hoping I will like it that much more! I think I ended up with a layer or two less by dry mounting it. I have sprayed it with fix and banged it around a little to make sure that the pastel is not going to fall off!!! It does smudge quite easily though. Actually as I am typing this I see something I need to touch up... the pine straw under the pine trees on the right needs to be toned down some! :)

Susie, Uranda & Stella #7

Susie, Uranda & Stella #7, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 19"X26"

www,djfitzgerald.com

Almost there... I still have to go back and work on Uranda's coloring... I have her a little too red. And of course I have to do Stella and the shank. I think I also want to tuck in Susie's shirt a bit more... I already did some in the front... maybe a little more in the back. Also need to work on the grass and shadows.

Susie, Uranda & Stella #6

Susie, Uranda & Stella #6, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on pastelmat
private collection
actual size 19"X26"

http://www,djfitzgerald.com

Working on Uranda... it is a little rough right now... just takes time and lots of pastel to get the richness I want in her coat. Horses in shadow are really difficult. It is very easy to get flat. Shadows are so many different colors and they are all very subtle.