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MY ART EVERY DAY BLOG: December 2006

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Friday, December 1, 2006


Seductive Stare by Carol Santora


"Seductive Stare" soft pastel on watercolor paper, 22.25" x 14.75"... I am experimenting with my pastels on older pieces that I'm not quite satisfied with. The first one I am working with is "Seductive Stare". This painting began as a watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. Disatisfied with the watercolor, I used it as a base for soft pastel which is pictured here...     Comments
I have not worked on my snow leopard pastel demo...

Saturday, December 2, 2006


Seductive Stare II by Carol Santora


"Seductive Stare II" soft pastel... Here is the finished product, what do you think?... I have also cropped the image... I am reworking another painting and will post my progress tomorrow...     Comments

Sunday, December 3, 2006
"On The Lookout" soft pastel "On The Lookout State I"
soft pastel
Here is the next painting I am re-working: "On The Lookout" pastel on Wallis paper... Today I started re-working the background and the leopard, adding more vivid color,; it has a long way to go...     Comments

Monday, December 4, 2006


On The Lookout State II by Carol Santora


"On The Lookout State II" soft pastel... Today I changed the face, the eye, the chest and moved the paw, then scrubbed it out... I may put it back... still unfinished... check back tomorrow...     Comments

Tuesday, December 5, 2006


On The Lookout II by Carol Santora


"On The Lookout II" soft pastel... I am happier with this image than the original one.... I think it is more cohesive and focused on the face of the leopard, which is the focal point. What do you think?...     Comments

"You Talkin' To Me? Step 1" soft pastel "You Talkin' To Me? Step 2" soft pastel "You Talkin' To Me? Step 3" soft pastel
I have also started several cow paintings and am just about finished with this one.
Step 1: I blocked in my colors on orange-tinted Wallis paper. You can see the orange color between the strokes of pastel...
Step 2: I worked the background first adding lighter tones and to indicate background areas that were further away, I used more muted colors...
Step 3: Lastly I worked on the cows themselves, first working the dark areas (with dark purples and blues, no black) and added lights to them, and then working the white belts around the cows. I will leave the painting in the studio where I can see it for a few days, to determine if I want to tone down the blues or yellow-greens, or make other adjustments...     Comments

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
"You Talkin' To Me?" soft pastel
12x12"		 "Where's The Hay?" soft pastel
I made a few adjustments to yesterday's painting, toned down the noses, and made some minor anatomical corrections. I am happy with it...     Comments

I also painted another group of 3 belted galloway cows looking at the viewer... I need to look at this one for a few days to see if any adjustments need to be made...     Comments

Thursday, December 7, 2006
"No Bull" soft pastel "Where's The Hay?" soft pastel
"Rear Ended"
soft pastel, 12x12"		 "Untitled - Snow Leopard"
soft pastel, 24x18"
Today was another fruitful day... The cow portrait I worked on last night. I made minor revisions to the second painting of three cows and painted a third set of 3 cows in the 12" square format. I also worked on my snow leopard, Cloe...     Comments

Friday, December 8, 2006
"Wheres The Hay?"
soft pastel, 		"Untitled - Snow Leopard"
soft pastel, 24x18"
Today I made adjustments to the Where's The Hay? above and to the snow leopard... I darkened her bosy and adjusted the shapes of her paws and made other minor adjustments...

Saturday, December 9 2006


Rear Ended by Carol Santora


"Rear Ended" soft pastel... This morning I made more adjustemnts to this painting, and I am happy with it...     Comments

Monday, December 11, 2006


Where's The Hay? by Carol Santora


"Where's The Hay?" soft pastel... Today I made adjustments to the face of the young cow on the right. As it gets closer to Christmas I will be out of the studio more than I want to be...     Comments

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
"Calf Drawing" "Cow Peeking Drawing" 4x11" "Udder Gossip Drawing" 12x12"
Today I sketched three new cow paintings... As you can see I have chosen sizes appropriate for the subject, and sketched the cows on the orange color Wallis paper...     Comments

Saturday, December 16 2006


Udder Gossip


"Udder Gossip" (in progress) soft pastel, 12x12"... This morning I was up very early and started this painting... the white areas have not been blocked in yet, however I have completed the background and am working on the cow bodies...     Comments

Wednesday, December 20, 2006
"Udder Gossip"
soft pastel, 12x12"		 "Lazy Morning"
soft pastel, 6x6"
Today I finished the three cow painting and my photograph isn't quite right for the background colors. I had the urge to do a little landscape scene so I started another little square piece of a lone cow at sunset...     Comments

Friday, December 22, 2006
"No Bull" soft pastel "Where's The Hay?" soft pastel
"Udder Gossip"
soft pastel, 12x12"		 "End of the Day Hay" in progress
soft pastel, 6x6"
I was up early again this morning and made some adjustments to the 3 paintings above and started another small piece... Early this evening I worked some more on the little one I started this morning and the lone cow at sunset....     Comments
"Lazy Morning" in progress
soft pastel, 6x6"		 "End of the Day Hay" in progress
soft pastel, 6x6"

Saturday, December 23, 2006
"No Bull" soft pastel "Where's The Hay?" soft pastel
"Cow Peeking"
soft pastel, 4x11"		 "Lazy Morning"
soft pastel, 6x6"		 "End of the Day Hay"
soft pastel, 6x6"
I was up early again this morning and made some adjustments to the 4 paintings above and worked on the drawing of the cow with her face partially hidden (see Tuesday, December 12)...     Comments

Saturday, December 24, 2006


Where's The Hay?


"Where's The Hay?" soft pastel... This morning I was up very early and made more adjustments to this painting...     Comments

Wednesday, December 27, 2006
"Lazy Morning"
soft pastel, 6x6"		 "End of the Day Hay"
soft pastel, 6x6"
"Udder Gossip" soft pastel "Cow Peeking" soft pastel
This morning I made minor adjustment to 'Untitled Cow Peeking' and call it finished! I also experimented with colors and backgrounds in the other 3 paintings above...     Comments

Thursday, December 28, 2006
"Lazy Morning"
soft pastel, 6x6"		 "End of the Day Hay"
soft pastel, 6x6"
More adjustments to the 2 little paintings above...     Comments

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