It’s been a long winter in the tiny ill-lit attic room in our cabin where I have been working, (because the studio still isn’t insulated and therefore; a tad cold to try and work in) but I finally have some of the images completed for the show. In fact, most of them have had the preliminary sketches done and a chunk o’ them are complete. Ahead of schedule. (remember my previous comments about never getting used to “kootenay time”?. ) ya, well, it continues to this day, always much happier when I’m ahead of schedule.  The most interesting part of this has been the mixing and matching of materials in the creation of various pieces. Mostly I use chalk pastel, or Pan pastels (specifically) either under or over other lyers. Using pastel as a base then taking a watercolour brush to it (yes, wet) can offer some wonderful textures. The difference between using hand painted pastel board and commercially made pastel board as a support offers more lessons in just what you can get pastel to do for you. I have yet to explore further with gold leaf and pastel, but it is on the list. The most delicious mix most recently has been faux suede with soft pastel. Kinda like velvet painting, (but without Elvis anywhere in the room……!) but to date my running fav is still sandpaper; 600 grit wet/dry. Cant beat it for buttery texture and popping colour. Use the dark grey though; lighter colours just dont have that…..oomph… that the darker paper offers. And o n that note, below you will find two of the images from the collection. The first, a tip of the hat to the days when people actually logged around here….(!) (which ended a few weeks back when the economy went to hell , even here!) and the second, perennial favourite subject matter and another “culturally observable” pasttime here in the Basin; Fishing. Not that I fish much; but I do love painting fish. They have turned up in my artwork over and over in the past several decades..

“In The Days of Logging” (above) is pastel on paper; “Spawning Channel” (below) is a bit darker than the original,(and is one that I like quite a bit for its looseness and for how fast it came together) and is done on (commercial) sanded pastel paper. Very expensive and absolutely lovely to paint (with pastel) on.

And on that note, I bid you goodnight and sweet pastel dreams.Til the next installment….DB.