Bedraggled Geraniums in Pastel

[Jo Castillo]

Bedraggled, pastel on UArt 400, 8 x 8 inches

Flower was a prompt for the Scavenger Hunts. We sketch from life and the only flower here was this bedraggled geranium that barely lived through the hot Texas summer with something like 90 days over 100º F. It is finally starting to bloom and we get two or three nights in the mid 30s so I had to bring it in the house.

I used a "new" piece of UArt paper 400. If you've seen my pastel sketches I tend to wipe them off and do another on the same surface. This paper curls and doesn't suit my type of painting. I like to use a light touch and scumble one color over another. With the peaks and valleys the peaks pick up more pastel and create lines. I prefer Pastelbord or Colourfix paper. I taped this down well but it still curls on the edges and I like to paint to the edge so can't/don't tape it on the front. Maybe mounting the paper would work, but I hadn't thought about using the paper until I did! Ha.

I did an under painting with pastel and alcohol and it ran a lot so when dry I put a little more pastel and spritzed with water for the background. I don't have a good assortment of fuchsia which I wanted for the flowers, I will look into that.

 

[JennieJo]

Beautifully done, and thanks for extra info.

I've been looking sadly at my geraniums today. Took cuttings and potted for the green house. Not expecting them all to make it through our summer. Hoping I get some colours back in a few months..

 

[Bartc]

LOve it overall, but the tin pail coloring and rendering is just terrific!

 

[Terri]

Jo, I know how you all suffered in that heat dome over the summer! People's gardens took a hit and were hard to maintain. Glad you're in the November cooldown.

Your geraniums turned out beautifully - love the colors! I agree with Bart that you did an amazing job with the metal planter, shading and coloring. It's perfect. ❤

 

[Artyczar]

This turned out terrific! It's so beautiful and the effect is lovely. However you got there, it's so beautiful! Well done.

 

[Jo Castillo]

JennieJo, thanks. My mom always had geraniums so I think that is why I like them so much.

Bart, thank you. I like painting red and shiny or transparent things.

Terri, thanks so much. I have painted so many red geraniums so wanted them a bit different. In real life they are such a pretty purple-red like dark fuchsia. A good reason to buy more pastels!

Artyczar, appreciate your comments and stopping in. I'm smiling.

 

[Donna T]

Jo, this Is my new favorite of yours! Geraniums aren’t easy to paint and you got their leaves and flowers just right. I love the way the color of the leaves changes from yellow-green to blue-green and the way you added subtle interest to the background. The tin pail is trying to steal the show but those flowers won’t let it!

 

[Jo Castillo]

Donna thanks, always so good to hear from you. You have shared knowledge and inspiration with me over the years.

 

[Triduana]

Beautiful picture, you've given the geranium a new lease of life! Love the pink tones in the pail and the background.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Triduana, thank you very much. The little buds are blooming now. Ha. I had to bring it in as we had a couple of nights in the 30s.

 

[ams]

Despite all of your support problems, this came out beautifully. I love your use of color on the pail.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Anne, thank you. I really like color and pastels. I try to use a color all around so natural to use it in the reflections. It would bounce off something. Thanks for noticing.

 

[KreativeK]

It is beautiful and so soft, Jo, could reach out and touch the bloom petals. Nice interwoven colors throughout!

 

[snoball]

This is so pretty. The flowers may be bedraggled but the colors perk it right up.

 

[joe1It]

Wonderful

 

[Jo Castillo]

KreativeK, thank you so much. You know me, it was hard not to go back to red when I didn't have fuchsia. Ha.

snoball, your comment makes me smile, thanks.

joe1lt, appreciate your comment. I'm still smiling.

 

[JStarr]

This is scrumptious! The plant itself is well done, great work on the blooms despite a fuchsia lack- I've a pink geranium just that colour.

The metal container, though- oh! That's SPECTACULAR! Really good work there.

My compliments on using colours in harmony to create the values- really good work there!

(Try to hinge tape the UArt on all four sides. Lay the paper face down, and tape 3" masking tape all around the edges, 1.5" on the paper back, and 1.5" of the tape sticking out beyond the edge and face down, too; flip it over, and then tape the sticky-side tape down all the way around. It helps hold that curl down and is not on your paper's surface, at all. Also helps to roll your individual sheet the other way and secure it (rubberband, tape, whatever) for a couple hours before hinging it to your easel space).

 

[Jo Castillo]

JStarr, oh, thank you so much. I sometimes know more than I use and forget what I know when I don't paint often. It sure helps to keep up and paint often especially in color to keep things in harmony as you say.
I do hinge the paper but hadn't done the whole edge, just 3 or 4 pieces. I'll try that next time. I always use artists tape so I can easily remove it and I'm lazy and a cheapskate. Ha.
Again thanks for your hints, we can always learn and try to use new ideas!

 

[JStarr]

The couple bits of hinge up top and bottom worked great on Wallis, or LeCarte, but you're right, UArt just flipping curls. Wonder if anyone has told them? (What if they didn't know what a complete pita that is when trying to work on an upright easel??) It's so dry here that the sheets I get will actually try to curl tucked in between heavy cardboard in a cardboard carton with a no more than an inch wide opening!

One of the antique straight-backed chairs we have has a *perfect* sized diamond-shaped opening in its prettily designed baroque-ish back- and I can roll a sheet up and slide it in there overnight to force the curl the other way. Works for a couple days, but then it starts to curl up in the manufactured manner again, and I have to stick little temporary hinges all up and down the curling edges.

I've never had any trouble taking masking tape off, although DH thought he was doing a good thing once when he tired of hearing me whinge and moan about old masking tape in the desert that curled like a Shirley Temple corkscrew and ripped down its length instead of straight across; he bought me double-sided tape that was supposed to be the shizzle. Luckily I read the directions: It said "Permanent bond".

Yeah- NO.

 

[Jo Castillo]

JStarr, you made me laugh. Yes, more tape is necessary for UArt. I usually use hinges as well. I don't hear many complaints, maybe the artists cross hatch more or shorter strokes?? My problem is that I leave tape on too long so masking tape gets a little permanent. Artists tape can be removed by heating with a blow dryer and pealing off slowly. I tape right to the glass when I frame so that helps there as well if I want to take the glass off.
I sketch for the Scavenger Hunts with pastel so those I tend to take a photo, wipe them off and go again, so the tape is there for a while.
For those of you that want to try hinges I have a demo video on my blog. https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/p/jos-demos-and-workshops.html
There is lots of instruction on my blog, a search window at the top left.