Amaryllis By Mornin'

Amaryllis By Morning      6" x 6"     Pastel       ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $95

There's nothing like waiting for the morning to see the amaryllis spreading her wings to show her stunning scarlett petals! This time was no different, I brought the bulb home from Heinen's with some green foliage, and first thing each morning I could hardly wait to see the buds open to reveal her spectacular hues of red. What a lesson in patience!

Finally, the day arrived to begin the process of studying every tiny detail in wonderment!

And then the gleeful rush to the pastel box to find the perfect sticks of color that would shout "Amaryllis Scarlet"! To my disappointment, there was no magic amaryllis stick!  From then on, I had to give up on magic and select and test colors that would speak in amaryllis tones.

Ahh.....finally, I strike up a new relationship with the oranges and peach colors in the box and know that they will help me tell the story of how the light changes as it strikes the high points. On closer examination, for the first time, I found that there are tiny specks of shimmering light in each square inch of the petals. Fortunately, the folks at the Sennelier company know this, as they include a group of pastels that contain mica flakes that reflect those microscopic specks of light.

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 Here's the final culmination of alone time with an amaryllis. There's a tiny replica beside the original where I've tested colors on the way to tell the final story.

Marblehead Lighthouse

Marblehead Lighthouse   5" x 8"    Pastel
©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $95   

We drove to Marblehead last week where I was fortunate enough to find a comfy rock to sit on to begin painting. Well, truth be known, I did pad it a bit with an old blanket. It helps to carry some extra gear to be ready for any painting experience. It was a perfectly lovely fall day with a warm gentle breeze. We like to visit Marblehead Lighthouse and then take the nearby ferry across to either Kelly's Island or Put In Bay, especially during the off season. We enjoy photographing and painting the beauty and stillness of these small islands.  

Marblehead Lighthouse is just a two hour drive for us located in Marblehead, Ohio. We are fortunate to be just under one hour to Lake Erie, that has several beautiful lighthouses along what we here in Ohio like to call the North Coast. We stopped on the way back to photograph the Lorain Harbor Light in Lorain, Ohio.  

Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Built in 1821, the lighthouse guides vessels into the Sandusky Bay and through the treacherous passage that runs between the Ohio mainland and a cluster of offshore islands.

Delphinium on Glass

Delphinium On Glass     5.25" x 8"      Pastel      ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $95

DAY 27 of Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge, September 2017

The delphiniums are still looking fresh today, so I decided to paint them in a still life. I placed them on my antique wood flat file that has a protective glass sheet on top. The sun shone brightly on the table, creating a wonderful reflection of the sheer curtains. I'm always pulled to reflections of any kind, whether it's still water or window glass on buildings. The glass vase had an interesting look with the water, and also, it reflected that image onto the table.

I got lost in painting this one and didn't take but two progress pictures. I started with a quick watercolor wash of the dark areas on paper that I already had toned. I like working on a darker surface. UArt is now producing a black sanded pastel paper.  I can hardly wait for my shipment to arrive in early October. Slowly, I added the color in areas all over the painting. Then, I began to define each background areas. I finished the flowers last.

Marginal Way

Marginal Way   6" x  8.5"   Pastel    ©Sheila Ashley Liston

Available $95

Day 5 of Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days September 2017, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine

Our first experience in Maine was to Ogunquit in a pouring rainstorm. Not wanting to miss anything, we purchased ponchos and headed out to a trail along the ocean called Marginal Way. What a way to see Maine for the first time. The ocean was slapping against the rocks with high winds in a sideways pouring rain. We loved every minute of that storm!

This trail is now an asphalt walkway perched on the high rocks along the coast.  Marginal Way has many stunning views. On that evening in October, that bare tree spoke of the winter that would be on its way soon.  

Geneva Marsh

Geneva Marsh    5¾ x  8½     Pastel    ©Sheila Ashley Liston

Available  $95

Day 4 of my self-challenge of 7 paintings in 7 days.

Marsh areas in the Geneva State Park are interesting to me. This one in particular has enough open water area that reflected the sky and the surrounding fall colors. This park is on the shore of  Lake Erie and has a lovely Lodge where we stayed. 

This painting is on UArt 800 sanded paper. This is the beginning that I was able to accomplish in Geneva. Then  I finished the painting in the studio.

    

First Impressions

First Impressions  8.5 x 6.5 Pastel  ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $95

Ahh...first impressions! These cosmos were lining the walkway to the entrance of the Pemaquid Art Gallery at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park in Bristol, Maine. This colorful display welcomed us as we entered the gallery of some outstanding art. What a treat!

I could have stayed there the whole day, soaking in the beauty of the lighthouse and ocean, and the gallery as well. The weather was a perfect fall day in October last year. The only thing better than all this, was that I had an appointment to reconnect with my treasured friend. What a blessing it was, to see my friend, Pat Parker, again after so many years!  

We started right in where we left off back then, as though it was yesterday! It's so much fun to paint the memory of that day, reliving every moment. These times are more important that the end result of an actual painting being produced.

Here's some progress shots from the beginning. I've come to believe that paintings have to become a bit ugly and unruly at first.