Island Poppies

A new poppy pastel painting  is nearing completion. The Originals Only outdoor exhibit in Comox at the marina is less than two months away and I have decided to concentrate on getting some things ready for that market. The poppies grow all over the island and are extremely appealing to paint and art collectors love them. I haven't done any for quite some time and suddenly felt the urge to return to a subject that has done well for me in the past. I wouldn't attempt this, however, if I were not in love with the subject. Any time I have tried to work strictly "for the market" the results are less than stellar. 

I am working with a paper that is new for me, Wallis sanded paper.  I usually use a toned drawing paper such as Canson.  Wallis is white and I am experimenting with allowing some of the brightness of that white to show through.  The surface is very different from other sanded papers I have also used.  I am finding that I need to work in a more "expressionistic" way...fine detail is difficult on this paper. The pigments layer in a more painterly manner and blending is less subtle.  I wasn't certain I liked this at first but now I am enjoying the new way of working and the results are striking, I think. I have also been using a new barrier cream on my hands, Gloves in a Bottle.  Non-toxic, replenished every four hours if need be. I have to be careful with pastel as I am prone to illness from the dust if I allow it to enter my pores or breathe it in.  I work outdoors if possible and do not blow the dust around. I tap the paper gently and let the dust fall into a paper tray I put at the bottom (see in picture).  I sometimes wear a mask. This has definitely been a year of breaking away from many of my old working habits...not a bad thing!