O CANADA!

                   O Canada!  | Pastel | 6x6

A large book on birds, in particular the images of ducks and geese, is my first memory of being enchanted with drawing/painting. The grown-ups were chatting away while I was left to entertain myself. A piece of paper and a pencil kept me rapt for hours drawing a mallard until it was time to go. I think I was 8 years old.  I subjugated my artistic instincts for the following 12 years, seldom even doodling and never taking an art class - if I didn't think I could ace a subject, I stayed away from it as my drive was to be an All A's Student.  Whenever the idea of a Do-Over comes to mind, knowing how enraptured I become when I'm painting and creating, I wish I had those 'lost years' under my belt now!

Painting Notes:  I'm trying to decide between using UArt 400 or 600 as my new Fav Substrate.  I love the increased smoothness of the 600 but my tendency to be over-realistic makes me want to keep some bumpy tooth.  The question is pretty much moot when you're doing a 6x6!  The lovely texture of Art Spectrum in a 6x6 becomes hills and valleys that make the painting so impressionistic as to be damn-near obscured!  I conclude the size of the piece dictates the substrate for me.  Art Spectrum in a 9x12 makes an impressionistic look instantly possible just by the stroke.  A parallel in using oils is the brush size and shape.  The substrate affects this too but not nearly like it does in pastel.