Foxy by Margaret McDougall

Hi - again thankyou for inviting me to come and say what I feel about this painting. I take it that although you say Hebrides was home - it no longer is ? Whilst I was there I did a demo and talk for the art society at Stornaway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wyjAbX_mpE I will also take a risk and put my last experimental work on here just for you as it is also a "fantasy" work in mixed medium. I won't leave it on for loing. May also give you further ideas to explore? Not that I am very proud of it, but some we win some we don't!? :-) I have looked at your work earlier in fact and just gone through all of your paintings again now. OK - For a first try in pastels, very good. Some people cannot stand the mess or powder, but there are many ways of using pastels. What paper have you used? I see a slight texture? In choosing the paper you choose several things. Paper surface, colour, and what other mediums you may also link? There are special "velvet" papers, hand made tibetan papers with grass and seeds in, normal pastel papers such as Ingres, ( use the smoother side not the very heavy orange peel side unless you really want it ) special glass papers, in fact pastel can even be painted on most surfaces with a ground. I enjoy using smooth hot pressed arches watercolour paper and using water with th epastels at first like watercolour, then working up over - or painting a ground first and pastel after? Soooo much fun to have? :-) If you use water the pastel is fixed in its coat before further work! :-) Then we come to OIL pastels that are totaly different and can be used with turps like oils! So coming back to your work here. I love Foxgloves and aam growing wild ones next my pind here, very symbolic. My advice - you ask for? To experiment further. I will continue below -

Are you using actual models to paint from life? What would happen if you used hot pressed watercolour paper and did a coloured background either with water and pastels or paints first to get an atmosphere glowing under the work that you can blend back into and have showing through? Be careful about "halos" around areas you "butt" up to and join as around the hair here? One technique is to give first coats of pastel all over and blend them, THEN go back and add final fresh sparkling coats at the end. This will avoid joints, give a coherance, plus pastel that is rubbed and not fresh becomes dead, it relies on the fresh pastel pigment o reflect light and not be muddy. (not that yours is - but just a tip) Light sources are very important. Without colour and light we can see nothing? e.g.a white room and furniture - no shadows - no colour - we see nothing in it! :-) So if you can give your faces, flowers more form as well as colour they will be more 3 dimensional? You have done this where the hair recededs to neck and it works well? Talking of hair, it is often best to get the form of the head and hair BEFORE doing too much texture, I am not saying you must do any of this - your sense of design and drawing are very good and a natural gift!! I am merely offering you further options to try and possibly enjoy? For instance - what if you had not stopped the neck so abruptly at bottom left corner but gently blended it down - hinting and following the chest shapes?

Just another option, and in the end it is all your own personal taste and choice. No wrong or right - all I am doing is trying to help you actually attain what it is will actually satisfy and help you get what you seek? Advice may even mean that you stick more closely to what you originally did being stronger in your resolve! LOL :-) OK just a few tips you asked for? In the end? You are doing great! I offer this lot because you are, have talent and interest and can handle it and are ready to take on more? Now you can go look at the fantasy one I mentioned I will put on for you to tear appart!! BUT it may just offer you another way to enjoy working also - even if that one is a bit "naff"? :-)

Hi Margaet, fantastic for your first attempt at pastels. I love using them though the dust does tend to irritate my eyes after a while.I get it everywhere as I use my fingers to smooth it out to give it a more painterly look. I like looking at your paintings as they always make me smile, keep up the good work! Val

Margaret, I nearly missed this one, like you said blink and miss. I love the texture on the hair. Smashing. Val's right you have style

Hi Margaret, I will remove that folio now then :-) So glad I may help you find exciting new ways that have also given and are giving me so much pleasure. Hope you enjoy that work on youtube and possibly also take a look at the pastel short film I have put there. Its clearer to see a demo than write it? Plus I demo one on Hebrides there. I met some very good artists when there a gallery not far from Stornaway and one with a hut in the middle of nowhere! :-) He was doing strong loose landscapes using the lovely earth reds and browns semi abstract. Inspired the big pastel I will put again for you here. I will include an oil as well. The tracks, streams, glens, headlands, peat, old buidlings and heather - lots to work with. Hard out there in such conditions. I painted my big pastel in cold wind, after that 40 mins VERY cold! Look forward to seeing your explorations. Peter 5. Margaret McDougall 11 Mar 2008 12:15 Hi Peter! Thank you SO much for spending so much time helping me with pastels. It really does spur me on to keep trying when people are so helpful. I love this picture and think it must look great full size. The people are really three-dimensional and I like the feel of the birds. Must say I am glad you didn't include wire and netting! I shall go and have a look on 'youtube'. Will reply to your comments re my pic. below. 6. Margaret McDougall 11 Mar 2008 12:22 Me again! I live in the Hebrides right now. Miles from anywhere but beautiful scenery (not enough trees though), thats why I must learn to paint (perhaps with pastels) landscapes.I just used sketch paper-so not very good paper. I have good smooth hot pressed paper (I use for detailed watercolours) which I will try next time.Re the faces. I just use my imagination or faces from magazines etc. I see what you mean about the 'halo'. I will certainly try all your suggestions and post something when I have something good enough. Once again thank you very much for your help.

Hi Margaret, thanks for your comments on my sheep. Regarding your query about glass paper , a fellow artist told me how to make my own and as she called it glass paper that is what I've called it, but whether that's the right name for it I'm not sure. I use off cuts of mount board and paint them with a pastel ground I then sometimes add very fine sand if I want more of a tooth. If anybody else reads this perhaps they could correct me if I'm wrong!