"Waiting"

"Waiting", pastel, 14" x 11"

"Waiting" is a painting of one of my previous dogs, Brandy.  She had the sweetest disposition and was loved by all that knew her.  Prior to doing her, I had visited The Museum of Western Art, in Kerrville, Texas.  There was one particular artist whose work really caught my attention.  Besides being the only female artist, her works were the only pastels--and--her paintings really stood out because they were done with a black background.  It was like an "ahhhah" moment for me!  And not too much longer after that visit, while reading a book on color, I learned how more vivid colors look against black.  A beautiful contrast.  So, I did a few paintings with this in mind.  I loved the contrast and colors, but need to change their composition, so I won't post them at this time.  Then I decided to do another dog painting, and came across a snapshot of Brandy.  Will include it, because it shows you how, taking a simple photo, cropping it, plus adding an idea(i.e. technique), can produce something completely different.  I was learning to think outside of the box.  Knowledge is really powerful and exciting!!  The brain seems to pull it out of your memory just when you need it.  Keep reading and learning.  Besides that, it keeps the brain cells active--and I need all the help I can get.