WHAT’S NEW…
I have been wanting to do a painting with a foal and a teddy bear for a long time but didn’t have the reference material. So I have a dear friend that raises Andalusians in Texas and when her newest foal was born, she took a huge teddy bear out into the foaling stall and put it under the babies head. So when he went Sleepy Bye, he had a soft pillow to use. Then she sent me the photographs as a gift, and as you can imagine, I was so excited!
So here is the starting of the painting and it’s just been a blast to work on. 
Hope you like it!
A KID WORKSHOP SUCCESS!!
This last weekend a group of us had the pleasure of another Lesley Harrison workshop. The subject for the workshop was a child. Lesley picked the cutest little girl named Amelia for us to practice and learn on. We had a lot of fun with her beautiful red hair and green eyes and learned a lot about skin… especially the skin of children. I, for one, came away with a new appreciation of how difficult children can be… in more ways than one!! Lesley expertly lead us all to a very successful painting that we could take home and complete. It’s also fun to watch our new found family grow as we all come together to learn pastel art from our favorite artist… Lesley Harrison. –Marianne
Published by admin on February 11th, 2014 Tagged children and animals, Pastel Workshop | 3 Comments »GUEST ARTIST – JANIS BARRETT
Wolf Painting by Janis Barrett
I met Janis at the last Lesley Harrison workshop and I’m happy to have found a new friend with such great talent. And she sure did capture our wolf project with this piece. It is OUTSTANDING!!! And here’s what Janis has to say… –Marianne
“It was more than 20 years ago that I learned of Lesley’s exquisite art. That was when I was first introduced to NuPastels and velour paper. When I saw Lesley’s exquisite art in galleries and learned that she used the same medium I began following her new releases with great appreciation. Little did I know that one day I would have the opportunity to be instructed by her! My experience of attending her workshop on wolves was SO inspiring!!
When artist Dorothy Funk of Port Orchard, Washington originally taught me the use of NuPastels on velour, I found the pastels an incredible medium. I had very little art experience, and I did not enjoy drawing/sketching! However, I found the pastels were easy to use, perfect for creating life-like renditions of portraits, easy to clean up, and comparably inexpensive. My subjects of interest varied from wildlife to horses and dogs. For a few years I attended art shows at rodeos, entered fairs and juried art shows, and did a little showing at galleries. We moved to Arizona and then I seemed to go on an art vacation! I have created very few paintings in the last 10 years. Having attended this workshop has me inspired to paint, paint, PAINT! I have new techniques to apply, additional pastel brands to become familiar with, and so much more knowledge!
Thank you so much Lesley for the encouragement! Your class was a joy to attend, and I am so appreciative that such a successful artist of your caliber is willing to instruct. I look forward to seeing you again at the Background and Business class!”
Published by admin on January 6th, 2014 Tagged Guest Artists | 10 Comments »GUEST ARTIST – LISA STOCKDELL
“Jake” by Lisa Stockdell
I met Lisa Stockdell at the horse workshop in October. This was her first Lesley Harrison workshop and we all had a blast painting this beautiful Friesian, Jake. Lisa sent us her finished painting and it is outstanding! Lisa also attended the additional horse photo shoot portion of the workshop and shared these two stunning photos that she was able to capture for future paintings. Here is what Lisa has to say… –Marianne
“I’ve been having a great time with pastels since the workshop. I’m still amazed at how much I learned. Lesley is a wonderful teacher. I’ve fallen in love with pastels and may never pick up a pencil or paintbrush again. Words fail me to explain how much I appreciate the chance to study with Lesley at the October horse workshop. She opened the door for me to the extraordinarily wonderful world of pastels, and I’m completely smitten with this medium!
There is nothing to compare with hands-on experience learning from a world-class artist like Lesley. I had never picked up a pastel before and was a little intimidated by them. Lesley is as gifted a teacher as she is an artist, and she helped us understand how forgiving pastels are and what joy they are to use!
This truly was a turning point in my career and I will be forever grateful to Lesley for sharing her talent, hospitality and sweet spirit with us! I’m proud to say that I’ve studied with her and can call her my friend.”
Published by admin on December 28th, 2013 Tagged Guest Artists | 5 Comments »