Painting Calla Lily before scrolling past first painting wait for the display
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		Calla Lily 17 1/2" x 21 1/2", 2002
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			The preliminary sketch is done in pastel pencil on pastel paper. The paper I use comes with a sanded surface that holds dry pastel superbly and minimizes dusting. My pastel color choice doesn't matter. I just need something that will show up. I'm trying to get the composition down, the size, the placement on the paper, and the flowing lines for the lily. The beginning is always very enjoyable. As you can see I also don't worry about mistakes. I stay very loose and relaxed. I'm anticipating the lightest highlight, even though I won't get to do that for a long time.
			Using my hardest pastels I block in general tones, not worrying about hue, but concentrating on contrast. I add the darks, lights, and mid-tones with a light touch so I don't fill in the tooth of the paper - the grit of the sand texture - too early on.
			Still using hard pastels I block in the background. I work on the whole painting to maintain color consistency and keep the colors working well together. At this point I spray with fixative. I want the fixative to darken the darks and restore a bit of the lost tooth. This is the only fixative I add and I do it now. Later on, fixative seems to darken and dull the luminous colors and flatten the pastel particles that I like to pop out.
			I strive for a high degree of contrast between the darks and lights. Even my darkest pastels are never dark enough for me. Sometimes I use a technique I read about. At this point, to get my dark areas as dark as they can be I dip a brush in alcohol and 'paint' over each dark area. I clean my brush between colors so I don't muddy them. Now the background is a rich dark tone, but not the velvety look.
			Next, I apply many more layers of pastels to get the rich velvety texture. Once the alcohol has dried, I continue applying layers of pastel even over the painted background. I use softer and softer pastels. I lighten my lights and, though it is tempting, I refrain from using my lightest pastels. That treat will come, but not yet.
			By now the paper is filling up with pastel and I'm adding more and more color. I use very soft pastels. As I spread them it feels almost like butter. I rarely use my finger, but instead let the pastels slide over each other and blend. The paper tooth is almost saturated - the grit of the sand-textured paper is now smooth. The texture of the sand-coated paper allows me to apply an amazing amount of pastel pigment. In this painting none of the paper is left showing through.
			In the final stage - or layer - of the painting I clean up the edges a bit. I give my lights and darks the contrast I like, and I save the best for last. Using the softest, creamiest pastels, I add just one or two thick touches to make the lightest highlight. It's pure pleasure and what I've been waiting for since I began the painting.
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