What do you do with all those small scraps of pastel paper?

4"x10" pastel on Uart 500

I've been working on another painting that has just not been coming together, so I decided I needed to have a play day in my studio to calm my mind. I have all these left over scraps of pastel paper in odd small sizes. Thanks to a recent post by Karen Margulis, I now know what to do with them……PLAY

Last night my sister texted me some sunset photos from where she is visiting and this is what inspired me to start playing!

texted photos from my sister

a perfect image for those 4"x 8"or 11" scraps! So I painted another one. My goal was just loosen up and let go of the frustration I was feeling with the other painting (which I have put aside for now but not given up on!)

8"x10" pastel on Uart 500

We had gone out for dinner last night and drove home a different way. On the way there was a view we passed from a local golf course, that just caught my eye! Painting……. so I went back this morning and took several photos. These would be good for more of those small scraps!.

Golf course photos plus one from Gibbs Garden

More play! I used Nupastels and a piece of foam insulation to rub in the under paintings on all of the small studies.

underpainting samples

I'm feeling so much better. I used mostly Richard McKinley Great American landscape pastels on all of these small paintings. Some will probably be used as studies for larger paintings. These small paintings will also make great little sale items for me at my october and november art and gift shows. (more to follow on that)

4"x4" pastel on Uart 500

4"x8" pastel on Uart 500

4"x4" pastel on Uart 500