5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

11″x14″ pastel on sanded paper 

Marquel sings for the Dallas Opera, and today I had the pleasure of painting her from life.

I painted the above painting from a color study, which allowed me to reach “zone” really quickly with all my colors preselected and my problems mostly worked out in the study.  Think of a color study like a rough draft.  This one is a 5″x7″.