First Pastel.....

Black Rock Sunset
Pastel on Canson 32 x 27
©Randy Hamburg

About four years ago is when I began painting again after 30 years.  I had sketched and painted in pastel and a few watercolors when I was in high school.  I had always enjoyed painting but never seemed to have the time for it or let other "projects" take precedence. After our first trip to Hawaii, I came home with inspirational photos that just needed to be painted.  As I was going through them, I kept coming to a sunset photo of Black Rock on Maui that just screamed to be my first attempt to begin painting again.

I began with a starter set of pastels and worked for what seemed like weeks off and on trying to make that painting a work of art.  I think many new painters fall into the same trap.  If I'm going to be a painter, every painting has to be worthy of hanging on a wall in a gallery, or at least in a home.  I wanted to show it off and get favorable comments from my friends that yes, it is an outstanding painting.  We all want to be complemented, sometimes just to build our ego.

As we grow, we get past that point and realize that every painting isn't going to be a masterpiece but we learn from each and every one, even if sometimes they end up in the trash.  More than I can count have been trashed or recycled.  I've grown to the point that now, I paint for the joy of painting, and as long as I'm happy with the result, it's a good painting.

As far as that first pastel (pictured above), it turned out pretty good for someone who hadn't painted in so long.  Although now, after a few years, I can see all sorts of things I would change if I were painting it now, it's special to me because it was the first in the new journey.  And by the way, it is framed and hanging on a wall in my house.  Not because it's a great painting, but because it's special to me and my wife to remind us of our first trip to Hawaii.

Keep painting!

A Painting In Progress....

Texas Creek WIP
Pastel on Pastelboard
©Randy Hamburg

Recently we were driving some of the back roads in Texas and came across a creek bed running through a field normally used for grazing.  Since it's spring here, the wildflowers were in full bloom and looked like a quilt across the countyside.  I quickly took a few reference pictures and began planning my painting.  To add a bit of interest, I've added some mountains in the distance which aren't found in southeast Texas.

One of the questions we have as painters is how to say what we want to say with our paintings.  When I began painting, I took the reference very literally and tried to paint it exactly as it was.  In some cases this meant putting in each and every blade of grass, every tree (and its limbs), drawing each ripple in the water.  As I've grown as an artist, I've realized that kind of detail causes "over painting" a scene.  If I wanted that detail, why not just have the photo framed?

I think most new artists go through the same thing.  In trying to exactly recreate a photo reference we learn so much about color value, color mixing, perspective and a myriad of other things that are necessary to grow.  After going through this stage, we come to realize that we can make changes.  If I don't like where a tree is in the reference, I have the license to move it or delete it entirely if it makes a stronger composition.  It's a continuing process.  As long as we paint, we continue to learn what makes a strong painting and we constantly strive to learn more and get better.

I'm about 75% complete with the above painting and at this point, it's time to step back and apply those lessons I've learned and see where changes need to be made.  What parts am I pleased with and what parts don't make me happy.  And with each painting, I learn something else that I can apply to the next painting.  Later, I'll post the completed painting and we'll see what changes I made, what lessons did I apply.  Let me hear from you, I'd love your feedback about my paintings and my blog in general.

What lessons are you learning today and how will you apply them in the future?

Keep painting!

Painting together....

Kelli and Me

Inspiration can be drawn from anywhere, not just painting, but inspiration for all areas of our lives.  One of the people that most inspires me is my daughter.  Kelli is a pediatric oncology nurse working with children with cancer.  Personally, I think most of us couldn't do what she does, serving the children that in many cases won't be with us long.  Not only does she do her "nursing" duties, but in most cases becomes friends with the kids and their parents and goes the extra mile(s) in making connections on a personal level.  And I've learned from her stories and those of her colleagues how much it means to the kids to have a familiar face with them, playing with them, and making their time in the hospital as good as it can be.

For the past couple of years, Kelli has been a traveling nurse working 3 month temporary assignments in hospitals around the nation.  On of my joys is her coming home between assignments and getting to spend time with her.  Usually, we try to do a bit of painting together - our daddy/daughter time.  On one of her recent trips home, we spent a couple of hours, took the same reference photo and painted to see how each of us interpreted it.  The photo above is of the two of us just after we finished.  I loved the result so much that I had the paintings framed together.

Daddy and daughter paintings.

Inspiration - who or what inspires you? 

Be inspired by the people and beauty around you and keep painting!