Emerald Sea

      

“Emerald Sea”         12” x 16”        Pastel       $384         © Sharon Lewis

I’m leaving soon for a wonderful international gathering of pastel artists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, called the IAPS conference. It’s a gathering of talented artists, who teach, attend classes, and conduct workshops. There’s always an amazing exhibit of gorgeous art and it’s a great opportunity to talk with other people who are as passionate as I am about art. We joke and empathize with each other about the challenges of painting and drool together over the displays of art supplies. It appears to be the last such gathering for the foreseeable future which feels bittersweet but I’m going to enjoy every minute.

Happy Weekend!

 

Emerald Sea

“Emerald Sea”          12” x 16”          Pastel         $200         © Sharon Lewis

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            I’m back from a wonderful gathering of pastel artists in Albuquerque. I learned so much from Jeanne Rosier Smith, who is a superb artist, an excellent painter of waves and a very kind, helpful instructor. It was also wonderful to talk for days with other artists and feel totally understood as we shared our excitement and love for creating art.

            Happy Weekend!

Surf's Up!

“Surf’s Up!”           5” x 7”          Pastel         $50         © Sharon Lewis

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               I’ve been practicing painting waves in anticipation of attending an international pastel conference (IAPS) where I hope to learn a lot from one of the best painters of the sea that I know, Jeanne Rosier Smith. I can’t wait to be surrounded by other artists for several days with our quirky way of viewing the world and our great passion for creating art! These are my people!                                                            Happy Weekend!

Like a Mother’s Kiss

 “Like a Mother’s Kiss”       12” x 12”       Pastel        $175     © Sharon Lewis

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            When I’m on the beach, I’m fascinated by waves.  As anyone who’s spent any time by the ocean, you know that sometimes waves are huge, scary and dramatic, reminding you of the force of the sea.  But then there are those times when the surf is gentle, with a relaxing, peaceful, ebb and flow, and if you’re lucky, you catch the sun perfectly brushing the tops of the waves like a mother’s kiss. 

            Happy Weekend!

Rise Up

“Rise Up”     9” x 9”      Pastel           $100       © Sharon Lewis

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             Sometimes a painting title eludes me and other times a painting smacks me in the face with its name. This one seemed to reach out and sing softly, my name is “Rise Up” and I remembered this great song by Andra Day with the same title. The lyrics are inspiring and quite relevant while Andra Day’s voice is wonderful!

            Happy Weekend!

 

Summer Hasn't Left Yet

“Summer Hasn’t Left Yet”         Pastel     6” x 12”        $80       © Sharon Lewis
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Since summer temperatures have persisted here even though it’s late September, I thought I’d dwell on something I enjoy about summer: visiting the ocean.  I love watching the water and listening to the rhythm of the surf ebbing and flowing. I also love painting waves. Although there are similarities across waves, each one has something distinct about it. I love the challenge of trying to convey the beauty of light hitting a wave and making it glow. I love also trying to capture all the colors in the foam…in many ways like clouds with all of their colors. 

Happy Weekend!

All the Colors of the Rainbow

All the Colors of the Rainbow      Pastel         5” x 7”       $50     © Sharon Lewis
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            When packing for our trip to Maine, I decided to bring the smallest box of pastels possible that would still allow me to capture the colors here accurately. So before leaving, I painted from some reference photos I had of Maine and this is one of them. The sea seems to change colors so drastically depending on the sky, wind, and temperature. At the moment, it is a gray-blue color on this cloudy day, not at all as colorful as on the sunny day my painting shows.

           Happy Weekend!

After the Hurricane

"After the Hurricane"                         Pastel                          11" x 11"                            $135                    ©Sharon Lewis
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             We set off for an island hoping the hurricane would miss us as predicted. It certainly wasn’t the smartest move we’ve ever made but it worked out fine. We had beautiful weather, a wonderful time, and spectacular waves to watch for a day or two.

            Happy Weekend!

Waves

"Waves"                     Pastel                 5" x 7"                   $50                       © Sharon Lewis
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    I've been trying to capture waves painting plein air which isn't easy. I have a new appreciation for the different forms that waves take. Today's attempt was painted from the edge of a cliff trying to keep my easel (weighted down by rocks) from blowing over in the strong wind. I love painting the ocean!

         

Translucence

“Translucence”            Pastel                9” x 12”              $100             © Sharon Lewis
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            I’m back from an amazing international art conference in Albuquerque (IAPS). For 5 wonderful days, I was surrounded by hundreds of very talented, generous, and fun artists. I was in heaven! I took classes with artists, Doug Dawson, Alan Flattman, Nancie King Mertz, and Kathleen Newman. I learned something new from each one. I was also fortunate to be able to take a workshop from the very talented artist and excellent teacher, Jeanne Rosier Smith. Jeanne imbues her paintings of waves with drama, light, and color. They’re absolutely beautiful! Her workshop was full of useful tips and I’m impressed with how kind and patient she was with everyone in our workshop. The painting above is the one I painted in her workshop.

Restless as a Young Heart

“Reckless as a Young Heart”      Pastel      5” x 7”     $50     © Sharon Lewis
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            I’ve been painting waves in anticipation of my upcoming workshop and it’s been so interesting to study all the variations in light and color that you can see in water as it rises in waves. I’ve also re-discovered some amazing poetry about the sea which is where I turn when I can’t think of an interesting title. This particular title comes from a wonderful poem by Carl Sandburg.  He wrote: “The sea is never still. It pounds on the shore, restless as a young heart, hunting.” See “Young Sea” for the full version of the poem.

Beach Study #2

"Beach Study #2"    Pastel      2.5” x 3.5”    $20  © Sharon Lewis
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I’m on my way to see my “baby” daughter graduate from Northwestern University Law School and I’m so proud of her! I’m also so excited because I will see both of my children on Mother’s Day for the first time in years!

I’m wishing all the mothers that I know, a restful, relaxing weekend and a very Happy Mother’s Day!