linda harrison-parsons, artist

Today drove up to Hagerstown to deliver work for MD Pastel Society Show. Opening reception is July 11 from 4-7. Check the calendar or exhibition page for details. Did not make my self imposed  deadline to finish the eagle pastels this week. But, the week is not over still have Sat. to at least get the pastel part done on the last image. Then will cut the mats and look at them to see if I want to add the graphite drawing extending onto the mat. On some not all of them.

It is tax time again, spent the a.m. posting sales, expenses, donations on my computer spread sheet. So much fun, not really, but it is part of the job. Make art, sell art, pay sales tax. Need a break, then in the studio to work on the 3rd pastel eagle.

Ok, updated the web site with a new calendar. Trying to cross reference things for quick & e-z access. Need to figure out how to just download pictures to this blog without making it an album or a side picture. Need to somehow put a reference link to LinkedIN and FaceBook. I have both sites with my web site link on them but need to put those locations of this site...I am doing pretty good working the computer stuff in the a.m. and working in the studio drawing all afternoon. The 2nd eagle drawing is pretty close to done with the pastel/charcoal work. Once these 2 pieces are matted I want to add a small graphite drawing on the mat. Still thinking on that idea.

Worked on pastel of eagle yesterday, one down, 1 1/2 to go. Put finishing touches on a graphite of eagles using a light wash of watercolor over the drawing. Nice technique that I learned from the Desert Botanical Gardens, AZ this past winter.

Trying to keep myself focused and doing things in order. Want the eagle pastels done, then work on dog things for the Dog Dayz of Summer show coming up at the end of July first of Aug.

In-between that I want to do some workshops. I try to set them up as workshops so I can get some of these things done for myself, papermaking, bookmaking and have had some requests for doing monotype. Hoping to pull one off each month, July, Aug. & Sept.

Barnstomers started out with a storm, it rained most of the morning while we were trying to work. But, that did not stop the 41 artists doing this event. There were many pastel artists this year, good to see! Which made it an interesting challenge as pastels and water can be a problem. Some put up tents, some worked from their cars, some of us worked inside the barns. As we were wrapping up to take the works back to Gaver Tree Farm in New Market the sun came out. Not so great timing but nice afternoon. There was a demo on oil painting plein aire, the art work was hung, juried, awards given out and sales.

I did not sell my piece at the reception but that evening my husband & I went to Surreybrook for the summer solstice event. A woman who was with some friends of ours came up to me and ask were you working at the barns doing the laddlers painting? Yes, I was...did you sell it?  How much? I'll take it! Interesting way to make a sale and fun. You just never know when or where a sale is going to come from.

Anne Gibson Snyder coordinated the Barnstormers event with the artists. She did a wonderful job, there was music, refreshments, & beautiful flowers. The art was displayed for everyones enjoyment. Thank you, Anne for all your work!

These events are fun but also exhausting. It has been a busy spring, looking forward to working in my studio this week.

Barnstormers paint out this Sat. Frederick County, MD from 10-5, artists will display their work at Gaver's Christmas Tree Farm in New Market, MD from 4-6, this event is free and open to the public. Art will be for sale and a percentage goes toward preservation of historic barns.

Just hope the weather is not too hot and that the thunderstorms hold off till after the evening picnic at Surreybrook Gardens in Frederick, MD. Busy weekend but fun too.

Worked on eagle pastel, think it is 98% finished. Will look at it and then move on to the next eagle. There are two smaller ones in progress. Once these are finished have a dog commission piece to do and work on images for Dog Dayz of Summer show. Just breath, then go to your studio an work!

Got all the photos from WY, Idaho (our side trip going back to Salt Lake City, UT). We flew in and out of Salt Lake City and drove up to WY via 189 going past a little town called Big Piney, the Ice Box of the Nation. We came back via 89 which can go 2 directions we ended up following the one in Idaho along Bear Lake and it was a good move. Beautiful lake which had the feel of an ocean as you just looked out and saw water with no end. Driving in, over and through the mountains was inspiring. I love the look of fog layed over mountains, I got a couple photos that might just turn into either a monotype or a pastel or maybe both. Going to work on some of the raven images I started as monotypes. I worked them with the idea of adding color once they were dry. Along with them will be working on one of 3 pastels of eagles that I started before this trip. Lots of work for lots of upcoming shows.

Trying to add photos but not there yet. Help button is of course no help...will come at this a different direction but photos of workshop coming soon. 

Spent 2 1/2 days working with Amy at the Arts Center in Jackson, WY. We did monotypes, a technique that is very open ended. We started with simple non press printing, using ink on plexi plates or mylar, placing dry paper on top and direct drawing on the back of the paper to transfer the ink to the paper. Tricky but interesting results. Makes you work with your hand above the paper and somewhat blindly drawing. We tried oil and water based inks, ended with painting with oils to create the image and the next day made a protective stencil to cover the images, rolled a flat ink surface and printed the flat over the image...this of course opened up possiblities for extra prints using the stencil which now had ink on it's surface and the ghost remains of the flat ink surface. From one idea we pulled at least 3 prints. I worked some with oil based inks using the reductive method pulling ink from a solid field to create the light and mid tones of the image. Some of these I will had watercolor or pastel to finish the image. Images will be posted soon. Check out Amy's web site to view her paintings: www.amyringholz.com

Getting things ready for the workshop I am teaching in Jackson, WY next week. It is about an hour south of Yellowstone, beautiful country.

I am teaching monotypes, one of a kind prints. My hope is to use my images to show techniques in monotypes and then enhance them with pastels. This is a technique used by Degas in his dancer series.

My work will focus on wildlife from Alaska. I have these images in my head of puffins, ravens & eagles. Even had some otter's starting to take shape. I do what I call drawing in my head, I visualize the medium that I think will work best and how it should look when it is finished. Most of the time it works.

I will try to take some process photos and post them next time.