Daxon says Shhhh! - by Linda Evans Davis

I spent the last two days painting my grandnephew in soft pastel. He is one of a pair of twins. Although people who don't know them may think they look alike, they are yin and yang to each other and best buddies. Daxon is the little engineer -- quiet and brilliantly observant. His wheels are constantly turning in his head as he figures out how things work. I will be painting his brother as well, who is a little firecracker. 

This has been a breakthrough piece for me. I have been struggling a little this month as I have been incorporating new, very soft pastels into my work. I had to learn not to be so heavy handed. For some reason with this piece I started to get the hang of it, and I'm starting to understand why the "buttery" brands are so coveted by my fellow pastelists.

I love painting kids in pastel, so don't hesitate to email me if you'd like to commission a portrait (Linda.evans.davis@gmail.com).

Plaza statue pastel painting in progress

I'm starting a new pastel painting. It's one of the characters from the Plaza fountain. I love all the different colors that are in the darks in the original photo. It will be a good project for showing form with color rather than value, as it was a sunny day when I took the photo, and the image has high contrast.

Work in progress: reacquainting myself with pastels

I pulled out my soft pastels today for the first time in years to paint a portrait of my friend's daughter. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed pastels. I love having a huge box of pretty colors to choose from instead of mixing every shade and tone needed. And there's just something about the velvety texture that feels lush. I am definitely going to add pastel portrait commissions to my website. So fun!

This portrait isn't finished. I will update soon.