Heilman box- tiny and wonderful!

Ooh la la, am I excited! I just received my new Heilman box in the mail! I keep going smaller with every box I buy. About 12 years ago I bought the medium box. Rather large in size it serves best in the studio. Next I moved to the backpack box, which I must admit I have 2. Each one has a different selection of brands of pastels. Now today I am the proud owner of the double sketchbox. Only 7.25x9.5x2.85. it's tiny and weighs under 5 pounds fully loaded. I placed the roll of masking tape to give you a reference point.
Last year when I saw Richard McKinley I noticed he had one. He filled it with his two Girault sets- 50 plein air and 50 neutral and friends. (of course the sticks were divided in half.) The rest of the space is filled with some of my other faves, Diane Townsend Terrages and a couple of Rembrandt's and Great Americans.
I am off to Mountain Maryland Plein Air for next week and am excited about my new box.  Since I am driving there I am bringing both backpack and sketchbox. I will let you know which is chosen and why when I return next week.
Links: Heilman boxes
           Girault pastels
           Diane Townsend pastels

Rhapsody in Pink and Magenta

9 x14 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus tax
I decided to create a new painting using yesterday's painting as a reference. This time the goal was to push it to the extremes with beautiful color/light.
Seriously I am in LOVE with the Diane Townsend terrages!!!!!!

Moment between Flakes

5 x7 pastel and frozen watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus tax
Painters need to make many decisions even before the first stroke is placed on the surface. What value and temperature key do you want? Next, how will you group things to make 2 or 3 basic shapes?
Those basic decisions made, I decided no snowflakes- only the feeling of an off and on snowy day. Usually I talk to myself a little to describe the feeling. ( I might look a little odd at this point)
Today I also played my usual game-how few strokes could I make? Those Diane Townsend Terrages help with that- chunky, no picky points. I like them more and more each day.

Spring Tease

7 x7 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Ahhhhh, we are experiencing a brief respite from the cold. Two days of painting in above freezing weather...almost feels tropical. Yesterday's (I haven't posted it yet) painting was done in 57 degrees and today's (above)was painted in 37. Nice. Enough about the weather. But the fact is it influences the painting in many ways: 1. warm enough to stray far from the car 2. watercolor doesn't freeze 3. fingers don't freeze. And 3. Comfort of the artist! Does it make a better painting???????
Check points for today-1. Two or three major masses √
-2.discreet color shifts √
-3 intriguing light √minus, not as consistent as I would like
On another note , I used the Diane Townsend terrages again...I like their crunchy feel.

Secrets by the Reservoir

11 x13.5 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
Yesterday I drove by the reservoir in the the late afternoon. With no time to paint I quickly took a photo and recorded my observations. At this point I know the reservoir intimately so I did not open the photo till the last 15 minutes of my work on this painting.
The studio can be so freeing because it's much easier (for me) to move the land masses and light to create a painting. Success? Not really, but I am full of ideas for what is next.
On another note, today I used the Diane Townsend Terrages on Uart paper. I still love them and their grittiness, but realize they are best for big works. I think I will check out her thin lines collection. I think they are the same substance.

my saviours

Potomac Gorge, unfinished work about 36 x40 pastel and oil on marble dust board

My saviors are pastels, of course. I have been researching for a pastel for my bigger works. Normally I prefer Giraults, Unisons and Terry Ludwig, but for big works I want to cover more ground faster. I do it first with paint and then the surface eats up my first layer of pastel quickly. I thought maybe La Grande from Sennelier. But my experience with Sennelier is, great color,but crumbly. I love Diane Townsends so I decided to try her terrages. I bought a small collection of neutrals from Dakota Pastel.
SO the jury is in! I love them. I want them all! The terrages work great on my marble dust board. They can keep their line and layer like crazy. Anyone else try them? What do you think?

Today is a very icy day here so I am in the studio all day. I am just hoping the power stays.