"The 'Mary' in Terry #2" with gold leaf

"The 'Mary' in Terry #2," 25 1/2" x 19 1/2", pastel and 24 kt. gold leaf on La Carte pastelboard

I have minor details to fill in at the bottom of the image, but here is another detail view

Progress on "The 'Mary' in Terry #2," & "The 'Mary' in Unni"

"The 'Mary' in Terry #2," (in progress) 19 1/2" x 15 1/2", pastel on La Carte pastel board

"The 'Mary' in Unni," 11 1/2" x 8 1/2", pencil drawing

(click images to see them larger)

Apart from her talent as an artist, fine art photographer, and musician, my friend Unni's wonderful spirit has been an inspiration to me. She has made an amazing recovery from major illness for the second time. In the summer of 2005, around the time I first began to dip into the idea of trying to make spiritual portraits, I met Unni at a religious art show where we were both participants called "Spirituality in the Arts" at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA.

When I showed Unni one of my first studies (the one which is also the masthead for this blog) and described my series to her, she was so enthusiastic about it that she posed for me right on the spot, and this drawing is based on her pose at the art show. I haven't forgotten how her enthusiasm has energized my effort with this series. Just wish I'd done it sooner for Unni's 'Mary' portrait, but at least this drawing is a start.

Unni credits her recovery from illness in part to the practice of a gentle flowing form of hatha yoga, which she now teaches. Please take a moment to read more about Unni, at her website: Unni's Healing Yoga

"The 'Mary' in Terry," #3, further progress

"The 'Mary' in Terry #3", (more progress) blue and white pastel on colorfix pastel paper

I have a little more work on the dark blue robe and general fine-tuning, and I want to try something special for the background which entails a trip to the art store, but more soon on this limited color pastel. Next I'll resume my progress on "The 'Mary' in Terry #2".

The 'Mary' in Terry, pastel #2, step 2

(pastel in progress on La Carte pastel board, 19 1/2" x 25 1/2")

My thanks to all of you who commented on my blog while I was taking a brief break!

"The 'Mary' in Terry," pastel #2 in progress

(detail)

"The 'Mary' in Terry #2" (in progress), 19 1/2" x 25 1/2", pastel on La Carte pastel board

"The 'Mary' in Terry," and Terry's Prayer

"The 'Mary' in Terry", 25 1/2" x 19 1/2", pastel on La Carte pastel board

(detail view)  (click on the images to see them larger)

Terry's transition prayer for her mother, Mary Miller:

Dear God, 

Thank you for Mary and the beautiful life you have given her and us by being a part of this wonderful family.  Countless prayers have been sent on her behalf.  My prayer for her today is that she has the courage to let go and focus on that part of her that will never die.  That she see with her spiritual eyes that she is whole now.  That she remembers part of her is a part of You; that she is able to love and accept herself unconditionally right now exactly where and how she is - cancer and all.  Amen.

Over these past weeks my friend Terry has been taking care of her mother, Mary Miller, who has been very ill and will soon be making her transition.  So I am putting out a heartfelt request at this time to please surround her and her family in love and light with your thoughts and prayers.  It's fine if it's in your own words, but my suggestion is to use Terry's own words in the prayer above which she wrote for her mother.  It's inspiring and joyful in how Terry views this transition time in her family's life.

I'm also aware that a number of you who follow this blog have parents who are seriously ill, and two that I know of are Liz Holm's Mom and Deb Kierce's Dad, so let's keep all of them in our prayers.

"The 'Mary' in Terry" in-progress, Step 5

Just a bit more work remains to be done here on the skin tones and robe, and at this point in the portrait I will also add in the background color so that I can see any light and value adjustments that may be necessary on the figure.

The 'Mary' in Terry, in-progress, step 4

Here you can see the area toward the bottom right and in the shadow area of the arm where I am blocking in the colors that will eventually blend a little more.  It's moving along, so I anticipate adding another post on my progress tomorrow.

*P.S. on Wed. post:  It turns out my modem is only functioning at 60% capacity, so the cable company is visiting me again tomorrow, plus am taking care of behind the scenes details.  Hopefully I can fit another post in either later tomorrow or on Friday.

The 'Mary' in Terry, in-progress, step 3

(click on image for a larger view)

Just adding some information here on my pastels, at Liz Holm's request.  Although I started off with a small set of Rembrandts and Othello pastel pencils years ago, I avoid sets in general,

and favor building my palette gradually as I go.  I use Sennelier and Schmincke for their rich colors and application.  Senneliers get used up quickly because they are smaller sticks and very soft, but I feel they are worth it.  I also treasure Diane Townsend pastels, which cost more (hand-rolled), but are also worth it.  All of these brands can be purchased online. 

In pastel pencils I've experimented with various brands, and it also depends on the texture of the surface you are working on, but my favorites for the La Carte surface are Cretacolor and Generals, with a few Conte's thrown in.  (General's white charcoal pencil and black charcoal pencil are especially nice).  

Safety procedures are very important with pastel.  More about safety in another post.

The 'Mary' in Terry, (pastel-in-progress, step 2)

A close-up view of the area I've been working on.

The 'Mary' in Terry (pastel-in-progress)

(click on the image for a larger view)

25 1/2" x 19 1/2" pastel in progress on La Carte pastel paper

Commissioned Portrait

"Katie's Childhood Memories," 10" x 10," pastel and charcoal on toned gessoed paper

I have a small surprise coming up right before my panel update, and I'm working on the start of the pastel of Terry, but here is just one example of the commissioned portraits I do.  I enjoy doing both commissioned and non-commissioned portraiture.

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly" (final version)

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly," 19 1/2" x 25 1/2", pastel on La Carte sanded pastel paper

(click on image for a larger view)

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly" (more progress)

(pastel on Sennelier La Carte pastel paper)

Mary in Amma in Kimberly (progress)

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly"

my Indian wedding sari

I had some errands today, including a trip to the art store for a few new pastels and pastel pencils, so I'll try for adding another photo of my progress on the pastel of Kimberly later tonite, but I promised to talk a little about my decision on it's title.  When we did the photo-shoot of Kimberly for the series of works I wanted to do of her, I had a number of white fabrics I used as veils, but I also tried putting my Indian wedding sari on her as another kind of Mary veil, and we wound up using this special sari in about 50% of the photographs I took.  I love my Indian wedding sari, and it hangs in the doorway of my studio these days.  I was told when I bought it in a small shop in the East Village that this particular kind of wedding sari is from the 1970's and is not made anymore, since the beads were sewn on by hand.  

It felt apropos for Kimberly to wear it, because it was Kimberly who introduced me to Amritanandamayi Ma.  In fact, Kimberly and her husband were honored to be married in 2003 with Amma performing the wedding ceremony.  

This was one of the poses that to me is a portrait of both the 'Mary' in Kimberly and the 'Amma' in her also, and since I've explained how, for me,  Amma is a kind of living manifestation of Mary, it feels like both in that way also.  Hence the somewhat mystifying title of "Mary in Amma in Kimberly".  It feels just right somehow.

I want to thank Kathleen Coy who yesterday was the third person to honor me with the "Passion for Painting" award.  It's truly an honor each time it is passed, and since I've recently responded to this award, and will be responding to it again for my miniature blog, (on April 5 after my painting sale), I'll simply recommend that you check out Kathleen's beautiful dog portraits, paintings and photographs.  Apart from appreciating Kathleen's creativity, I'm a little in love with her sweet dog Cloud too!

More on the pastel of Kimberly

pastel in progress (detail view)

I'm still working on this, and may post again on it's further progress tonight.  It's an Indian wedding sari that Kimberly is wearing here, and for several reasons I've been debating over what I wanted the name of this painting to be.  To find out the name I chose, check back in tomorrow.

More pastel in progress ~ Kimberly

pastel in progress (working right to left helps me avoid smudging, since I am left-handed)

*I'm also honored to receive an award, created by Kim Ratigan, which is being passed from artist to artist in honor of their passion for painting from Akiko Watanabe.  The receiving artist is asked to acknowledge the artist who passed on the award (please check out Akiko's wonderful art by clicking on her name), name 7 loves, and pass it forward to 7 artists.  (I received this same award for my Ruby Slippers blog too, from Deb Kierce this week, and will post in response to that on The Ruby Slippers following the end of my spring sale on April 5.)

7 loves:   1) water  2) the color viridian green  3) the color coral melon  4) Mary  5) Amritanandamayi Ma  6) Mother Meera  7) God

Most of the artists I'd like to acknowledge have received this award, but there are 3 I would like to pass it on to:  my friend Bill Mundy, a great miniature portrait painter, and my friends 

Wes and Rachelle Siegrist a very special husband and wife team of wildlife miniature painters.

Pastel in progress ~ Kimberly

(pastel on van dyke brown Sennelier La Carte pastel paper)

"Surprise Daddy!"

"Mona and Ben" 5 1/8" x 6 3/4", charcoal and pastel on gray sand-grit pastel paper (NFS)

I forgot that I wanted to do this post on both of my blogs:  My father passed away in April '07, and March 18 of this week would have been his 86th birthday, and it is still a tough week for me.  I wanted to honor his memory with one post, since my blogs began after he passed.  I love knowing that if he were still here, he would be on his computer checking them every day!  I'm sure he is enjoying them in spirit anyway.  This is drawn from my favorite photo of Dad and I, and the photo-version is also my screensaver.  I have a post coming up for my Mom within the next month also, but this one's for you Dad.  Love you always!