Didn’t get a chance to write down my thoughts and ideas yesterday (and I may do some more work today)

RejectionToo - 22″ x 56″ Acrylic and Oil Pastel on paper

One thought was that the Acrylic base and Oil Pastels on top allows me create a lot more nuances in color, easier and quicker than if I tried to do it with Oil Pastels alone; it’s also probably better to use acrylic on paper than Oil Pastel.

Also, some of these color effects are very easy for me to do - but does that make them any less valuable - if that’s what I do well - should I be trying work against it?  Probably not.

Right now maybe there are all experiments - just to see what works.

Painted some more today and looked at SireN of Jellousy, which I liked.

So, I got frustrated, painting on paper, running out of certain oil pastel colors, I used acrylics freely and then discovered something totally unexpected.

It’s quite possible I can combine acrylics and oil pastels, by using acrylics first, broadly, then going over, with oil pastels, or oil paint.

Wow!

Here’s 5 oil pastel studies I did in France this week, all were done in Aix-en-Provence and I’m sad that I’m home - but I needed to come back yesterday.  Still, parting with the people on my art tour and the countryside was tougher than I thought it would be.  Had I thought this out more clearly ahead of time, I would have stayed longer. 

But then, it’s hard to know some things in advance.   The trip to Aix was so deep and meaningful to me that I can’t put it into words and I shed several tears while leaving - tears I still feel today:

Cezzane’s back yard - Sunday, June 3rd, 2007 (above).

Place Vendome - Aix-en-Provence

Porch Study - Aix-en-Provence

Last study in Aix - I felt really sad to leave - I still do.