I started an Oil Pastel group on the Paint My Photo web site.  This site is dedicated to the sharing of photos between photographers and artists for use by artists to use as reference photos in the creation of their art.  It's a free site open to artists and photographers.

This painting is loosely based on one of the reference photos.  The lady in red with the lantern is from the photo, all the rest is my imagination.\

It's an oil pastel, 11 by 14 inches on canvas panel.

My latest painting:  An oil pastel, 12 by 24 inches on canvas panel.
Artists use manikins to aid with figure drawing.  I decided to just paint the manikin.  I use this painting at the entrance to my art display at art fairs.  He is my official greeter.  He's "Howdy the Manikin."

Hiatus

I have been down for quite some time.  I was incapacitated shortly after my last October posting with back pain.  I under went back surgery later in the month and have been in the doldrums since.

Fortunately the pain is gone but I have permanent left foot drag that is helped quite a bit with a brace.  I now walk with a cane.

It must be quite a sight when I walk my dog, Gus, and he decides to take off after something or someone and he drags this stumbling, semi cripple behind him.  He weighs almost 140 pounds.  His taking off after someone isn't an attack but he expects everyone he sees to come and pet him.  He has a couple of neighbors that give good back rubs and there is just no holding him back when he sees them.

Top photo is Gus, of course (one of the loves of my life)
The bottom photo is of my number one daughter, Tammy.  This was a few days after my surgery and I still had a lot of pain at the time.

I hope my muse will return and I can start painting again.