Polly Cullen

Fishing Net 12x18 watercolor and pastel

I worked from a photo I took in the early morning light. I enjoyed the glow on the foreground, the nets and the fisherman. i stayed quite literal with my charcoal drawing, adding the cross and enlarging the trees in the upper right quadrant to add balance and interest to the composition. next I applied a washy watercolor underpainting with lots of pinks and oranges to hopefully glow and shimmer through the pastel layers. I then worked the entire surface with layers of pastel. I wanted to emphasize the contrast betwen the cool offwhite building and the warm glow of the white boat. My goal in the early stages of pastel application was to set the stage for the mood of the sky, the translucence of the nets and a morning glow throughout the piece. I worked back and forth between warms and cools and further established values. The final layers are so much fun! I finally let the extreme lights, the highlights and the flourishes have their way. It was a fun painting process from the first charcoal to the last pastel stroke.

Airport Lines 18x24 Watercolor and Pastel

Polly Cullen is known for her ability to capture everyday life in rich color. She teaches a 4 day workshop using watercolor underpainting and pastels on a variety of surfaces. "Shimmer and Glow with Pastels" occurs in December at the Sedona Arts Center. See the details HERE.

Iris II

This is ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif painting I did for a public demo. The iris was given to me by one of my students, and I have been doing a series of paintings from photos I took of it. This is a watercolor; I poured paint and then erased it, which gives this very soft and mystical effect, which I love..

Peggy Sands • Sedona Sketch

This was a large thumbnail that overflowed it's box... It sat on my table a few days. 

I liked it so much I turned it into a little watercolor painting

I can't get over the color of the rocks here.

The Rock Path - Peggy Sands

Mixed Media 13 3/4 x 22 $395

I loved the light on the rocks, and tried to catch it, but I wasn’t happy with the painting. It lacked spice, was getting overworked and I didn’t know what to do. It sat on my table till I mistakenly spilled water on it, and it left the realm of high art forever.Another play date with a painting!Drew into it, collaged on top of it, got out my gold foil and experimented with that… needed some red so that was glued on, (the triangles)… painted some more…This way of working is affecting all my paintings. When I become tight with a painting I put it aside for a few days, and then attack it. In the back of my mind I’m afraid I’ll mess it up, but so far so good, and actually the opposite happens. My students always ask me at this ‘attack’ point how I ‘know’ what to do.I don’t, I’m just following something that has no explanation.

Sands – Messing Around in the Studio

This painting started as a disaster of a drawing that I had to do for an illustration project. Seeing as I had nothing to lose I started playing with it – painted with watercolor, drew some more, added sawdust and layered paper onto it with polymer gel...  just experimenting.
This is what happened. 
These days this is what I do - have fun. 

You can visit my website to see more: www.peggysands.com
(FYI this is what my new class ‘Romper Room Meets Foundation Drawing’ is about.)

Sedona Rocks III

Bill Fravel Watercolor on paper Sedona Rocks III 9" x 6" $225

Sedona Rocks I

Bill Fravel Watercolor on paper 6 7/8 x 11 7/8 in. $200 SOLD
I paint as a means of avoiding real work. To daub some paint on a piece of paper, give it a good story and title, hob nob with important collectors over fine wine and gourmet food and get paid for it is hardly work…or even reality! This is a view from our deck in Sedona.