Old Blue Eyes Original Pastel Painting by Michelle Montes

This is a pastel painting I recently finished, and delivered to the Brath and Hughes Gallery in Mechanicsburg, PA.  I call it "Old Blue Eyes".  It reminds me of a horse I once had named "Little Blue".  I've been drawing horses since a was a child.  My Mother says I've been drawing since I could pick up a pencil, however I don't remember that far, but I do remember I was always drawing.  My mother said I started with our dogs, then I moved on to our horses.  I couldn't stop drawing them.  I even drew them during class, recess, and on the bus to and from school.  I know this to be true because I'm on Facebook with many of my classmates and teachers from school, and they all mention this.  I never realized how much I did this, until all of them mentioned it.  I find it humorous, as we don't always realize the things we do that others notice.  I was in my own little world filled the the smell of a horse, the softness of their coats, their long mane and tails, the beat of their hooves.  Such majestic, strong, and beautiful creatures.  I'm still in awe anytime I see one.  I have to stop and look.  I can feel their lines with my eyes, the curve of their neck, the dip at the withers, and the roundness of their rump.  I just want to touch their soft little noses, and look into their  soulful eyes.  There is nothing like getting lost in the depth of their eyes.  They know something we don't.  I'm almost sure of it.

Here is a sketch I have been working on in Sennelier Oils by Michelle Montes

Here is a sketch I have been working on in Sennelier oils.  The colors one can obtain with pure pigments is just so exciting!

work in progress Horses in the Snow by Michelle Montes

I have been hoping I can finish it tonight. Let's see.

Horses in The Snow by Michelle Montes

This is on my drafting table now - a little 10 minute sketch on LaCarte paper with a red Pastel Carre'. When my husband and I went up to the family farm, we drove around while it was snowing and caught this. I grew up on a farm where we raised and trained Quarter Horses, had beef cattle, and Australian Cattle dogs. This really made me miss my horses. While I was growing up, horses were the only thing I would draw. When I showed my drawings to my mother, if they weren't right she would say "Go look at your horse." Some people would say "Oh how mean, didn't you get upset when she said that to you?" Funny thing, it never occurred to me to be upset, I just did what she said, because I knew I wasn't getting everything quite right, and I wanted to draw them well.

The O'Brian Place, Irish Hill PA by Michelle Montes

I sent off the 8x10 painting that I did on the prototype substrate to California, but I really loved working with the image, so I did it on a full sheet of LaCarte paper with Sennelier and Pastel Carre". I stayed up till 4:00am working on this because I was so moved with the subject matter. I haven't done that since Graduate school! I have already taken slides and framed it. Now, I have two more pieces of LaCarte paper left, so I think I am going to get myself busy tonight and do a few more paintings.

Beach Breeze by Michelle Montes

This was the last of the substrate that I was testing for the company, before we launch it to the public. There were three different surfaces on the same support. I needed to finish this last test and mail it so it could be in California by Monday morning for the meeting, so I did this scene, which I have done before. It wasn't about the subject anyway, but about the surface and medium I was using. This is a 8x10 pastel. I called it Beach Breeze because with all the snow recently, I think I would love a little beach and ocean time.

Snow Scene, Irish Hill PA by Michelle Montes

My husband and I went to his family farm in Susquehanna County in PA. His family has land outside of Montrose near Friendsville - an area they call Irish Hill. This is from a little patch of land that he wants to put a home on where another had burned down years ago. I love the serenity of the area, and the trees are about 150 years old. Pennsylvania is just so beautiful!

Star Fruit with Kumquats by Michelle Montes

"Star Fruit with Kumquats
Work in progress on my drafting table. Pastel on a prototype substrate. Many layers of Pastel Carre' and Sennelier half pastels.

Hello Daily Painters of Pennsylvania by Michelle Montes

Well, I have finally found the time to start my blog. I have included a link to my website. http://www.michellemontes.artspan.com/

I have been an artist since I can remember. My mother said I could draw as soon as I could pick up a pencil. I don't recall this, but I do remember always wanting to draw. I'm sure many of the artists here have similar stories. After joining the Army for four years, and working as a flight Attendant for six years, I decided to put myself through school and study art at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville TN. After receiving my BFA, I then started studies towards the MFA at the University of Tulsa. I traveled to Italy on their study abroad program for a summer semester, then when I returned I transferred to Marywood University in Scranton PA where I finished my MFA. I then started teaching as an adjunct faculty members with Penn State and Marywood. During the time that I was teaching, I started conversing with Savoir Faire and briefly worked as one of their demonstrating artist, and then briefly with the Gamblin company. Shortly after I was asked by an art material distributor to work for them full time. After about 3 1/2 years, I came back to my first love - Savoir Faire.

I am currently working for Savoir Faire - importer of fine art materials. We import products like Sennelier, Fabriano, Cretacolor, Lascoux and Artfix to name a few. I love working for them, because I really love all the products and I use them all myself. Yesterday I was working on a prototype material. It is a new product that we may be introducing this year at the National Art Materials Association trade show. It is a linen material (Artfix) and I was using our Sennelier oils. I love our oils! To know that I am using the same paint that many of my hero's from the Impressionist era were using just excites me. I am very picky about my products, and Sennelier has always been known for exceptional quality. I was even using some unconventional colors that many artists usually don't use. I have added the image, it is a 5x7 20 minute sketch. I plan to do several of these in a day, so I will keep them posted. Well, I have to say that this was fun, and I look forward to posting here more often, and viewing all the talented artists with this group. Thank you for having me here! Until next time - Happy Painting to all, and I wish you all a wonderful New Year!