Category Archives: Challenges

#30paintingsin30days, Day 18: Evening Wildflowers

Evening Wildflowers, pastel, 10 x 14 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

On a sweltering, sticky August evening I discovered an incredibly beautiful patch of native wildflowers intentionally seeded at Scott Conservancy Kane Woods. I forgot about sweaty hands and the pulse of the sun directly in my face because it was also touching each and every flower on that hillside, filling leaves and petals with brilliance. […]

Winter Sunbath, Warm Spots on the Coldest Days

Late Winter Sunbath, pastel, 6.5 x 9.5 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

I’d always wanted to paint this photo of my orange boy, Allegro. I took the photo in 1993 or 1994, and it’s been on my mind all this time. I wanted not so much to paint a portrait of Allegro as I wanted to capture that moment that was so much Allegro in his quiet, […]

Winter Sunset, After Rothko

It’s actually the sunset reflected on the eastern horizon, but I guess it could be the western sky as well. It’s from memory, not from life or from a photo, but it’s something I visualized when I’d looked at the horizon at sunset out my back window, a clear cold cloudless sky and deep shadow […]

Quiet Time in the Studio

"Studio Morning Shift", pastel on black pastel paper, 9 x 12 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

After the crazy hours getting ready for the holidays and the mess I made up here, it’s nice to clean it up, get back to artwork and enjoy some quiet times in the studio while Mimi, Mewsette and Mr. Sunshine nap by the window. “Studio Morning Shift” was another such painting from this past January […]

September 2017 #30PaintingsIn30Days Review

September 2017 30 Paintings in 30 Days Gallery

Thirteen new paintings in one month is not bad, especially when they’re images I’ve been intending to paint either for only days, or for decades, and I really like each one of them. One thing I caught myself doing this time was putting my goal of a variety in medium and subject, size and style […]

#30paintingsin30days, Day 27: I Want To Be Where That Gull Is Standing

I Want To Be Where That Gull Is Standing, Pastel, 9 x 12 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Really, it’s true, I just decided to be honest with the title. The seagull is standing on a beach on Hilton Head Island and I’d like to be there at just about any point, weather conditional. I took photos of the beach when I visited my niece and I’m just working my way around to […]

#30paintingsin30days, Day 26: Allegheny River Reflections, Pastel

Allegheny River Reflections, pastel, 12, x 16 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

This is a view of the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania, seen from Tarentum. I took a quick walk through the park along the river on a beautiful autumn day and took as many photos as I could. The hill is very high and steep behind this row of trees and otherwise the hill comes […]

#30paintingsin30days, Day 25: Flowers For Sale, Oil Pastel

Flowers For Sale, Oil Pastel, 6 x 10 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Three buckets of flowers for sale on the street corner, just waiting to be painted. I chose oil pastel for this painting because of all the techniques I’ve learned to use with it. The background of the flowers was really dull and I wanted to be able to create something interesting from it. I like […]

#30paintingsin30days Day 24: Main Street September Morning

Main Street, September Morning, pastel, 8 x 11 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

I love quiet little street scenes, and living in a small town they aren’t difficult to find. There were people around aside from me—some of the shadows on the sidewalk are from cars—so it was just a momentary empty sidewalk. But I remember paying more attention to the two flags slowly waving back and forth […]