Well I’m going to try the gum tree January challenge. I think gum trees are natures way of expressing form. They’re really interesting. So I got a thumbnail and a master pencil. Since gum trees are the subject I added an additional tree closer and in the sunlight. I may just eliminate the lake since I don’t feel it adds to the trees. I’ll have to see as I block in. The first thumbnail was just a quickie to try tree placement.

I’ve been successful using acrylic paper. It’s much cheaper and great for experimenting. Sam I think you asked about this. I mount it on a board with tape then apply 1 or 2 gesso Coates to seal it. I tone the gesso so I can see I’m it applying uniformly. Use a very soft brush to smooth the surface Then it’s ready for painting. Before each gesso I mist the paper and smooth out the water film. When wet sometimes it does buckle but when it completely dries it goes back flat. Note that the tape can stick and tear the paper when removing. I use a hair drier to soften the tape before pulling off. Kind of like you do in watercolor. I’ve found a big difference in paper thickness and quality. A photo of the type I use. I tried canvas paper, but it was lacking. Never tried painting directly on the paper, perhaps it would work.

I was gifted a beautiful set of Mamut soft pastels for Christmas and what else could I do but try them out on a small landscape? Here is the result. I can definitely still improve my pastel techniques but I'm pretty happy with this one. I've included a picture of the absolutely lovely gift box in which the set arrived.

This oil painting is to celebrate the festive season. comments are welcome.