Art by Niki Hilsabeck

"Bowing Oak" 9 x 12 inch Chalk pastel on flat canvas Click here to view large or purchase There are many sights that inspire artists here in Fallbrook.  Live Oak Park is both a wonderful location for families and a great place to take in the play of light and shadow on the trees. As a child, I remember enjoying the twists and turns of the park and the large, shady areas to run wild with other kids.  As an adult who likes to paint trees, I have a whole new appreciation for the park.  The tree in the painting above inspired me both from an artist's and a child's point of view.  It reminded me of the dryads in one of my favorite childhood book series, The Chronicles of Narnia .  Although I enjoy the Narnia movies, my memories of the books are much stronger, and one of the scenes I often think of when I see such lifelike trees is when Susan and Lucy happened upon the Dryads dancing in the moonlight. "Bowing Oak" was created with my favorite ...

"Sierra Slopes" 8 x 10 inch Chalk and Oil Pastel on Flat Canvas Click here to view prints I learned a few things on a recent trip up highway 395. Babies can only handle so much time in a carseat (especially on the way home.  It's like they know ). My phone can take focused pictures through glass at high rates of speed (not above the speed limit, of course).  There might be some reflections on the photo, but I can edit those out as needed. A long car trip is much more tolerable if you look at the scenery as potential paintings. Not all McDonald's bathrooms are created equal. Once I got home, I flipped through my photo gallery on my phone and was pretty excited about what I had.  As I worked on this painting, I did a little thinking about the benefits of using flat canvas for pastels: Less prep work: no paper, board, tape required! Nice toothy, textured surface (not great if you like that velvety smooth look, though) Lightweight, easy to handle ...