Art by Niki Hilsabeck

"Wish you Were Here" 12 x 18 chalk pastel on paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/7121126-wish-you-were-here-pastel I'm finding that these spa scenes are quite relaxing to look at, and thought I would put a few together to show their consistency in colors and textures... "Bathers," "Heavenly Pool," and "Bathers II" (all chalk pastel on paper) The latest piece, "Wish You Were Here," was completed on olive-toned Canson Mi Teintes paper. It was a leftover piece from one of my art classes, and I thought I would try it for one of the spa pieces. I used to shy away from green tones (both in my house and in my art,) but I am learning to appreciate the subtle effects a green undertone has to offer in some of my works. I've always been taught that water should have a little green in it, so this has worked well for these spa pieces. There were some figures in the original photo ...

"Keep Off the Rocks" 9 x 12 chalk pastel on paper (framed) Click here to purchase Last summer, we spent a day at the beach at Aliso Creek. I don't normally go to Orange County beaches, being partial to San Diego. I did get some great photos of the rocks and cliff at this beach, though, one of which inspired this painting. This group of rocks looks particularly inviting, with lots of flat areas. It has a large sign warning people to stay off of the rocks, probably because they are constantly bombarded with waves and most likely slippery (see the green in the upper half of the painting). Throughout the day, the lifeguards repeatedly had to trot out to the rocks and tell people to go back to the sand. Finally toward the end of the day, they drove over to the area and made a loud announcement on the speaker, reminding people to stay off the rocks not only for the rest of the day, but the rest of the summer. It was pretty funny. It's been dark and rainy off and on ...

"Standing Alone" 12 x 18 Chalk Pastel on Watercolor Paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6334869-1-standing-alone-pastel It was that time of night where I was tempted to just call it a day and get some sleep, but felt guilty because I hadn't painted yet. Lying on the floor with my feet by the heater, I grabbed my chalk pastels and a large piece of Canson watercolor paper. I find it helpful to tape paper down on some type of board earlier in the day, so I have one less excuse to get out of painting. I figured I would work large and simple, use complementary colors, and toss the piece out at the end if I didn't like it. I used one of my photos of a simple, beautiful Egyptian pitcher as a reference. I didn't have much in the way of light, which also freed me from agonizing over details. I worked quickly, and had a complete (first stage, anyway) painting within a half hour. I finally felt justified in drifting off to sleep....

"Esmeralda" 9 x 12 Chalk Pastel on Paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6277001-1-esmeralda-pastel I've always had a fascination with gypsies (or at least their outfits)...one of my favorites is Esmeralda, the fortuneteller in the machine in front of the arcade at Disneyland. She looks especially interesting at night, with all of the lights around her. For this piece I broke out the Arches Cold Press watercolor paper-- I enjoy blending the chalk pastel with water, and this type of paper really lets that combination shine. I blocked in my painting with strong pastel strokes, using bright colors. Instead of smearing with my fingers, as I usually do, I used a brush and a small cup of water. I learned this time that it's best to use a stronger brush-- the brush I was using was made for Chinese caligraphy, and not at all helpful with the "bubbles" that formed when the water hit the chalk. Still, a little patience went ...