Friday, August 28, 2015

Beach Colors 2

Pastel, 8x8 on Wallis

This is an interpretation and expression of the small dunes that edge the beach.  The sea oats stand without formation until the wind comes up and pushes them all in the same direction.

To purchase, contact me.  Painting is in GNG, St. Augustine, FL.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Dune Expressions


Original photo - problem with the camera and setting

  
Second photo with better camera and more precise colors

Pastel, 6x9

This painting is a representation of the view through the dunes to the beach.  The sun is bright and the wind is brisk.  The clear light turns all the colors up a notch.  I did this small study to test my design and color selections for a larger painting.

To purchase, visit my entry at Daily Paintworks.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Marsh Expectation

Pastel, 9x12

This painting represents a challenge to take a portion of a photograph - in this case a very small portion - and to emphasize the design elements and simplify the palette.  No bright greens were used in this painting with the expectation that other colors and values would suggest the marsh grass in this vista.
This painting was executed in the Lyn Asselta workshop, and she's the one who took all the bright green out of my box!  Thanks for raising my expectations.

To purchase, go to my Daily PaintWorks.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Lyn Asselta Workshop

Lyn Asselta Workshop, Making the Most of Photographic Reference Material

I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in a Lyn Asselta workshop with six other members of the First Coat Pastel Society.  The subject and emphasis of this was turning our reference photos into better paintings.  Here are the results.

I want to thank Lyn Asselta for her patience and unrelenting push to make us better in what we love to do.

Day 1 - the pre-workshop assignment was to do a field study of a scene and bring a photo in color and B&W of the view we painted.  Using that study and the photo our first in-class assignment was to produce another quick study of the same scene making any changes that seemed necessary.  Unfortunately, I later spilled coffee on both those paintings. Trust me, no great loss.

The rest of the day was devoted to creating a larger version of the study.


Day 1, Study 1 - Salt Marsh Reflections, 9x12


Day 2

For this study, I took the same photo and selected one portion that I thought provided a good design and potential.  We did a number of drawings, value reductions, and notans to come up with our "best" design.

As I was starting this painting, Lyn took away all my bright green pastels - how can I do a salt marsh in summer without green?!!!!

 Day 2, Study 2 - Salt Marsh Distance, 9x12

 Day 3

Using the same photo, we started with a small study of the design from Day 2 done entirely from memory.

Day 3, Study 3, Salt Marsh Memory, 6x6


Using another photo in color, Lyn gave us 2 minutes to study the photo and then 15 minutes to paint a small study,

Day 3, Study 4, Beach Dunes,  5x5


For the next four paintings, we were to choose a specific, limited palette, and paint the same image as Study 3 from memory.  Here are the results.

Day 3, Study 5, Split Complements - Blue, red-orange, and yellow-green

 Day 3, Study 6, Complements - mauve (reddish purple) and green


Day 3, Study 7, Monochrome - Blue - Dark values


Day 3, Study 8, Warm tones of limited palette


By the end of the day, I was dragging, but I believe that the last effort was the most successful of the small exercises.  

 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

"Low Tide, color sketch"

Pastel on Wallis, 6x9

I did this color sketch at Tide View Park. I wanted to capture the color of the grass and simple reflections against gray-purple sand of the marsh.  When I stopped with this sketch after 30 minutes, the tide had completely covered the sand.  Paint the shore line first, because it is what changes most quickly.

Path in the Pines

Pastel 12x16 on LuxArchival 100 This view of an old path through the pine woods has held my attention for years.  The woods are now a housin...