Timed Study 2 - Harvest Begins

Timed Study 2 - Harvest Begins, pastel 15x24 cm. (6x9.5)

This is my second timed study - 22 minutes with 16 pastels + 1 pastel pencil.  I did this study on Pastelmat, a surface that I haven't used for some time.

For this study, I ventured outside my comfort zone of beaches and marshes and returned to my roots. I developed the design and concept for this painting was from some drawings and photos I brought back from my last trip to Iowa.  In addition to the timed study exercise, I wanted to text color and value in this composition for use in a larger work.


The concept and motive for this study is the pair of old silos that stand unused beside the steal and aluminum grain bins. This is a "between times" in Iowa; some of the fields are still too green to harvest, but other fields are already bare.

Here is the palette of pastels I used for this painting. This selection forced me to make choices based on value and temperature rather than expected hue.