Pine Portrait

Conte on Paper, 15x11

I wanted to capture the substance and stature of a stately pine that grows on a pond near my home.  I did the drawing with sanguine Derwent Drawing pencil.  I like the sense of color and the smoothness that these pencils supply.
This is my first effort of the new year.

Hunting in the Tall Grass

Pastel on Self-sanded Arches, 15x11

In the morning, the views across the marsh to the line of pine and cedar trees are always full of mystery and contrast.

The summer is coming and the colors are turning from reds and brown to green and gold. The cedar trees provide the solid, deep shadows and the various kinds of marsh grass throw in the color. The pine trees stand above oaks, cedars, and underbrush as “tree herders” watching over their ragged and tangled charges.

June 2, 2013, I added the egret and changed the name. At low tide, the egrets hunt small fish and crabs in the few puddles that remain of the tide, and they hunt lizards in the tall grass. The original painting was done en plein air at Castaway Island Preserve, Jacksonville and submitted under the title "Ragged Marsh," but by adding the egret, I reclassified this as a studio piece.

Stay on the Path

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16a

Pastel on Self-sanded Arches, 15x11

I am always inspired by the beach and the dunes in the early morning.  The air is still and bright.  There is the promise of heat later, and the sea breeze will come, but for these special few moments, all is cool and quiet.

Beach conservation has come a long way, and most people stay on the old paths through the dunes.  The footprints from the previous day remain, but most of the dunes are pristine and untracked.

I developed the basic design of this piece for a 10-minute sketch.  I completed it with memories of experiences and a combination of a number of reference photos.