"Refreshed with Rain" Stage 3

 

Pastel on gatorboard; 20x16

BIG MISTAKE!

Important lesson for using self-sanded gatorboard - don't apply denatured alcohol to "fix" a pastel under paint and then rub it while the alcohol is damp.  It takes the sand off.  Here is the result.  I had to "resand" the lower half of this work which wiped out what I had done.

Picture was taken with a flash, obviously, because I didn't want to take the time to set up a tripod for this tragic shot.

Atmospheric Perspective on the marsh

"Atmospheric perspective" - value and color become less distinct and dramatic as distance increases. Soft edges are the result, but soft edges do not mean imprecise, blurred, or fuzzy edges. This is particularly true on the marsh. The horizon can be very distinct, but it is so close in value among the sky, the water, the tree line, and the distant marsh that the casual glance fails to see the distinction. That is the "problem" I'm facing in my current project. I must create soft edges with precision and keep them from looking fake.

"Refresh with Rain" WIP

Stage 1
This is the first picture - taken to check composition and color foundation. I've found that setting the color of the sky and horizon first creates the "key" for the rest.

Stage 2
Changed some of the composition.  Working on "soft" edges using value and color in the background.


Pastel on gatorboard: 20x16

Cedars with Color

Pastel on Gatorboard, 14x11

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This painting was started from beneath the Beach Blvd. bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway.  It was raining, and the colors of the salt marsh were spectacular.  The part of the scene that attracted my attention most was the stark contrast between the dark, gray-green cedars with the marsh grasses and coastal shrubs that the rain had turned to brilliant green and gold.

With the rain, I had to do most of this back in the studio, where I could work with edges, colors, and the composition.

"Marsh in the Autumn Rain"

Pastel on gatorboard - 14x11

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This is a view of the marsh and the Intercoastal Waterway from the access road that goes under the Beach Blvd bridge. I've painted this before. The bridge provides a little shelter when it rains. The gray/purple sky bathes the marsh grass a special light that paints everything in dark, warm gold and brown.

"Tide Veiw Park at Low Tide"

Pastel on gatorboard; 14x11

This painting was started on location - en plein air - but the rain chased me in before I could finish.  I finally had time to get back to this and finish it this morning.  The rain was coming in from the northeast, and the tide was completely out which created this drama on the marsh.

"So Many Ways to Go"

Pastel on gatorboard, 14x11

SOLD

I did this painting on request.  I found this oak tree in the woods near our house.  The old hunting trails go in everywhere direction from here, and the sunlight gets through the trees making the pine straw and fallen leaves sparkle with color.  There are deer tracks everywhere!

Note - October 24, 2011.  The person for whom this was painted, selected another painting instead, so I did some revisions this afternoon.  I tried to punch up the value separations some - I like it better.