Winter Lake

Winter Lake, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8x8 inches

I have painted this image several times. It always jumps out from my photos as I search. It seemed like the right thing to do to try it again with pastels and watercolor.  I like the differences that the medium brought -- it's equal parts calm and animated.  Not bad for the middle of a tremendously cold winter. 

Happy Birthday to my daughter Reid, who turns 17 today!  Reid is a junior in a Visual Arts Magnet program at her High School. She recently won a Scholastic Gold key for a painting she did (sadly I don't have a photo), and a Silver key for a multi-media (mostly textiles) portrait piece.

Bridge in the Woods, watercolor and pastel on 

watercolor paper, 6x8 inches

I found an old photo that I had taken in January, when everything was brown and grey. Sound familiar?  There is always color to be had even during the grey days. 

I have been working towards a more abstract execution. Or at least that is my projected goal. I think with each of these little paint/pastels, I feel I am accomplishing this while I am in the middle of working on it. When I view the finished product though, it's still too tight. Rome wasn't conquered in a day. On I learn.

Parklands 4

Parklands 4, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

6x8 inches

Getting more abstract, and bringing more color into the mix. Just for the fun of it :-)

Parklands 3

Parklands 3, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8x8 inches

"Parklands 3" turned out to be a painting/drawing that is gaining with the momentum I am trying to achieve.  I love when a serene and quiet scene has an element that seems to be going at a totally different speed, if you look hard enough.  Not to spell it out but with this scene, it is obviously the foreground. I continue to have fun, looking with an open eye, for ambiguity in a world full of color and shape.

Parklands 2

Parklands 2, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8 x8 inches

This photo reference was from a solo hike I did back in December when the weather had been gray for too many days. I got my rump out to explore a relatively new park in the Louisville area.  The only problem -- it was a long drive from where I live.  By the time I arrived I was claustrophobic from being in a car by myself, so I walked for quite a while to shed that feeling. And I took some very serene and still photos.  There wasn't another human to be found, which left the landscape begging for attention. Not a difficult thing for me to do.

The pastel on this drawing became a bit whimsical and active. I'm starting to miss larger scale drawing all of a sudden, despite the fact that I am quite content still with painting small. 

Shoreline

Shoreline, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

6x8 inches

As my research and exploration continues with pastel, I have discovered an interesting technique that seems to be not altogether uncommon among pastel artist, and that is applying an under painting of watercolor.  I went and bought some new watercolor paper and a few colors and brushes to explore this technique. I stated in the previous post that I  know little about pastels, but I absolutely know NOTHING about watercolor. Luckily, my mistakes won't show as the pastel becomes the top layer. Plus I hope to become looser and more abstract with practice.

Pastel over watercolor adds a beautiful, playful level of layers depending on your method of application (smear or not to smear, that is the question). So far, it has been a lot of fun to "play" with, and I feel it is working for me right now.  It allows me to be out of my cold, basement studio and upstairs at a table where I am quite comfortable.  I can "prep" a drawing by painting in the evenings when I am tired, and then continue working on them in the mornings before leaving for work at my 8-5, with the lively pastel when I am...not tired. 

Just for the record, my watercolor paper is acid-free, cold pressed (140 lb.).  I like the texture so far, but I am still a newbie. I will be working on pastel as long as the weather is cold, or I get bored, whichever comes first :-)  Contact me if you are interested in purchasing.