Through the Trees

Once upon I time I worked nearly exclusively in pastel (really. . .just look at the posts from 2004 and 2005; they cover a 15 year period).  Then for whatever reason, I stopped.  Now part of it is due to watercolor being more portable.  However, after playing around with my beloved Unison's this weekend, I caught the bug again.

Its a bit rough but it is a very good start.

                                      Pastel on Mi-Tientes paper 9x12

Rocks at Dawn Revisited

I never really liked this painting when I finished it.  I was still using cotman watercolors and had not come close to understand how to use them.  The plan was always to either go back or try this picture again.  Well, I decided to touch up the painting with my beloved Unison pastels.  I did not do too much (further defined the rocks by adding yellow highlights and dark purple and brown shadows and making the clouds more wispy with a light blue plus the bit of angry clouds in the upper right).  

All in all, I like it better.

                      Watercolor & pastel on 200 lbs watercolor paper, 16x12

To Make an End is to Make a Beginning -- The Return of Pastels

Pastel painting is my true passion.  While I am enjoying watercolor immensely, working in pastels is where I feel most expressive.  Hard to believe it has been nearly a decade since I have painted a landscape in pastels and 2 years since this.

This is another Key West sunset, taken while on a Wine and Wind sailing tour.  It was a great time and a perfect end to a wonderful day.  I had debated about trying this sky in watercolor, but ultimately I felt I could do it more justice in pastels.  Plus, my beautiful Unison pastels have sat neglected long enough.

What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
TS Eliot
Little Gidding

                                     Pastel on paper mounted on board 16x20

The room set up and photo reference.  Since I have flattened my high school easel for my watercolor work, I am using a table top easel for the pastels.  I like this new set up as it allows me to paint in watercolor or pastels, without wasting time finding my tools.  If you look closely, you will notice the sky in the photo is different from the final, I felt the color gradation was too jarring and needed to be softened.

 A detailed close up of the setting sun. I blended some of the colors in the clouds to give them a more atmospheric look while left the strokes in the water rougher to show motion.  Notice how the grain of the pastel paper peaks thru in some areas, but not in others.