Unfinished but promising

36 x 48 WIP

18 x 24 under painting

It takes quite a bit of space to get distance on my big painting (top photo). Before I turned out the lights in the studio yesterday, I positioned the painting on my big easel and turned it to face the door. That way, as soon as I turned on lights and entered the studio, I would have that delicious experience of a first impression with it.

As soon as I saw it, I knew that I needed to do something with the background trees. They were coming forward and too detailed for the recession I desired. I brushed pastel off first with a 4" Hake and then wet the brush and wiped it around to flatten the color and pull out the definition. I don't know if it's the right value yet, but it's better and it's going back a little more. I'm slowly working my way down the painting. The land forms are folding and curving the way they should. I like working BIG!

The bottom photo shows the under painting for my next beach scene. No pastel yet, just Guerra pigments in water dispersion, painted onto Wallis Museum paper. It has some nice movement that I hope to keep when I begin applying pastel tomorrow. It will dry on my board overnight.

Any day with time spent painting is a good day. Today was a good day, indeed.

Bow

18 x 12
Dakota Board

under painting

Musicians.

Incredible people who know and understand a language of symbols. People who anticipate what is to come. Tricky meter change at the end of the movement. Build up the intensity to the next phrase. Hold the tension of the rest before entering with the note, subito piano.

Her thumb on her bow, but her mind on Hindemith.

Orcas Island Fog

Orcas Island Fog
18 x 24

Under painting

Practice, practice, practice.

You can see how the under painting provides a structure for the pastels on top.

I might re-title this to "Cat Feet" but only those who read Carl Sandburg will understand the reference. What do you think?

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

--- Carl Sandburg, "Fog" 1916

552 Westmoreland Park

Westmoreland Park plein air

18 x 24, pastel

I was determined to keep my painting grayed down today. I quickly realized how many pure pastels I have and how few grayed ones. That made my self-imposed task more difficult.

I always say that I learn a lot from every plein air painting. With this painting I learned that just because I am enamored of a certain portion of the painting, I should not ignore the problems with value. The lower left portion of the painting turned out so beautiful with the under painting, it looked just like water. However, it was too light to make sense in the painting. Next time ...

Overall, I had a great experience in a park with plentiful subject matter, good people, and I came home with a pretty good painting.

Lowell, part 1

June 2004 Santa Paula, CA
Annual Bucker Fly In

It was a great weekend of bi-planes, pilots, hangar exploring, and meeting interesting people. Many, many people.

I had just started taking art classes and had no idea that I had found a life passion. But, at the fly in I took many photos, including one of this dear man.

Lowell was in his late 80s when I met him that weekend, but his age did not stop him from being charming and flirtatious with me.

He agreed to let me paint from the photo, but if I earned money from his likeness, he expected a cut of the profit!

So far, I have painted this precious man four times. None has turned out the way I hoped. What you see here is the beginning of my fifth attempt. So far just my charcoal sketch and the under painting. Maybe this time I'll capture what I am after.

Lowell, 24 x 24, pigment under painting on Wallis paper