plein air, studio, educational and inspirational

I made some alterations from the small preliminary sketches I posted in the last blog. Reflecting on the photos, I eliminated any objects that didn't enhance the composition. It is good to remind yourself that just because something is in a photo doesn't mean you have to paint it. It was important that the buildings read accurately and that's when following perspective rules came in handy! If you're drawing buildings, it's a good idea to have a ruler and protractor in your drawing toolbox!

I prepared a 16" x 20" sheet of gatorbord by applying two coats of pastel pumice ground with a 2" house painter's brush. This will give the smooth surface of the gatorbord a texture suitable for the pastel painting. I like the final appearance of the random strokes, and vary between 2 and 3 coats to guarantee the entire surface is covered. Once this had dried ( wait between each coat ), I painted the entire surface with black india ink. When painting a night time scene I have also used black acrylic paint or gesso. Beginning with a dark surface aids in creating the illusion of night time and far better than battling against a light painting surface.

By now, it was time to commit, so I drew in the image with a rose madder nu-pastel stick. I have tried other drawing tools, but always return to this as my favorite approach. I love the warm red color peeking through in select spots and it is easy to readjust, erase or soften any unwanted lines before I actually begin to paint with my pastels.

As an avid plein air painter, winter can be challenging in the northeast. On the weekends, I try to get out when it isn't raining or snowing or sleeting so that means this year I have had few opportunities to paint outdoors! The weather has been a hot topic on Cape Cod this winter, definitely one for the records. It's only mid-February and we have used 4 of the 5 snow days factored into the  school calendar!

So I adapt;  and that includes  working in my studio and painting from photographs.  A couple of years ago, I began taking photos of night scenes, with the sole intention of developing a body of work that captured the beauty and mystique of the night. I love the high contrast of lights and darks, objects fading into the shadows and drama created by punching up the light sources. It's a bit like creating a visual dance of shapes, values and colors.

The creative process allows me to adapt my photographs to suit my paintings. I don't get trapped into copying the image I see. I use it as a source and start off by being playful with the shapes until I create a pleasing composition.  I spend a lot of time planning and readjusting shapes, line and movement before I move on to my painting surface.  I love the spontaneous nature of pastel painting and find that if I spend that extra time on the preliminary work I free myself up when I begin to paint. 

Here's a sample from my sketch book. I plan on featuring this painting as it progresses for this new series of blogs!

News:

*I begin the next session of Intermediate Pastel classes on Thursday February 20th. They are held at the Falmouth Artist Guild on Thursday evenings from 6-8:30 pm. Visit http://www.falmouthart.org for details.

*On Saturday, February 22 from 9-3, I am offering a one day workshop entitled "Painting from Photographs: Friend or Foe?" sponsored by Gallery Artrio in Hyannis and held at the Guyer Barn. Please email [email protected] or call 617-538-0336 for details. http://www.galleryartrio.com