Halloween Treat

about 6x10 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus tax and shipping
This morning the grasses were covered with frost: serious glove weather again.
Recently I have been rereading Hensche on Painting. He reduces some important painting ideas into few words. He preaches "light key," something I have been thinking about a lot recently.
Hensche says, "Always turn your study of the landscape into studied large masses until you have achieved the light key." Today (with the freezing color weather) those decisions were made lightening fast in watercolor, carried to the car to dry by the heater and next elaborated on with pastel. That's my Halloween trick for you. Now, back to the studio. Happy Halloween!

Dusk on the Field and underpainting

underpainting 3 layers pastel on board
7.5 x 7.5 Pastel and acrylic on board $100. plus tax and shipping
I love color..therefore I tend to use a lot of it. This was a lesson for me about the power of neutrals. As I work on my big river at dawn painting I felt the need to play.

Frozen Treasure

watercolor underpainting
about 6x10 pastel and watercolor on paper $100. plus tax and shipping

It was beautiful when I arrived at the reservoir. That's when I did the watercolor. All of a sudden....whammo! The wind cooks up and my umbrella blows away. Next, by luck, I caught my easel in the process of tipping over. Crazy! It is the time of frozen fingers and big winds. I always wonder how long I can hold out before it's all studio time and no plein air. For now my days will begin to alternate.

Gold Streak

8x8 pastel on Uart paper $100. plus ship and tax
After finishing yesterday's painting the light changed completely and what a change it was! The gold light streamed in over the tree tops. It's cool to put yesterday's entry and today's side by side and see the progressions of light.

Magnificent Fog

6x6 pastel on Uart paper $100. plus ship and tax
It was certainly worth getting up early this morning. Yesterday's rain saturated the ground and made for a magnificent fog. On days like this it is most difficult to decide which of my favorite locations to go to for my morning work. The river usually wins.

Path through the Daisies

about 6x6 pastel and watercolor on board $100. plus tax and shipping Sold
Today was a day of socializing and selling my work at my school's Fall Bazaar. Thank you to all the wonderful, supportive parents and enthusiastic young artists (children) of Lowell School who stopped by to chat. Finally when my day was done, it was time to paint. After looking at many of my field paintings all day, I had this one on my mind.

Overcast October Afternoon

after, about 6.5x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
before
It was glove weather at the river. Overcast, as we await tomorrow's storm. I painted/struggled through the "before" at the river. Unsatisfied with my work I took it to the studio and made some changes. Better? I don't know. Overcast skies are the hardest to paint.

Momentary Glimpse

about 6x10 pastel on Uart paper
Dawn and dusk are two most beautiful transitory moments. Some of their beauty comes from the fact they simply don't last. This was a 5 minute luscious period on the river.
Get the essence quickly, then remember and finish.

Sketch for River at Dawn

4x4 pencil on paper, small sketch for bigger painting NFS
This one has been hanging in my brain for awhile now. I believe that even though I love plein air painting the most, it's best to always have another biggie cooking on the studio easel. So this is one of my small B&W sketches. The idea comes from the small dawn paintings down at the Potomac.

Potomac Dreams

13.5 x 17 pastel and watercolor on marble dust board (saved for the gallery)
I have been working with this one for months and I finally think I got the feeling. The colors in the jpeg are not quite exact but ok.

Frosty Early Morning Meadow

9x12 pastel and watercolor on board
The October chill is here. Colors filter through the cold morning air and create a frosted look. Quite a challenge!

Bronze Beauty

about 12x12 pastel on paper
After a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain this morning I decided to keep working on "Hill at Forest Glen". While hiking I noticed the way the trees were getting this bronze glow. What a good way to help resolve "Hill."
When I was at the museum yesterday I read this wonderful quote from Paul Gauguin. " I close my eyes to see." Cool, eh? I guess that is what you really need to do.

Sugarloaf Gold

about 6x6 pastel and watercolor on paper $100.
Today was actually a day off for me. I spent it visiting some of my old friends down at the National Gallery of Art: Monet, Sanford Gifford and Whistler. Sometimes it is good to just stop and just reflect on where you are going and how you are getting there. Today was the day. This is an "illegal spare" that I painted last weekend at Sugarloaf Mountain.

October Morning

about 12x12 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $330.
I used yesterday's small painting as the concept for this somewhat larger studio painting. It's funny I saw the painting in my head last night. I tried and tried, finally this morning after a couple more hours I wiped it out....or so I thought. Seeing its ghost image, I knew what to do. Once I can put away the reference material and only speak to the painting it makes sense. Lesson to learn.

Hill at Forest Glen

9x12 pastel on la carte paper $100. plus ship and tax
I was on my way to the river and the sight of a neighborhood hill stopped me. Since my time with this special light was limited I chose to work on colored paper. Back to the river now....

Ode to Richard

about 6x6 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Today I decided to go to one of my favorite haunts and test my new understanding on familiar grounds (yet different light-4:45-almost 6:00). Here is my (hopefully understandable) explanation -----Simultaneous contrast.....a color is different depending on which color is adjacent. You can really make that work when it is the same value, different temperature. Thank you Richard McKinley and Josef Albers. Little pieces of dancing colors sitting next to each other. Can you see it in this little jpeg?

Gold Takes Over

6.5x6.5 pastel on Uart paper $100.
Next painting, this time the field began to open up into warm light. A group of teenage bucks leaped through as I painted. Wow!
Challenge for this- paint the light key without getting persnickety on detail.

Meadow Early Shadows

6.5x6.5 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Back to the meadow, but this time it was doused in a cool, morning shadow with small highlights. Challenge -paint the field light without breaking up the shape with separate distracting grass shapes.

A Different Version of Color Field Painting

13x14 pastel and watercolor on wallis board $310.
Today I found a new field. The colors of the grasses are exquisite. I attempted to give that impression in my painting. I am beginning to feel like I am on to a new understanding about color and its relationships. More on that later.

Melon-colored Fog in October

9x9 pastel on Uart paper $150
Back again. One thing I have learned about myself is, once I find something I like I easily become obsessed (painting places, soy chais...etc). Today I went to the river with the intention of playing with vibrating colors....same value- opposite temperature. It's hard to tell in this jpeg, but it really worked in the darkest tree/sky light.

The Veil

9x9, pastel on Uart paper, $125.
This is the first painting I did yesterday when the canal was enveloped in fog.What a majestic presence the fog has!

Sun Fingers

9x9, pastel on Uart paper, $125.
As I drive down to the river the vision of fog always brings a smile to my face. This morning was no exception. The river was veiled in it. The light changed quickly, as the veil lifted and dropped. I completed one painting and then the light fingers came through the fog. WOW! So I stayed and began another painting. I will post the first one tomorrow.

The Watchful Eye

9x9, pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $150.
This painting has been sitting in my head for a few days now. There is a line of trees in front of the reservoir and lately they have been catching my eye. It's interesting to me because, in the past, I tended not to choose foreground importance in a painting. Today I felt bold. I even intentionally broke the " don't but your main object in the center" rule. I think it works because my actual area of interest is above center. What do you think?

Quick Study of Sunset

7x7 pastel and watercolor on paper NFS
Tonight I worked over and over again from this study. Even though this study has its own problems, at least it's fresh.
Sometimes I am guilty of, pardon the expression, "beating a dead horse." I just won't give up. Well the painting died a slow death at least twice.
Tomorrow's another day:-)

Golden Wonder

9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $150. plus tax and shipping
Vibrant color, sapphire and goldenrod, accented with rich neutrals; this one clicked. Today the words of Richard McKinley (my mentor) were ringing in my ears. This summer he told me to try to "leave 50% watercolor underpainting." I guess when you try to do that you get 30% underpainting with 70%pastel...but lot of vibration from the underneath color.
Another note, I just heard from the Maryland Pastel Society. I am honored to become a signature member of that group. Check out their website: www. marylandpastelsociety.com/
Soon I will have my work on their web page!

October 6, 2008 Farmland Peek-a-Boo

8x8 pastel on Uart paper
Right past Dulles Airport you find farmland that is quickly being converted into subdivisions:-( The land is gorgeous; rolling hills, speckled trees and peek-a-boo light. At this particular sunset it reminded me of California.

October 5, 2008 Just Around the Corner

8x9.5 pastel and watercolor on wallis board
I love this place in the early morning. The light just creeps around the corner, waiting its turn to saturate the river with its goodness.

October 4, 2008 #342 Happy Anniversary!!!!

8x8 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $150. plus tax and ship
Today marks my one year anniversary blogging: one year, 342 entries/paintings!
Painting is mostly about discipline and willingness to explore. Talent comes after: for without discipline and openness , nothing grows.
To mark my anniversary I, of course, visited my old friend, the river.
I want to thank all my loyal subscribers for sharing my year long journey with me. I invite you to send me an anniversary comment about my works, past or present.
Can't wait to see what is next!
Loriann

October 3, 2008 By the Milkweed Field

8x8 pastel on Uart paper
Aububon Center, early morning, light key focus. Right beyond this tree is a field that is filled with milkweed. It is the first year there have been only a few Monarch butterflies filling the field. The population is down. I wonder if this is an indication of something.

October 2, 2008 Studies of the River/Light Key

4.75x9, pastel on Uart paper, $75.
4.75x 4.75pastel on Uart paper
Today I once again did light key studies. Clear, crisp, early morning light is one of my favorites.

October 1, 2008 Sunrise over Metropolitian Ave.

sketch, 4x6.5 pastel on paper
This morning I did a quickie. My goal was to be true to the light key- nothing else. I chose sunrise because it is so dramatic and moves fast. Due to this choice I had no time to sniggle and noodle the painting. Capture the essence only.