more buttercups, revisit

This one is pastel on a gesso and marble dust board. It also has a thick watercolor underpainting. I am going through older paintings that need resolve.

pastel and liquin

Finding new ways to layer can mean studio time. This pastel has an underpainting with watercolor on Uart paper done on location. Pastel was added then brought to the studio. Unsatisfied with the results I decided to use Liquin on the bottom half of the painting. I didn't know what would happen as normally I would use Gamsol. The Liquin worked like a thick  juicy liquid fixative. When the Liquin had dried (a day or so) I took the painting back to location. Then I added more pastel. I don't know if the Liquin helped or the time lapse helped.

important words to remember

I was looking through my sketchbook yesterday and found one message I had written.
"We make paintings not see them."
Remember that when you go  out to paint. As artists we move parts of the landscape, erase others, heighten color, and subdue color. We are in charge.
It helps to turn away from your scene part way during your painting time to simply work with the painting not the scene.

So many buttercup scenes in the last week. Same scene many versions....watch for the next post for more.

buttercup season and absolutes

7x8 pastel and watercolor on Wallis
It's buttercup time, one of my favorite times.
I used some really intense colors in this painting, hopefully I  balanced them with enough  yummy neutrals.
Did you hear yellow comes forward and blue recedes? I decided to play with that, push that idea around. I dislike absolutes. It's about simultaneous contrast not rules.

finished- Big Daddy through the Raindrops

12 x18 pastel on watercolor
Yesterday the rain slowed down to a dribble and a crack of light formed in the sky. I was lucky to have returned to the field...just in case. Big Daddy didn't need much work just enough to make the space deeper.
After I finished painting I returned to the other side of the destruction. This time I had my invitations to distribute when asking for permission to walk back on the homeowner's land to paint. With great sadness I listened to people's stories of what has happened.  One woman, Shirley, told me of the giant black walnut tree that stood in the field behind her house. Her now 28 year old son had his tree fort in it when he was quite young. One day the construction/destruction crew came with a huge machine.  With a monstrous yank of it's claw they took down that beautiful, gigantic tree. Shirley said they all watched and cried, even her 28 year old son. Sad. I cry with them.

memory extended

8x8 pastel on watercolor
The field now lives in my head, just like the reservoir once did (and will again.) So this morning after working en plein air, I decide to try to loosen up more with color and just play. Let's call this one memory extended. I think I will do more of these and see where it will take me:-)

reveal what is essential

6x6 pastel on watercolor underpainting
For a while now I have been desiring to move on to new territory. It's funny I could see it, but not clearly. Finally I think I understand.So here it is:
As you probably know, I feel compelled to paint a scene again and again, till I really know it, till it is part of me. The repetition helps me reveal what is essential. Discover why this small piece of nature is so beautiful.
Now I am going to also spend much more time in the studio with these more literal views and find the essence. Using my knowledge of color and observations of light I will create new works based on the literal but more emotional- pushing the limits of color. The hard part will be a little less time outside, on site. Gulp! Now that is hard. Let's see what happens. I guess I will just have to learn to enjoy the struggle.

Daybreak through Buttercups

about 8x10
This was yesterday's work. I thought I would finish it before posting....but...consider it a work in progress. I had to teach a full day and social commitments so my schedule yesterday was nuts! Therefore I only managed to squeeze in this small painting. I dislike being time scrunched! I would always rather be painting. Honest.

Walk into the Woods

This is also from my buttercup/green series. It is my favorite so far. I must say I missed blogging when I was on a forced "vacation" but it made me realize that I spend way TOOOOOO much time on this computer. Time I would rather spend painting. Now that I am back I will be thinking about how i will deal with this...later. Back to work.

With Grace (buttercups in fog)

Here is the next from the green series, done on my non-blog/fix the computer time.