maxfield parrish twilight

9x6 pastel and watercolor on Uart

I have always admired Maxwell Parrish's luscious green blue twilights. I read that one of the ways he made his colors so beautiful was by varnishing between each layer. Interesting idea that must make it very hard on the conservators working on the paintings now. 
So I have once again been flexing the memory muscles.  The only thing I know for sure is, the more you do it the easier it gets. I have begun playing a new game. When I am still and far removed from the stimuli, I close my eyes and try to recreate the previous night's sunset or twilight. That means while the sunset or twilight was actually happening I am verbalizing and visualizing every part of it. The painting above is an attempt to remember last night's twilight. I can't seem to get this blue green twilight. It only lasts for moment. I think you will see me trying this often.

The painting below is a memory studio piece (commissioned) I completed a couple of  years ago. I look at it now and think..ummmph.

18x24 oil and pastel on marble dust board

By the way Nika, the winner of "the big chew" painting give a way has made her selection. She will receive "the blinding light, torrey pines sunrise, Dec 24 post"  I will put it in the mail this weekend. In the meantime be sure to check out her blogs: Figuratively Speaking For Two and Nika Zakharov Drawing Daily.  You are in for a treat.

let motion equal emotion

7:10 am

6:36am

I once read this quote by Elbert Hubbard on the Painter's Keys website. The other day I found the piece of paper on which it was written. Hmmmmmm, that is perfect; a new quote for the studio door.
Here are the two studies of this morning's pre-snow early morning.

December Rising / making neutrals

10x 12 pastel on BFK
The only time I have today would be at twilight again...a wonderful time to paint. (The whole family is going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.) So I drove down the road at 5:30 and pulled into a dark parking lot, facing east, with hopes of a view. As the sun began to give light to the hills I painted. My goal was to only use a handful of pastels, no neutrals. I needed to make more interesting neutrals with pures.

twilight in gold and silver

10 x10 pastel on BFK
It was a silvery winter solstice twilight. The sun was still below the distant mountains, yet it peeked through with hues of gold. The clouds seemd to glow silver. It was my friends warm and cool at play again.
Happy Winter Solstice! The light is on its way....tomorrow we gain one minute of light.

december blue twilight/memory painting

I am seriously on a roll. Same field in December twilight. Memory painting.
Warm next to cool... my goal is to internalize, not represent.

cresent moon twilight/ making neutrals

10x10 pastel on BFK
Couldn't sleep so I left home before sunrise to paint the twilight. I stayed in the car because it was freezing and it was hard to see even with the inside light on. (I will have to get a caving head lamp.) It's funny I didn't touch my neutrals because their colors are not visible in the darkness instead I layered to make neutrals. I think I like that better.

full moon rising

9x9 pastel on BFK

18x24 pastel on oil on marble dust board
The full moon was Wednesday night. Both Tuesday and last night were equally dramatic. The moonrise happened immediately after sunset. The sky was that wonderful green blue that it only can be in December when we near the winter solstice. A little sliver of pink appears like a surprise guest. I guess it's time to work on those December twilight scenes I wait all year to do. There's something different about it and I can only paint this special twilight in December/January when it is present...even when I work in the studio. Last year I created  the one on the bottom ...let's see what this year will bring.
It's my birthday today and I can't wait to go outside to paint. Sometimes morning is a long wait.