Plein air pastel landscape painting of a bright Florida bridge reflected in a pond

Pastel painting 8 inches x 12.5 inches     $300

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This is another pastel landscape, that I painted on a piece of white art spectrum paper that had been underpainted with a rose- colored wash. Warm red is a great hue for outdoor painting because it is a natural compliment to the many shades of green that are found in most landscapes. Placing two compliments (opposites on the color wheel) close together creates a dynamic, vibrating feel in a painting. And although I know this theory from years of study, I sometimes forget it in the passion of getting all the gorgeous colors on the paper. If I underpaint before I start, I don’t have to be focused on adding reds to my greens…they appear on their own!

As a pastel artist, I try to keep the idea of contrasting compliments constantly in mind. For instance, if I want to paint a water scene, which is predominantly blue, I will often use an orange paper. Or if I am working on a pastel portrait with lots of golden tones, I might use a muted purple sheet.

Little tricks of the trade…

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a marsh in the Everglades in Florida.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 8 inches     $300

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Another pastel painting from the Everglades when we were down south. I was just fascinated with the landscape of the marshes. It is so rich and mysterious. And I loved the hundreds of birds, turtles and various other creatures that moved in and out of my view. Not a bad way to spend a warm sunny pastel landscape day.

Plein air pastel landscape painting of the the sun rising over the Everglades in Florida

Pastel painting 12 inches x 8 inches     $300

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The Everglades in southern Florida are pastel painting heaven. When we stayed in Naples, I spent one whole day driving back and forth on the Tamiami trail. Whenever I saw something that caught my eye, I would park my traveling studio (the family SUV) at the side of the road and set up shop out of the the back. The wandering rivers catch the light and make wonderful scenes for a pastel landscape.

Pastel painting 17 inches x 11 inches     $650

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Another pastel painting from right here in Saline. This creek is just off the main road going into town. And let me tell ya, I almost got run over while shooting my reference shots from the tiny bridge! (I can see the headline in our local paper: Pastel Artist Expires Shooting Precarious Photographs…) But I just had to do it. The reflections were so beautiful, especially in contrast to the bright snow on the rim of the river. I took about 20 photos and cropped and revised the composition until it felt right for the pastel landscape I had in mind. I’m really happy with the results!

Pastel landscape painting of the wide river that winds through Prato, Italy.

Pastel painting 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches     $100

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I’ve done hundreds of watercolor paintings of Italy, but no pastel paintings. For some reason, I’ve always visualized Tuscany only as a watercolor subject. The other day, I thought I’d try a scene of Prato, the small town I visited a few years ago, this time in pastel. My friend Susan and I stayed in the old city center for a week a couple of years ago. On our last day there, we took a long walking tour and stopped to sketch along this beautiful river. My current obsession with water and reflections made this view a perfect one to experiment with for a pastel landscape.

Pastel landscape painting of Mill Creek in Saline, Michigan

Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches     $650

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Back from a wonderful trip down south. A little cold and windy but MUCH better than the bitter cold in Michigan right now. I painted a lot of plein air pastel paintings in Florida over the last week and will post them soon.

I finished this pastel landscape just before we left on our trip. Mill Creek wanders through Saline and the city’s parks. In this piece I wanted to capture the contrast between the light-filled, early morning mist and the vibrant patch of sunlight in the foreground.

Plein air watercolor landscape of a southern Florida canal.

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches $100

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While we were in Florida last December, we drove by this picturesque canal right off a busy highway. The next day, when John was golfing, I returned to capture it in a  watercolor painting. The palm trees made a perfect frame for the bridge and slow flowing water.

Pastel landscape painting of a winter river through the trees.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches     $450

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I’m continuing on with my winter river obsession in my current pastel paintings. Last weekend, John and I traveled west and south of Saline, shooting good research photos that I could work from back in the studio. We stopped at every little stream and creek and now I am flush with new ideas!

I am working on putting together a series pastel landscapes which all have Michigan rivers, streams and lakes as their subject. Hopefully later next year, I will mount a solo show of these artworks. Stay tuned!

Pastel landscape painting of a creek in winter.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches     $650

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OK. I think I’ve crossed over into obsession. I LOVE the little creeks that wander through the countryside in southern Michigan. You can drive right by them and never notice them. But not me. Each time I see a little sparkle on the side of the road, I have to stop and investigate. Sometimes they are a wash, but often they are little gems waiting to be made into pastel landscape paintings. I must have driven by this little trickle a hundred times on the way to my sister Beth’s house. Last week, I finally stopped and photographed it.

I must say, as much as I hate winter, I’m really enjoying painting the season…

Pastel landscape painting of a wandering creek in a grassy field in Michigan.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 14 inches    SOLD

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A couple of weeks ago, I found this small, meandering little creek while I was out walking. It just called out to be captured on paper.

I’m really excited about the pastel landscape painting of it that I finished last night. It closely approaches the original vision I had of the piece when I started out. Sometimes I have a very strong idea of how I want a completed artwork to look and yet it comes out totally different. Sometimes my ideas change midstream and I spark off that, other times I just can’t reach the original dream and have to hope for a better outcome on the next piece. On this pastel, I feel that all my artistic intuitions “played well together” and we came to a good conclusion!

Pastel landscape painting of a river passing beneath the arch of a bridge.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches   $450

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Things have been really hopping at our graphic design firm in Ann Arbor. You can really tell when the economy perks up: companies start to market again. And art lovers buy paintings! Yesterday, our dear friends and long-time collectors added two of my farmscape paintings to their collection. Their encouragement and support has meant so much to me over the years. And a new customer bought a pastel painting of Charlevoix for her father who grew up in the area. Plus, I have 20 paintings under consideration for a large hospital in Ohio. I’m keepin my fingers crossed!

This pastel landscape painting above is part of  my ongoing series of Michigan Reflections.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches       $300

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Yum! Got a chance to use my new pastels out at Delhi Park Sunday afternoon. The area was deserted at this time of year and I had the whole riverfront to myself. It was a foggy day with just a bit of sun but the river grasses were a vibrant gold against the moody water. I love painting water and this scene made for an interesting pastel landscape.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure to stop by Nora Venturelli’s show at the Washington Street Gallery (WSG) on Main Street in Ann Arbor. Her figurative work is amazing and she just got a rave review from art critic John Carlos Cantu in AnnArbor.com. You can also see her large body of work at www.venturellistudio.net.