Pastel landscape painting of dramatic evening clouds

Pastel landscape painting   16  inches x 20 inches

When I first started working in pastel, I wanted immediate gratification. I thought I should be able to create the exact effect I wanted on the first pass. It took me a while to understand that pastel painting is an additive process that is dependent on multiple layers of pigment. I thought I would share some work-in-progress examples of my latest pastel landscape to show how the progress occurs. In these snapshots, you can see how I start with a colored paper which is the opposite (or complement) of the the colors that will appear in the final piece. Beginning with the darkest darks, I slowly add medium hues and then build toward the lightest lights.

As you can see, I am lovin playing with skyscapes!

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Burgundy Art Spectrum Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Pastel cityscape painting of a tower in Sienna, Italy.

Pastel painting    9  inches x 19 inches

The thousands of towers that rise from the cities and countryside are iconic symbols of Italian architecture. They were used for protection, to create beauty and to establish the status of influential families in Italy. Each one is different and many of them are mini architectural masterpieces. I was especially drawn to this sunlit tower in Siena when I visited in 2006. This scene inspired a watercolor and this pastel painting of Italy.

I worked on a board painted with a rough primer to create texture on the piece.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Illustration board with Terra Cotta Art Spectrum Primer
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Pastel cityscape painting of a small street in Umbria, Italy. SOLD

Pastel painting of an extreme close up view of ripe apples on a tree.

Early Christmas Present!

I was notified last week that I had TWO pastel paintings juried into the International Association of Pastel Societies Exhibit. A real thrill and a great end to the year!

It’s an amazing exhibit filled with gorgeous artworks. You can see the full show here.

Pastel cityscape painting of sunlight cascading across the entrance to a home in Umbria, Italy.

Pastel painting 11  inches x 17 inches   $800

I’m always saying that my art is all about light and shadow. It’s what draws me to almost every subject I paint and  what I’m constantly exploring. This pastel painting of Italy is a perfect example. I came upon this little alleyway while I was wandering through an Umbrian hill town. Although the scene itself was interesting, it was the way the sunlight cascaded across the wall and steps that really drew me in.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Terra Cotta Art Spectrum Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Pastel cityscape painting of a sunlit lane in Tuscany, Italy

Pastel painting    24  inches x 36 inches   SOLD

This pastel painting is one of the two larger works that will be in my “Faraway Places” exhibit which opens this Saturday. At 24 x 36 inches, they are the largest pastels I have ever done. I really enjoyed working large, but it was a challenge to keep loose and not get tooooo detailed. This is a favorite scene of mine in Montepulciano, Tuscany and I have reproduced it as a watercolor painting of Italy also. I wanted to capture the compositional angles and the vibrant color, but in the end, like always, for me it is all about light and shadow…

“Faraway Places: history, objects, spirit & spaces”
Nov. 5th – Dec. 18, 2011
Reception: Nov. 5th 5-8pm
River Gallery, 120 S. Main St., Chelsea MI
www.chelsearivergallery.com

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Art Spectrum Colorfix MultiMedia Painting Board
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Plein air watercolor cityscape painting of a small shop in Tuscany, Italy.

Watercolor painting   5.5 x 15 inches

Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

This little wine, cheese and meat shop was right next door to our apartment in Barberino. The woman who owned it was an angel and helped us through so many problems. She spoke no English and my Italian was spotty at best. When we couldn’t make the key work in our door, she opened it for us. When we left the lights on and drained our car battery, she told us where to have it fixed. When I had a “teeny, weeny accident” in the car, she calmed me down. I wanted to thank her personally so I gave her a small watercolor painting of her store (below) and later painted this larger version.

I painted quite a few of my Italian watercolors on this beautiful, odd shaped paper I purchased in Siena. It really opened my mind to new compositions.

Watercolor cityscape painting of sunlit buildings in Siena, Italy.

Watercolor painting   14 x 21 inches

Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

When we visited Italy, 6 or 7 years ago, we only had a half a day to spend in Siena. But I  absolutely loved it. I hope to be able to visit there again and more thoroughly explore it. I shot some reference photos of the bright, warm sunlight and deep shadows on the ancient buildings. I love to paint watercolors of architecture so this made a perfect subject for me.

The spring after I returned from Italy, I had a well-received, one-person show of my Italian watercolors at the University of Michigan Health System. I am working on mounting another one when I return from this trip with the River Gallery in Chelsea, Michigan

Watercolor painting of a street in southern Spain lined with stucco houses

Watercolor painting 8.5 inches x 6.5 inches
$80

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This small watercolor was painted plein aire in southern Spain a while ago. The little villages there are filled with white stucco houses topped with red tiled roofs, and the surrounding hills are beautiful. I sat in a bar and sipped the local wine while I painted this watercolor landscape. Hmmm…this drinking and painting seems to be a trend. Well, when in Rome…

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 13 inches  $400

Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

I just finished this watercolor painting of a small side street in one of the little towns we visited when I traveled to Italy a few years ago. I went with 2 artist friends and experienced my lifetime dream of living and painting in a small Tuscan village for 3 weeks. Every morning we would wander til we found a place that interested us. We’d paint Tuscan landscapes til noon, stop for a fantastic lunch, nap for awhile and then go back out and paint til dinner. My idea of pure heaven.

I’m looking back with new eyes at some of my original photos from that time. I have been playing with composition and color in an attempt to capture the “feeling” of the place, not an exact replica of it.

Pastel painting 5 inches x 7 inches $100  plus shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

Finally got over the creeping crud that our family had been dealing with for the last 2 weeks and have gotten back to painting! The beautiful fall colors have now faded and it is a little too chilly for plein air work, but I was able to shoot a lot of reference photos for studio work. This pastel painting is based on some shots I took on our town’s main street. It was early morning on a beautiful, clear day and the sun shining through the trees created some dramatic shadows.