Invasive Species

A couple of years ago 

I sketched and photographed

 an interesting scene

 in Presquile Provincial Park....

bright, colourful and lively.

I discovered the following year 

that the plant was Phragmites

or European common reed,

an invasive species in the process

 of being eradicated!!

Alas, not all European imports

 are as desirable as 

French cheese and Italian Prosciutto!

Presquile Scene - Leslie Snider - pastel

 

Shoreline Studies 2018

Two new pastel studies, 

revisiting the shoreline.

On a warm and sunny, spring day

it's immensely satisfying

 to stand ankle deep in water and

study the rocks and wave action.

Shoreline Study - 2018 - Leslie Snider

Shoreline Study - 2018 - Leslie Snider

Shoreline Study - 2018 - Leslie Snider

Shoreline Study - 2018 - Leslie Snider

Both examples on simple, toned drawing papers, 

the first "Toned Tan" and the second "Toned Gray"

(Strathmore brand)

 Richeson (brand) pastels.

The Battle for Supremacy

After the calm control of my last post

I decide to let loose with this pastel sketch

based on the autumn activity

 in my garden. 

As the weather turns frosty 

the virginia creeper turns bright red.

This sets up a colourful contrast 

with the vivid greens of the wild grape. 

Both have run rampant along my fenceline

engaging in a violent battle for supremacy....

who will win????

VC vs GV - Leslie Snider

A little about my process....

Usually I begin with black and white sketches 

to establish composition and colour values.

Here I was more spontaneous

allowing my reaction to the emerging shapes

 and colour relationships to dictate the composition. 

Finally the colour palette,

the majority Richeson pastels.

 

Look up...way up....skies

A new year and some new ideas.

Most landscapes feature the sky 

so it's important to have an understanding

 of how light conditions,

weather and time of day 

affect the colour and textures.

I've spent the last couple of weeks 

trolling my photos 

 choosing a variety 

to study.

Sunsets are the glamorous cousin

 in this little family of ideas.

This is Rossport Prov. Park 

the photo taken on

 a trip to northern Ontario.

It was an unseasonably warm autumn 

and the sunsets had a soft warmth. 

Rossport Prov. Park - Leslie Snider

The second closer to home

 ...a glorious summer day,

bold puffy clouds dominate the sky,

contrasting with the rich colour of sky and field.

Kingston Summer Sky - Leslie Snider

Finally, 

here and now,

early morning in winter, 

fog is in the air

creating a strange light 

and drifting, illusive clouds.

 

Winter Sky - Leslie Snider

 

Last Summer

Snow storm yesterday 

with treacherous driving conditions

 (a disadvantage of country living

 the roads don't get the attention of townies)

so I missed a concert to which I was quite looking forward. 

To cheer myself up, 

here are two pics of summer fields.

You'll notice fog in the distance as they are morning studies.

I love that time of day 

as the sun begins to warms the ground, 

 colours are more vibrant than full midday.

Field and Fog - Leslie Snider

Field and Fog - Leslie Snider

Variations - Black and White

Same marsh as below,
 another view and time of year.

 A clear summer midday  

and lush summer grasses 

sway in the breeze. 

Enjoying Summer

Landscape sketch in watercolour / mixed media.

Pastel Sketch from the Spring Trip

This year the deciduous leaves 

were just coming out 

and shimmered with chartreuse and gold

against the dark bluegreens

 of the evergreens.

Where do ideas start? part 02

The idea for this beach scene 

began with the torn paper collage experiment

 in my previous post.