September at the Lake - part 02

A Week at the Lake 

 began with rain and fog ...

not good for outdoor sketching 

but great for photos.
A great blue heron 

entertained me

 by hunting just outside my window

 and when the sun came out 

reflections in the water

 provided interesting compositions.

Adapting Photos for painting

Here's the inspiration...what do I do next?

Firstly, I asked myself why I wanted to paint this scene....
(no you can't say because I like it!)
It's important to be specific... 
As you're painting it will be a reminder to emphasis those aspects.
In this scene, I was attracted to the colour contrast
of turquoise water and the warm, oranges, reds of the foreground.
I also liked the contrast of broad expansive foreground
leading to the focal point into the distance.

The second step is to eliminate or change details that don't complement your overall concept.
Often the impact of a scene is spoiled with too much detail.
The sky was starkly blank so I created a softly textured sky that wouldn't detract from the rest.

Removing the colour contrasts from the finished painting here....

shows how the pattern of light and dark carries the eye through the picture.
I balanced the horizontal shadows  with the lights of the sky, water and grasses coming forward.

Here's the final picture ....

In the Distance - Leslie Snider - pastel

Isolation

Your loss will not go unrecorded

My previous post included 

 a couple of photos of trees in isolation, 

separated from their environment

 by the fog.

Trees may or may not have feelings 

but they certainly

prompt emotional reactions,

as in this example.

On a  warm summer's day 

while walking in dense forrest,

I came across this dying pine.

A shaft of light pierced the dense forrest 

creating this dramatic effect.

 

First Dawn 2017

One of the benefits of January in Ontario 

(along with some unpleasant weather)

are the short days, 

bringing early dawns and sunsets.

For the artist this is great..

no excuses about sleeping in 

and missing the magic hour! 

Along with my four legged companions

 we're often out on an early walk

 as the sun rises.

Snow coating the ground has a cold blue cast 

and slowly alters from deep cobalt blues 

to warmer turquoise blues.

Here the sun is just peaking above the horizon

warming the air.

The light from houses in the distance 

contrasts with the remnants of night.

Dawn -  2017 - Leslie Snider

 

Shoreline Studies in Pastel

Southern Ontario is experiencing 

a long, hot, dry, 

 spell of summer weather.

Time to decamp to the seaside!

Shoreline Pastel 2016- Leslie Snider

 

 

 

This pastel study was done on a calm day, 

The crystal, clear water 

allowed the light to penetrate

 and reflect the submerged rocks. 

Shoreline Pastel 2016- Leslie Snider

Here the wind has picked up

 creating frothy turbulence

 and opaque shadows.

 

Variations on a Theme - symmetrical / asymmetrical balance

This first example, 

a pastel from 2013 

was an experiment 

in symmetrical balance.

The picture frame is divided diagonally between rocky foreground and waves.

The circular formation of the rocks is echoed by the splashes.

Colour and textural contrasts complete the design.

 

This second piece is watercolour 

and a looser, more abstract approach 

allowed for a more asymmetrical design.

Smaller areas of concentrated colour

are balanced against 

large areas of foamy, pale whites.

The whole is tied together 

by the diagonal band of darks, shadowy rocks 

merging into deep blue water. 

Both pieces were based on a series of my photos.

Digital cameras allow for a great deal of leeway 

when it comes to composing pictures.

Even a mid-range camera

 provides the opportunity

 for cropping and zooming 

in on interesting details.

 

Sketchbook - Woodlands 2014

 Two watercolour sketches from last summer.

In this one I'm exploring 

the contrast between old bark 

and the delicate undergrowth of ferns and vines.

If you watch kids on a woodland hike 

they spend a lot of time looking at the ground

...good idea!

There's interesting stuff below our feet.

Light in the Undergrowth - pastel

Light in the undergrowth

This pastel was inspired by a series of photos 

I'd taken of light 

filtered through the spring woods

onto the forest floor.