Marsh Variation

I'm constantly fascinated by marshes.

The combination of water, sky, vegetation and wildlife 

under various light and seasonal conditions

makes for constant surprises.

This example shows the effect of rain, 

cooling down the colours of the foliage.

The only hint of warmth 

is the pink of the sunrise 

reflecting in the water.

Marsh Variation - Leslie Snider

Here is an example from earlier this year,

also early morning, overcast and moody

 but with out the effect of rain.

Marsh Variation - Leslie Snider

 

A Quiet Bay in Bonnechere Provincial Park

Shoreline - After the storm

My calm waters post 

 was based on some shoreline photos 

taken on a calm, sunny day,

These photos were taken 

at the same location 

but as a storm moved out.

Although the sun is beginning to appear 

low lying, moody clouds hung over the water.

The turbulence caused by some strong winds

 muddied the water and deepened the tones.

After the Storm - pastel

Wild life - The One That Got Away

If you have followed this blog 

you know how much I rely on my camera. 

Photos don't replace working out doors 

but are an invaluable resource 

 complementing outdoor sketches, 

painting and notes.

The previous examples 
are from my collection 
when I happened to be at the right time 
and place ........

to capture that fleeting moment 

that passes so quickly.

I'm not always so lucky ...

This pastel celebrates the moment
 after focusing, composing, steadying the camera
you discover the subject has fled the scene!

Boosting the Energy

 As a change of pace from the subtlety of the May  sky studies

 I used these recent photos 

from my spring camping vacation

to experiment with colour 

and a more energetic approach 

to composition.

 

 

More Skies

After a couple of quick pastel sketches 

of a rather moody day at Presquile P.P.

I decided to look at one of the masters of sky painting 

 Edward Seago.

 

 These  2 pastels are done on smooth grey pastel paper.

 I like the ability to easily create a soft blending of colours.

I also like to see the base colour showing through, 

a detail not evident in the photos.

Exploring Skies in Pastel

One of the best places to study skies 

(in my heavily wooded environment) 

means going to the lakeshore.

Last summer I took many photos 

of these skies 

in a variety of climate conditions.

Warm spring weather has yet to arrive 
so the spectacular sunsets 
have a special appeal for study!

  

After doing a few watercolour sketches 

I combined the brilliance of the second photo

 with the sweeping clouds of the first.

The actual composition was found

 by zooming in and then cropping the first photo.

Do feel the warmth?

Spring run off

At last... a sign of spring!

Spring Runoff  - Pastel

 

Lots of limestone out croppings on my favourite walking trail 

 force the spring melt through openings in the rocky face.

Two Studies

This first pastel

(Sheffield Conservation area )

was the result of an early autumn trip.

It was a joy to work on 

and although the photographed pastel

 is slightly darker than the original 

I think it does capture a certain

freshness.

 This second study 

 an old bridge(Bonnechere P.P.) 

is less successful. 

I struggled with the composition 

and the result is a bit awkward.

It was my first attempt at this subject matter 

so perhaps next time

 I can achieve a more natural effect!

 

Inspired by Van Gogh

As the temperature hovers near freezing in southern Ontario,

 I'm organizing 

(in the coziness of the studio)

that huge stock of photos 

I've accumulated over the last few months.

This springtime snap reminded me of a Van Gogh oil....

It is the pattern of filtered light and dark shadows

 that drew me to the composition.

I thought I could make the dark trunk balance with the bright whites of the trilliums 

scattered in the shadows at the base of the tree.

Trilliums are most abundant  in the rich composted soil 

at the base of mature deciduous trees.
 

Landscape Pastel - Changing Fall Colour

Another view of that same foggy morning. 

In this experiment 

I added some bright pinks

 to the original colour scheme.

I simplified the composition 

in order to play off the wildflowers 

against the dark green trees

 while keeping the atmosphere

somewhat illusive.

Landscape Pastel - Exploring Colour

This experiment began with a trip to the art supply store.

I had been using a rather basic set of student colours and felt it was time upgrade!

Starting with a limited selection of Nupastel and Rembrandt colours, 
I chose some muted tones,

white, cream and flesh (light oxide red), 
warm and cool grays,soft blue, violet,
 an expanded range of greens (from turquoise to bluish green) 
and one pure green.

This selection was based on this scene I photographed one foggy morning.

A quick pastel sketch proved successful in establishing an interesting colour scheme.

The final picture was a joy to work on 

as good quality pastels are much easier to handle and allow layering of colour.

My photography skills are rather basic 

so some of the subtlety of colour is lost.

But it was a successful experiment 

in becoming more sensitive to the

"color in the landscape".

Pastels - Spontaneity

I've worked with many types of media from glass and porcelain to watercolour.
In each atmosphere is created through light and transparency.

Although pastels don't have the same transparency
 of those media,
 the juxtaposition of one pure colour 
next to another creates energy and vibrancy.

At the same time, layering of colours and textures and/or
 blending one colour brings subtlety into play.

But first and foremost pastels offer immediate results....
it's pure joy as a colorist 
to lay down one colour next to another 
and let them play off each other.

This inherent spontaneity allows the artist  to easily 
experiment with a variety of ideas....
which is fun .......
and that's what I hope 
my explorations are all  about!

In this example of the Presquile shoreline 

I was again studying the patterns found in nature.