Dry Spell

It definitely has become 

one of those long,hot,summers.....

another heat warning......

grasses parched 

and the ground rock hard....

 the lake is irresistible......

Even here the white, hot, heat

 of the midday sun penetrates

and drains colour

 from water and foliage. 

The River's Edge  - pastel - Leslie Snider

Sketching and Fishing

Summer Sketch 

- plein air pastel - 

-husband fishing -

- me sketching!-

What more can I say?

Buck Lake Fishing Spot

Working with a limited palette

"Brown Recycled Rough Sketch" paper and  a limited palette.

Breaking the Rules....quietly...gently!

General art advice is 

"Don't paint every leaf on the tree." 

Why not?

 I ask!!

A Quiet Corner - Leslie Snider

This latest pastel takes it's inspiration 

from Claude Monet  

who knew a thing or two about painting.

His use of detail captures

 that shimmering quality of the leaves.

 

More Reflections

Still staring into the water!

Leslie Snider - pastel

 

Landscape Demo - part 02

Step 01

I like to begin boldly and freely....

there is lots of time to get down to detail.

Although I've used the body 

(or main) colour of rocks and trees, 

you'll notice very dark greens 

and bright orange of the background. 

This is the underneath colour 

which will only be hints in the final.

This broad approach gives me an idea 

how the eye will travel through the picture.

I make adjustments 

to get a comfortable flow throughout. 

Step 02

I've got my darks and lights 

so now I can begin to pull those two together 

with some middle values. 

Here I use my all time favourite Rembrandt violet 536.3

It's a great shadow colour for the greens and grays.

If you can't see it that's good! 

I'm also working on the shapes of the trees and rocks 

but most importantly edges.

 I want some lost and found edges,

pushing (softening the away edges)

and pulling  (sharpening the forward edges). 

This is what gives the picture a sense of space

 or 3 dimensionality.

Step 03

Here I'm adding some highlights and details

 to the trees, rocks and water. 

Everyone loves this bit  

but it is a good thing

I was photographing the process

 as it quickly became clear 

that less is more!

Spring

Nothing says spring 

like the newly minted blossoms 

of forsythia, cherry, and apple! 

Spring 2017 - Leslie Snider

Forsythia 2017 - Leslie Snider

 5 by7in. pastels 

Last of Winter

As winter hangs on

 with one more wallop of winter 

(snow/rain/sleet)

in the forecast,

I'm trying to think positively.

Here the sun rises on a hay field.

The subtle play of light and shadow/

warm and cool attracted my attention.

End of Winter -Leslie Snider

As the snow retreats, 

frost comes out the ground 

and mud is everywhere

and this time of year 

is rather dreary.

But hope is in the air

 and soon those lively spring greens 

will be with us for inspiration. 

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

Cloud Variations

Last summer

 I posted this example of 

summer clouds bustling 

across a summer sky.

I was interested in the patterns, 

sizes, sense of distance 

and the effect of sky on water. 

Clouds 2016 - Leslie Snider

I've revisited the subject 

but this time 

I'm thinking more about atmosphere 

and the nuances of  colour.

After the Storm 2017- Leslie Snider

As a summer storm was breaking up 

the threatening sky

was giving way to a sun as yet unseen.

The rays of light, still holding moisture

refract the light

and struggle to peek through.

Dawn Variations

Bonnechere 2016 Leslie Snider

This example was inspired 

by a very quiet and calm early morning 

while camping at Bonnechere Provincial park.

The rising sun is not seen 

but is warming the air 

and creating a slight mist 

on the glassy water surface.

Dawn  2017 Leslie Snider

Another early morning

( Presquile Provincial Park)

 The illusive sun is warming 

the deep shadows of trees and water.

Finally a sunrise over  a 

favourite marsh.

Marsh Dawn  2017 Leslie Snider

Here the warmth of the marsh grasses 

adds colour variations to the cool reds and blues.

In daylight the effect is entirely different.

Across the Marsh Leslie Snider

Remnants of the Past

Remnant of the Canadian Shield - Leslie Snider

Many walking trails radiate from Kingston.

These sections of the K&P trail 

feature a couple of interesting

 geological features.

The first peaks out across grassy fields

 and is an ancient remnant of the Canadian Shield. 

Limestone Outcrop - Leslie Snider

This second pastel sketch 

features one of many limestone outcrops.

More info here:

 

Pencil to Pastel

Adapting a gray toned pencil sketch 

into colour (pastel)

is like a translating a conversation 

from one language to another.

 In my sketch I was interested 

in exploring the textural contrasts of shapes and line

( the softly curving ferns versus the vertical grasses and trees).

There is also an indication of filtered light in the upper third.

When I adapted these ideas into colour

interesting changes became necessary.

Those strong verticals 

(grasses and red brown tree trunks)

 dominated the composition

so I increased the number of ferns 

and allowed them to carry the eye into the background.

The filtered light

prevents the tree trunks 

from being too dominate

and pulls the eye back down 

to the forest floor.

Filtered Light

It has been a beautiful autumn season 

and I remain fascinated 
(as are my walking companions)

by the effects of sunlight
(in this case morning light)

 filtering through the trees on our morning walks.

This is a theme I've experimented with previously.
My first  example is from 2013,
 a grove of old cedar trees.

But a recent morning walk 
inspired the use of more colour 

to describe  the shimmering effect  

of light behind a stand of pine trees.

Both are works in pastel.

This scene was discovered 

on the K &P trail section from
 Burbrook Road to Unity Road.

The numerous choices along the K&P trail, 
follow an abandoned rail bed 
which means the terrain is pleasantly flat
but varied in habitat.

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/recreation/parks-trails/k-p

Highly recommended if you are in the Kingston area!

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.

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.