Rocky Shoreline Series part 01

In August you'll find most people 

enjoying sandy beaches 

 but I'm drawn to the shorelines

where water and rock meet dramatically.

This visit prompted 

(what inadvertently became)

a series of pastels 

looking more closely 

at that fascinating landscape.

This first example is a sketch on

 " Brown Recycled Rough Sketch Paper "

(Michaels Craft Store).

It doesn't lend itself to fussing around

but really grabs the pastel

so it's great for quick ideas. 

Rocky Shoreline 01

With a bird's eye view

I concentrated 

on the bold contrast

 of black rock

and foamy surf. 

On closer inspection

I needed my camera to capture

the interesting patterns of surf and rock.

(Couldn't do this without a digital camera)

as you can be free 

to snap and snap and snap again,

until you capture the moment!

Rocky Shoreline 02

This pastel was on a finer grained,

 toned pastel paper (smooth).

"Strathmore".

There is a subtle difference.

More opportunity 

to tune into the nuance

 of colour and tonal contrasts.

November Rain

Today  is the aftermath of an early snowstorm. 

But just a few days ago I took this photo...

New weather had first brought winds 
that yanked the leaves from the trees
...then calming rains 
left drops clinging to branches.
 It inspired this pastel...

 
 

Sunlit Marsh

The first snow fall of the season 

has given a powdery dusting

 to the view from my studio window 

so the warmth of autumn 

is a tempting distraction.

This small pastel 

was based on some photos 

I took last fall 

of an impending storm.

Although ominous clouds 

threaten in the distance ahead,

strong sunlight from behind me

 highlighted the golden grasses 

spreading out across 

the windswept foreground.

If you look closely you will see these grasses 

are phragmites, an invasive species 

taking over Ontario marshlands.

In my sketch they have become cattails, 

a similar but less innocuous plant.