Craving Colour

Sharbot Lake PP - Leslie Snider

As cold and snow grips North America,

forget working outdoors!

Instead I'm trolling

 my photo archives 

for warm and sunny ideas.

The above scene,  from last summer,

is a sunlit point on Black Lake

 in Sharbot Lake Provincial Park.  

The calm serenity MIGHT be a bit idealised!

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Monet's Field - Leslie Snider

This pastel began as a study

 of early morning mist 

rising from my summer field.... 

but soon I found myself fascinated 

by the colour and rhythms

of the clover in the field.

 

First of the Season - 2019

Winter Scene  - 2019 - Leslie Snider

Working from studies and memory,

here are two views 

along the dog walking trail.

The first is early morning.

It's hard to believe that the 401 highway

and the heavy drone of morning traffic 

is behind this row of trees. 

Winter Scene  - 2019 - Leslie Snider

Farther down the path 

and later in the day 

I found a different kind of 

peacefulness. 

Last of the Season

In these  pictures...the last of 2018 

I was experimenting with a horizontal format.

Different seasons

one summer, one autumn

but both looking across the lake

and inspired by diverse lighting conditions.

Colour across the lake - Leslie Snider

In the first the sun

 is beginning to set

 over our right shoulder.

The low light is  highlighting

the burnished oranges on the trees

in the distance. 

Hoople Island - Leslie Snider

Another scene of low light, 

but here the sun is emerging

after a summer rain shower.

As the light peaks out, low on the horizon

highlights are scattered across the water. 

Summer Skies 02

In this example

 I'm experimenting

 with a brilliant orange

 underpainting.

 

Sharbot Sunrise Step 01

 

 I've used UArt sanded paper.

The surface allows

 you to use a wet under painting.

 

Sharbot Sunrise Step 02

Because pastel

 is an opaque medium

 most of the under painting

 will disappear.

It will show through 

here and there 

giving  warmth 

to the overall 

composition.

.

Sharbot Sunrise Final

A variety of pastels

the usual suspects....

Unison, Richeson Sennelier, Rembrandt.!

 

Summer Skies 01

As October colour gives way

 to November's

gray and gloomy skies, 

I'm looking back to summer

for a series

 based my on my earlier 

sky photos and sketches.

This first was an August morning 

that started overcast and moody.

But as the sun warmed the air

 over the lake

dramatic clouds 

gave way to a brilliant sun. 

Loughborough Lake

I used Uart sanded paper

as I wanted to build up 

 layers of subtle colour 

 and cloudy textures....

not very visible in the photo!

More October Colour

Ready for a change of pace, colour scheme, subject matter

I was settling down in the studio with my summer lake sketches,

all cool blues and misty aquas....

then I looked out the window and saw this!

Sumac October 2018

The morning light dancing across the garden

proved too good to resist.

Pastel  - Sumac -  Leslie Snider

You never know when inspiration will appear

...so try to be ready!

Palette Sumac 2018

October Colour

A few outdoor sketches

celebrating fall colour.

Again working with pastel pencils

and a limited palette.....

trying to simplify the equipment!