Winter Calm SOLD

This pastel sketch of winter woods in January was the beginning of my winter woods series. This pastel is not completed but there is enough information for a large oil painting. I chose pastels to do this sketch because the box of pastels I used (Sennilier 80 box set) would limit my choices to what was available in the box, quite a challenge for me. I probably used less than half of the colors available and I was very pleased with the outcome. I used colors in this pastel that I may not have thought of if I were using oil paint. Although I used the horizontal format in this sketch, I did several pencil sketches in this same area the week of this snow storm with a vertical format as well. It was so cold I had to keep getting in and out of the car to warm up! I have begun a large vertical oil painting and I'm considering a long horizontal piece as well using the pastel palette I used in "Winter Calm".

Dogwood

Inspired by a Dogwood tree in my neighborhood one autumn, I was immediately drawn to the intense yellows and the interesting shapes of the leaves. I walked right over to the tree and got lost in the color. Since I was drawn to the shape of the bright yellow leaves I decided to crop the design of the painting which gives the image an abstract feeling while simultaneously remaining a recognizable tree.

Cape Clouds

While relaxing with a friend in Falmouth Massachusetts, I noticed the calm cottony clouds quietly hovering above the ocean. I did a few quick sketches and finished it in the studio.

The beautiful blues and the light green transparency of the waves at their peak is so delicate and beautiful I wanted to see if I could capture it in this small painting. Several small paintings of waves were done around this time focusing on the change of color in the waves. Since the paintings are so small, the image needs to be simple and focused, which I believe is why these small paintings work.

I painted "Coming In" after dozens of sketches of the rolling waves. I loved the wonderful cool greens made by the light illuminating the wave from behind. I took just one reference photograph to be sure the perspective was correct. The color in the photo did not translate well so memory and the sketches I did that day were invaluable in finishing this piece.

This small piece was done on a warm Cape Cod afternoon. Sketches and color stuidies were done on site and I finished 5 pieces from Old Silver Beach. It's hard not to make the beautiful skies, which change so quickly, a focal point. Extensive information about the sky was notated and I was able to interpret from life and memory what I saw.

Mystic Wave

While on vacation in New Hampshire I was sitting close to the ocean shore in the early evening. I'd been doing short sketches all day and hadn't planned to do anymore. The sun was going down and I decided to sketch a few waves coming in. The evening light on this July day was so different from the morning and afternoon light that I decided to take out my notebook once again. One of the wonderful things about oceans and water is the highly abstract quality of the shapes, but at the same time, it is a very recognizable image. I don't usually work in acrylic but this piece began as a color sketch and ended up being quite able to stand on its own. I was very pleased with the results. As a result of my feeling that this piece was so successful, I began a series of small ocean paintings in oil on wood. I'll be posting these pieces very soon.