Hay Bales

Late summer, hay bale field with ominous clouds on the horizon threatening to engulf what was a sunny afternoon.

Photo ref.

229mm X 152mm Daler & Rowney toned paper.

The Paddy

This was an enjoyable piece to do.
A paddy field in early autumn.  I didn't do any measurement or size or scale, just measured by eye. Didn't try to copy exactly either.
Photo ref.  229mm x 152mm mid brown toned Daler & Rowney paper.

Dragon Tree 

The famous "Dragon Pine Tree" of Kesennuma, Japan. This tree was found in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.
It resembled a dragon, and was cut more to reinforce the shape of a dragon. It now a symbol of reconstruction and rejuvenation.
I'll get this framed, sold and give all the money to the Kesennuma charity at an charity event my wife is holding.  28cm x 21cm on toned pastel paper.  Holbein and Sennelier pastels.  Own photo ref.

 

Low Alpine Road

229mm x 152mm

Photo ref.

Light toned cream Daler & Rowney paper

Why I like pastels

I love painting nature, in particular landscapes and seascapes. I also find light fascinating which draws me to cityscapes and how the light changes on the surface of buildings as the day progresses.

My medium of choice is pastel for the following reasons:

The vibrancy of the colour

 Pastel is pure pigment with a small amount of binder, just enough to hold it in stick form.  When the pastel is not blended with the finger, the particles of pastel reflect light to an even greater degree.

The tactile nature of pastel

Being in a stick form, your in direct contact with the medium.  While some don't like getting their hands dirty, there are greater rewards being in direct contact with the medium which show through in your work.

Immediacy 

Pastel can be applied quite quickly covering large areas in a short time.  Mixing on the paper and not on the palette is another way we get instant impressions of what our artwork is going to look like.

My final reason I love pastel is that it's quite forgiving.  Mistakes can be erased and covered quite easily.

Year of the monkey

Year of the monkey

229mm x 152mm on paper

photo ref.

Here in Japan, where I currently live and have lived for 12 years now, Japanese people send New Year postcards which always include a sign from the Chinese zodiac.  I painted one in pastel this year.

It depicts a monkey sitting by the water's edge watching the first sunrise of the year.

The monkey is largely silhouetted but for a glow on the outer parts of its fur. 

Day at the beach

Day at the beach 

229mm x 152mm on paper

Light-toned brown Daler & Rowney 

Sennelier and Holbein pastels used

I used a photo of the cliffs of Dover for reference on this painting. I loosely painted in some people to create some activity.  I changed the sky from the photo to include some thin light clouds.