Tonal Landscape Outside my Window

From bleakness to monochromatic tonal landscape. Experimenting with color harmonies thru the creative use of pastel.

BREEZY SUMMER PASTEL

Making the most of the outdoor. Another spontaneous plein air sketch, trying to capture the joy & beauty of a summer garden. I probably cant duplicate the breezy informality of this quick pastel, something about painting outside... 

I like it so much that I spend some discipline time in my studio, brainstorming on the computer.

Without photoshop, I could never add a dainty flower fairy & magical butterfly to this small paste.

New Design!

ROSES & BUTTERFLY

edits with butterfly

Getting a lot of mileage from a bouquet of roses.  Started with a pastel sketch & experimenting with color & texture. After I scan the painting, more experimenting on photoshop. I zoom in on the pink & green bouquet & layer on the butterfly…this now looks like a greeting card.

from my garden

CONTE & CHARCOAL

Sometimes, wonderful things can happen just by pushing & rubbing paints around…just being intuitive with the abstract shapes of the winter pines outside my window.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Easy to start a painting, tough to finish one. To be an artist, we are curse with self critical eye. I've learn to lay my projects out in a open table. As long as it is out in the open, it will be done. If not this month, then, next month.

SPRING PALETTE

brighter palettes + vibrating lights = many lovely sketches!

FULL MOON

I took liberty with the colors, but at 6 AM, the moon was going down the western horizon.

STORMY EVENING

Winter colors straight from my pastel set. No commercial value, just training my artist's eye & hand.

NEW ENGLAND PASTEL

With the heat wave & endless rain, Connecticut is looking quite lush. With the change of season, I have to rearrange my pastel color sticks. I wont be needing my soft pastel colors for awhile. With the lush, deep colors of summer, I will be switching over to using my oil paints.

SPRING POND

A misty morning, early outing with my pastel. Pastel is definitely the perfect medium to express Spring in Connecticut.

CHERRY BLOSSOM

After too many winter sketches in monotone, I'm celebrating the first flowers of New England this week. Pure joy to see them in my studio & breakfast table.