More Skies on the mesa - pastel, plein air

Because the clouds are amazing, I need more practice painting them, and I can avoid using much green.

Both done from Pastorius SWA.

Today's painting, looking south.  It was time for some turquoise skies and a bigger size.  I forgot that there are certain pastels that don't handle well on this paper, and oops - those would be the turquoises.

Florida Mesa Sky - 12x16", plein air
pastel on black construction paper

The entire area surrounding the lake is farmland, with distal mountains, so almost anything can be incorporated into the landscape:  grain silos, sheds, fences, roads, green fields, etc.


Saturday's painting, looking to the northwest.

Convergence - 12x12", plein air
pastel on yellow cardstock

I decided to try a piece of the yellow cardstock that comes in the packs I have purchased.  Using it for a high-key sky painting seemed a logical choice, and aside from the effect on the relative values of the pastels I used, it was a surprisingly easy transition from the darker colors I'm used to using.

I did this in probably 30 minutes, if that.  As usual, I waited until mid-afternoon to go out, at which time the clouds were really starting to kick into high gear.  When I set up my easel, the sky above was blue, but a wall of rain was falling to the southwest, probably in New Mexico.

Within about 15 minutes, these two cumulus clouds had merged, wind had kicked up, and by the time I was finished, the sky was almost completely filled with rain-laiden clouds that looked to burst at any moment.  If not for the impending threat of rain, I'd have definitely done another painting.