Aerial Sky Series - Final Light

Here is the next painting in the series, based again on a photo shot from the Denver-Durango flight last July.  We were in seats on the left side of the plane, which meant a southern view and the less dynamic light of the sunset than the brilliant sky I sneaked a look at through the adjacent windows.  Nonetheless, even the confined view from my small window provided spectacular views that I was at least able to capture somewhat with my camera.

"Final Light" - 9x12"

sold

Surface is Art Spectrum Colourfix, sort of re-claimed.  It had an outline drawing in pastel pencil and charcoal that never made it to the painting stage.  This is the third painting I've done on this paper, and I will be most happy to use the rest of it up.  In order to deal with the texture issues, I actually used a piece of sandpaper to smooth the surface a bit.  This seemed to help the pastel adhere to more than just the top layer of grit on the paper.  I still needed to finger blend areas to get coverage over the paper color ("elephant", I believe), and force the pastel into the deeper tooth of the paper.  I think a combination of sanding and alcohol washes will be the ticket to making this paper work.

That being said, I'm rather happy with the results.  Trying to capture the perspective of the land took some thought, and I ended up doing it as layers and scumbling of multiple darks, in compliments and analogous colors, to achieve the muted tones of a distal and dark earth.

I used several of my Mt. Vision Thunderstorm grays in the clouds; I find the set to be one of the most versatile I own, and indispensable for doing skies and cloudscapes.

Aerial Sky Series - pastel

Here are the first two paintings, both completed yesterday evening, of an aerial sky-themed series.  These, like the "Take Off - DIA" painting from a few days ago, are also based on photos taken during that short flight from Denver to Durango.  It will remain to be seen how many of these end up in the series; I'll continue as long as I have inspiration and material to draw from.

After doing the canoe painting, which was a bit tighter than I like to work, I kept these small - 5x7"- so I could work quickly and keep them loose.  The first was done with an alcohol wash.  The second just had a quick initial sketch with a white pastel pencil prior to jumping in with the softies.  I could see revisiting these later as larger pieces, perhaps in oils.

"Monsoon View" 

pastel on sandpaper, 5x7"

"Sunset over San Luis Valley"

pastel on sandpaper, 5x7"

More to come.

Sky Friday - Cumulus, Rising

Today's post is somewhat inspired by some photos actually taken this past Wednesday in my neighborhood.  It was a hot day by coastal CT standards - 87 degrees - and a bit muggy.  In the morning, not a cloud was to be found.  However, those conditions are also what can result in impromptu, rapidly-forming and localized clouds and storm cells.  In the mid-summer in southwestern AZ, this results in monsoon storms.  Out here on the east coast, there is no "monsoon season"; the occasional afternoon like this past Wed. is as close as it gets to the monsoon-type storms that I'm accustomed to.

In my photo collection, I have several images taken that capture the precursor to a raincloud - the cumulus congestus - as it rises up from the landscape.  The evaporation of water from the earth, rise in the warm air and rapid condensation as the vapor hits the cooler air higher in the sky form this cloud type.   First humilis - small, scattered with tattered edges; then mediocris - wider than they are tall, which can then lead to congestus - taller than they are wide, with exuberant, cauliflower-like shapes.  These form large, billowing towers, producing a showy spectacle in the sky that turns heads, but before they metamorphose into the terminal grandeur of a cumulonimbus.

As opposed to the majority of clouds I photograph, these are unique in that they don't represent the full cloud; instead, the base is obscured by the more proximal elements of the landscape - mountains, trees or buildings.  Usually, that's obligated by location limitations at the time the photo was taken, rather than intent.  However, for some of these shots, particularly those taken back in AZ, there is a sense of drama from the cloud only partially seen.

Photos are shown in order of most recent to oldest.  All different times and locations.

Enjoy!

Cumulus Rising #1:  Judson Ave. Sunset

Location:  Mystic, May 26,  ~7:55 p.m. EST

Cumulus Rising #2: Judson Ave. 

Location:  Mystic, May 26, ~5:30 p.m. EST

Cumulus Rising #3: Judson Ave.

Location:  Mystic, April 22, 2:46 p.m. EST

Cumulus Rising #4: Mule Mtn. Sunset

Location:  Swan Rd., south of Mule Mtns, March 6, 7:29 p.m. MST

Cumulus Rising #5:  San Pedro River

Location:  Charleston Rd, March 6, 4:26 p.m. MST

Cumulus Rising #6:  Jonquil Hotel

Location:  Courtyard hillside, January 14, 1:19 p.m. MST

Red Canoe - pastel

My friends here in Mystic have been telling me to paint some Mystic landscape scenes, so before I jump into the aerial cloud series, I thought I'd do a piece that would appeal to local tastes.  Another impetus was an announcement in the Groton public library for submissions from local artists for their summer solstice celebration.  I love my library, and I've always enjoyed seeing the various displays and such that they put on throughout the year.  It's not a competition and each artist may enter up to two pieces of artwork.   Sounded like fun!

It was also an opportunity to: 1) work on a larger surface; 2) replace an outdated pastel painting that has been hanging on my wall for the past 12 years or so...one of the first I ever did.  It was done from a photo out of a magazine, and is outdated as far as my pastel painting skills go.  It has a nice wooden frame and the non-glare glass I got when I had the original painting matted.

It's something that appeals to *my* aesthetic sensibilities as well, since I took the photo.   It was of that fabulous red canoe that was sitting on the edge of the marsh side of Brushy point.   Loved the reflections, the contrast of the red canoe with the greens and blues of the distal shore and water.  And the little building...I decided to keep it, as I think it adds another point of interest and directs the eye to the tree line from the boat.

"Brushy Pt. Canoe"

12x18" on Strathmore 400 series paper

available for purchase

It seemed like a pretty straightforward painting - simple shapes and a relatively limited palette.  Well, after doing the majority of my pastels on sanded surfaces where the pastel goes down like butter, this was a bit of a challenge. The hardest part of the entire painting?  The reflection.  Jeebus...I don't want to mention how many times I re-did that particular area.  It's even been re-done after I took this photo, and still, as I am looking at the image and writing this, I see a few other areas that I need to re-work slightly.   That's one of the benefits of taking a photo - for whatever reason, it allows flaws to become apparent that  just weren't appreciated during the painting process. 

The original photo showed the trees in their anemic, pre-leafout colors, which didn't appeal to me.  So, they were done to reflect a bright spring green that they are currently.   It will be on its way to the local framer in a short while.

So, it will hang in the Groton Public Library for most of the month of June, along with one of my Mule Mtn. pastels done late last year.  Perhaps it will strike a chord with a local (even the canoe owner - who knows?) and it will sell.  If not, it will be a reminder of my time here in New England after we're 2200 miles to the west...

Take-Off - pastel with underpainting

Because of all the reference photos I have taken over the past year+, I'm never at a loss for inspiration for something to paint.  However, it's often an unexpected photo that will grab my attention and say "paint ME!".

Ever since I took those in-air photos during my return trip, I've been itching to do a series of aerial paintings, mostly of clouds.  A few days ago, I was revisiting the in-flight photos I took during our trip to Durango last year, and a most unlikely photo caught my eye.  It was one taken maybe 30 sec. or so after take-off from DIA, in a small Brazilian prop for the final flight to Durango.  The view, of course is to the east, where the state joins with the Great Plains.  The land forms patchworks of color and shapes and the remnants of a summer monsoon storm make up the sky.

As a photo, it was nothing special, but I liked the abstract shapes and perspective of the land.  I also instantly had this idea that it could be the lead-in for the series of from-air cloudscapes.

Take-off - DIA  - final version

9x12" on reclaimed Wallis 

I also decided this would be a good time to try the Wallis paper that I've been holding on to for the past unknown number of years.   I bought it way back when I was living in Flagstaff, probably 10 years ago, with the idea that I'd be pastel painting regularly.  I didn't, so the spendy packet of really nice pastel paper sat quietly with my pastels, waiting to be used.

Last December, having not used pastels in 10 years, I decided to do a painting for Wayne for Christmas. A photo taken in a place we love - Zion NP - was the subject.  Well, let's just say that didn't work out so well...I had no idea how to use Wallis and abandoned the painting.  It sat until I decided to wash it off and save it for later use.  

Underpainting with isopropyl alcohol wash

Some of the ghosted original painting is still visible in the cloud area

I quickly did a sketch of the basic shapes and blocked in the colors.  Because of the previous painting, this seemed like a good time to revisit the underpainting technique, which worked wonderfully.  I decided this might be a good painting to document as an in-progress piece, so I waited until I could get a photo of the underpainting before proceeding.  

Original finished version prior to re-working

My SO, Wayne, is just an all around awesome guy.   He's been hugely supportive of my work and without him, I'd not be able to pursue art as anything except a fleeting hobby.  In addition, I found he's really good to solicit opinions on regarding things that might not be working with the occasional painting.   He always clarifies every request for his opinion that he is not an artist and may have no idea what he's talking about.  But, as I tell him, he has a set of eyes, is certainly representative of someone who buys art, and we also have similar tastes.  Plus, there are art and photography books all around the house, so he is exposed to it whether he wants to be or not.

When I showed him the more or less finished painting, shown immediately above, I asked him what he thought and what, if anything didn't "work".  After careful consideration, he pointed out some things that bothered him.   And he pointed out what he really liked about the painting.  Both are useful to me, actually.  I put the painting up on the easel (I paint with the paper taped to a board and flat on the table instead of on an easel), I immediately saw some compositional/perspective issues that for whatever reason I'd missed during the painting process, despite what I thought was a reasonable effort towards that accuracy.  Between his suggestions and my re-examination of the reference photo for accuracy, some changes were made that I think improved the painting.  

And the verdict on the Wallis paper, revisited, is that it's as great a surface as everyone says.  I definitely won't wait so long to use it again.

Color study - pastel

Finally getting around to posting this painting I did on Thursday, I think.  Given the mini rut I was in, I thought returning to some color studies based on the "paint the same scene" concept I'd done back in October might be helpful.  I still ended up fighting with that a bit, and even though I took a photo of the other piece I did in the same sitting, it's just something I think I'll toss instead...not worth posting.

For these, I like to convert my reference photo to a black/white image; that way, I'm free to choose whatever colors I wish.

I chose a photo I took out near Coronado National Monument, south of the Huachuca Mtns., back in March.  I decided to try a square composition just for something different and so that I could alter sizes if I wanted.

Nice range of values, a foreground, middle ground and distal horizon.  Some interesting stuff .  I didn't do thumbnail sketches prior to beginning the first painting, which probably would have been a good idea.  I altered the composition a bit as I went.  

For this, I decided to stick with Unison pastels and went with an orange-yellow-purple palette, sort of a split compliment, and going strictly on values vs. colors.  It's kinda fun, color-wise.  If I can settle on a compositional arrangement I am happy with, I'll probably whip out a bunch of smaller studies in between other pieces.

Trees with grass and wash

9x9" 320-grit sandpaper

Sky Friday - A toast to Alfred Stieglitz

There have been many times when I was observing and photographing the sky that the cloud forms themselves were so compelling and beautiful as to stand on their own as subjects, freed as a subordinate of the land.   Given my proclivity towards abstractions, it was inevitable that many shots were taken with the camera well above the horizon.  Ever since I began taking these, I've wanted to do a series of them, and today seemed like a good day for a departure from the sunsets I've been posting.

Not too long ago, I was reading about master photographer and husband of Georgia O'Keefe,  Alfred Stieglitz, and was fascinated to learn that he did a series of abstracted cloudscape photos, titled the Equivalent Series.    How exciting to learn that one of the great photographers of the late 19th/early 20th century was also a cloud aficionado.

Whereas these shots were taken in full afternoon sun, against a brilliant blue sky, I find that I prefer them, save one,  as monochromatics, just as Stieglitz portrayed them.  They are posted by date taken, earliest to latest.  Location, date and cloud type are noted.  All, except for the color photo, are taken at full 18mm wide angle.

So, Mr. Stieglitz, wherever you may be, here's a tribute to you and your Equivalents.  Enjoy!

Cirrus #1

Long, sweeping tails of this graceful cloud fill the sky.  

Jonquil Hotel courtyard, Bisbee, January 26, 2009.

Cirrus #2

Wispy tails of this cloud form fern-like patterns in the afternoon sky.  

Jonquil Hotel courtyard, Bisbee, February 2, 2010.

Altocumulus

These small cloudlets form a striking pattern across the morning sky.

Jonquil Hotel courtyard, Bisbee, February 6, 2010

From the Heavens

This pair of moisture-laden cumulus congestus clouds, joined by a thin vapor veil, show dramatic backlighting from the sun.

 BLM Murray Springs Clovis Site trail, March 19, 2010

Cirrocumulus

These high-level clouds form what is known as a "mackerel sky"

Picture Rocks/Tucson, March 22, 2010