Texture

This is an older painting and I was exploring texture.

I always loved texture…..I enjoy grittiness and roughness. When drawing, I never blend with a finger or a blending stump. And, with pastel, a ‘finger tap” is all the blending which I will embrace. Texture gives the viewers something to ponder when their noses are a few inches from the canvas.

With this work, I actually placed a mixture of sand and glue to the paper.

I am sure there is some emotional reason for my rough preference. Maybe I want to inject masculinity or power into my work. I do not know. Yet, we do nothing without a reason

The Desert

Here, I am exploring the use of layering color in the sky and background of paintings. I adore this process. Generally a cool color is placed first if a painting will be warm. Of course a warm color is placed first if the end result will be a cool painting.

Oddly a blazing pink is a great choice for an under painting.

Also, I swapped the normal color unity scheme. Generally, warm colors are highlight colors and color colors (even with a bit of warm) are shadows. I ignored this traditional approach.

Also this painting is my first painting where I began using water with pastel to create the appearance of distance. The pastel forming the distance mountains is muddied with water and left to dry.