The Palms

Spending most of my time in the Blue Ridge Mountains, make palm trees a rare sight.  I took the opportunity of my stay in Jacksonville Beach to study these trees.

The Palms
Pastel  6 x 8 

Trying to put the Pastels Down

Despite working on the dozen pastels brought back from Florida, I can't finish them.  Just when I think they are done, I see something else that would be an improvement.  I've been taken photos as I work just to make sure I'm not kidding myself.  Today's got very minor changes, just a darker blue sky to add a little punch.   The vast space of the beach in it's simpleness is the subject of this painting.

Afternoon Clouds
Pastel 6 x 9

Spring Memories

The golden grimes apple tree in my yard is glorious in the springtime.  Yet another pastel from the series done in April.

Spring Revelations

Pastel 5 x 7 

Still in Florida, at least on the Easel

Instead of consigning this plein air sketch to the scrap heap, I decided to redo it.  It's the first one done on my recent trip. It's hard to strike the right palette and light the first day out.  I especially like the violet reflected light on the receding wave.  Low tide leaves pools of many shapes and depths on the beach.

As the Waves Recede
Pastel 5 x 8

Beaches, Beaches, Beaches

Never imaging it would take this long to put the finishing touches on the Spring beach pastel work, I am still working away.  Not sure this is a good process, maybe too much fussing, I think I am learning to see the subtler modifications that improve the work.  However, I've also learned that the truth takes its own time to reveal itself.

On the Move
Pastel 6 x 8

Florida Revisited

Putting finishing touches on plein air pastels.   Done at sunrise I was interested in the atmospheric effects of the light through the clouds, as well as depicting the dazzling sun.

Maybe Rain
Pastel 6 x  8

It's difficult working at sunrise, conditions are changing rapidly and starting in the half-dark makes seeing colors difficult.  Returning to the same location many days in a row is helpful.

Quiet Light
Pastel 5 x 7

I wanted to experiment with showing the afterimage of the sun, as I sometimes see it after looking directly at it.