Winter Sky

"Winter Sky"
10" x 16"

Guess I was a lot closer to being done on this painting than I thought. Added a few more highlights and finished off the lower right hand corner. The trees by themselves are not really that interesting, but add a sky with some clouds at an angle and it will capture your eye. This is a scene outside our cabin which is perched upon a hill during the winter. There are a few more photographs like this that I've taken over the years that would make just as good a painting. Now to figure out what to paint next.

Winter Sky - Stage 2

Back at the drawing board tonight to work out the next stage in completing this drawing. At this point I start working on the tree tops working my way down the drawing. At times I will do a little work in the sky but for the most part stayed on rendering each branch on the trees. A mug of hot tea and music on my iPod helps to pass the time.

You can see here that I've worked all the way down the trees; there is still much to do on the tree on the far right. Thinking the sky is pretty much finished, perhaps it needs a hint of light yellow in the colors and an accent on the tree tops. In any event one more evening on this drawing and it will be complete.

Winter Sky - Stage 1

This is the under drawing using a dry pastel media and a little charcoal to outline the initial image. Since this is a winter scene I'm using lighter hues and white. This is necessary as I start to use rubbing alcohol to spread the color around it on the paper it darkens a bit.
You can see here that I'm using a half inch wide flat headed Bristol brush on the sky. You can see the alcohol mixing with the dry pastel with the hue darkening up. You have to be careful to clean your brush after about 3-4 brush strokes. The alcohol cleans the pigment from the brush quite easily so it not a huge problem. The cleaning permits you to keep each hue some what separated on the paper. In other word the white remains white and the blue remains its own color. There is some mixing of the colors along the edges where they meet which is a good thing at times.
In this close up you can see how the colors remain separated and how some of the edges will actually mix together. As you can see I'm also using the direction of the brush strokes to add to the drama of the sky.The directional aspects of a brush is a very important way to add drama to any work.

This is the finished under painting and must dry for about 30 minutes before moving on to the next layer of pastel. I left some areas untouched by the alcohol to denote sky holes or snow on a branch. Again don't feel like you need to fill in all areas of the under painting with a color, white space adds a very powerful design element...sometime less is more. Tomorrow I begin the next stage of this painting by adding some details.

Avalanche Chute

"Avalanche Chute"
10" x 16" (Finished)

Under painting after an alcohol wash.

Laying down the under drawing & blocking in zones of color.

Here is the latest pastel painting that I've been working on over the past two days. I've included a few more photos showing a before and after progression using rubbing alcohol once again for the under painting. This approach has really been a wonderful process to execute and permits to me to work much more quickly. One of the delightful things I've discovered is this process has really loosen me up.

The reference photo was taken last summer while on a hike with my nephew Ethan up to Lake Silvis (video). As we were hiking up the access road we came across an ice cave at the end of an avalanche chute from the spring run-off earlier in the year. It was such a beautiful summer day I will never forget our time together that day. This pastel was a great way to began a new year, remembering the past while moving towards the future.

Gem Cove

'Gem Cove'
Pastel, 18" x 24"

This drawing was based on a photo I took last summer while doing an all day hike up to Lake Silvis which is located south of town. It was a very hot day with the sun directly over head. The view in this pastel is looking out across George Inlet and Carrol Inlet, the sandy beach head is at the entrance of Gem Cove. It is a very nice place to hold up when the weather can get sloppy in the inlet.

Part 5: Work In Progress

WIP 9 - finishing up the foreground trees on left & right.

Part 4: Work In Progress

WIP 8a - close up detail of the center of the drawing

WIP 8 - filling out the trees on the left and right...slow going.

Part 3: Work In Progress

WIP 7 - starting to work on the tree in the upper left hand corner

WIP 6 - filling in the rest of the foreground

Part 2: Work In Progress

WIP 5 - working the sky a bit more with clouds
and trees in foreground. blended out the snow cap
mountains along the sky; and trying to add more
shape to the islands in middle ground

WIP 4 - blending the sky and adding distant snow
cap mountains; added some definition to trees in foreground

WIP 3 - adding color to sky; more color to the islands

Part 1: Work In Progress

WIP 1 - drew in landscape with a Conte pencil
followed by blocking in first hue of color

WIP 2 - starting to block in the foreground

Sunset Commute

"Sunset Commute" - October 2010
Pastel, 8" x 14"

Way Point

'Way Point' - August 26, 2010

Pastel, 8" x 10"

Afternoon Birches

'Afternoon Birches'
5" x 7" on Wallis Paper
(field study)

The Office

'The Office'
5" x 7" on Wallis Paper
(field study)

Mountain Landscapes

In recent months Pat taught acrylic painting to seven home school students. Enjoy their artistry in the mountain landscape art gallery.

Emma (9)

Molly (9 1/2)

Paul (10)

Riley (13)

Carrie (14)

Morgan (15)

Joanna (15)

Island Study

Island Study - 2009

Pencil on Paper

Kodiak Harbor Study

Kodiak Harbor - 2000

Pencil on Paper

Pastel - Lunch Creek

Early Spring Morning

Lunch Creek - Settlers Cove

September 2007