Desert Snow
Pastel on Colourfix Card
16 x 12 inches
This painting will be framed in barn wood against museum glass. $345.00, free shipping in the USA.
This scene is very common in New Mexico, Arizona or west Texas. The snow can be very heavy and deep. It usually doesn't stay around too long in the lower elevations. I always loved looking at it. I don't like to be cold, so it is not my favorite place to be in cold weather. I don't have many photos for reference. I added snow to a photo I had that was in the dry winter without any of the wet stuff.
It is very interesting to paint white because you rarely use pure white. The shadows are usually light blue or purple and may include a bit of color of what surrounds the white. The highlights are warm and a reflection of the sky so are painted with light pink or yellow. When the viewer sees the pale colors against the dark, they look white. It is an interesting challenge.
I painted an under painting with watercolors to place and emphasize the shadows. I try to let a bit of paper or under painting to show through to give texture and movement. The paper was light blue to start with, which helped in the sky.
You may remember that the day I painted I also did a small study while waiting for the under painting to dry. This will be for sale on my website, unframed in the Jo's Notions category.
Desert Snow Study
Pastel on Pastelbord
7 x 5 inches, against glass ready to frame or sit on a small easel
$50.00, free shipping in the USA.
Art Link:
Deborah Secor wrote a wonderful book about pastel painting, Landscape Painting in Pastels. Deborah writes or wrote for the Pastel Journal and has done so many things with her talent and pastels. It is free on-line. She generously shares it with us. Our gift from a gifted artist. Chapter 18 is about painting snow:
2 comments:
Love the vibrant red/orange grasses against the snow.
Joanna, thanks. Orange and blue, complements, are always striking!
Post a Comment