Last Glow of the Day

I saw a picture of a sunset that inspired me. You could hardly see the lower part of the sunset. Artistic license  to the rescue . I changed the reference removed some trees and shrubs leaving enough to boarder the sunset with trees.

I need to work on my photography skills a bit the picture is off a bit the yellow is brighter .

This is a soft pastel 11 X 15 on a grey Stonehenge paper 100% cotton .  I used mostly  Schminckie  and Blick soft pastels with some pastel pencils.

Thank you for looking hope you enjoyed it.

Southwest Sunset

I saw a photo with the clouds and similar color . I changed mountains foreground and mid ground . I tried to use a mountain range outline from southern New Mexico.

This is a pastel painting on 100% cotton paper Stonehenge  warm white.  12x17 . This is done with Schmincke,Art spectrum Sennelier ,and Blicks soft pastels.  With Nupastels and pastel pencils  .

Afternoon storm over Chimney Rock

This sandstone monument is north of Shiprock New Mexico and just southwest of  Cortez Colorado  .  It is on the northeastern  end of the Navajo Reservation. It is an interesting rock formation.   Drove by it hundreds of times over the years.

 I have not heard any stories or myths with this sandstone monument but there maybe . 

If your familiar  with the area what direction is this view ?

This is a pastel painting on 100% cotton paper Stonehenge  warm white.  12x17 . This is done with Schmincke,Art spectrum Sennelier ,and Blicks soft pastels.  With Nupastels and pastel pencils  .

Sundown at the Western Oasis

The old windmills once a common sight and icon the western states are slowly disappearing . They are being replaced with electric pumps and waterlines . Also ranchers and farmers are gradually going out of business and giving up and letting them rot.  I just love windmills, old farm or ranch houses old barns.  All the items of a by gone era.


This painting is a composite  from several references.

It is an acrylic on 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas .

Thanks for looking.

Red Valley

My better half and I took a drive out behind Shiprock over into Arizona for sight seeing and material for painting. The Town Red Valley is just over the boarder. This is an out cropping of sandstone I thought was interesting  we found just off the road near Cove Az .  I loved the juniper fighting for survival in a crack on top of  a barren rock. I thought I would make a great painting.

This is acrylic on gallery wrap canvas  16 x 20.

More Watercolors

I have a couple more watercolors to post today . I am enjoying them. I have some acrylics painted and more watercolors but need to get a good photograph of them.

These two are 9X12 on watercolor paper .

Here is a older couple  both are of Monument valley .  That is one place that truly inspires me.

This is an acrylic  16 x20

 

 This on is a pastel   9x12

I did these 2 in the fall of 2012  .

Afternoon in Monument Valley

Afternoon in Monument  Valley

A view of the west mitten looking north .  I have always been enchanted with these  rock formations in the southwest. The  monument placement skyline and distance is accurate some of  the hills and foreground  I claim artistic license .

This is acrylic on a 16 x 20 gallery  wrapped canvas . I finished this one mid July 2013. I tried to stay true to the feeling you get looking off into the distance at these monuments.

Here is another pastel this is a sunset on the Oregon coast  .  I don't recall where the reference  photograph came from but said it was the Oregon coast .  The light and shadows with the interesting reflections  just caught my eye. I had to try to recreate it in pastels. There something  special  sitting on the beach watching  the sun go down drinking a glass of wine and eating a picnic of  dried sausages, cheeses bread with friends  or loved ones looking at a scene  like this watching the sun go down listening to the surf. This reference reminded me of a vacation picnic  with a similar view and similar sunset.

 

This is on  color fix paper made by art spectrum 9x12.  I used Nu-pastels, Blick brand soft pastels  Schmincke and Sennelier.

I have always loved the adobe   mission churches and fell in love with this famous New Mexican church in Taos  New Mexico. Its San Francisco de Assisi  Mission Church in Taos  I love pastels thought I would give this old mission church a try in pastels. This church  is a New Mexican icon because of its shape and its historical significance .The Franciscans started the construction of the  church in 1772 and finished in 1816. The mission church is a National Historic Landmark.  

I started this pastel on March 11th  while I was kinda down with a real bad cold. Dabbled  with it for the next couple of days . Finished it on March 13 I am pretty happy with it. But what makes this so special to me later that day I heard on the news Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope and chose the name of Francis after St Francis  of Assisi  .  Providence , circumstance , prophetic or just one of those things that make you go hmmm ?  Thats for you to answer for your self.

I took my photo of  San Francisco de Assisi looked at other pictures  made a change of time and added a sunset . This is the result . 

I decided I like  a toothy support for pastels. The the support is a 100% cotton paper  with a gesso and marble dust painted on it first. It was an experiment  recipe for the ground was from other artists this recipe worked very good I believe it was found on http://www.wetcanvas.com . 

This is on a 8x12 paper with hard and soft pastels and a few pastel pencils.
Hope you enjoy viewing it