Winter Sun, Near Llyn Idwal

Winter Sun

Pastel

6" x 6" SOLD

Wet Sands, Bamborough

Wet Sands, Bamborough Beach

6" x 14"

Pastel

Another favourite haunt when we visit Northumberland. Always good for a brisk (freeezzzing) walk on Boxing Day! SOLD

Snowing Again

Snowing Again

Oil Pastel

6" x 10"

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I'm working on a larger snow painting at the moment but wanted to try out spattering the oil pastel surface with white gouache to get the effect of it snowing. The nice thing about the oil pastel is that it allowed me to blot out areas of gouache I wasn't happy with(whilst still wet) and re-spatter.

Abandoned, Tuscany

Abandoned, Tuscany SOLD

Oil Pastel

8" x 8"

I painted this on a rough tooth pastel card (by Royal Sovereign in raw umber). The heavy tooth resists the pastel and makes quite a pleasing texture; almost antique. Also, it's almost impossible to fill all the tooth - unless you go mad;) This gives a nice uniformity over the whole surface of the finished painting.

I was pleasantly surpised at this effect and feel it suits the subject quite well. I've only previously used this paper with soft pastels which fill the tooth very easily. I'll definitely use this with oil pastels again.

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UPDATE: Just tried to order some more of this card - only one sheet left. It doesn't seem to be available any more :(

If anyone knows otherwise, I'd be a very happy bunny.

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UPDATE 2 Found it!! It's apparently been renamed as La Carte Pastel Paper (Sennelier). I've found it for sale on both greatart.co.uk and saa.co.uk .. whew! BTW, if you use wet media as an underpainting with your pastel, don't use this. It doesn't like it.

Ground Frost

Ground Frost

Pastel

7" x 14"

I love the muted colour that a light layer of ground frost creates. Not sure if I've quite captured it here but I enjoyed trying!

SOLD

Tuscan Poppies

Tuscan Poppies

7" x 10"

Oil Pastel

I decided to stay clear of my soft pastels for a while until my asthma has improved. It's difficult to avoid creating coloured dust!

In fact, I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy oil pastels ... like playing with crayons again :-) Just what the doctor ordered.

Snow, Kinder.

Snow, Kinder

Pastel.

Not very well at all today so "here's one I prepared earlier".

Kinder is an area of the Peak District not too far (at least if you drive) from where I live.

OK ... hopefully I'll be back at the easel tomorrow.

Snowstorm Approaching

Snowstorm Approaching

Pastel

4" x 8"

Well the snow is still everywhere and the hill I can see from my studio window looks quite beautiful. I think it's going to clear in the next few days though. Hopefully I'll manage to get upto the Lake District this weekend to walk and paint - a birthday treat :-)

UPDATE: Just seen the weather forecast - blizzards toight and very heavy snowfall ... mmm., need some more white pastel.

Mists, Tuscany

Mists, Tuscany. SOLD

Pastel

6" x 16"

Wanted to give the impresion that the old house was being warmly wrapped by the surrounding hills. From my imagination ...

Today we have a lot of snow so I'm currently now on painting no. 2. It's a larger painting - a snow landscape so won't be finished for a few days yet. May paint a smaller snowscape in the morning.

Durdle Door

Durdle Door, England

Pastel

5" x 9"

On the Jurassic Coast, Dorset,
South England. A quick little pastel sketch inspired by a new blog started today by a group of artists who paint water : 'watermarks'!