Finishing Work on the Last Pastel Paintings of the Year

“After the Storm,” 9 ½ x 16 on black Art Spectrum Colourfix paper

Original photo courtesy: Wanda Santii

December 24: I haven’t been motivated much lately. I’ve gone in the studio a couple times and did some sky work … and I know I’m overworking it, but I just can’t get it like I want it. Time is slipping by and I’m not sure I’ll get this done for 2020.

Today, I was working on another and to take a break from that, I did a little more on this. The area around the sun continues to show the texture of the paper. I can’t get it smooth, so I gave up and worked downward. I laid in some fog in the mountains with a peach color, then, using a very dark green, started the trees.

Here is another example where doing some of the lower work helps pull the sky together. It doesn’t look bad from a distance. 

December 25: I worked more on the sky again. I’m not satisfied with the texture and color around the sun. I added highlights with more tree definition. It doesn’t look bad from a distance, but there’s something that isn’t feeling quite right to me. 

December 26: In looking at the progress photo, I made notes on what to improve. Wanda’s original photo is more orangey, which I like a lot.

December 27: Making headway. The color, muddiness, and paper texture showing through on the sky is aggravating. I can’t get the smoothness I love.

I was disappointed, but as I moved farther down and worked the trees and fog, it started pulling together. I like when that happens, and, of course, once I really get into the foreground, the entire painting really takes shape.  

But as happens so often, I don’t seem to have the exact colors as in the photograph. (And I have lots of colors!) As long as I look at the painting as its own work of art and don’t compare it to the photo, it’s not bad.

December 29: Meant to get in the studio yesterday but had company in the afternoon. So, it was the next morning when I spent half an hour at the easel. I smoothed out the sky a little. I’m wondering if the pastel is just too thick.

I continued the tree work adding other colors and hints of sunlight/lifting fog. I used a lot of Sennelier black which disintegrates as I work with it.

I added color to the grassy hill and started the left-hand foreground trees. I like it, but I think I need to smooth out the sky.

I’m excited to do more. It is possible I could finish this in the next day or so.