Pastel Problems And Working Them Out

Once and for all, I pulled this picture out of the closet in hopes of finishing it once and for all. I am determined to complete it before beginning any of the next 19 paintings I have on my list to produce for a show in San Antonio next year. The problem I am having is that the original photograph I am using as reference has no image in the window background and I am having to create something new to put there. This picture was taken on our "floater" in Baffin Bay. A floater is actually a cabin that floats on the water. It is tethered to a pole that is anchored in the water so that it is free to move around depending on the direction of the wind.

So, I decided to paint the image of the bay in the background outside the window. But something just didn't look right about it. And since I didn't have anything to compare it to, I was stumped. So this is how I solved my problem:

• First, I took a photo of the painting and turned it into a black and white image so I could see the values clearly.

• Second, I played with the background image (on the computer) making it lighter, then darker to see what value needed to go there. I decided to make the water darker in the foreground and lighter in the back ground and added a darker streak to create some interest. To me it looked like the wake of a boat that had just passed by.

Problem solved!
I had to take the image back down to the basics of values in order to see what was lacking. Now, I have a blueprint of proper values to guide me through the completion of the painting. And once I did this, I saw other areas of the painting that needed some "ooomf"! Keep this in mind if you can't figure out what your painting is missing. Most of the time, I bet your values need tweeking.

Do you have some insight to share on how you go about problem solving when things just don't seem right with a painting you are working on? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

New Painting on Pastelbord

As you know, the painting surface I normally work on is watercolor paper. I decided, however, to stretch my self on my last piece by using a pumice primed gator board as my painting surface. What a challenge. Today, I am taking another step into the unknown, I will be using "Pastelbord" by Ampersand for my next piece. I tried this board recently during a workshop I took with Claudia Seymour and was very pleasantly surprised at the results.

Pastelbord has a fine sanded surface that is capable of holding many layers of pastel. And, if you are familiar with my work you will know that I am a layering fool! The wonderful thing about this surface is that while I can continue to have my subtle layers of color, I can also have a painting that is pumped with color intensity, which I am crazy about. You can see what I mean with this still life I created at the workshop.

I have to say that trying new mediums and papers is not what I inherently like to do. It's much more comfortable doing what I know and using the materials I am accustomed to using. If I had not forced myself to stretch, though, and I do mean forced myself, my paintings would not be enjoying the color or richness some of these supports offer.

So, I encourage you to try something new. How sad it would be if your work could be transformed by a single sheet of paper and you weren't adventurous enough to try it.

What materials have you tried recently that made a positive affect on your paintings? I'd love to hear about it.