"Onion," colored pencil and soft pastel on 5 x 5 on 98 lb paper

The onion was the most available subject today.  I began this one with a sketch using Dahlia Purple and Parma Violet Prismacolor pencils.  It was time to pull out the PanPastels.  I did a light wash in Violet and then Yellow Ochre.  I added Red Iron Oxide for the darker spots of my onion.  I made my shadows using a combination of those colors, all in pastel, along with a little Neutral Gray.  I used the colored pencil to add some finishing details.

I wanted to use a complimentary color palette to create a recognizable onion.  My main goal was to create realistic color and texture.  I will be creating some onion abstractions in my next sketches.

Beach Scene

 

"Beach Scene," watercolor on 12 x 9 140 lb paper

 

I wanted to create an abstract landscape.  

My main focus in this painting was sky- I wanted to give the sky a great deal of depth and interest.  I used wet-on-wet for an underpainting, interweaving blues, violets, reds, oranges and yellows.  After this layer dried, I went over it in two layers of dark blue, then added table salt, as well as rock salt to allow the broken colors to shine through.

For the ocean, I mixed greens and blues, painting wet-on wet to give the impression of waves.

The hill was originally a cadmium lemon.  This created imbalance in the painting, so I neutralized the hill and also gave it more interest by layering a deep blue-violet over the yellow.  I added more salt to give the sand some texture.

Overall, I'm happy with how the painting turned out.  Next time I work a beach scene, I might abstract it further by using cleaner geometric shapes and a simpler color scheme. 

Emergence

"Emergence," pastel on 9 x 12 92 lb paper

I thought about sitting on a sandy hill at night, listening to the Gulf of Mexico.  I made a non-representational painting, focusing on the emotions of that night, rather than attempting a landscape or a figure.  I felt in touch with something spiritual, something higher.  The mystery of the Hale Bopp Comet, visible in the sky the entire time I visited Venice, Florida that year, only added to that feeling.  In addition to the mystical, I felt an incredible sense of serenity.  I chose many purples and blues, as these are colors I relate to divinity and magic.  I chose oranges to represent the feeling after sun has gone down, and greens to help convey the feeling of serenity.  I worked entirely in pastel on black paper, marking without thinking, without planning, just feeling.  This is an emotional piece.