Better Late Than Never

Better late than never! So here I am posting late after a lovely wee event in my studio this afternoon! More about that on Wednesday, for today let’s take a peek at a new pastel painting! 

Autumn Comes Rustling In

30cm x 60cm 

I was out and about taking in the first real russet leaves and the smells and sounds of Autumn. Funny, I always notice the change of smells ringing in a new season. 

I really enjoy this long, slim panorama format and working in shadows was something very challenging. 

Setting my lights and darks is essential at the beginning along with that lovely sweep of dirt path and the fences on the right. 

With the onset of Autumn the grass starts to dry and lose its intense green and the trees start to transform into ''burning bushes'', we are still not quite there so the atmosphere is partially light and summery but at the same time the chill leaches the colour out of the sky and the light is completely different. With the pale blue, grey, turquoise sky we're moving away from the intense blues of summer. 

With the side of my hand I then smudge the layers around the tree in the direction of growth, away from the trunk as if the wind is blowing, then starting to layer the branches and leaves in hard and soft pastels! Here a wee detail 

Brrrrrrrhhhh, can you feel the chill setting in?