Low Canal

A 12x9 graphite pencil drawing of the low canal from the Church Street bridge. Almost all my work has been horizontal, as if you hadn't notice, but I will try a few verticals. This is the preparatory drawing for the pastel painting.

Home of the Heron

Years ago I worked in the Art Museum at Princeton University which owns an Inness "Home of the Heron" painting. I used to view it frequently, and could not help but notice that Inness, in this painting and the more famous one in the Art Institute of Chicago, despite the title, or maybe because of the title, obscures the heron. Well, I could not miss this heron. Since the canal has sunk so low, the herons are less skittish, and don't fly away if you stand there looking at them. They just look back, or keep going about their business. I saw a heron recently that speared a fish, tossed it up, and swallowed it in one, flowing movement. Since it was a large fish, I could see the lump move down it's thin neck.

This is a 9x12 pastel on pastelmat paper. I focused on some areas, and left others fairly sketchy.

New Home of the Heron

For some time I have wanted to paint some canal scenes that depict what it looks at the moment, a big, long ditch. It's ugly but visual interesting at the same time. I did the charcoal drawing to organize the above image before starting the painting. It shows the bridge from which I have done several paintings in the past. This morning the heron was indeed there. Several herons and egrets have been fishing out this section of the canal.

Looking West

A view looking west from a field at Field Farm. 8x10 pastel on uart paper.

Down the Hill

This is one of those rehearsals tried a second time in pastel. 8x10 on uart paper. Again set up first with brush, water and pastel.

Corn Field Remnant

Not much happening here, except some corn stalks, a muddy track where the tractors went, and sunlight. It's actually behind the abandoned farm house and barn. Not quite abandoned when one encounters the signs of harvesting.

This is an 8x10 on uart paper, which I roughed in with pastel, brush and water, let dry, and then added more pastel.

Rehearsals

This weekend I made a large number of these 'rehearsals' with Art Stix. Above is a small selection. I hope to turn them into more serious performances.

I love to walk. My wife dropped me off at Five Corners, and I walked back along Route 43. There isn't much of a shoulder, but many things to see that are not visible just driving by in a car. I saw a painter with his French easel in a field near a stream. I thought I would hop the fence like he did, and see how he was doing. Probably the last thing he would expect is a curious gawker in that location. But, I put myself in his place, and decided not to, though I would have loved to talk to him about painting landscapes.

Side Ways

This could have been done more tightly, but that's not what I am after. Just a quick glance down a side street on a sunny day. No traffic. Little noise. Everyone is somewhere else. 9x12 pastel on pastelmat.

Alleyway

Another view down a side street in a small town in Provence. They are to me more dreamscape than cityscape. 9x12 pastel on colourfix suede.

Street and Houses

Sometimes it's good to do some non-natural images. This is a side street in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, a small town in Provence. I was there in June. I think I will do a series of these views. 9x12 pastel on colourfix suede.

Last Pond

Another 9x12 pastel pond reflection on colourfix suede.

Wet Surface

Another pastel of the pond at Field Farm. 9x12 on colourfix suede.

Turn to Mud

To take a break from reflecting pond surfaces, I turned to mud (not literally) in a newly cut corn field. It makes me realize that, though I admire the beauty of a corn field, I have no idea what the farmer sees and is doing there. Another 9x12 pastel on pastelmat.

I have been using water with pastel on the pastelmat paper. The results are interesting enough to keep pursuing. I remember reading somewhere that Degas used water and pastel. The soaked and brushed pastel behaves like watercolor. Drying time is necessary before reapplying dry pastel.

More Pond

Another Field Farm pond view, this time looking east toward Greylock. 9x12 pastel on pastelmat.

Pondering

Another view of the pond at Field Farm with the Taconics in the background, and the foreground. For the last two, I have used pastel and water for the underpainting, and let it dry before applying more pastel. Similar to watercolor on this ground. 9x12 pastel on pastelmat.