Sometimes people really like the underpainting!

I painted this on location near my home.  It is an old ranch land that is across the street from the library.  Some neighborhood people like to walk there dogs here.

So we were painting (our group) and dog walkers came by and some people really loved the watercolor underpainting I did here!

Sometimes I feel bad that I am going to cover it up with pastel!  But that is my plan!

Here is the finished painting:

"Whites Creek Lane" 9x12 pastel

Pastel painting en plein air - and finishing at home

pastel over watercolor underpainting

I was on a trip last month to Phoenix.  I hiked along a horse trail with my painting gear in a backpack.  The trail dipped down and crossed a dry creek bed.  Knowing that a horse rental stable used the trail, I stepped into the dry wash and set up to paint this view.

This was the first time I used my small oil painting tripod and pochade box for a pastel painting.  The kitty wallis board fit down into the tray holder, but blocked my use of pastel down at the lower edge.  So, if you look closely, you can see the watercolor underpainting of rocks down there.

When I got home I really wanted to finish this.  Finishing to me means more layers of pastel and adjusting values and colors and edges.  So here is my final version:

"Desert Horse Trail"  9x12 pastel

Second time around

8x10 oil "Tracks in the Snow"

This painting was started last winter at Spooner Lake.  It just wasn't right.  So I came home and painted out a big bush in the front with grays.  Then, I did not get around to finishing it.

Last week I went up to Mount Rose Summit - to the Tahoe Meadows area.  It was a grey sky day, but lots of new snow.  The best part was no wind.  Although it was cold, I had brought out my old ski clothes from storage and the snow shoes.  I snow shoed up the hill where the families were sledding.  In an area of willows, the scene was similar to my old painting (which I brought along just in case).  So I set up and started painting over my old painting.

I had forgotten how cold weather stiffens up oil paints.  But I just thinned it down with turp.  I really enjoy painting snow.  There are so many colors in snow and it is fun to try different combinations of warms and cools.

"Cave Rock Beach" a new painting

This painting was from an onsite paint-out at Cave Rock State Park at Lake Tahoe.

9 x 12 pastel painting

Although Cave Rock itself is quite impressive, I liked the morning light coming over the ridge and hitting parts of the beach and the aspen in gold.