Cape Code Dreaming, 12 x 24, Stonehenge

First layer with Holdbein pastels

Hello Friends.  I’ve been painting a lot these last couple of weeks. Fortunately, my back is much better and I can stand and walk without any pain.  All of which makes me feel a LOT more positive!

I tried something new today.  After doing the hydrangea picture, which I loved, I did another hydrangea using hard pastels to begin with.  I don’t think it was quite as successful, but I liked it.  Then I did an 18 x 18 with more hard pastels and soft on top and got more frustrated.  Paper sagged and rippled in places, which I didn’t like at all!  I’m going to try the 280 gram Rives to see how that works since that is what Dakota sells.

Anyway, today, I did a 12 x 24 and decided to begin with my box of Holbeins.  I love the colors of these sticks, which are between hard and soft and quite unique.  The blue greens are wonderful and I started the sky with those.  I completely made up the composition for this one. No reference photo OR drawing!  I just decided to wing it.  I really liked using the Holdbeins, as opposed to the Caran d’ache.  They are much softer and go on faster and more evenly (when the paper isn’t buckling).  I drew in water various levels of hills and bushes.  I wasn’t sure where I was going with any of this.  My first thought was fog but there was too much sky to be all foggy and I wanted to show the water.  I liked the path and ended up having it lead to a beach.  I used various shapes of bushes, with rosa rugosa (beach roses) in mind.  I ended up adding some taller evergreens to give some variety to the composition.  I began the grasses withg greens, then added organges on top and ended with a combination of both.

The sky became more blue violet and I decded to add the tops of sunlit clouds to try to give the sense of light.  I used quite a few colors in the path, including violets, green, pinks, and ochres.

I added the small yellow flowers and the roses and I’m not sure how much I like either, but i had them in mind.  I decided to call it “Cape Cod Dreaming” as it’s what it reminded me of.  I haven’t been there in over a year now and i”m not a beach person, but walking through fields like this is my idea of heaven.