Sepowet Pastorale #3, 20 x 16, Rives BFK

I’m still not sure about this picture!  I did it on Saturday and worked on it more yesterday. Decided to share it with you for your comments. The original photo is all light greens with yellow in the distant field. I decided to use more earthy colors, mixing warms and cools in the marshes. The foreground was a real challenge. Very busy in the original photo. I did one version and brushed it down. Put a warm orange on to simulate the original tone, sprayed it with fixative, and went over it with color.  I tried to keep it simple and not too distracting. But I liked the yellow flowers that were in the picture. They tie the distant yellow to the foreground. I started with more of a tree in the dark area and really hated it!  So I brushed it off as much as possible and changed it to a bush and like it much better. Lesson to me: get your composition figured out before you jump into it! I teach this to others but I’m always eager to get to the painting. The sky and water are a light violet with some warm aqua and light red violet. They look kind of blah in this image!  I thought about using a more bright day blue sky, but I kind of like the quietness of the violet. Would welcome opinions.  Yesterday I cut the foam for my box and filled it with pastels.  I got out my boxes of Schmincke and Great American and Unisons and put lots of colors in that I’ve never touched!  Tried to get as many Ludwigs in as possible (never got a complete set of these). There’s also a separate row for the Giraults and hard pastels. It’s beautiful and it will be carefully transported to my new studio this morning. I told John yesterday that I was doing things backwards. I should be keeping the new box here and using my large Heilmann box to take to the studio, as it closes and is transportable!  But the new box was designed to fit on my cart and I’m sure it’s going to be great. Will send a picture.