Light Pepper

Light Pepper  This painting was inspired by the dramatic lighting I found while walking around a dried lake bed near my home.  In addition to the light filtering through the Pepper tree onto the path, I was really drawn to the intense intricacy of the Pepper tree branches. 

The painting started as a quick watercolor under painting.  I tried to capture a quick indication of shape, light color, and ideas about the branches.

In this detail shot I am trying to show the difference in the filtered light coming through the branches and the light upon the path.  The light coming through the tree is cool and the light on the path is warm.

The shifting values of the filtered light were indicated by changing the color and intensity of the pastel marks.  Changing the pressure from hard to soft helped create the gradual differences in value and helped create the illusion of detail in the branches in the Pepper tree.

Here are the early indicators of color and value as I laid down my first layer of pastel.

This detail shot really sums up the interactions between color, value, texture, and the interplay between the pastel and the water color.  A lot of my current ideas about interchange are captured in this shot.
 

Trying to stay patient and to stay on track. Sometimes the excitement of the moment gets in the way of the process.  Having the vision of what the finished painting will look like can lead to a premature finish.

I chose this detail shot to indicate the variety of mark making within the painting.

This detail shot was included to show the condition of the surface before the final details were added.

A detail shot with an indication of scale.

The value shot looks like a good pencil drawing.  I consider that a strong indicator of the success of a painting.

The finished painting "Light Pepper".