The Hills Coming Back

The Hills Coming Back 24x36 inches soft pastel on board.

This great view was only possible because of the tragic loss created by the wild fire in Chino Hills.

I made the board earlier that day.  I always look at the sky before I make the board and think about the color of light where I am planning on painting.  The board is 3/16 " good two side plywood with a pumice gel and acrylic paint solution brushed over the surface.

The initial drawing was challenging because of the amount of information I wanted to include in the painting.  The size and the shape of the board limited the panoramic nature of the composition.

At this stage of the painting, I have focused on the elaboration of the colors, values, and the details of the shapes.  In this painting I then decided to try and complete one area of the painting at a time.

I wanted to complete the foreground first to establish the darkest values so that I could better judge the atmospheric perspective within the painting.

I moved from the foreground to the background to establish the counter point in values within the painting.  I completed the painting in the middle ground.  This was a new approach for me.  I am not sure how much better the end result is but it is nice to be flexible in my approach and problem solving processes.

I like to include these small sections of my paintings to allow the viewer the opportunity to explore the painting further.

These "micro compositions" are like the puzzles pieces.  When viewed by themselves they show the diversity of color, mark making, and shapes that contribute to the overall gestalt of the painting.

Some areas in the painting have passages that emphasize color harmony and subtle transitions.

The interplay between mark making and scrumbling.

Contextual abstraction within the painting.

The amount of detail within small areas can be considerable.  Does it overwhelm the composition or does it further the objectives?

In this section as well as the others you can see the importance of the color of the board.  It is the first color which helps determine every subsequent color.  It also creates a level of color unity.  The underpainting conveys the idea of notan.  It is not just what you put down on the surface but also what you do not put down.  

I like the diversity of complimentary colors in this painting.  How many mini abstract paintings are held within the overall painting.

The finished painting on site.  The sun at my back and directly on the painting surface.  One of the advantages of painting with pastel is the complete lack of glare on the surface.
 

The Hills Coming Back finished.

The value shot.  The sun drenched hills seemed to flatten out the value scale.

The detail shot allows for a deeper exploration of color, detail, texture, micro compositions, and the relationships between all of them.