This pastel painting was painted in Laguna. The painting measures 29x43 inches. I started with a quick water color under painting. The light was amazing. A lot of plein air painters lock in their shadow and light patterns in the beginning so they capture that specific time of day. They are essentially referring by memory how a scene looked when they started the painting. To me this does not make sense. Painting from life is painting what is in front of you; not painting what was there. When I am painting, I add the highlights at the end. Once I have established the overall design of the painting, I slowly build the painting from dark to light. I know where the shadows are going and what it is going to do to the landscape. This knowledge allows me to paint everywhere building the painting to a crescendo . It is not chasing the light it is knowing where the light will be and planning for a big ending. This photo was taken on site as the painting was completed. That is why you can see the tape around the perimeter of the painting.
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