A compilation of my pastel paintings, watercolors, pen and inks, colored pencils, acrylics, you name it. Enjoy! All images are clickable to larger photographs.
PASTELS
Paul's German Red
Have you ever grown garlic? It is so easy to grow, and who can't resist the beautiful purple colors on this German Red variety. My husband grows it every year, and I had to paint a photo I took of his harvest last summer.
Pastel pencils (Caran D'Ache) on Clairefontaine Pastelmat paper
Reference photo:
Willow in the Snow
The native willows often display a lovely gold color to the tips of their branches, even in the middle of a long, cold winter here in Western Massachusetts.
Pastel on UArt paper
The Red Osiers
There's color to be found in winter if you look closely, especially if red osiers are in the landscape. Based on a photograph I took of a little branch off the Housatonic River on a very cold, monochromatic day here in the Berkshires.
Pastel on black Canson Mi-Teintes paper
Good Morning, Lee
Sunrise over Laurel Lake, November 2018
Pastel on black Canson Mi-Teintes paper
Inspiration photograph, taken by me:
Last Light
Based on a photo I took after a surprise Thanksgiving snowstorm in the Berkshires in November, 2014. The storm downed power lines and trees all over, but the next day we were left with some glorious white coating. The sky was an eerie yellow in this west-facing scene, and these huge old pines in the distant old cornfield stood out silhouetted against the late afternoon sun.
Pastel on UArt paper
Mirror Lake Sunrise
Based on a photograph I took of a sunrise in Lake Placid, NY, my 9" x 12" pastel landscape painting captures that first glimpse of morning light over one of the most beautiful lakes...
Pastel on UArt paper
Fog Over the Southern Berkshires
Based on a photograph by Berkshires resident Fred Harwood (used with his permission), my 9" x 12" pastel landscape painting captures the fog obscuring the mountains in a Southern Berkshires, Massachusetts scene on a cold, winter day.
Pastel painting on UArt paper
Late Afternoon Glow
That fleeting moment when the setting sun lights up the mountains and trees in varying shades of brilliant peach, purples and golds, contrasting against the blues and purples of the snow, is a favorite of mine. This is a 9" x 12" pastel landscape painting based on a photograph I took of the scene in central NY a few years ago. Love, love, love the Sennelier soft pastels and UArt sanded paper.
Inspiration photograph, taken by me:
COLORED PENCIL
Red Onions, Fresh From The Garden
Their colors are amazing, gorgeous. I created this colored pencil illustration based on a photograph I took of some red onions we grew in our garden. There's nothing like fresh from the garden produce! And the colors just blew me away. I took countless photos of them!
Roasting red peppers on the grill
My colored pencil illustration based on the photograph I took in 2012. Can you smell them? They are so easy to make, and soooo good! Colored pencil can be very difficult to render dark colors. I love the control but I HATE having to layer carefully as they can easily get waxy which prohibits further layering. But I treated myself to a new set of Prismacolors (my set from high school was rather old!) and I tried carefully to proceed. Each minute I wanted to add PAINT.
PEN & INK SKETCHES
RED LION INN PORCH, STOCKBRIDGE, MA
Spent a relaxing hour on the front porch of this historic inn in the Berkshires. I took a few photographs, but also did the initial ink sketch while on the porch - color came later with watercolor.
SHOTS CAFE, LENOX, MA
Tourists and locals enjoying a break in the heat on a summer day in the Berkshires.
Ink and watercolor
BARNES AND NOBLE
The bold green awnings and deep blue sky appealed to me...
Ink and watercolor
WATERCOLORS
HUMMINGBIRD & ZINNIA
Who doesn't love the little hummingbirds?
Watercolor
Photograph of inspiration, taken by me:
GARDEN ONIONS
More of the above onions, this time in watercolor!
Watercolor
