Chadwick View

Chadwick View, 6x9" pastel, plein air, Diane Mannion

Cool Breeze

A few artists braved the heat this morning at Chadwick Park in Englewood.  There was a lovely, cool breeze under the shade pavilion where three of us worked in pastels.

Practiced sketching with a small selection of pastels instead of hauling out hundreds.  Pastels seem much more difficult than working in oils where I only need red, yellow, and blue plus white.  But I'm determined to get the hang of it.  It's much easier when I allow myself to simply sketch and take notes instead of creating a "finished masterpiece."

Worked on Pastelmat… love it!  Used an alcohol wash over roughed in sketch, then layered and layered.  Pastelmat takes a lot!  Blended with Nupastels over Rembrants and Giraults.  Polished a bit later and darkened the foreground.  

Started with a thumbnail sketch in my trusty Moleskine.

Beautiful sky this morning, the photo does not show it!  This is why we paint outside!  The colors and sense of place cannot be captured with a snapshot.