Alfalfa and Corn, 11x14"

Alfalfa and Corn, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

Last Tuesday afternoon I went painting with my friend Marybeth to Otisco.  This is one of my favorite areas to paint and photograph. The variety of crops and the hilliness of the terrain add so much color and interest to the landscape that everywhere one looks there is a nice scene ready to be painted.

We found a field on Bailey Rd. and after being granted permission to park in the property by the owner's son, who was about to start mowing the alfalfa field nearby, we wasted no time exploring and setting up. We knew we had two hours at most before the daylight faded. This view attracted me right away because of the good feeling of distance and because it offered the opportunity to deal with orange foliage.  I have always found oranges to be very difficult as those colors can overwhelm a painting if used in large areas.

I used a black sheet of Richeson Premium Pastel Paper because it was the only surface I had in the size I wanted, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed working on it. The surface feels more like fibers rather than grit, but it's definitely coarse as you might be able to appreciate below.

Using Richeson pastel paper.

Fading Light, 9x12"

Fading Light, 9x12" pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord, by A. Meiss

          
    It's been very busy around here but not because I'm painting. It seems that preparing for the show took so much energy away from me that I have not touched a dusty pastel since. I've started to feel the need to paint on a regular basis once again and to encourage myself a little bit, I went to get some beautiful flowers to start a few small sketches.... at least that's the plan for today...

   On opening night at the Edgewood, four paintings were sold, yeah! For the one above, which is in the exhibit,  I played with the original reference photo for  while, and ended up flipping it because it offered a better composition. I know it is very simple but I found it very challenging to paint, mostly because I wanted subdued colors in general, and had to fight the tendency to use brighter ones where they were not really needed. The scene is from the Otisco valley.
           

Otisco Evening, 13x19"

I painted this pastel a year ago purposely for a competition. It did not get in so I just put it aside until this show where it helped me achieve the goal of having at least ten new paintings. As it was, I ended up showing fourteen paintings: eleven new ones and three more done last year.

This is the third painting I've done of this area in Otisco. It's very fascinating seeing and comparing the colors of the crops as the light changes. I'm looking forward to paint it again this year.

Sunrays, 7 1/2" x 19" (tweaked)

This is as it stands on my easel, after some good ideas from Wet Canvas members. I'm much happier with this. If I were to paint sun rays like these again, I would probably work on Wallis or Uart paper (this is Colourfix). The key is to use fixative and let it dry completely before attempting the sun rays. I dragged a TLudwig pastel for the rays and then, pressing hard, I slid my finger from where the ray peaks to the ground to achieve the hazy effect. I wiped my finger (as it can still catch pigment from the fixed layer underneath) and proceeded with the other rays.

Sunrays, 7 1/2" x 19"

This painting started as a procrastination piece when I was in the midst of serious house cleaning these past holidays. I think I'm done with it, but will let it rest for a while as I'm sure I'll find something to tweak.

In my family, we call sunbeams through clouds "the glory" because it's so awe inspiring.

Otisco Farmland, en plein air 13" x 19"

This pastel was painted from the same location as the previous post, from Barker Street in Otisco, although the view looks more towards the west. The colors are so different because it was done in the morning. It took about two hours to complete, with the barest of tweaking at home.

As it often happens when I start painting on location, there is some concern involved. I wonder what to include and what to leave out. I ask myself if I will have enough time to complete the painting or lay down the basic features before the light changes, so I could finish it at home. I do not like to return to the same location to finish a painting simply because the conditions are not likely to be the same, and I might see the place with different eyes. Finishing from a photo reference is out of the question for me nowadays, because I have ended up with scenes that have lost the original feeling.

The View from Barker Rd, Otisco, plein air, 13" x 19"

Few places have inspired me so much like the area of Otisco, on Rt 80. So far I have been there only in the summer and early fall, but what has struck me the most is that everywhere one looks there is a scene worth painting.

This painting means a lot to me. It was the first time I tried a larger format and the first time I went painting alone after two plein air sessions with a friend in that same area. Sure, it's more fun when one could paint with others who could give you good feedback on the spot, but as often happens, weather or other events can wreck your plans and a good painting day is something that cannot go to waste. Painting in a larger format definitely keeps you from adding too much detail, and somehow having more room to paint gives you a sense of freedom.

This is the view looking south from the middle of a soybean field on Barker Rd. It was painted in the evening, in late August, with minimal work done in the studio. I had a good time because a woman who lived across from where I was came over and spend time talking with me.