Farm in Pompey Center, 11 x 19" - reworked

Farm in Pompey Center, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

This is another reworked pastel. The original painting, done on location in 2009 is below, and you can read more about it here.

original pastel, done on location

 The first thing one notices is that light in the original pastel is too blue, but that was my fault when taking the photo. The real problem which, I did not see at the time, was that the rows of corn stubs in the foreground pointed to the plowed field in the distant left, thus guiding the eye outside the picture plane. Once I knew what and how to fix it, it was really fun to work on it.

The following are the main changes done:

• the plowed field in the distance was  removed 
• the color and value were adjusted in the distant row of trees 
• ochres were added to the closer row of trees to indicate late afternoon light
• blue and turquoise were added  to the barn
• the direction of the rows was slightly switched to the right in the middle ground to guide the eye towards the barn

So far I think it works and I might frame it soon.

Below the Lower Falls, 19x27"

Below the Lower Falls, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

    This is one of two large paintings I finished last week. Both were based on several photos taken at Letchworth State Park, south of Rochester, NY. This place is where they do portaging. At the time of my visit there, I had the intention of painting on location but to get to this point I would have had to carry all my heavy equipment for more than a mile, so I had to content myself with taking photos. It was quiet and beautiful, and we all in the family still remember the tiny water snakes and frogs we saw near the shore.

   Here is a progression:
First Stage. I decided to to use a sheet of Colourfix paper in terracotta to complement the greens. I started by blocking in the main masses-- I like to start with the sky because it helps to set the mood/temperature of the painting. Strokes are applied in different directions just to fill in the spaces.

Second Stage.  I began to define the masses. It's a good stage to look for areas that need corrections. This painting is all about the water, so I had to carefully determine what colors I was going to use in the different areas, and in what order so that I wouldn't end up with muddy water.

 Third Stage. At this point most of the pastel application has been done with the side stick.

Fourth Stage.I did a lot of blending, first with packing peanuts, then with my fingers. I loved working on that transition in the reflected sky, from cerulean to blue-violet, then to sienna. I had to wash my hands very often to prevent dirtying this area.

Fifth Stage. Rocks aren't a favorite subject to paint, so I took my time experimenting. I used color pencils and Nupastels for the submerged rocks. Almost done...

Final Stage (this is the same photo as at the beginning of the post). While I liked the color intensity in the stage above, it did not reflect the humidity of midday, so I grayed/dulled some areas. This was followed by more reflections on the water, some ripples and softening of  edges.

Marina at Raquette Lake, 12x12

Marina at Raquette Lake, pastel by Adriana Meiss

   This piece was started several years ago, inspired on a camping trip near Raquette Lake. The intended format was vertical. At some point I started having trouble with the evergreen branches closer to the top. and after removing and adding pastel several times, I finally gave up on it.

   Recently, thinking about what to submit to the Adirondack Pastel Society show, this piece came to mind, and remembering also that I had some gold frames in a square format, I just put one in front of the painting and, voila! With the square format the area that was overworked could be removed without detracting from the focal area!  There was some more work done, mainly on the trees, but I was happy to finally say that the painting was finished.

Contemplation, 5 1/2 x 8"

Contemplation, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

   November 2013 will be a month that I'll remember for it's sunsets. There were so many cold days that our group went only twice to paint outdoors. Oh, but the sunsets seemed to compensate for the bad weather. So, it's no surprise that I've been painting sunsets, and there is still no sign of my getting tired of them.

  This one started with the idea of the dark sky and a limited palette.  The scene is a composite of two different places, and although I didn't do a preliminary sketch, somehow it worked. I'm thinking of painting it larger emphasizing the light on the distant hill... This painting will be among the new ones at next week's Plowshares Festival at Nottingham HS. If you are in the Syracuse area, this is an event you should not miss!

Evolving Style

      

The Backyard II, pastel on watercolor paper by Adriana Meiss

  Once in a while I feel compelled to take a photo reference I have used before and paint a newer version just to see how I would handle it this time. The painting aboves is my latest example. The reference came from a Wet Canvas challenge from 6 years ago, and below is my first version for comparison.

The Backyard, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

   It makes me feel I have come a long way, but the funny thing is that I remember feeling so proud at the time because never before I had used purples and blues on the trees.

   It's so easy to look back and feel embarrassed of some of the things I produced years ago, but I have to accept that those paintings represent a different stage of me as an artist and without them I wouldn't be were I am.

Sunset in Mauve, 8x6" - Sold

Sunset in Mauve, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

     At the end of April the guild I'm in (OAG) will have it's annual spring sale. In my effort to avoid framing like crazy at the last minute, I have been working steadily for the last month, mostly producing small paintings. Some are already framed after having passed the test of seating on a shelf for weeks without any little thing screaming to have it fixed.
    The reference photo for this painting was an irrigation channel from a nearby town, but by changing the vegetation I turned it into a scene that could have been from the Adirondacks.

Intersection, 9x12"

Intersection, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

 
    A few years ago my daughter and I went on an exploring trip to neighboring Madison county, mostly to see the numerous windmills that dot the area.
    This view of a half hidden barn captured my attention, but it wasn't until very recently that I finally had the chance to paint it. I pushed the colors to give the idea of a warm afternoon.

Spring, 8x8"

I always get the impression that spring passes by so fast. By the time I'm into "outdoors painting mode" the trees have lost that beautiful and delicate minty green. 

It's been too cold and cloudy to paint outside lately so this one was from a reference photo of my neighborhood that I took a while ago. I purposely tried to paint loose just giving a few hints of dwellings.

This piece and fourteen other new ones will be in the OAG spring show and sale at the end of the month.