Evening Light

I can't remember where I got this photo, but I loved the sky and was itching to have a go at it. I did it on some masonite (hardboard) that we had purchased and cut into smaller sizes, which I then coated with a ground pumice mixture to create a rough surface which is ideal for pastel painting. However, I wasn't happy with this board as I think I should have given it a couple more coats - it was quite difficult to work with especially the area of the grass. It seemed too slick and wouldn't really grab the pastel.

Tulips for Two

This picture was really fun to work on. Usually I don't get to use such bright colors, especially red, which doesn't appear in landscapes too often. There were more people in the photo that I took this from, but two were all I could cope with and I think it may have been too busy with more. I didn't take the photo myself, but it's of some tulip fields in Oregon.