"Mary's Green Vase"
12" x 14" Pastel
I have not posted work for a long time from my weekly drawing class because I seldom have time to finish a piece, and I have missed quite a few Mondays with travel, visitors, and duties with the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society.
I actually finished this piece. We had several choices and I was attracted to Mary' small green vase with gardenias on a purple velvet cloth -- lovely contrasting colors. The most challenging part was the mass of blooms. I can get lost in the detail. Instructor Bob Semans always reminds us to squint and see the large shapes. There will be masses of light and shadow. Pay attention to the outer edges which will tell the viewer the mass is flowers. Not much detail is required in the individual blooms. Color temperature is important.
Bob will come by and say, "Can I sit down a minute?" That's a sign I need help. He did that near the end of this piece. He added a bit of warm color on the right, and more clearly defined a few of the petals on the edge. Bob is a wonderful artist and it's amazing how a few strokes of pastel by the master pops the entire painting.
The owner of the vase is expecting the birth of a grandchild in the midwest within a few weeks. She created a lovely small piece, matted it, and sent it to her daughter and son-in-law for the baby's room.
3 comments:
Hi Mary, Having not done much work in pastel, I can't imagine what it takes to achieve this lovely piece. I like the contrast of the white, organic shaped flowers against the geometry of the face. And the color contrast is interesting too. The little warm accent in the flower shape does add sparkle!
Thanks, Peggy. Bob is a superb oil painter and has taught me a lot.
I do so love this one, Mary. The greens...sigh...
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