Path to the Woodshed

Pastel painting done on Aug 31, 2007. This is the back side of an old (early 1800s) Greek Revival style farmhouse on the property of Hurd Orchard, in Orleans county. I was attracted by the large symmetrical shapes and the wonderful late summer light. The goldenrod framed path provided a natural lead in to the open door of the woodshed.

Gouache studies

These little gouache studies were done during January and February. I've been searching for a medium that I feel comfortable using in my car, for those days that one just cannot be outside. We get a lot of those during the winter here. Oils are potentially too messy, I don't want to breathing pastel dust in a closed car, casein smells to strongly, and I'm not good with acrylics or watercolor.

The gouache seems to have potential. It dries very quickly but can be re-wetted/re-worked, which allows modification of edges. I haven't quite learned how to handle the color/value shifts that occur during the drying process, and haven't found brushes I really like yet. But I can see doing a lot more of these.

All of the above are 4x6 inches (except the next to last one which is 3x6), and are done on a medium gray matboard. I've cut the board into 8x10 inch pieces, and during painting I mark the edges with tape, put the matboard on a standard office-type clipboard which is then clamped to the steering wheel. It is cramped, but working small makes it do-able.