Pastel in stages

I drove past this area in Torrington often. I was drawn to the overgrown trees and the variety of color they added to the scene.  As with my landscapes I like to show mother nature gaining ground. 

I walked by several times but did not get the same inspiration as I did when I drove by so I took the reference image as I drove.

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The photo reference lacked the dynamic image held in my mind as I drove past so I set the reference aside and charged at the blank surface with some bold lines.

I kept developing the composition with black, white, and greys so I could push the drawing around


I added some local color to establish some perspective and get a feel for the pallet to be used

I knew I wanted the tree colors to be bold and opaque and thought it would be problematic to add the bits of detail need for the houses behind so I roughed them in 

Goodbye houses hello tree color as you can see the bits of houses work in between the branches and leaves 

I rounded out the color throughout, working on all areas but the trees

I lightened up the road, I find it is good to begin darker or lighter than you intend then work toward the intended color, to bring the focus back onto the big red tree

Recent plein air landscapes

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A Walk Down Memory Lane

Revisiting drawings made on Matinicus Island Maine circa 1989

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These two were preliminary drawings for etchings

Art Coma: Day Two

Another visual onslaught.

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Ballet rehearsal

Latest Nutmeg Ballet Session was during a rehearsal and was a nonstop blur I tried to capture on paper... ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,  ha, ha, ha, ha. 

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Pastel In Process

A work in Progress kinda thing...

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The reference (don't look at it!)

(Ok so you looked now checkout the street view to see what I revised) 

 https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8104998,-73.1294531,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sy2RtW8L8E4bPdn3KjMAcxQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The two tone block in and white

Mid-way muddling

The Final (maybe)

Calling this one done.

Reworked from quick sketch

16" x 26"

5 min. sketch

Ballet Smetch

How to fix a "Smetch"

"Smetch" is how I misspelled sketch in the subject line when I emailed myself the two images below. The misspell sums up the correlation between the two as well.  I never, NEVER, draw on the back of any figure work I have ever done, EVER.  Except this once.  It happened during the Nutmeg Ballet sessions I recently attended and have been posting here as well. I will forever refer to any future double uses as a "Smetch".

BUT, this afforded me an opportunity to do something I have wanted to try since forever.  Work a larger more finished rendition of a quick figure sketch.  

Below the "Smetch" (select image for larger view)

Below the re-rendition. (select image for larger view)

Grandpa, Caution and Me

By Rod Funston

Final art for recent book project in the studio.

 

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Cool thing about this is Jack Davis is a childhood pal of Mr. Funston and did the cover art.

The interior art below is my contribution. 

Nutmeg Ballet Sessions Extended

Thanks again to the Nutmeg Ballet and Five Points Gallery for extending the sessions.

Worked large again. I have reworked some of the previous large short poses and will post them soon.

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Some Drama

Current project, a little run in with nature....

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