Eucalyptus Revisited

"Eucalyptus Revisited"
10" x 8"
Pastel on black canvas

I was compelled to tackle the eucalyptus tree I drew with graphite the other day in pastels. The colors were as appealing as the composition. 

I like how the weeds in front lead us to the stream, which takes us back up to the tree and the crop behind it.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
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Sky Over the Desert

"Sky Over the Desert"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

That evening was windier than it had been all day, and the horizon was becoming indistinct. Sand commingled at heights normally reserved for birds of prey, and come morning, the gritty sherbet-colored mix would return to tan. 

It's been a while since I've painted  a simple sky, but I was moved to make one this morning.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypainters.com
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Storm Cloud

"Storm Cloud"
8" x 6"
Pastel on canvas

The stormy sky in the distance shone in complements — blue on top, orange below.  It was still and dry where I stood, but knew that would soon change.  The cloud was moving toward me. 

This painting was not done on a black canvas, but white, toned with red and blue. You an see some of the purple in the grass in the bottom right.  Purple was my standard toning color until black came along.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Sunshine and Shadows

"Sunshine and Shadows
6" x 6"
Pastel on black panel

I found a photograph of a sky I liked and one of a mountain range. I added grassland, then put in a few highlights and shadows to complete my painting. 

I've been asked to try this in a larger format to see what the marks look like, so I will.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
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Trout Stream and Spotted Gum

"Trout Stream and Spotted Gum"
6" x 6"
Graphite on paper

I have it on good authority that this is a trout stream and by the shape of the cluster of trees to the right they are Spotted Gum Trees — Eucalyptus Maculata. This eucalyptus is native to the eastern side of its country and is densely crowned, fast growing and has smooth bark. 

I didn't feel like executing a Zentangle heart today, so this little landscape is my weekend offering.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Julie's Strokes

"Julie's Strokes"
6" x 6"
Pastel on black panel

I painted with a group of people the other day.  I had finished one piece and was moving on to another when the woman to my left stepped back from her large canvas. Primary colors, I noted. She stepped up to her canvas and smeared a swath of red orange vertically. I took a red orange pastel and applied a similar stroke. When she used yellow, so did I. She crossed, I crossed, but not in the same place. Within thirty minutes I had completed a painting using Julie's strokes, but with my composition. 

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Dusk at the Garden

"Dusk at the Garden"
12" x 12"
Pastel on black canvas

The plant materials in this part of the garden were lit very theatrically, as it was very nearly dusk. The sun was streaming in from the side and grazing the tips of the stocks, and other companion plantings in this September landscape. 

I painted eleven canvas panels with black acrylic today and coated them with a couple of layers of clear gesso to create the magical texture I like for pastel. Here is a squiggle painting I worked on while listening mainly to Ray LaMontagne singing "Beg Steal or Borrow."

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com