Super Moon oil pastel study

This was my first attempt and plein air night painting completed in oil pastels last week.  5 x 7

Sketch # 12

I'll need to go back and redo this one as my dog was't cooperating by sitting still on this thumbnail. \\

The Scout I love

I love this little vehicle in our neighborhood made by International Harvester called the Scout.

S curve to the chapel #10

The sketch above employs the "S" composition, a common compositional tool found in nature like rivers or lead ins like roads.

Life's a Beach

This is a break from my pen and ink tombow marker work. I awoke this early morning and headed out to the beach on Assateague while the wife and kids lay asleep. I enjoy the oil pastel medium, and more importantly was able to enjoy a quiet moment this Fathers day on the beach doing one thing I love, making pictures.  Its amazing how soothing the beach is, yet those waves have such power.

Thumbnail #9, Where's the Alley cat?

Pigeons gone wild, thumbnail #8

I thought Id try to redraw the thumbnail from this a.m.and simplify.  Th epigeons seem to read more clearly in the bottom thumbnail.  I like this scene and can see it worked up into a painting.

Thumbnail 7

Thumbnail #6

Here's another view I sketched this A.M. on my dig walk.  The circle or tunnel composition style is prominent as described in Edgar Payne's book, "Composition of Outdoor painting"  Notice the breakdown of design structure featuring the circle and lead in lines of the road to draw the subject into your picture.

Sundays Thumbnail

My thumbnail from Sunday.  As I was sketching this along the sidewalk a night security guard from nearby manufacturing plant walked past me and asked me if my car had been struck.  He thought I was writing down a license plate number.  I chuckled and told him I was sketching the morning scene before me.  He exclaimed, "You must be an awesome artist! I want to see your art."  Since he worked at this factory that I wanted to do some sketches at night, I said sure and told him if it would be ok to be on the grounds during his shift.  "No problem," he said.

June 1, thumbnail 4

I need to get better about writing notes with descriptions in my field sketching.  By putting your thoughts in words along with your field sketch or thumbnail, you develop a stronger connection to the image.  Van Gogh and Gauguin would write eloquently about colors and describe in words the paintings they labored on to each other and friends within correspondence of letters.  Today our writing skills seemed diminished with text and email, and the personality and warmth of letter writing with vivid descriptions aren't as important, or so it seems.   I rushed with my description of a few colors and notes with this thumbnail, but I got something down.