Grandfather Beech

 Behind my school there is a small forgotten tract of forest surrounded by development where some very old beautiful Silver Beech trees can be found.  My purpose was to play around  with a complimentary palette of purples and yellows.  11x14in pastel   

Chilly Peppers

 Finished drawing. While a snowstorm was raging outside I kept warm by working on this large pastel of chili peppers from photographs I took at the Bel Air farmers market last year. I worked on black sanded paper and purposely kept it loose and squiggly up close but seemingly realistic when observed from a distance. While I greatly admire the virtuosity of pastel artists who get in there and blend into hyper- realism, I prefer to let the colors mix optically by layering marks. 18x26in. pastel