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

Chili Peppers

 On a cold, snowy Monday the only way to keep warm in the studio is to do a hot drawing. I am working on a large 18x26 in pastel on a black sanded board. It's amazing how many colors can be found on a single pepper and I took that as my challenge. I,ll post it when it's finished. Many more layers and squiggles to go,