"Winter Valley"5 x 7"
colored pencil on pastel board
This month's VSD is a little early due to the holidays but I was able to eke out a little time to do this one and I'm glad I did.
I don't usually do many landscapes and when I saw the reference photo, I balked a bit. But I decided to plunge in and, as I usually do for the VSD, I decided to try to vary my style a bit. This one, I thought, should be rather pastel-like and loosely drawn.
My main inspiration for this style of colored pencil drawing I can directly attribute to a friend and a wonderful artist, Linda Wesner. I had the privilege of pariticipating in a small class and demo Linda gave at one of our local colored pencil guild meetings where she generously demonstrated her style and technique. Take some time and check her work here. She has won many awards and her work has consistently been selected for the CPSA International Exhibitions.
Linda's current body of work is inspired by "vanishing landscapes", rapidly disappearing rural areas due to suburban development. Intriguing, beautiful and contemplative.
Linda has also been a bit of a mentor and always treated me as an equal (as if) and encouraged my work. Thank you, Linda.
Boy, it's great to have artist friends.
16 comments:
This is absolutely gorgeous! I really like the softness, that gives the piece an appealing dreamy quality.
This is really nice...beautifully done!
Masterful! Has such a nice mood, yet with dynamism...something about those diagonal hatches. Really beautiful!!!
This has a wonderful feeling to it... love the violet hills...a soft winter feeling..
carol
Soft, gorgeous and dreamy, indeed! Wonderful!
Rhonda, I love everything about this - the soft feeling, the diagonal texture, the purple in the back tree line that is repeated in the barn roof. Fabulous all of it! I also found it interesting that your style inspiration came from an artist who is focusing on disappearing rural areas. The farm in our reference used to be in a rural area, but is now surrounded by developements and is across the street from a large community center. So your inspiration was very appropriate!
IT's great to see how working with colored pencil on pastel board turns out. What a lovely, soft quality you have achieved!
love the texture - this is just beautiful
Rhonda - this is really beautiful - it is so well done and has a great atmosphere, so soft and gentle.
This is so nice. You achieved your pastel look. Just lovely.
Great piece of work, I always like your style, especially the soft directional strokes.
I think Linda would be proud.
The technique of lines in your VSD piece is what make it! And the color. And the composition.
Oh, heck. All of it. :)
Oh...so Beautiful! I love it! Stunningly gorgeous.
MD
Hi, I missed looking at the VSD this time. Popped over from Regina's post to find this. It is just great. I love the strokes and colors. Beautiful.
This is lobvely. I love the =softness of the edges/lines contrasted with the snow-covered roof. a beautiful interpretation!
I keep planning to jump in with the VSD but it seems to always show up when I am at my busiest. Perhaps I can start in January.
You did a fabulous job on this. I absolutely love it. I think it looks BETTER than the original photo. (I too balked when I saw it, as I do not do landscapes either).
I like the style you tried here. It is soft and warm. The painting is beautiful and peaceful.
Good work.
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