Cloud Watching

Cloud Study II       5" x 7"     Pastel       ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $75

DAY 19 of Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge, September 2017

Why is it that a seeming simple subject takes more study and effort that a more complex one?

For me it is the fact that there are no definite shapes as clouds are continually in motion and the light changes rapidly as the sun is setting. Other subjects have specific shapes and colors that describe the objects, therefore it's easier to draw or paint.  After studying cloud formations in real time and photographing them, I'm learning to simply record an impression of what I see. It really is just staying in the moment and being present in the experience, that allows the spiritual component to enter into the mix. 

Packing the pastels and moving outdoors, gives me the opportunity to make color notes as to the particular colors that I see that day. Who can argue with the Master's color palette? I like to call my sunset experiences, "God's Light Shows". 

Try it sometime...just sitting and watching the colors and shapes change as the sun goes down, and then stay a while longer to see what happens.  WARNING: do not drive and sky watch at the same time!!!  

Marsh I      5" x 7"    Pastel      ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available $65


Day 2 THIRTY PAINTINGS IN THIRTY DAYS September 2017  #30paintingsin30days

With a color palette of blues, browns, and a touch of lavendar, I found a fun approach to a simple subject. I was experimenting also with the type of surface that I had tried before with no success. This time I found that the suede surface seemed to work well to hold soft Sennelier pastels. The harder Rembrandts didn't adhere to the surface as well previously, resulting in a less than exciting result.

Bogs and marshes seem to call to me with their winding paths of water that reflects the sky's color perfectly. The marshes near the ocean are interesting with an occasional boater paddling through. The protected wetlands near me in Ohio, are a wonderland of colorful wildflowers and birds, especially in July and August.