Low Country Light

[Donna T]

Thanks Ed, I worked on the clouds some ... any better?

Thanks Dave, I love this paper! It's heavy (my first requirement since I tend to abuse it) and it does hold more layers of pastel than you would expect for a non-sanded surface.

Thanks Marcus, restful sounds good!

Oh no Jackie! You like the little turquoise water shapes and I just darkened them! Several people told me the sky would be darker up above the water but dark blue looked terrible so I only used colors that were already in the painting. Let this be a lesson to me: Don't make water-filled marshes when your reference photo shows only mud! Maybe this way the sky is more the focus?

Here it is with a few subtle changes:


This is still on my easel so please let me know what you think. My kneaded eraser is on stand-by for changing water colors.

[Davkin]

Geez, I can't imagine doing anything that would be a "for sure" improvement. I think any change you make now could be risky. I say leave it alone, in fact it gives me some ideas for a painting that's been sitting on my easel for too long.

David

[rsmith.1141]

Sweet! Lovely atmosphere, Donna.

[equinespirit]

Perfect!

[sketchZ1ol]

hello
Donna , that works for me , but then again it was my suggestion
> i've photoed lots of those distinctive scudding ' foreground ' clouds
as the main subject
but never tried to work them with this scale/context .

the changes of the pools look good to me ,
and now i'm bouncing around with the dark values/lines ...
> the pool center going left is more distinct now , and
softening that would bring my eye up to the base/value of the treelines ,
as i imagine it ...
since there is blue on the left , and ochre on the right
those dark lines might go fuzzy a bit ... ?

Ed :}

[Dcam]

Donna: This is lovely. The way you made that sunset work with the composition is really skillful. The warm foreground lead into the back trees works so well.
I think you are back! derek

[Dedrian]

Lovely and yes, very serene!

[Donna T]

Dave, Randy, Sarah, Ed, Derek and Dedrian: thanks so much for the comments and words of wisdom. I will let this rest for awhile and hopefully it won't demand any more changes.

[rugman]

I think you captured the calm, peaceful feeling of the last light of the day perfectly. Wonderful piece, Donna!

[edencompton]

Beautiful Donna! Really nice color harmony. I agree with Jackie - those little bits of turquoise were fabulous!

[olliewood0702]

What a beautiful pastel. So atmospheric!

[barriespapa]

Hi Donna I love this piece It is so very calming and such beautiful lights and darks captured the evening shadows so well. I tried flipping back from one painting to the other trying to see what the difference was from the turquoise blue and the finished color , at first I thought that the second picture had the effect of lightening up the shadow areas and darkening the lighter areas. But after a few viewings I was not so sure about that if the two results were viewed together maybe you would get a better Idea.After saying all this I must add that both are extremely good.
David

[Donna T]

Hi and thanks so much Ron, Eden, Darla and David. It's nice to hear your thoughts on this! David, I see what you mean about the lighting effects and that drove me nuts too. Part of it is the photography here. As usual, the real painting looks different.

After much hand wringing on my part and trying to decide what to do about those pools and the turquoise color (again) I ended up putting a little of the color back in, mostly in the farthest pool where it would more naturally be seen (due to the curvature of the sky etc.) I have come to the conclusion that it might not be possible to please those who love color for color's sake and those who require more scientific accuracy in a painting. So I tried to compromise.

[jezurus]

Donna, I have just spent awhile on your website, I am very inspired by your landscape paintings, they are so vibrant and alive, they are what I aspire to create one day! Time to start painting!!

[pointy]

This is lovely...I want it!