by janette summerfield RBSA SWA
Soft Pastel
h: 27 w: 27 d: 1 (cms).
Early Morning Walk This painting depicts a landscape in County Durham. It is drawn using Unison soft pastels onto coloured Pastelmat. The velvet surface of the Pastelmat is made from a fine coating of cellulose fibres which allows multiple layers of pastel to adhere to its surface without using fixative. The image size is 27 x 27 cm; I find a square format very pleasing, though I don’t know why. There were several elements which caught my attention and made me want to paint this scene; the amazing light illuminating the sky; the colour and shape of the patchwork fields; the hedge which separates the background from the foreground, and the lone tree which dominates its surroundings. It was because of this I deliberately chose to place the tree in the middle of the painting (something we’re advised not to do in our compositions). I experimented with line and colour to suggest the change of texture of the grass in the bottom right corner of the foreground. My preferred method of using pastels is to draw with them on their side, either producing sweeping lengths of colour, or creating random ‘chunky’ blocks that I can layer over and over, using either the same colour, or a range of other colours. Sometimes I like to create a crisp, clear line, so I’ll carefully place a piece of masking tape to where I want that line to appear, then apply pastel up to the masking tape, blending it right to the edge of that tape. Carefully removing the tape reveals a beautifully crisp line. I applied this technique to areas of the sky, as well as parts of the hedge which runs horizontally across the drawing.
£625 (As exhibited.)
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by janette summerfield RBSA SWA
Soft Pastel and Coloured Pencil
h: 27 w: 27 d: 1 (cms).
To understand the landscape. Soft Pastel over Pastelmat. This painting depicts a landscape in County Durham. It is drawn using Unison soft pastels onto coloured Pastelmat. The image size is 27 x 27 cm; I find a square format very pleasing, though I’m not sure why. What attracted me to this scene were the long grasses in the foreground, the way they clump together, the way some have been bent into interesting shapes by the wind. I’m very much drawn to grasses as a plant, I love their structure and their tactile qualities, I just have to stroke them, and it’s no surprise to learn I have several grasses in my garden. I was keen to explore ways of depicting them. My preferred medium of pastel allowed me to experiment with different mark making, allowing me to build up and create textures. I began with applying chunks of colour in random directions, achieved by using the pastel on its side. I then layered more blocks of colour on top, some the same colour, some contrasting, others tonal, again using random marks to add more depth. I introduced coloured pencils on top to suggest the fine blades of grass, layering them over the pastel in a free and random way to create a sense of movement. I then worked over the fine lines in more pastel, using blocky marks, finally finishing with more coloured pencil to gain added depth and texture to the grasses.
£625 (As exhibited.)
Please Note: If you are overseas and interested in a purchase, please note that there will be additional costs for postage and packaging added to this price. Feel free to enquire about this using the button below.