Pastel & Oil paintings & Encaustic
My works of pastel paintings are representational of the landscape of the western US. My goal is to create a piece that draws viewers into the landscape; letting them enjoy the season, the color — the astounding beauty of the area.
Pastel is my favorite medium because of the rich, pure pigment that allows me to represent the texture, color and light that I personally love so well. I select and focus on a particular scene because of its contrast, e.g., a patch of aspen trees nestled up to the denseness of firs, shrubs and brush, an arroyo weaving through the desert, a field harvested. I also look for the variety of texture and the way it all interacts with the light of the moment. I like to “push” color and texture as far as I can and yet not lose the sense of the subject.
Art has always been an important part of my life; from a child growing up in central Montana, the child of artistic parents. Always encouraged, my own style grew through the experimenting with different mediums, settling on mostly pastel and oil as favorites. These mediums allow me to express my impressions in a representational, yet impressionistic manner.
Enjoy the work…step into that painting, get lost in it for a moment, let it be your story. If you do that, then my work was a success…