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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Yankee Boy Basin Colorado Wildflowers

'Yankee Boy Basin Summer' 11x14 pastel
oil stain underpainting
my palette for this painting
the reference photo
I have so many reference photos from my month out west this past summer so I thought I would paint from one today. This is Yankee Boy Basin in Ouray Colorado. We took a jeep tour up to the basin and after a very hairy ride we arrived in paradise! The wildflowers were at there peak and it was a gorgeous sunny day. There were so many kinds of flowers and I'm afraid I don't know what kind these are. I wish we had more time to wander around this meadow but I am very glad we had a chance to see it. This painting is done on Uart paper with an oil stain underpainting. I preselected my palette of colors. Doing this allows me to think and plan and when I start painting I don't have to slow down to pick pastels out of the big box!

9 comments:

Sara Mathewson said...

Love this Karen!

I try to pick out colors ahead of time too but sometimes I forget and just pick them as I go and then keep them in a little tray so I can go back to them to keep the painting somewhat unified:)

Anonymous said...

Karen: What influences your palette selection prior to painting? Looking at the picture you posted, it seems like you have warms and cools of each hue and your darks incorporate all the hues in your palette. Do you usually prepick a palette? And do your stick with it?

Anonymous said...

Karen....just lovely. Thanks for sharing you process.

Karen said...

Thanks Sara, I do that too. It really does help!

Karen said...

Thank you Julie! It's my pleasure.

Karen said...

Hi Marianne,
I do usually preselect a palette but I allow myself to add to it or take some away. It just helps me narrow down my colors from my big box and helps me keep a more harmonious palette. I like to start by choosing a few darks on several colors and then I will repeat these colors in middle value and lights. I will then choose some colors that I want for my final layers.

Cmichaudart said...

Very nice! I will try the pre-selection tomorrow...best of intentions means i end up with a tray full of what i am using throughout...and then I add the next painting and then and then....I need a pastel schleper to get them all back into the box. Hope springs eternal!

hmuxo said...

Thanks for sharing Karen! When I work my pastels, I never think of the colors I will be using so I'm going to try and be a "planner" and a bit more organized. This painting is beautiful..the colors are vibrant..well done!

Kelley Carey MacDonald said...

Very nice, and thank you for showing your pastel set up! I loved the piece on DPO today, and came to the blog to compliment you on that wonderful wintery painting!