Try This Great Painting Exercise

'Fall Memories'            5x7         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $95

I got back on the ship with both my camera's memory card and my own memory full of beautiful images. I would have loved to paint plein air on our stop on Mount Desert Island Maine but our time was very limited. A friend generously offered to give us a quick driving tour and it was awesome. I did my usual 'drive by' shooting taking as many photos as I could while Alice drove.

Of all the images I took it was interesting that I recalled one particular scene more clearly. It was a stand of yellow trees against a moody, misty, cold and blustery day. The following morning I took out my small pastel kit and decided to paint this scene from my memory. I glanced at the photo of the scene on my camera and then put the camera away.

My smallest travel kit is the Heilman Single Sketch Box filled with Girault pastels

I thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of painting without trying to be true to a photo. I was able to put in the details that I recalled. These are the things that really mattered to me.  I was able to create the scene using my imagination. I could arrange the elements and play with values and colors to create an interesting painting. It was liberating!

Try This: Pick a reference photo that YOU TOOK. Glance at it for a minute and then put it away. Now paint the scene pulling things from your memory and imagination. Have fun!

Girault pastels are wonderful. They look hard but go on soft!