Original photo inspiration Several years ago I planted peonies around the fountain in my garden. When they were in riotous bloom for the first time, I took a photo to remind me how amazing the colors were. How could I capture that? How could I make it feel like you wanted to crawl into the bloom, like a honeybee?
Pastel under painting for "Peonies" Looking closely at the picture, I sketched in the flowers on sanded paper. I often use sanded paper (yep, feels like sandpaper!) which grabs the pastel pigment and allows multiple layers of color to be added.
I then used soft pastels to create an underpainting, which helps set the tone of the painting and establishes the basic values (light and dark) that give it a sense of depth.
I then used soft pastels to create an underpainting, which helps set the tone of the painting and establishes the basic values (light and dark) that give it a sense of depth.
Then the fun part - playing with each petal, how to make the colors jump off the page, how to make the negative space (the dark behind the flower) become an element in its own right - which involved music and (I admit) some dancing in my studio. I hope you enjoy the results!
"Peonies" Pastel 11" x 14"
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