Bristol, England: an old, but still very busy harbor. It was a wonderful mix of classic boats and old cranes, with lots of warehouses and sheds, alongside huge, new cranes and freighters. How could I resist? I took some liberties in reducing the clutter a bit and amping up the colors (not to mention eliminating tourists, like us) in the scene. American harbors don't have quite this same charm...sorry.
This is a first for me - pastel on 400 sanded paper! Who knew? Thanks to Jan Perley for the tip to use sanded (not sand paper) paper, made just for pastels. So after she showed my art class this amazing product, I had to have some! This poor wood duck was all by his lonesome on our nearby pond - the other, much less colorful ducks, wouldn't let him play duck games. So he's my first subject on this material - albeit a quick study. Onward and hopefully upward...
My second European trip painting, but my first watercolor, and my first painting since I put in hardwood floors in our study (not that that really should make a difference in the painting thing!). I loved these steps (yes, they are really that worn) and the light coming in from the windows. The stairs curve sharply up to the right into a large, round room. They also climb up to a mysterious door through the archway. Can't figure out what the little steps on the left are for...to look out the windows?
