Mist in the Forest, pastel on sanded paper, 18 ¼ x 11 inches
Exhibited: Page + Waterman Gallery, Wellesley MA 
 
About this pastel:
It is always amazing to watch an image on paper or canvas come to life. Experience is a big part of it and the other is to just let go, start a few marks and allow the picture to take you on a journey.
 
With the larger trees in the front and the hazy aqua and greys in the background, a scene began to develop. The appearance of depth is now in place and it is a forest where anything can happen – a time of day, soft or bright, or enveloped in fog. 
 
It was the last idea that was emerging from the sketch I was observing. I went with a hint of a mist and added the brighter foreground and the clear sky coming through at the top. Bits of other colors were added to bring more life to the work but even so, something else was missing.
 
It all came together when I added the complex branches against the sky and pushed the purple. Then the pastel declared itself finished… a magical ending.