This scene said, “it’s the Destination.” You know a place that one would hike just to see the valley below and feel the breeze from above – a peaceful destination. The place had a wonderful to it that I knew would be relaxing and fun to paint.
Hot days tend to give oil pastelists a bit of a challenge, because the paints have a way of melting in your hands. So for me this time of year tends to be a bit of re-learning on how to manage slippery oil pastel sticks and lay down the OPs in a way that won’t fill in the surface texture too early in the process. Hope you enjoy!
Destination
Reference image was from a wonderful photographer, Liz Elsworth from pmp.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Love all your work!
Thank you so much Cindy, that means a lot!
as always, your work is strong and lovely and is a comfort to the senses. buen trabajo!
Hi Lisa, so nice – I really enjoyed your comments. A wonderful way to end my evening. Thanks and have a great week!
Beautiful painting !
Great colours and depth !
Hi Petronette, thank you!
That is really interesting Mary. So you stay on site while painting your images? Never thought that you would have to fight warm temperatures with oil paint, but makes total sense. I love this landscape, it shows so much potential of life.
Hi Emily, I paint in my studio and starting in May straight through September the temps are really hot around here. So much so that oil pastels (are in stick form w/a mixture of wax in it’s forumla, along with oil, etc.) that they tend to get slippery. This means that too much paint applied too quickly will glob up and fill in the textured painting surface (tooth) leaving me without the ability to add more paint for necessary layering. Because oil pastels never dry and aren’t in liquid form like oil paints, the pastelist needs tooth on the painting surface in order to lay down oil pastel paint. Hope this makes a little sense, the long and short of it is, I have to apply more thin layers during the warmer months (geez I could have said that a lot easier).
I wish we had places to hike here in Miami, but I guess beaches is not that bad, so I better not complain…heehee.
You have capture the peaceful state on mountains and valleys. I love it.
By the way, how is your website going?
See you around! 😀
Hi Patricia, so nice!! Thank you for your wonderful comments. Love hiking and walks for views like this, but the beach is not so bad either – lucky you! Still working on the website and hope to have it completed very soon – so many decisions and technical details (I’d rather be painting!) has taken far longer than I wanted.
Wow! This is stunning and definitely one of my favorites of yours! I especially love the calm summer sky and the mountains that fade into the background. You make everything work together so beautifully!
Oh Mamie you are so kind, thank you for your sweet comments. I really enjoyed working the greens in this oil pastel and then giving the viewer that distant mountain views. We are so lucky as artists, aren’t we? Thanks so much!!
I’m not receiving your posts, Mary. Not sure why.
Hi Don, thank you for letting me know. If you unfollow and then follow again, it should start to link my posts to you once again. Let me know if this works. Thanks, Mary
Nice, I’m on my way!
Hi Stephen, thank you! Seems like just the kind of spot for painters and photographers alike – a place to absorb all the great show pieces mother nature can throw at us!
Beautiful as always Mary! I can feel breeze across the grasses and their tender movement❤
xxx
Hi Violet, how wonderful – thank you for your sweet comments. I’ll bet your cat would really enjoy exploring this landscape!
yes there it goes .. a little wafting breeze across the grass … see it rippling …think I’ll stay sitting here J u s t a bit longer …
Lovely Mary .
Oh Poppy! Wonderful, just so you know – it’s a nice sunny summer day so the breeze will be comfortably warm!
*bigsmile* perfect then Mary !
If I close my eyes, I can imagine myself in your landscape, feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun. Ha, opening them again was disappointing! Beautiful beautiful piece.
LOL so funny Elisa! Thanks so much for your visual and gracious comment – that means a lot. So glad you could feel the breeze, that makes my day ~
Hi Mary, Love the contrasts of the browns and blues with the greenery. Lovely painting!
Thank you so much Jane, I really appreciate your wonderful comments. I love working with contrasts and this scene lent itself really well to these color choices.
It’s times like this that I wish I could look at your painting as a full screen and just sit back and enjoy. Ahhhh…
Hi Cyndi – such wonderful comment, that’s a real compliment. This setting is in the backyard of the photographer, can you just imagine.
Beautiful! I can see and feel the breezes! Kudos to you Mary!
Hi Elena, so glad you enjoyed this painting – thank you for such generous comments!
You have actually captured a breeze…remarkable! 🙂
Thank you so much, glad you caught the breeze too!!
This is very nice, Mary! As so often when I look at your paintings, I can really feel being there! Feeling the heat and the breeze, smelling the tree and the ground. 🙂
Hi Calee, wow – that’s what I’m looking for. My goal is to have you feel the scene and from your comments, this one touched you – so glad you like it.
Your talent is always such a gift to behold.
truly.
Benjamin
Hi Benjamin, you make my day. Thank you for such kind comments, can’t tell you what that means coming from you, the master at painting and life!
Ha, hardly, but thank you. I find your work amazing and I should tell more often.