Time for a new personal challenge. This time the challenge will consist of 15 paintings of different size rocks or boulders in a variety of settings.
Rocks/boulders were chosen because I wanted to work on size, forms, textures and colors. Rocks can be a difficult subject to paint and because I’ll be working on a number of seascapes containing rocks/boulders I thought it would be a good idea to study the subjects before I get started.
First up are boulders in a seascape setting. This oil pastel challenge study is called “Shoreline Boulders.” Water is not the priority in this study, it’s the straight line boulders with some areas scruffy and a couple of large recessed areas that has water slapping and spraying up. The size is 5.25″ x 4.5″.
Here is #1, Shoreline Boulders with three close-up shots. Thanks for looking.
Shoreline Boulders 1
Shoreline Boulders 2
Shoreline Boulders 3
Shoreline Boulders 4
MY ART IS COPYRIGHTED.
PLEASE DON’T COPY OR USE MY IMAGE WITHOUT RECEIVING MY PERMISSION FIRST – SEE DISCLOSURE ON THE RIGHT PANEL.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
i am so proud of you and your dedication to your art! great work on the new series! z
Thanks Z! Rocks and Boulders are such a challenge for me using oil pastels, that I thought it was a good new subject for a personal challenge. Thank you for always encouraging – I really need it with the new rock studies.
Wonderful!
Thank you Leslie!
Great colors, I like your work!
robert
Thank you Robert!
Mary super challenge love the subject and the execution as always 🙂
Thank you Doron, have a wonderful week!
Beautiful complementary colors, Mary! I love blues and oranges so much! 🙂
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed the colors!
Your artwork is stunning Mary. You have an amazing gift. Thankyou for sharing it with us.
Karen
Thank you very much Karen for the beautiful comment and compliment – means a lot to me.
Love it, a new challenge and not an easy one either! Looking forward to it and what a way to start! Love how prominent they are, how you positioned them on your canvass playing with shape, size, texture, coloration and contrasting! Love, love the colors! I do have to mention the splash because adds so much drama and motion against the strong, rugged, rough motionless rocks! Very well executed indeed!
Thanks Eva for your generous comment – loved reading your feedback. Glad you noticed the sea water, the boulders had strength but no connection so adding the water seated them nicely. Glad you enjoyed the boulders, they are located in Big Sur and are a fascinating bunch along the shoreline. Stay tuned, I could paint rocks all day long –
I also am doing them with Watercolor so I know what you mean about capturing so they look real and jump off the paper
Thanks Eunice – you have a great eye for capturing what nature gives to us every day. Can’t wait to see you paintings!
Thanks Mary 🙂
This is a gorgeous piece, Mary! The colours are rich and exciting.
Thanks very much, means a lot – glad you enjoyed the piece.
Great work – challenges are good for us if we treat them right. I like the colours and the way you use light and shadows.
Thank you so much Ann-Christine! Being so close to the sea, you see the colors of light and shadows that play on seashore rocks – thank you for noticing.
The colors you used are really really brilliant, Mary. Not an easy challenge, but so far, excellent results!
Hi Elena, rocks can be intimidating and I find that especially so with Maine beach rocks/boulders because of their colors. I’ve started this challenge with boulders actually from Big Sur and was hesitant w/using too bold of colors – thanks for noticing and commenting! Have a wonderful weekend.
Oooh! A challenge….good for you. I like these seaside boulders and I think you were very successful in what you set out to achieve. Looking forward to the next one.
Thank you very much Carol, appreciate your nice comment! Have a lovely weekend!
Wonderful paintings!
Thank you Ladyfi!!
A challenge is a great way to push yourself and see what will happen next. Good luck, Mary.
Thanks Evelyne!
Challenges are good to improve skills … carry on! …. love the rocks .. .and the combo of blues and browns are one of my favorites.
Hi Frank, glad you enjoyed this one! I love doing these little challenges, great teachers and reminders of oil pastel techniques. I’m with you, a little blue in the rocks can make them really interesting. My biggest challenge will be on some Maine rocks that have lots of pinks/kind of peach too embedded and it makes for an interesting painting time.
Oh yes …. the Maine rocks can have a different color. Good luck with your process.
Good luck with your challenge. You have a nice start here!
Thank you Jess!
Great new challenge.
Thanks Gallivanta!
Beautiful work, Mary! I see, too, you’ve posted your copyright! Yay, I hope it helps.
Hi Linda – so good to see you! Thanks very much AND Marina had to remind me to include the copyright message (can you believe it?) as my mind was on something else. Hope your shaking stops soon!
They are all rough and rugged and I love the color variations and the light and the contrast of rock and water. Beautiful.
Thanks – that was exactly the look I was after. Appreciate your description!
Beautiful textures and colour variations. Lovely warm & cool contrasts too. Great study!
Thanks Dawn, the senneliers got a little slippery in one area that I’ll have to remember for later on.
Off to a great start! Looking forward to following your challenge Mary. 🙂
Thanks Rhonda!!
Superb! I am going to enjoy seeing how this challenge progresses!
Thank you very much Susan – hope if find some great specimens to work off of. Thanks again!
Mary, I am certainly going to love this challenge of yours as much as all the others. Great start!!! 🙂
ps where’s the © notice?!
You are really good! Can you believe I forgot!!! Thank you Marina and for your nice feedback – I need to get my head back into my painting. Thanks again – can’t believe it?!
😉
what are friends for!!!!!
So right – I just added it! Sometimes Marina I really wonder ~ have a wonderful evening. Thanks!!
You too, my dear Mary!!!! xx
Stunning!
Thanks so much Carolyn!