Here is a night-time snow scene, again using mainly colors in the blue family.
Evening Smoke, an oil pastel (5×9), was painted on light gray tinted mi-teintes pastel paper. The reference image for this scene was facing the opposite direction and was a gray late afternoon. My vision for the piece was to turn it into a night-time scene using blues and with the hills starting at the top-left slanting down to the bottom-right. A long time ago I read that a composition with hills will read better for the viewer if the top of a hillside starts on the left-side of a painting with the slope coming down to the right – it’s a more comfortable position for the viewer (as when reading a page from left to right). Only ones opinion, but seems to work in my mind.
Anyways, another experiment for color schemes, blues used: prussian, ultramarine, sapphire, cerulean and blue sky.
Have a wonderful weekend ~
Reference image from Wetcanvas library.
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Oil Pastels by Mary 
Ha! I like that supposition of reading from left to right. Perhaps, if it started low on the left, the viewer may feel as though he is climbing. That takes a lot more work, so would have to agree with what you read. I really like this painting. It has a lot of atmosphere, simply said.
Thank you so much Leslie for your thoughts on going left-to-right . . . with many options, it felt comfortable to me while painting it from the left-side – I think we’re on the same page. Thanks a lot on your comments!
Serene, mysterious, ethereal.
Love your description Elena, thank you so much!
Oh those delicious blues – a gorgeous palette for this twilight painting Mary !
Hi Poppy – so glad you like the scene. I really enjoyed painting this scene with a limited palette, blues seemed to suit the landscape – thank you for your beautiful comment.
Dear Mary, this is beautiful, but not only this one, all your paintings that I visited are so beautiful. Thank you, love, nia
Hi Nia, thank you so much for your beautiful comment and compliment. So happy that you enjoy the paintings, that’s a gift to read.
I love the Evening Smoke, Mary. In college, I took an art class and we were to paint a scene from the Smokey Valley nearby. When the fog rolls in it’s amazing, and your painting reminded me so much of that.
Hi Marylin, you write the most incredible posts – writing runs in your family and you have this most beautiful trait of your Mothers’. It means so much to have a painting take you back to memories of years past. Thank you!
You are such a talent! Wonderful! ❤
Hi Cindy, thank you so much for your beautiful comment – your compliment means a lot. Hope you have a beautiful week at the Holler.
A lovely painting, Mary. I find it mystical and intriguing.
Thanks Jet – really appreciate your description!
I believe it could well be true, Mary: something about the way our brains have been tutored to look at things … It’s a gorgeous picture, and I should dearly love to be able to hang it … somewhere. 🙂
Thank you M.R., my brain is always acting out so who knows! But, hmmm that crate of yours is getting really full – love your feedback!
Lovely!
Thank you Ashok!
Beautiful work, Mary, truly beautiful
Thank you so much John, glad you enjoyed this little snow scene!
I have heard something very similar to that having to do with photography… that if you capture a person walking they should be to the left in the frame.
Thanks Elizabeth – just a way to consider the subject and viewer. Cynthia’s comments even go further and to consider someone who may read from top to bottom, or right-to-left. These scenario’s blow up the final conclusion then – so perhaps it all goes to who is the audience. For me today, left-to-right works. Have a great weekend!
such amazing and beautiful blue sky and ocean!
Thanks Mihrank – I really appreciate it. (lol, the ocean to you is actually snowy hillsides, but that’s okay for you, I give you ocean!)
The blue family is celebrating today! 😉
Thanks Marina! Hope you have a lovely weekend ~
Oh so beautiful!
Thanks Holly!
Beautiful! Looks like a full moon sky to me. Very mysterious and magical feeling to this piece. Bravo Mary. 🙂 xo
Thank you Rhonda! I like your description.
Lovely.
Thanks Jess!
Beautiful, beautiful blues, Mary. I know what you mean about reading left to right…it’s ingrained in our culture…it just looks better to us that way. Someone from another culture, where they read right to left, or top to bottom, would probably perceive it differently….
Thanks Cynthia – glad you are enjoying the blues and not thinking of the cold. I can appreciate your thoughts about other cultures, because I did have a slight hesitation just as I started to paint to think about people that read from top to bottom. We were on the same page, but then if you can believe it, my comfort level for viewing a scene and painting it is from the left to right ~