Morning View, an oil pastel painting (5×10) is of an empty harbor during winter months. The image I based this painting off of reminded me of how quiet Maine would get every winter after summer visitors would leave for the season. It was a favorite time of the year for me.
The painting was done on a gesso-prepared hardboard, with Holbeins and Mungyo oil pastels and I used clay shapers and a painters knife to move the OPs around the surface. Buildings, gulls or the lonely lobster boat heading out to sea for its daily catch were all left out because in this case I wanted to focus on the harbor water and back-hills – I’ll let the viewer fill in the blanks.
The reference image was from pmp, Renee Hanlon.
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PLEASE DON’T COPY OR USE MY IMAGE WITHOUT RECEIVING MY PERMISSION FIRST – SEE DISCLOSURE ON THE RIGHT PANEL.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Mary, you absolutely captured the desolation of winter, though unyielding, still lovely.
Thanks so much Elena. It’s probably time to begin painting some Spring scenes that will give us a bit of warmth.
You did a superb job with the softness, Mary 🙂
Thanks Jo!
this is so gorgeous…. love the light. very peaceful sense to it. xo
I hope you are well Linda! Thank you so much ~ love your description of the scene.
Golden serenity, Mary. Happy New Year and welcome back!
Thank you so much Patricia – great to see you again! Happy New Year and wishing you all the best for 2015!
It has a really lovely quiet to it, Mary. Great job.
Thanks Steven!
There’s a soft stillness to this picture. A calm and yellow tinted morning. Love the feeling.
Thank you Ann-Christine – I was trying to capture the stillness of the setting, you’re comment made my day!
Lovely painting. Reminiscent of our little town which also becomes quiet and ghostly after September. Peaceful after the crazy summer months. You have brought us the calm.
Thanks so much Susan – isn’t it great once everyone is gone and we have these special places all to ourselves. Really appreciate your comment!
Love it that you left out all those “things” hanging around the harbor, by striping the scene down to it’s bones you highlighted and brought out the natural beauty of it! Simple, peaceful and quiet morning, the kind we all enjoy sprinkled with natural breathtaking beauty! Wonderful piece!
Always love your descriptions Eva, “striping the scene down to its bones,” perfect! It really was the effect I was after – thank you so much for always being present in your words. It was a great scene to capture with oil pastels. I’m getting itchy to paint a full and active seascape soon – getting time to switch seasons/subjects.
A lovely peaceful scene Mary. Love the warm hues and the viewpoint with the mountains reflecting in the water. Reminds me of our little lakeside town which becomes a ghost town in winter. Well done!
Thanks so much Rhonda, really appreciate your feedback – I’m drawn to places like this, and the scene was just one of those places hard to ignore. I know you feel the same in the area you live, could be why so many of your paintings capture natures’ beauty.
Thanks Mary. 💋
It must be rewarding to start with a blank slate and watch your image slowly emerge. This painting has a slowness to it that I like. A beautiful quietness.
Thanks so much Elisa for your beautiful thoughts and comment on the process. There is something very satisfying (and fun) to transform the slate to a 3-d image. I’m so glad you like the piece – nice to get lost in thought with the place. Thanks again ~
The Maine-iac in me salutes the Maine-iac in you….Thank you for a. beautiful reminder!
Maine is gorgeous in Winter, right? So many places with lots of beautiful surprises especially along the coast and mountain regions. I wanted to tone down the yellow a bit, but lost the tooth and had to leave it as is. In any respect the scene spoke to me and was enjoyable to paint. Thanks so much Cynthia – hope you have a lovely day.
Beautiful!
Thank you Sarah!
Peaceful. Many would expect the sun to be directly between the rocks, but I like that you have it coming from the right.
Thank you Frank! You are so right about the rising sun – I liked the location for the effect.
Very nice and peaceful. Lovely colors and detail. It gives me a feeling of being pulled in. I love it!
Thank you Isabel for your lovely comment! I’m glad the piece moved you `
A beautiful veduta, Mary ! – I must draw my blogging mate Trent’s attention: he lives around there …
Thank you M.R. for your lovely reference and comment – always appreciate your support ~
Emptiness is strangely filling. 🙂
Thanks Gallivanta!
So lovely, Mary!
Great to see you Francesca! Thank you!
This is strong, Mary; a fine composition
Always
john
Thank you John, always the encourager. Thanks so much ~
How beautiful, Mary! What an exquisite painting of this peaceful dawn! 🙂 xx
Hi Marina, you are so generous – loved your comment. Thank you, this one was very close to being cast aside – the tenacity had me stay with it. Hope you have a lovely evening. I’m getting ready to change subjects, stay tuned ~
Beautiful!
Thank you for your nice comment!
I feel like i could touch it. Very detailed and clever Mary!
Karen
Thanks Karen, so glad you enjoyed the piece. I first sketched the full buildings in, but felt they took away from the focus. I like your description!
Love the colors and quietness of this piece, Mary.
Hi Jane, thanks so much. It was a bit of a challenge in that I lost some of the tooth in the surface, those oilies like to grab onto something to stick to the surface, I was afraid I’d loose the colors and soft feel. So glad you mentioned them – made my day.