"I'm in the mood for autumn"

"I'm in the mood for autumn" 6"x12" pastel on Wallis $60

I really get excited when the season's change, in particular summer to autumn. Autumn is my favorite season, the crisp cooler weather and the beautiful colors of the foliage. The foliage is just starting to turn here in GA, but I was anxious to start painting those vibrant autumn colors. So I pulled out some reference photos from the last two years.  It has been raining and a good time to be in my studio.

I'm headed out for a 3 day plein air workshop with Karen Margulis and Marsha Savage in the Blue Ridge mountains next week! These will mostly be field study paintings and I wanted to try out some papers I'm thinking about bringing. I had ordered some Wallis warm Belgium mist paper but have not used it.  I thought the paper color would be good so I would not have to worry about doing an underpainting. 

"it's an autumn day" 6"x12" pastel on Wallis $60

I really loved the way the pastel went on the paper and the paper color showing through was perfect. I have also bought some Girault pastels to bring along in my single sketchbook Heilman box, and have a double sketchbook Heilman box with Plein air  and southeast landscape Terry Ludwig pastels.

single sketchbook with Girault

double sketchbook with Terry Ludwig

Now all I have to do is get my backpack loaded with pastel , papers and tripod. I have only tried plein air painting one time, so I am pretty excited to have 3 days to experience plein air painting with 2 fabulous teachers.

"follow me" 12"x16" pastel on Uart  $125 

For this painting I worked on different mark marking ,using broader strokes.

I will be selling these posted paintings at Art For The Park Oct 1 / Atlanta Country Club and Whimsical Wares Art and Gift show Nov 11-15 ( no location yet). 

As always you can see more of my work at Bonnie Morgan Hyde fine art @ FB

  

Composition and value

"countryside" 10"x10" on Pastel Premier  $80

When I visit my sister in Connecticut, I usually like to take a walk up the road and take some photos of the beautiful countryside. She lives up on a hill and the view is beautiful. I always take a few photos of this barn but have never painted it.  The photo was not that great, I did a few sketches , cropped the photo and finally decided on a square format. The field in front was pretty with the wildflowers.  I used the pastel premier paper… it's texture is different from the Uart I am accustomed to. I decided to do an underpainting with nupastels, rubbed it in with some foam and spray it with a little fixative.  As I was layering in the pastels , something was not working.  The pastels I had chosen were not the right values. 

So I put the paper in the sink and washed off the pastel, blocked it to dry. I found the pastel premier paper to be as durable as the Uart!

underpainting

 The underpainting I ended up with was much more exciting, but I was still struggling with the color values. When this happens, I print off the reference photo in black and white.

Black and white reference photo

I saw why I was struggling…. the barn, trees and background were all very close in value. I thought about all the things I have learned about aerial perspective and knew I would need to make some adjustments to the color values to make the painting work. This painting was a struggle for me.  I was ready to give up on it, but I hated to waste the paper. So I started it over and I think I ended up with a better result.

a final tribute to summer - a gathering of my paintings from Plum Island MA

"a day of solitude" 6"x12" pastel on Wallis warm Belgium mist $60

Summer is over and I am excited for the change of seasons. As a final tribute to summer, I thought I would post all my Plum Island MA paintings in one blog post.

  Plum Island 5"x7"pastel studies framed 10"x12" $250 each

I have a special fondness for the beachside and had such a wonderful day this july driving out through the marshes of Plum Island to the beachside with my sisters. 

"marshside" 6"x12" pastel on Uart 500 $60

I hope you get the same happy feelings as you look at my paintings!

"the way to the beach" 12'x16" pastel on moonstone Canson Mi-tientes  $125

All these paintings will be for sale at the Whimsical Wares show November 11-15 in Marietta GA

"plum island point, ma" 6"x12" pastel on Wallis warm belgium mist $60

"through the marsh grass" 8"x8" on moonstone Canson Mi-tientes $60

me

my sisters

for more of my work , please check out my FB page - Bonnie Morgan Hyde fine art - which is dedicated to just my art and please click "like" !

"autumn glory"

"autumn glory" 12"x16" pastel on Uart 500

Labor Day weekend signifies, to me, the end of summer and the coming of autumn. By this time of the year, I am looking forward to the change of season and all the color of autumn. For this painting I used a reference photo from last October. On one of my many trips to Gibb's Garden, I still remember the feeling when we walked around the corner and into the wild flower field - it was ablaze with color! I worked most of today on this painting trying to capture that feeling - I hope you feel it too!

"saying good bye to summer"

"saying goodbye to summer" 10"x10" pastel on Uart 500  $80

For the second year I have been asked to do a benefit art and craft show for McFarlane Nature Park! Atlanta Country Club in Marietta GA hosts the show. This spring I painted four paintings ( see "Art for the Park" blog post) for the show and was so excited when one of my paintings showed up on the flyer!

top left is mine

Yesterday we were over at the park for a photo shoot and I thought I should take some more photos. We are at summer's end, the greens are not as brilliant and autumn is not showing her glory yet. But I was able to get a few photos that I could work with.

reference photos

I chose one to start.

reference photo

sketch on pastel paper

I liked the photo, but it needed some adjustments in the composition and I thought it would be better in a square format. I've been having fun with my new box of Schmicke watercolors, working on doing a better underpainting - so I used them for this underpainting.

watercolor underpainting

With a few more adjustments, I completed the painting. I had to tell myself to quit…. it was close to be overworked!  Hoping to get two more paintings completed for the show, which will give me seven!

P.S. if you would like to follow along with me, I have a FB page dedicated to just my art - 

Bonnie Morgan Hyde fine art . Please click "like"