Along the River Road through Big Bend Ranch State Park, sunset seeps into every blade of grass and wisp of cloud, painting the Rio Grande in molten gold. This is a refined color study using only reds, oranges and yellows to tell the story of sun setting in the borderlands--my favorite time of day to capture West Texas in paint.
FYI This study* was inspired by artist Alain Picard's online exercise in using only a handful of colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel, in this case reds, yellows and oranges. My reference photo was the same one I used many years ago for a large pastel, "The River Road". It's fun to play and experiment, and this study perfectly captures that sense of land drenched in sunset that characterizes West Texas.
- original 5"x7" pastel study
- on archival paper
- unframed (framing available on request)
- ships free within the USA
*What's the difference in a study and a regular painting? A study is a painted sketch done to problem-solve and/or plan a painting. Usually small, a study simplifies colors and shapes and values--lights and darks--down to the essence required to tell the story. Just as working in plein air does, a painted study possesses an extra dose of freshness and energy generated from working rapidly. Most studies never see the light of day outside the studio, and thus are highly valued by collectors.