The Meandering Eel River | Pastel | 9x12
After the gala, the sales, the awards, on the final day of the LOST COAST PLEIN AIR event in Shelter Cove, we all drove out the 27 miles of curves road headed to our homes. But the event wasn't over for all of us! The final day was the second Quick Draw (QD2) at the Benbow Inn. Built in the 1920's by the architect famous for designing Jack London's Wolf House (which was torched before Jack's family could ever move in), this historic inn is filled with beamed ceilings, carved wood banisters and 'all things craftsman' from that wonderful era when a home was built like a castle! We had free range to paint the grounds. I headed down to below the bridge arch across the east fork of the Eel River, here an almost still water body of hardly flowing water that allowed for perfect reflections of the foliage and rocks adorning its banks.
Painting notes: using my fav, Wallis Belgian Mist - the old BM- was so fun. After putting in darks and spritzing with ISO, it was so easy to capture the yellow green leaves of the tree on the mid right by just skipping the pastel side across the paper, barely touching it. Reflections were a breeze - adding them in the right value and shade from what is being reflected, then using my finger cot (a bill counting cot turned inside out), I wiped each stroke down across the entire water area, then added a few horizontals and a few dots of floating debris. I won Best Pastel for my efforts! A lovely green ribbon and bragging rights! (Forgot to photograph before putting the frame on-see the blue reflections on my Clear-Vue glass? How many times must I do this before I learn??!)
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