Red Sky

I was talking to somebody today about oil pastels, and I was reminded of this thing that I did back in 2007. As far as I can recall, it was about 800 by 600 mm, on hardboard.

The background was painted by roller in a rather liquid vermillion gouache acrylic, and it dried to a quite mottled surface that I liked, and which warmed the whole composition quite substantially. The oil pastel I applied in rather a pointillist fashion over that red background, and the mauves and blues of the shadows make the background glow.

I rather like how it turned out. My mum has it now, if I remember correctly.

Hillside (1st state)

Mezzotint, 38 x 98 mm

This is a little mezzotint I just started. It's very little, only 38 x 98 mm, on a little scrap of zinc I found when I was fossicking about in the bottom of my intaglio equipment box.

I have no plan for this image. It's based more or less in memory, looking out through the bush on the steep hills around Lake Rotoma, where our family used to camp over the summer months.

I suspect I'll be doing some more on this plate, so I'm calling this a first-state.

I'm fond of mezzotint as an intaglio process.