Biker in Florence WIP - 8" x 10" Pastel

Working on this little vignette of a small street in the shadow of the Duomo.

Tuscan Alley

Worked more on this scene, not sure which is the best view, close in (posted yesterday) or further back. Depending on how it is cropped, the painting can be 11"x14", or 14"x18". Decisions, decisions!

Tuscan Alleyway - WIP (11" x 14" Pastel)

A scene I am currently reworking. May make scene a little taller to show more of the buildings on each side; figure proportions will be tweaked. Sky will be developed for some interest, and highlights will be added to enliven the scene.

Landscape Attempt

For the life of me, I can't do a satisfactory landscape. I tried to do a scene with a dramatic sky reflected in water; that was the easy part. The backlit trees and rocky islands were(and are) the problem. I think the problem is that there is an interesting pattern of shapes in the sky and water, but the shapes of the land and trees are kind of clumsy. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out a more appealing design. So, after a ridiculous number of hours, I gave up! Incidentally the two photos are due to the fading light in my studio(top), supplemented by very unnatural lighting(bottom).

Chianti Classico II (Rooftop in Tuscany) - 12" x 15" Pastel

Today was a day for fixing up a few older paintings prior to framing them for an upcoming show. This one needed the lights brought up a bit.

Girl with Flower WIP - 11 x 14" Pastel

I saw a little girl enjoying the flowers at my local flower and vegetable market, but at the time I didn't have my camera handy to capture the image. Then coincidentally, I found this photo in the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library, which reminded me of that original moment. The top one is the finished painting, the bottom is the version I posted originally. Not sure if I improved it, but I do like her sweetness.