What's showing and where

Life gets busy and there is a lot of stuff going on right now.

"Slopes n' Snow" Sold.

I have more than a dozen paintings on display at Christopher Fine Art in Edmonds. Check the list of paintings here:
http://www.alejandragos.com/christopher-gallery/

"Summer sunlight"

The NorthWest Pastel Society Members Only exhibit is currently happening at the Dakota Art Gallery in Bellingham. One of my paintings is there along with many other pieces.

You can checkout the paintings on display here:
https://onlinejuriedshows.com/ClosedShowThumbs.aspx?OJSID=8643

"Looking down the slough"

"Across the river"

The NorthWest Pastel Society Online Small Works show has been published. I have 4 paintings available thru this show. They can be purchased online at:

http://www.dailybrushwork.com/Default.aspx?OJSID=8669&OID=15&GSID=1090


And finally make sure to check www.dailypaintworks.com and my etsy shop as I have been posting new work almost every week.



Thanks!

Two paths through the forest

Both reference photos are from a park near home where I like to go for a walk and take Ruby (my dog) for some fun. The park is mainly thick woods and trails everywhere. When the sun comes out, it sneaks in through the big tall trees creating some interesting light effects that really catch my attention.

I worked on these two paintings side by side, using the same tones and pastel sticks: always a fun experience.

Path in the forest 1 Available

Path in the forest 2 Available

Pushing color No.2

"Behind the trees" 8x10 pastel Available

Getting cold out there

Today it was cold in the morning. Brrrr
Had ice on my windshields. The sunrise on a cold day is beautiful. The colors in the sky amazing.

"Moody" turned out to be a very popular painting and so I kept playing with the same composition but going for a fall and then a winter scene. Enjoy!

"In the mood for fall" 5x7 pastel Available

"First snow" 5x7 pastel Available

Don't be afraid of color

When I find a picture I want to paint, I look at the shapes and ignore the rest.
The sky is blue in the photo, but does it have to be blue? that's one of my starting points.

If my reference photo is a landscape in a cloudy day, but I love the composition, then I have to push the color.

I always have it present in my mind that using the same colors as the reference usually does not work. It does not work because:

- the camera shot probably changed or did not capture colors and light exactly as they were in reality.
- if you want to clearly represent a sense of depth, you have to use aerial perspective (which involves value and also color pushing) to achieve that.

Keep that in mind!

"Unreal magenta" 8x10 pastel- Available

5x7 soft pastel landscape - "Entering Padilla Bay"

Available here

This painting was done from a reference photo I took during an art workshop in Mt. Vernon, by the Little Indian reservation area. It was about noon time when I was there with other artists.
The tide was coming into the slough at a fast pace. The scenery changes as the water starts filling the deep sandy banks.

It's beautiful out there with the yellow dry fields in the summer.

5x7 soft pastel landscape - "Moody"

"Moody" 5x7 soft pastel-Available

One of my favorite colors: ultramarine blue. I use it every chance I get! This is a pretty lose painting with that mysterious touch I was going for. Enjoy.

8x10 soft pastel landscape - "Secluded"

Secluded - 8x10 soft pastel Available

This painting was started plein air at Lowell Park, Everett, WA.
The Snohomish river flows thru the area, with gigantic banks, beautiful trees and lots of ivy.
It was a cloudy day, but I really wanted to paint this famous view from the park looking into this little house.