Saturday, October 21, 2017

Hollyhocks

At the end of May I went to France for a stay, and took with me
a sketch for a painting of hollyhocks, based on a photograph that I took in France the previous year. I selected in advance the pastels I would need to finish the painting. 
This is the photograph:

And this is the selection of pastels: the reds are mainly Schminke and Blue Earth Quinacridone Pink. Greens are Sennelier, and you might spot a large violet Artisan Pastellier among them.


Progress was mainly from top to bottom, and left to right, with the stems of the hollyhocks forming a useful divisional map in what was really a mess of abstract shapes.






You might also notice some spotting on the flowers in the early stages: this is because I used Sennelier Pastelcard for this painting, and while it is an excellent sanded support, it must not get wet or the tooth falls off! I had left a window open in the studio during a rain shower, and the surface got spattered. Luckily I noticed it before any irreparable damage was done.


Hollyhocks © Niall O'Neill