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| 'Memories of Iceland' 5x7 plein air pastel ©Karen Margulis |
It is a 5x7 plein air piece I did while visiting my dear friend Elinros in Iceland last June. We had a wonderful visit immersed in art. I have some very special memories of that 10 day visit to one of my most favorite places on earth! One of those days found us on a little tour with Stan Sperlak and his son Joe. They were in Iceland getting ready for a workshop and stayed with us overnight. We went for a drive and stopped for a quick painting session.
It was a moody, windy and chilly summer day. I knew I had to work quickly and efficiently. I set up my Heilman sketchbox and tripod, took out a piece of Uart and got to work. Since I had to work so fast I was only able to put in the details that were most important. I put in some violet dirt. Added some greens and worked on the sky. I used gray violets to capture the overcast sky. I hinted at the distant buildings and finished with a swipe of light for the sand and some spice greens in the field. I think I worked for about 15 minutes before the cold and spitting wind forced me to stop.
I keep this painting in a frame near my desk. It reminds me that sometimes a few marks is all that is needed to make a statement. I'm glad I stopped before overworking this one.
Do you have a favorite from 2016? How will it influence what you do this year?