The Blue Line, 24x24
"The Blue Line" 24x24" Pastel ©Brenda Boylan
I have been wanting to paint this scene for some time now. It took many detours along the way, (no pun intended), as some paintings take on a direction of their own. I started out with an image that I took a few months ago on my iPhone and I uploaded it to Instagram where I had the liberty to try different filters for different effects. I really loved one filter in particular, Mayfair, with the contrast boost. Once on the easel, I saturated the colors a tad to add to the drama to this gray city scene. My interest was to use a warm/cool palette of blues and oranges complimented with neutral grays. At one point the painting had stalled for two weeks as I was distracted, so it sat..and sat. Then one morning I woke up to a fallen easel, face-planted down on the studio floor!
Oh my!
Luckily, the painting avoided any potential smudging or dents. Thankfully it dodged that bullet. With pastels, it is always a good idea to tilt your standing easel forward a bit. This tilt helps the pastel dust to drop away from the painting, keeping it from contaminating the painted areas below. Unfortunately, not a lot of easels are designed to lean forward. (perhaps a Christmas gift idea?) Lesson learned: weigh down the back of an easel if it is tilted forward. Anyway, I am happy to share "The Blue Line". It will be available in late December at Attic Gallery, located at 206 SW 1st, Portland, OR.
Here is a cropped view of the more "busier" part of the piece
Starting off with a sketch in blue pastel pencil
I tried a bright blue underpainting with water-based createx paint
to give it that "cold, fall day" feeling.
Labels: blue, cityscapes, downtown Portland, Instagram, pastel, Portland Streetcar, The Blue Line, train tracks, Trolley, urban, warm and cool colors
posted by Brenda Boylan at
December 10, 2013
5 Comments:
This is really stunning - those blues and oranges are fabulous. What a relief there was no damage.
I put a tube o sand across the back support of my easel. cheap and effective.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_58362-215-NA_4294846940_?productId=3067709
Hi Katybee, thanks for the great suggestion! Is the tube in a "sock like" tube or in a rolled tube?
Glad your work wasn't damaged! Love the paintings! Just wonderful!
Oh thanks Kimberly! I am really enjoying it and now I'm not so sure if I want to sell it....hee hee. :0)
Hi Brenda, Just discovered your blog. Amazing work! This painting is especially beautiful.
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