Roses and avocado (Pastels)

Day 8.

I think I will continue with my series of pastels for the next few days all of which were done over the course of my stint in London. I was limited to working in a very restrictive space. Setting up in a small room, with a small table and shortage of surface area for materials required ingenuity and determination.

When not drawing from my imagination I’d often turn to the every day objects around me for inspiration. The simple composition of a vase of roses and a piece of fruit is a traditional one. I added the avocado to the scene to add balance and to create a sense of contrasting textures,  the softness of the petals against firm fruit .

I worked quickly varying the pressure of the pastels against the paper to create depth and form. I paid attention to the direction of my marks to indicate perspective and to the fall of the petals,

I did minimal marks for the vase, a complex vintage cut glass affair in a subtle shade of rose. The simplicity is effective, the impression of the vase is achieved in an unfussy manner.

Blending was problematic I find I’d muddy the work by smudging it with my hand and muddy it further in my attempt to resolve it. This is something I can work in in the future and perhaps study the work of others in this medium.  There are inconsistencies in the application of the blue background; the visible joins and criss crossing of the markings draws attentions away from the subjects and is also something to pay attention in the future.

It was fun working with my new materials the chalk pastels and buff hued textured cartridge paper. I was very conscious in keeping it light. It was a beautiful summer’s day and I must say I managed to create a bit of sunshine in the picture.