This is my second piece for the competition.  The competition, which is being held on Facebook and hosted by Passionate about Pastels Group, called for two entries; one which is fairly typical of what we do and something totally different.   

What makes this piece atypical for me:

1. I didn’t start with a photo reference.

2.  I started with an oil wash for the underpainting.

3. I put a color down that I ended up not liking.  So I lifted it out with a paper towel.  I liked the shape that it left, and proceeded to lift out more areas of color.

4. I decided what I had left looked like the beginning of a floral piece.  I was going to make the round shapes into dandelions that had gone to seed.  One day I saw a piece of popcorn, and wondered about popcorn ball flowers.  That would be totally different for me.  So that is the direction I am now going to proceed with.

5. I approached areas as if doing a “negative” painting.

Don’t know really what I think about it.  It was kind of fun to do something I have never done before, however, it doesn’t fit with anything else that I have.  Might just gesso over it.

 By the way, the other piece that I submitted was the image that I posted in Finished Painting.  That was fairly typical for me, but I did try a few things.  First of all, I usually avoid buildings.  I decided to break the don’t-use-black rule.  I think it worked.