Thursday Stories - Half Moon Path

Today's post is about a " throwback Thursday " painting.
" Half Moon Path" is one of the first successful ( I think ) pastel paintings that I did after I moved here  10 years ago, now.  Here is now North Arizona, just outside of Sedona.

It was such a change from the Northeast that it took me a while to get a handle on how to paint the new landscape. I was used to lush, green wooded, or more closed in areas. I was certainly enthralled with the magnificent red rock landscapes, and wanted to paint them convincingly.
Something that definitely helped me was to go out and paint en plein air for a period of two weeks, every day. I still make sure I get out every week, but not daily.

What helped in this painting was that I incorporated a dense stand of trees; something I knew well, up against a red rock cliff. I really liked how the bare branches are dramatically spotlighted against the deeply shadowed rocks.
I was able to place the color saturated areas away from the focal point by having such a great contrast in this area. the rich rusts and purples of the rocks really do not compete with the silvery light tree just right of center.
I enjoyed this scene during a hike near Cthedral Rock, late in the fall.The half moon was faintly visible, and adds to the allure.

This painting is currently hanging in a show at Russ Lyon' Sotheby gallery, in West Sedona; 20 roadrunner Drive.It will be there with several of my other paintings until the end of 2018,  hours are daily, Monday - Friday, 10-5; weekends, 10-3.

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