I completed this pastel for the Weekly Challenge in the Oil Forum.  I decided to post here and ask for critique from fellow pastelists. It is soft pastel, 9x12 on Canson Mi-Teintes paper.

Barbara

Sorry about the subject of this string.  I was going to post the art work below.  This was done in a workshop so not wholly my own.  I felt a piece that I had no instruction on would be better to ask for critique on.  But I forgot to chneg the subject.  So ...here is Beach Lane...9x12 on Canson Mi-Teintes Paper.

Barbara

hi ctbarb,I love your beach lane.It has all the vibrancy i'de like to capture in my lighthouse.(also I like the sunflowers rich color).The direction of the road leads you to that door and makes you want to see what's behind.I see what you also mean about the white. The door doesn't have to be "white" white.but a nice cool shadow.nice use of value differences and the shadows give a quiet piece a nice bit of drama.

    I like critiqing the things i like...not so good at finding what could be better.maybe its perfect!!!The only thing I see(and hard to tell from photo)if the stroke technique is carried throughout?I'de like to see more of the nice texture in the foreground carried up into the back.especially where the bushed look softer??? Very nice job!!!! I get a nice feeling looking at it.lynne

Hi Lynne,  Thanks for the compliments!  As I said I was working under the tutelage of a very good pastellist at the Lyme Academy here in CT. She definitely helped with the path and the door.  I guess she led me to make the strokes more evident on the front of the path since it was closer to me and suggested that things farther away have less detail.  I know it is not perfect!  The teacher felt my shadows were a bit stilted, but after working on this for several days, I was not willing to play longer.  I was really pleased with it....It was only the fifth or so pastel that I had ever done. Thanks too for the "rich color" comment on the sunflowers.  They started out in NuPastel and very subdued.  I find NuPastels do not have the vibrancy of Sennelier or Rembrandt.  So I reworked them with Sennelier which produced a much more dramatic color.  In the process I lost the value differences and had to work hard to get them back but in the end I think I did. 

Barbara