Preparation and Anticipation

In January, I'll be leading a group of adventurous souls on a plein air painting trip to Costa Rica. We'll be in the mountains for 4 days, and on the beach for 4 days. During that time, we'll be embracing the best of what Costa Rica has to offer, fabulous landscapes, big skies, and that magic colour thing that happens between sky and water, at Sunset. I am going to be in the studio, practicing and preparing. I hear a rumour we may have a model in Costa, and since I'm a figure drawing enthusiast, I'll be preparing for that. One way to prepare is by attending life drawing sessions. Another project that will help me prepare, is an oil painting I'll be doing this week. I did this little pastel of the boy, swinging out over water, a while ago, while teaching at The Haliburton school of the Arts. It's been a while since I've had time to work in oil, but I've done the underpainting, and have it all drafted out. I am psyched to paint this. I am compelled to paint in simple compositions, that allow the viewer to breath. I am also captivated by scenarios where the human form is put into different positions. You could never draw this in a life drawing session!

Feet First, pastel 6" X 8" by Margaret Ferraro