Red Rocks II
Pastel | Plein Air | 8x10”
This painting was created on-site in multiple sittings at Red Rocks Park, which is home to the famous concert venue and amphitheater.
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This was one of my very first attempts at plein air painting using pastels. I had just purchased the Sennelier 30-count landscape set to add to my Prismacolor hard pastel sticks. it was just enough to get by.
Since I live very close to this location, I decided to go paint one day as a way to break out of a mental rut. I was grieving the loss of a loved one and felt that creating art was the only meaningful distraction at that time. I found the experience somewhat addictive, returning to this spot every day for about a week and a half to work through my emotions on paper. I completed two paintings during that time, and each taught me a lot about this practice and medium, both of which were new to me.
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beginning to emerge from a mental and creative rut
fresh air and a peaceful spot that felt like it was my own
Creating one of my first paintings in a while
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working through a tough time
I didn’t have the ideal supplies yet, and was somewhat comedically working with what i had.
I got to my spot, (its a very steep trail) realized I forgot my phone on my car bumper, and had to run down the trail to rescue it.
