Between the Bluffs 2015 - 2nd & 3rd Paintings

Since BtB was about a month ago, I want to finish up and move to newer work. Here are my finished paintings and some process shots as well. This farm "speaks" to me whenever I drive on Russian Coulee Road, with the house windows appearing to be watching the movement of all who pass by. As for the road, I painted it last year - bigger size, different surface, slightly different season. If you want to compare, look back. I like this version better. It is fresher, and to me speaks of the difference between a plein air painting and one painted from a photo. Can you tell I love this road?

 "The Farm Watches", 9x12 inches, pastel on Uart 320 grit sanded surface.

"Down Russian Coulee Road, Again", 12 x 16 inches, pastel on Richeson sanded surface.

 I didn't paint in the dappled sunlight (above), but the shade under my umbrella (a great investment, BTW) was a a bit too deep for a photo. Here is the under painting and my setup.

 Let me clarify for the photo below: YES, I did my initial drawing and underpainting in the rain in my car. I was feeling frustrated by the dreary afternoon and figured I could get a jump on being ready to paint when the sun came out. I was!

 The next "sunny day" actually varied between sun and deep clouds, I captured the shadows that were present during my sunny last hour or so of painting and I think they were pretty accurate.