Road Trip!

"Sierra Slopes"
8 x 10 inch Chalk and Oil Pastel on Flat Canvas
Click here to view prints
I learned a few things on a recent trip up highway 395.

Babies can only handle so much time in a carseat (especially on the way home.  It's like they know).

My phone can take focused pictures through glass at high rates of speed (not above the speed limit, of course).  There might be some reflections on the photo, but I can edit those out as needed.

A long car trip is much more tolerable if you look at the scenery as potential paintings.

Not all McDonald's bathrooms are created equal.

Once I got home, I flipped through my photo gallery on my phone and was pretty excited about what I had.  As I worked on this painting, I did a little thinking about the benefits of using flat canvas for pastels:

Less prep work: no paper, board, tape required!

Nice toothy, textured surface (not great if you like that velvety smooth look, though)

Lightweight, easy to handle

A little easier to set aside: less likely to smear, can stand on its own for storing upright

Handles combined media (acrylic underpainting, oil pastel resist, even watercolor- all look great under chalk)

Easy to turn a dry pastel into a wet one, just brush with water to blend



All of these characteristics make flat canvas my surface of choice for quick pastel painting sessions.  Of course, I forgot my can of fixative for the trip, so I ended up waiting to use my pastels until I got home.

If you like today's painting, visit my Land and Seascapes Gallery!

Click below to see a free lesson on creating simple land and seascapes:
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-lessons-the-arts/127772-create-a-simple-land-or-seascape-picture/

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