Newberry, Central Coast Cluster, pastel
Keeping Sane
The choice of subject for plein air comes about, for me, by not looking for the interesting object but looking for the combo of light, shadow, and/or color. Best when there is all three. It is disappointing to pick and paint a wonderful subject that doesn't have great light effects--it is in vain to arbitrarily give it special effects. This clump of tall bushes and their cast shadow was a powerful foil to atmospheric blues and greens. If you look close, you'll see red lines inside the shadows, the red was my composing color -- I picked it because it would be easy to see among the developing greens.
This is one of several pastels I drew in Australia visiting my niece, Emily. She generously took time off work to show me the sites of Central Coast. The coast is a complex weaving of bays and peninsulas, which give the feeling of dotted islands. My feelings were mostly absorbing the beauty and catching up with my niece, and knowing I would channel that energy into the art. A feeling that everything is right with the world.
Decades ago I was painting 16 hours a day on a complex painting, that took 6 months -- I wondered if this obsession was psychologically dangerous. I didn't feel bad or anything but it was so intense, and I didn't want insanity to sneak up on me. But I did notice that in solving every painting problem I was referencing real life, like in this pastel -- I was connected to exceptionally close observation of the outside world. When I realized that, instead of being worried about the intensity I embraced it 100% -- and have not regretted a second since then.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 10/8/2020