Pastels

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"I enjoy the immediacy of the pastel medium. It bridges drawing and painting with a blast of color going directly from hand to paper. I especially enjoy them for plein air work because of the ability to rapidly capture light and color." Alice Kelsey *Click on each image for a larger view*
"Wild Apple- Solid," 2003 7" X 6" Pastel *sold*	I discovered an apple tree in an old farm hedgerow, and admired the vibrant colors and irregular shapes of the fruit. The painting received the Fourth Place Award from Master Pastelist Doug Dawson at the Maryland Pastel Society "Shades of Pastel" National Open Exhibition 2005.
"A Touch of Rain," 2003 14" X 13" *sold*	I'm pleased with the harmonies of shapes and colors in this piece. It began as an on-location sketch along a farm lane where I often hike. Most of all, it emanates the deep gratitude which I have to be painting now full time. Winner of an Honorable Mention Award at the Art Alliance of Central PA Members Show, June, 2003.
"Trees Together," 2001 11" X 17" *sold*	I recall following a strong current in painting this, inspired by the spatial relationships of the trees, seeming to yearn towards one another, interlocked with the land behind and beneath them.
"Wild Pear - Inside," 2003 8" X 6" *sold*	This painting was selected by the Centre Daily Times for the cover to their guide to the 2005 Central Festival of the Arts. It was created on a rough textured, handmade paper, and features a wild pear that grew on a tree in a farm hedgerow.
"Land Connected," 2001 8" X 9" *sold*	This was completed on location on a chilly spring morning at an old farmstead. I like how the shapes fit together and draw to the distant trees.
"Irises Nearby" 2005 Pastel 9" x 12" *sold*	I discovered these irises along my neighbor's lane, blooming especially intensely when the rain returned after several drought years. The painting received an Award of Merit by juror Master Pastelist Doug Dawson at the Maryland Pastel Society "Shades of Pastel" National Open Exhibition 2005.
"Through Spring Hedgerow," 2001 11" X 11" *sold*	I love hedgerows and how they define borders, but also create beautiful negative spaces which fill me with curiosity about what lies beyond. This was from a nearby farm where I loved the shapes between the trees, and the sense of pull to the far woods.
"Cattails," 2001 11" X 17" *sold*	At a nearby spring-fed pond, I liked the reflections with bouncing and shadowed light contrasting each other.
"Peach Trees on the Ridge," 2003 11" X 17" *sold*	I sketched this on location at a local orchard, with waves of fruit trees in the most dense blossom I've ever seen. I liked the wave the rows of color made as they swept over the hill.
"Fields Through Summer Haze," 2003 15" X 11"	On an August afternoon, heat accentuated distance through heavy atmosphere, and I painted the receding tree planes and flash of Black-eyed Susans in the foreground en plein air .
"Spring Farmhouse," 2003 12" X 11" *sold*	This pastel was completed entirely en plein air. From my viewpoint, the unusual perspective called for a careful attention to drawing what I see, not what I think. I was drawn to this spot one morning while waiting for the school bus with my children, when I noticed the flash of pink flowering tree popping out.