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.
"Tangerine - Strong Color in Winter" 2007 Pastel 8" X 7"	It was so great to see bright color on a bleak winter day, that I just had to paint this tangerine.
"Found Apple," 2009 6 " X 5"	I was driving on back roads near my home, and passed an old variety apple tree at the edge of a field. I quick stopped and grabbed this apple, which seemed like a jewel with its rich colors and pleasing asymmetical shape. Back at home in the studio, I featured it in this pastel.
"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.
"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.
"Pink Water Lily in Deep Blue Water," 2007 Pastel 8" X 15" *sold*	I like the "POW!" of the colors in this painting. The blue really sets off the orange in the heart of the water lily, yet there is also subtlety in the many shades of blue.
"Summer Morning, Farm Lane" 2007 Pastel 18" X 26" *sold*	This pastel developed from an oil sketch done on location on a very early August morning. I liked the haze in the distance as the heat was beginning to take hold, and the dense shade.
"Pears in a Stoneware Bowl" 2007 Pastel 9" X 8" *sold*	It was quite a challenge to work on this very textured paper, but it ended up being very useful in describing the smooth glazed areas versus the rougher stoneware. The bowl was made by a long-term friend, Betsy Coop, who is a potter in Connecticut.
"Pears on Ebony" 2007 Pastel 6" X 8" *sold*	My husband set up this still life for me, using a chunk of ebony from his workshop and three sickle pears. The pears had especially bright color, with unusual and intriguing shadow colors set off by the smoldering darks of the ebony.
"Mt Nittany from Nixon Road" 2007 Pastel 11" X 17" *sold*	This painting was derived from a pastel sketch created on location on a cold, grey fall day. I liked the expanse and shapes of the farm fields stretching out towards the mountain, and the richness of subtle fall colors.
"Uphill to the Ridge," 2005 Pastel 11" x 17" *sold*	This developed from a plein air sketch in Penns Valley. I liked the graceful shapes of the nearby trees and the sense of pulling uphill to the farther ridge.
"Summer Evening - Warm Light" 2005 Pastel 11" X 14" *sold*	I started this on location on a hot August evening as the sun dipped below the far trees, casting welcome cool shadows.
"Apple- Just Ripe," 2009 Pastel 5" X 5"	I found this apple while driving on a backcountry road, from an old, untended tree. I stopped the car, quick grabbed the bright apple, and painted it at home in my studio.
"Two Heirloom Apples ," 2009 Pastel 6" X 9"	Both apples come from old trees. They grew about five miles apart but seem to be the same variety, and they fit together nicely for this image. There was something special about bringing them together because of their old roots.
"Apple from Our Place," 2009 Pastel 5" X 5"	One of the old apple trees on our property had a very bountiful year. I painted it when in blossom in the spring, and this fall brought in one its solid, well shaped fruits.
"Strawberry Harvest - Half Full," 2009 Pastel 18" X 25"	I watched the strawberry harvest at Tait Farm and loved the different shades of blue and green as the sun struck the cartons, and the contrast with the intense red color of the filled boxes. It seems like a celebration of the harvest.
"Habanero Peppers," 2009 Pastel 7" X 11"	I like the intense colors of these peppers. A welcome reprieve for a winter still life.
"Iris and Stone Wall," 2009 Pastel 11" X 11"	These irises grow right outside our front door. They're such a pleasure in May, and I love the deep velvety purple with little accents of yellow.
"Goblin - Grazing," 2009 Pastel 13" X 18"	This is our special mustang horse, who is quite a character, and a good buddy.
"Mt Nittany Across Autumn Fields" 2007 Pastel 11" X 17"	I painted this pastel entirely on location on a brisk fall day, off a side road Just outside of Pine Grove Mills. The expansive fields leading to the distance mountain were impressive.
"Mt Nittany near Boalsburg," 2007 Pastel 11" X 17" *sold*	I hiked back through some fields off Rt. 45 near Boalsburg, and was interested in the sweep of the land in the foreground echoing the shape of Mt. Nittany.
"Limes in a White Bowl" 2007 Pastel 10" X 8"	I really enjoyed the different color temperatures being really expressive within a limited palette. I also like the unusual balance between open and closed space.
"Jalapenos in a Cherry Bowl" 2007 Pastel 9" X 10"	My husband made this cherry bowl and put some hot jalapenos in it, and the next thing you know, I started painting with pastels.