Jan Carlton - Featured Artist Nov & Dec 2022

For this Featured Artist window I decided to highlight my Still Life work. Since I am inspired by light and color, still life, especially florals, are an opportunity for me to play with bright, vibrant colors. I like to set up my own still lifes and control the lighting to accentuate form and shadows. I usually take multiple photos in different formats and lighting conditions.

The next step involves drawing a monochromatic sketch with markers on Strathmore toned paper to explore composition. Once I've decided on a final format and composition, I draw the image on sanded paper and apply either gouache( opaque watercolor) or pastels liquified with alcohol for an underpainting to establish basic shapes and values. Finally, I add the rich highly pigmented soft pastels to bring the painting to life. You can see my process in the photos below: