Behind Pittsfield Township Hall near Saline, MI., there are nature trails and a pond fed by Warner Creek. Cosmo (my dog) likes to sniff around this area, finding traces of rabbit, gopher and goose fragrance. The 9x12 pastel was created in my studio from a reference photo from one of our early morning walks.
I tried a new blending tool, as opposed to my typical tortillon. A great way to blend pastels, and even to create a dry underpainting, is to use a piece of pipe insulation. It leaves the color pure and helps create an atmospheric aura to the painting:
You can easily cut the pipe insulation to smaller sizes. I plan to use this technique for my next underpainting. Stay tuned to see the results!