Evolution of a Work - 'White Deer Creek'

'White Deer Creek" by Alice Kelsey - finished

I was journeying around in R.B. Winter State Park in Central Pennsylvania with Jeanne McKinney, my collaborator for the "Upstream: Images of Susquehanna Waterways" show (which opens on Oct. 19 in Lewisburg, PA).  It was late afternoon, and we'd already been painting at a different stream.  I was tired and wasn't sure if I could find the creative energy to start a new work, but when we came across this scene along White Deer Creek, I lit up inside seeing the slanting sun strike the far bank, a dramatic light in the midst of deep woods darkish shadow. It glowed, and touched me, and soon I was immersed in painting.... just reaching for ways to somehow get close to putting on paper what I saw around me and my gratitude for it. I especially liked the triangle in the distance where the green bank glowed, and the reflections and cascades of several pools.   When I was working on the spot, I focused on trying to get that mood and the sense of light sparkling in, and capturing enough of the structure to remind me so I could work on it back in the studio, rather than worrying about the details. 

Plein air sketch made on location

When I looked at the sketch in the studio, I felt that the painting needed to be a bigger scale (size) than my initial field sketch (17" x 11".)  So I grabbed a 24" by 18" piece of paper, pretty big for a pastel, but something just called for that size- it was a Big Scene.  I really wanted to lay in lots of dark underneath because the wooded streams really are largely dark brown, and the other colors glow off that darkness.  So that's how I initially began working on the larger version, getting those darker values and basic drawing structure accurate, and working loosely to have some energy to harness.

Initial lay  studio version (large)

I then started to lay-in some colors, especially that lit up far bank that really inspired me on location.  I then  paid attention to the flow of the water with the three sections of riffles, where the white bands create a rhythm.  I lightened up the farther forest to help it recede.  I like the transparent look of the water pouring over the foreground rocks, with that 'slick', 'skimming' feel of moving water.  I am really happy with how the final painting holds on to what really spoke to me at that day and time, and for the gift of having been there to share in nature's creation.

Starting to lay in colors