Dama Gazelle

Dama Gazelle
27x22, framed
Pastel

Dama Gazelle, In Progress

This is often the stage in a painting where I am the most unsure of whether or not I can pull the painting together. When I can start to see the form develop, I am energized again to complete the work.

Dama Gazelle

This week, I am working on a pastel painting of a grazing gazelle. The painting is the third in a series inspired by animals from The National Zoo in Washington DC. I took the reference photograph used for this painting during a trip to the zoo with my family this summer. I am working on a half sheet 300lb watercolor paper. I first apply an acrylic ground for pastel mixed with acrylic paint (green in this case). The ground is applied with a palette knife, left to dry, and then sanded to create the desired texture. This technique I have developed from trial and error and seems to fit the subject well. The texture creates a depth and dimension to the surface and holds pastel well allowing for many glazes of color. To see the other paintings in this series visit my website http://www.artbyariel.com/, Pastel Gallery. "The Matriarch" and "Lazy River" were both completed on textured watercolor paper. The paintings are matted and framed using archival materials.