Fog Study in Blue Violet, 12 x 12, pastelbord

One of the things I like about painting skies that are basically “white” is the opportunity to work with a limited palette and choose whatever color I like for the sky.  These two paintings are from the same spot in Maine. They were painted in my studio from photos, but I painted there on site as well. Each suggested different colors to me.  Fog Study in Blue has the stronger composition, with more darks and stronger shapes. I used my new boxes of Dakota’s Blue Earth pastels (blue and cerulean) for the painting and really enjoyed them. I think this is one of the bluest paintings I’ve ever done!   Fog Study in Blue Violet was painted the day after we learned of the death of a dear friend who loved Maine. So I painted this with him in mind and it is a much gentler, almost ethereal painting. I used more detail in the foreground since there was so little in the background.  The colors are more in the blue violet range, a color I use a lot and love.    I will continue with more fog pictures, as the opportunities arise.  While the focus of the discussion has been on color, the most critical aspect of painting fog is edges!  I kept all of the distant buildings very soft edged. Only the lobster traps in the foreground of Fog Study in Blue have hard edges. The resulting contrast with water highlights the importance of the water shape, an important element in the painting.