Dandelion Angel

Sorry this is late, the painting took longer than anticipated.

Watercolor Painting by Dennis Pendleton. Every Spring, I teach a watercolor workshop in Taos, New Mexico and one of our favorite places to paint is the little town of Arroyo Secco. There is a handsome old adobe mission there that I have painted several times. I was wandering around in the church yard when I discovered this little statue among the dandelions. She is less than a foot tall at the base of a wooden cross. The angel looked so peaceful among the dandelions and I wanted to capture that mood in a painting. Unfortunately it was time to leave so I took a few photo's in order to do the painting in my studio back in Denver.

As often happens, time slipped away and I just discovered the photo's over the weekend. The initial excitement was still there so I started drawing and painting right away. Little did I know how long it would take. Starting with the angel's face and hands, I used seven different colors to capture the expression I wanted: cadmium red, yellow ochre, cobalt violet, mineral violet, rose dore, cerulean blue, and burnt sienna. I used lots of soft edges in the wings with cerulean blue, cobalt violet, and yellow ochre and for her hair I mixed burnt sienna and Indian red. The wooden cross is burnt sienna and yellow ochre and her gown is unpainted white paper with folds of cerulean blue and cobalt violet.

When the angel was complete, I started on the lawn and dandelions. This was something new for me and it seemed to take forever. I am sure there are easier ways but I wanted a thick lawn full of the yellow flowers. The cast shadow on the grass to the right of the angel is mostly perylene green with some olive and, as dark as it is, I had to make sure it still had its color identity. The dandelions are cadmium yellow, lemon yellow, brilliant orange, and transparent yellow and, the hardest part, was fitting them into the lawn. Scraping, lifting out, spattering, and finger prints all played a part. I am satisfied now because I believe the angel looks peaceful and serene in her dandelion garden. Happy Painting! Dennis Pendleton