Greg Barnes

Primarily working from life, or en plein air, I set up my French easel outdoors in front of the subject. Soft pastel sticks are used to draw or paint onto archival sandpaper. This paper provides plenty of tooth and allows layering of the pigment into the surface. Each piece is begun by quickly blocking in the darkest shapes first and continued by building detail in the main subject areas until the painting says just enough. I consider myself a contemporary landscape impressionist, relying heavily on intuition when searching for subject matter. Contrast, movement, and light attract me, and a bold use of color usually punctuates my style.