Monica's Mists and her frame

Started last winter, this sat unfinished, clipped to a huge backing board and behind the door, for months while my wrist healed. I took it out to finish and check my grip on the pastels and slowly built up final layers over two or three weeks. It is from a photo in my files that I took in early Spring, the light pink area is a huge mound of ice taking its time to melt; the water temperature was still low and there is a massive amount of ice built up from the mist.

The inspiration for the painting is a frame. And winter studio time. Right from the start I planned to give it to Monica for her birthday, it took about 6 extra months, but she has it now. I thought it was huge, but when I delivered it to her new Fillmore Street studio it seemed to shrink on the massive white walls. She planned on bringing it her home, where it will get big again.

The frame was originally Monica's, gold with a white mat and a reddish inner mat and fancy corner detail, so I had it a looong time before I found the right image of the Falls to suit the frame and the colors. I was also hampered by knowing what colors she lives with. Truly a backwards way to work is to start with a frame and make a painting suit it. This is my only painting that includes this much of the park area and both Falls.

Mounds of Mist 20x32, pastel