Finding a palette and Winter storms

 We have had some ferocious storms in the last month and in true Mediterranean style they arrive unannounced and disappear just as quickly. This is island living at it's best.

I thought my palette would be different here than in Essex but actually I find it isn't. With exception of an addition of a brighter green and blue, it is pretty much the same. I just vary the balance a little. I have in my six, Raw Umber, Payne's Gray, Yellow Ochre, Ipthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue and a touch of Viridian Hue.
The yellow and browns of the rocks are important as are the ever changing skies. So here are a few sketches done in order to find my palette and to work on stormy skies.

The salt pans are a pretty major feature of the landscape.

This sketch below was treated in a slightly different way to the others. I scrumpled the paper up first to give a little texture. I think visually it enhances the rocks. How it would sit when mounted I'm not sure, it's a bit lumpy bumpy.

The all important six. Restricting a palette means that there is some kind of link through all my my paintings. Even if the style changes slightly the colours stay pretty much the same. It gives a coherence to my work.

Some coarse salt sprinkled on the wet paint can give a nice effect, though I am not sure it has worked particularly well here ! It's a bit trial and error.

The colour of the sky can change dramatically in the space of a few minutes and is not always what you might expect.

Oooh the family are coming out next weekend  .... excited :0)