Andrew Mcdermott

Finalist My Inspiration

I love painting night or rainy day scenes in the city. I love the action of the city with the reflections and the glowing lights of cars, buildings and streetlights. Both contemporary artists and the Old Masters have inspired me—too many to name. From the Old Masters, I especially loved the impressionists. One particular artist that I love was a British artist named Sir George Clausen and his painting Harvest, Tying the Sheaves, 1902.

My Design Strategy

The ability to rework, make quick changes or switch directions altogether is what I love about the versatility of pastels. I prefer to work on a toned substrate of dark gray or black pastel paper. Once I crop my reference picture to my liking, I begin by using the side of a pastel to lay in broad, general strokes. In this piece, I created a visual lead in from the foreground to the distant lights in the background. My final goal for this pastel was to create an impressionistic feel using grays, purples and local color, and to create a vibrant night feeling, hence my pastel painting Vancouver Hotel at Night.

My Working Process

Beginning with abstract shapes, as the first freely applied marks appear on my paper, the painting begins to take form. Layer by layer, I apply the vivid, buttery pastels until I have created a dramatic, energetic scene. I slowly define the forms, the layers of pastel build up, and the buildings, cars, streetlights, reflections and figures (if any) begin to take shape. I usually work from dark to light, starting with more somber colors and gradually increasing the intensity of the chroma in areas I feel are particularly interesting focal points. I believe my best pastel paintings are those that feature strong opposites in the shapes, colors, values and edges. When it comes to color, I go with my gut feeling. If it intuitively feels right, I use it.

Contact Details

» Email: mcdermottart@hotmail.com » Website: www.mcdermott-art.com