Monday, June 23, 2014
travelling with the clouds...
Today we travelled and visited for 12 hours with most of that being the travelling part. This past month the skies have given incredible cloud displays and today did not disappoint. The clouds seemed to go before us, follow us, surround us and hover over us! I felt enveloped by the skies while the land took the lesser place. Here are a few photos.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Moving towards the night...
This turned into a rather dark and somewhat foreboding painting. Some evenings are like that… especially when there are a lot of clouds. The clouds reach down to envelop the earth in darkness but the sun sends forth its last few rays of light. Night after night, light and dark settle into a peaceful co-existence.
A good vantage point to watch this is on the river hills looking along the river towards the city.
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| "Moving Towards the Night" [36x30" acrylic on canvas] |
Monday, June 2, 2014
Lavender fields
Last summer while visiting family in Langley we were surprised to hear about a Lavender farm. I was delighted to be able to visit this farm south west of Cultus Lake just steps north of the Canada-US boarder. Since then I have found that there are a number of lavender farms scattered around BC.
I've tried to paint this field in acrylics - using two different techniques - one, using a paint brush and you can see this is quite 'smooth' and the other with a painting knife, referred to as impasto. The first takes much longer and requires a lot of blending while the impasto I find much quicker but it takes longer to dry so changes may be delayed which adds time. It is also more impressionistic. Both are on board which is new to me as I generally paint with acrylics on canvas. These are small - 6 x 6" and I did enjoy doing them.
I've tried to paint this field in acrylics - using two different techniques - one, using a paint brush and you can see this is quite 'smooth' and the other with a painting knife, referred to as impasto. The first takes much longer and requires a lot of blending while the impasto I find much quicker but it takes longer to dry so changes may be delayed which adds time. It is also more impressionistic. Both are on board which is new to me as I generally paint with acrylics on canvas. These are small - 6 x 6" and I did enjoy doing them.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Musing about landscapes...
A few days ago a friend was looking through photos of my paintings and it occurred to me that I really do not stick to one theme when I paint. For which I mumbled a bewildered 'apology' to her. Her response was to never stop painting a variety of topics. This was encouraging and helped me in overcoming my phobia of not painting in a particular way or being consistent in subject matter.
Last week an artist in our group came with oil paints to give away saying that she was sticking to acrylics from now on. Since no one else wanted them I gladly put them in my bag. In fall I was going to "learn to paint with oils." At least I am hoping to take a class to teach me the process. But on Saturday I stopped at the art shop and purchased walnut oil and a turpenoid cleaner and I just might open up those oils soon. So not only will I paint a variety of subjects, with a variety of techniques but I may soon paint with watercolours, acrylics and oils.
In the meantime I've spent several weeks working through Peter Fiore's dvd titled River Bend. While he paints with oils I've been plodding through this with acrylics and have come back repeatedly to subdue the brightness and to blend the colours. I think I am almost finished.
Below is a rather turbulent water and sky scene done with my favourite palette knife using lots of soft gel medium. With this method I tend to play a lot with the paint and medium and gradually form an image. I like the brightness of the colours and the movement that happened.
Last week an artist in our group came with oil paints to give away saying that she was sticking to acrylics from now on. Since no one else wanted them I gladly put them in my bag. In fall I was going to "learn to paint with oils." At least I am hoping to take a class to teach me the process. But on Saturday I stopped at the art shop and purchased walnut oil and a turpenoid cleaner and I just might open up those oils soon. So not only will I paint a variety of subjects, with a variety of techniques but I may soon paint with watercolours, acrylics and oils.
In the meantime I've spent several weeks working through Peter Fiore's dvd titled River Bend. While he paints with oils I've been plodding through this with acrylics and have come back repeatedly to subdue the brightness and to blend the colours. I think I am almost finished.
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| River Bend .1 22 x 28 acrylic |
I am encouraged by those who tend to paint in a less detailed manner - less realistic but not abstract. Impressionistic - perhaps one might call it expressionistic because there is movement and a sense of place in many of these. Well I am working at it!
The two paintings below which I've just finished are quite different. This first of the prairie landscape is done with a larger brush using looser strokes. I have tried hard not to be 'too fiddly'.
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| Prairie Landscape 12 x 12" acrylic |
Below is a rather turbulent water and sky scene done with my favourite palette knife using lots of soft gel medium. With this method I tend to play a lot with the paint and medium and gradually form an image. I like the brightness of the colours and the movement that happened.
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| Rough Waters 12 x 12 " acrylic |
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
mock orange
Today I had coffee with a friend who has been living in India. We sat in the sunshine on the outside deck of the cafe and I could feel the sun's warmth seeping into my chilled bones!! It has been another long winter.
Soon though I think the wind will come and explode open the buds on the ornamental crabapples and our streets will be full of pink and white blossoms. Soon after that the mock orange will open and spread its very special fragrance through the garden - well, actually in one spot in our garden and that being near the compost so it is a welcome presence… not that the compost smells or anything, it is just the old and the new, the dead and alive, the scented and the decaying contrasts - those contrasts that make our lives so interesting.
This is a small watercolour [~9x10] of a few of last years blooms on our mock orange.
Soon though I think the wind will come and explode open the buds on the ornamental crabapples and our streets will be full of pink and white blossoms. Soon after that the mock orange will open and spread its very special fragrance through the garden - well, actually in one spot in our garden and that being near the compost so it is a welcome presence… not that the compost smells or anything, it is just the old and the new, the dead and alive, the scented and the decaying contrasts - those contrasts that make our lives so interesting.
This is a small watercolour [~9x10] of a few of last years blooms on our mock orange.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Today's Colours
Celebrating the colours of today…
At the market I purchased a few garden plants, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a most beautiful April Cornell 'vintage' tablecloth! I absolutely love the colours.
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| market purchases today |
At the market I purchased a few garden plants, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a most beautiful April Cornell 'vintage' tablecloth! I absolutely love the colours.
We drove out to PineView Farms to buy chickens and then on to Valley Meats for sausage where we came across some delightful scarecrows!
I love the city lights in the evening. This was taken a few days ago.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Today's Sketches
It has been tough to settle down and paint recently but I went to art group today so 'had to come up with something!' Today's sketches are done but very different from each other and definitely only sketches.
The watercolour was done at our "group" where sometimes I have a hard time concentrating with all the chatter [which is always great but… unless I plan ahead, what I end up with is a surprise] and today I did not plan ahead. I cut off the top of the sky because it was "too busy" but wanted to keep the centre part because I do like the glow in the sky. I'm getting more familiar with producing this type of glow which I think is important in watercolour.
The watercolour was done at our "group" where sometimes I have a hard time concentrating with all the chatter [which is always great but… unless I plan ahead, what I end up with is a surprise] and today I did not plan ahead. I cut off the top of the sky because it was "too busy" but wanted to keep the centre part because I do like the glow in the sky. I'm getting more familiar with producing this type of glow which I think is important in watercolour.
Then mid afternoon I did this acrylic on watercolour paper. I was told that you could paint with acrylics on watercolour paper and decided to try it on a watercolour that did not turn out. I had washed off the watercolour a few days back and it was dry so I painted over it! The result is rather bright and hopefully 'impressionistic' and a huge contrast to the watercolour above which was done on a hot pressed paper which is very smooth and soft. The acrylic is on a heavy rough paper.
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