Landscapes within landscapes....

Nature offers us endless beautiful views! I never tire of them.

For many years my summers included lake time.  Wading in the water.  Canoeing - in the Churchill River area and along the edges of lakes where you can glimpse into the underbrush or see stones and fish in shallow areas.  I have wandered paths through trees stopping at an open sunny patch of blueberries and what we called ground or low-bush cranberries.  A mouthful of these berries together  - the sweet and the sour... delicious! The endless variety of plants and flowers, shrubs, trees and the water bugs skimming along the surface of the water. (I don't like bugs!)  I have stood in the grass on a windblown hillside and looking down picked up a perfectly round stone or marvelled at a minute flower almost hidden from sight by sage and grass.  I have come close to a beaver chopping at a tree near a slough.  The splash of light across a carpet of green in a forest destroyed by recent fire is a green like none other.  One could go on and on picking out favourite scenes or memories of places which stay in our minds for one reason or another.

I have found that there are landscapes within landscapes! There are the panoramic views and the closeup views.

There is a beautiful pathway through the oak trees as your walk up to the gate to Boffins -  but looking down you will see miniature plants amongst the moss at the base of the tree.  Sitting beside a lake, we often look out towards the lake and distant landscape - which is beautiful! And we especially wait for the sun to set and fill the sky with colours that reflect on the water.  But look to the side and there you might see a miniature landscape that calls one to wonder at it as well.

I am often drawn from the panoramic view to a small part of it. Maybe we all are.  It is these smaller views which I sometimes like to capture in my paintings and which I have included in this post.  The first painting is a small corner of Boffin's pond. The second, also with marsh marigolds in it is from Brightlsand Lake, and the last two are near the water's edge at Candle Lake.

... so as we spend time in nature this summer lets take deeper looks, narrow our gaze and enjoy the smaller landscapes.

"Pond"  acrylic on canvas, 24x48"

"Marsh Marigolds"  Watercolour

"Lakeside Garden"  Watercolour

"Beside Candle Lake"  Watercolour

Looking forward to summer....

It has been awhile since I have posted a completed painting.  Life has been full - seasons of life and death.  The joys of grandchildren, birthdays, and sunshine.  Even though it is colder this evening we know that spring is giving place to summer.

I have no idea what to name this painting! As usual I am stymied and I am always open to suggestions.  It is a scene primarily out of my memories of prairie clouds, sloughs, hills and trees.  The prairies bring so much beauty to our lives with the various seasons offering our senses much to see, feel and smell.  The clouds are never the same, a full slough this year may be almost empty next summer, dry summers may give way to wonderfully rainy falls with vibrant colours.  A hot, dry summer may be followed by a refreshingly humid summer.  Well, one never knows what a day will bring.  With this painting I guess I just wanted to somehow capture something of the incredible cloud formations I have noticed the past few years.  I never tire of looking at the clouds!

The painting is done in acrylic and is 24 x 36"

Show and Sale results...

The Big Sky Artists Show and Sale was very successful.  We had lots of people attend and many paintings sold.  I was thankful that 7 of mine where purchased, 6 of them were oils and one a watercolour of a peony flower.  Guess I will get my oils out once it warms up a bit more and I can open the window.  Even though I don't use turpentine as was used in the past, there is still a strong smell when using oils.  At the moment I am working on a larger acrylic painting with lots of clouds.

These are the paintings which sold: thank you very much to those who purchased the following paintings.

   

   

Closing down...

Well this painting has exhausted me and I just need to stop. It will be put on the shelf for a bit and maybe I will look at it in a few days to see if there is anything more I can do.  It started with promise as you might have noticed in a previous post but in the end I 'worked' / 'worried' it too much.  Frustrating!  I really do have a lot to learn about how water and paint work together!

Show and Sale

It is time for our annual Show and Sale!  I am sorry the poster is not as clear as it could be but I hope you can read our names.  We are all looking forward to this and hoping you are able to drop by to share some time with us.

I have been busy adjusting some larger acrylic paintings and working steadily on several watercolours.  Yes, I'm still working on the roses although I took time out to do a peony which I am hoping will be framed in time for the show.  It was a bit frustrating as I was using a smooth watercolour paper which also seemed 'soft' and a different brand of paints - Daniel Smith watercolours.  But the challenge is done and I will get back to the roses now.

Threshold

Seems I am at another "Threshold" with this painting!  what decisions do I need to make to take the next step.

There are times when I need to set a painting aside, take a photo, and look at it from a distance.  And of course the pondering sets in and I realize I need to think more carefully about the next move.  As you will see I have been working on this - although I did take some time off to work on an acrylic painting with some huge clouds in it!

But this will call be back until I finish or until I give up!

When I set it aside after several hours of work this morning, the word which came to mind was "threshold" so I looked it up and realized, yes, it did fit.  I am at a point of entering the second final stage - that of the final painting before the finishing touches are done - and this point has the possibility of producing an image that is a little less than enough so that the the finishing touches complete it OR producing an image that is overworked and more than enough.... It is a cold hearted analysis of the painting, an emotional optimism versus discouragement, and finally a mental willingness and determination to go on - all of these factor in to what is decided on this threshold.

Here are three more photos - hopefully the final one will soon be available!

1. Threshold:1:  the plank, stone, or piece of timber that lies under a door :  sill2a  :  gate, door    b (1)  :  end, boundary; specifically  :  the end of a runway (2)  :  the place or point of entering or beginning :  outset <on the threshold of a new age>3a  :  the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced <has a high threshold for pain>   b  :  a level, point, or value above which something is true or will take place and below which it is not or will not

Yes, I want to paint....but...

Yes, watercolour is difficult... but so are other mediums.  Sorry, but I feel it just takes time to settle into using the different mediums.  If I only used one medium, perhaps I wouldn't think that way....but, there is that funny little word again!!... I have this innate compulsion to not do the same thing over and over and that means I haven't really "settled" into a specific method, subject matter, or medium when it comes to art.

Is that much different than writing?  Some people prefer to write poems, articles and books... Others stick to one. I have only every done one of each!

Perhaps it is a seasonal thing as well.  I love the changing seasons and I guess I love change.  Even though I do wish for regular schedule I know that I also welcome changes to it. Being a bit of a strategist I am always thinking of ways to doing things quicker, easier and differently! But - like the winter season, every so often I simply want to settle into the quiet and do a meditative painting like the roses.

Michelle, you asked about acrylic.  Remember, I am a beginner in all of the mediums I use in art so what I say is simply what I am learning.  I started watercolours in 2005, began using acrylics in 2009, and oils in October 2015.  I tend to 'fight' with acrylics.  First off, it is for me, more "free hand" and not being great at drawing that sometimes creates problems. However, it has proven to be a better medium for me when it comes to landscapes.  With acrylics you can adjust and change things.  To be economical in time and paints however, you might prefer to have a set plan.  The first class I took in acrylics, which was an afternoon class, was very 'step by step' and for someone who can stick to the steps that is great.  Occasionally I think things through but mostly I just get started.  Not the best way but I am working on being more thoughtful and systematic.

The biggest draw back I have for acrylics Michelle is that they are 'messy' and they dry too quickly.

If you want to dabble and 'have fun' doing it you might like to try liquid acrylics using a pouring medium.  These are great for more abstract work and I have included one here. You see that it is very different from the watercolour rose I am working on which was shown in the last post. It has taken time - I've worked on it 5 or 6 different times and have one more adjustment to make.  It created a huge mess in my studio, then I moved it outside and tackled it during the summer, let it sit through the fall and will have it finished for the upcoming show in March.