Chando

This is an original 8" x 10” framed graphite pencil drawing.

Chando is a Half Arab pinto mare that was shown on the circuit in both Pinto and Arabian Shows.

She was a very versatile mare and showed in halter, pleasure driving, English and Western classes in various disciplines and could turn a good amount of speed on in the gaming classes.

Congratulations to Mr. Ross Dunford of Lakefield, Ontario on his selection of this painting for his collection.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

OSWOA - Cold Silence 2

It is another cold day and the lakes and rivers are frozen over.

With the wind we had last night it has uncovered some of the snow off the Snelgrove Brook and you can see the ice in patches. But with the next snowfall it will once again be completely covered.

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

The OSWOA shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Winter Trees 1-2

Winter is the ideal time to study trees, there is nothing to hide the trunk and branches. You can examine the similarities and the differences in the structure of the various types of deciduous trees.

Notice how the maple tree silhouettes seem almost oval in shape as the lower branches grow outwards then upwards and as they get closer to the top of the tree seem closer together.

Winter Trees 1

The birch trees have a longer length of trunk before the branches form and grow upwards staying closer to the trunk being are more vertical than spreading wide horizontally.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on either 140lb. or 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

Winter Trees 2

Leaf Cascade - A Work in Progress

Many of the trees are completely bare as the last of the autumn leaves are struggling to cling to the branches before the wind forces them to the ground.

The leaves had been masked out and the background was painted with a greyed purple mixture of French ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and a touch of burnt sienna.

This colour provides a nice contrast to the yellows and oranges of the Maple leaves.

When the background was dry the masking was removed and a pale wash of raw sienna was put on the bottom four leaves. While the paint was still wet touches of a mixture of burnt sienna and raw sienna were randomly placed into the leaves, a paler mixture in the Oak leaves and a darker one on the Maple leaves.

As the paint gradually dried on the leaves hints of a green of Antwerp blue and raw sienna were added into the Maple leaves.

Once the base layer of paint dried the central Maple leave was given a bright orange mix of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

Various shades of brown were made from French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and some details were started on the one Oak leaf, the tips of the Maple leaves and to the leaf stems.

I will post this painting later when more of the leaves are finished.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Crashing Surf - A Work in Progress

In this collage I am using two different kinds of Oriental papers that I applied to the watercolour paper first.

Once the matte medium had dried I looked at the way the papers seemed to indicate movement.

I washed in a sky using French ultramarine blue first.

Using raw sienna, a put a pale wash of colour into some areas of the wave crest which helped me decide on where I wanted to place my rocks.










I then added some of the French ultramarine blue into the areas I was going to paint as water. While the paint was still wet I added mixtures of Antwerp blue and raw sienna to give it the colour of the ocean.

Using the colours I used for the water, plus burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I painted in the rock shapes and set the painting aside to dry.

I will come back to it later and work some more on it and once I feel it is completed I will post it.

Volcano - A Work in Progress

I finally found my Oriental rice papers. I had put them away in a safe place and well, you know how that goes.

I splashed water onto the paper first. Using a 1" flat brush to move the paint around I put in Antwerp blue in first, then switched to alizarin crimson and finally added a little new gamboge.











While the paint was drying I pulled apart a few pieces of the rice paper to go onto the painting.

When the painting was completely dry I used matte medium to "glue" the paper in place. Then set it aside to dry.

I will post this painting at a later date once I decide how I want to finish it.

Coffee Pot - A Work in Progress

With today being Christmas Day I didn't have a lot of time to paint.

I seem to be on a camp fire theme and today I started a painting with the coffee pot sitting at the edge of the camp fire on one of the fire pit rocks keeping the coffee warm for the next person who would like a refill.

A lot of this scene you will just have to use your imagination on until I get back to doing more work on it. I will post it at a later date.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Campfire - A Work in Progress

It will be quite a while before it warms up enough to go out camping.

What I enjoy the most about camping is getting away from everyone and being able to just relax by the water or sit around a campfire without having to listen to people shouting, dogs barking and the whine of boat engines.

I will post this painting later once I decide how many people I want around the camp site.

Flickering Flames - A Work in Progress

I started this painting along with Water Lily Reflections (see posting on 06 September 10) and Yellow Water Lilies (see posting on 07 September 10).

I added darker colour to the left side of the fire near the bottom for more contrast against the red and yellow.

Using new gamboge and aureolin I brightened up some of the flames.

I have to decide where I am going to indicate some of the wood beneath the fire as well as how much detail I want to have in the flames.

I will post this painting again once it is completed.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and look at the artwork.

Storm Command

Storm Command never made it as a race horse, but he did make a name for himself as an all around English horse and was often found in the dressage ring, in hunter/jumper classes or in the season out in the field following the hounds.

This is an original 5" x 7” framed pen and ink study of a Standardbred foal and is available for $85.00. SOLD

Tumbling Water - A Work in Progress

Today is the winter solstice and fittingly it is another cold day, but at least it isn't snowing.

I spent the afternoon sitting the Christmas Show at KAGS. As usual while I am there I am painting; today was no exception.

I lightly drew in where I wanted the paper left white for the waterfall.

For the rock faces I mixed different combinations of colour using Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and alizarin crimson. These were put into various areas throughout the rest of the painting. Using a palette knife I scraped out the rock cliffs on each side of the waterfall.

I used a mixture of French ultramarine blue and Antwerp blue to indicate the motion of the water in the falls.

I started to paint trees into the background and while the paint was still wet scraped out some pale dead trees with the brush handle.

With a dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I painted in a few dark tree trunks.

I will post this painting at a later date once it is completed.

Quiet Place

Quiet Place is an original 9" x 13” framed watercolour.

This is the same fishing hole as Morning Light (see yesterday's posting), only in the late afternoon.

Now I have to head out to the LindsayGallery and take down my paintings from the Christmas art show.

Tonight I will spend the evening wrapping gifts for Christmas.

This painting is in the collection of Buckhorn Yacht Harbour Ltd. of Lakefield, Ontario.

Morning Light

This is an original 10" x 13-1/2” framed watercolour.

This is one of the best fishing holes for large and small mouth bass on Chemong Lake. It is near the channel marker for Pigeon Lake.

I have been there and seen it in all kinds of weather and at just about any time of day or night.

Congratulations to Mr. Bill Lowcock of Lakefield, Ontario on his selection of this painting for his collection.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

OSWOA - Winter Shadows 1

I like the way the shadow patterns make their way across the snow.

They bend and curve with the dips in the snow covered ground.

The OSWOA shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.


Winter Shadows 1

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

ACEO - Single Flower 1 and Petunia 1

The nice thing about painting flowers, unless you are painting botanical studies is that they do not have to have a lot of detail in them for people to recognize they are flowers.

The red flower is a generic kind of flower. It could be any number of species of red flower it is up to the viewer to decide what they are seeing.


Single Flower 1

The second flower is very simply painted.

The leaves give definition to the bottom edges and with the center indicated and a little a small amount of shadow painted into the petal, it is easy to recognize the type of flower.

Petunia 1

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on either 140lb. or 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

Buckskin

Today I got my two 4" x 4" canvases for the Miniaturia show to be held in February.

While going through an old file folder I came across this study of a horse head.

It was signed and dated on the back July 1969. It looks a little like my buckskin Quarter Horse mare Sunsets L'il Eclipse.

It certainly brings back memories of some of the other things I used to draw back then.

Shade Trees

With all the snow on the ground I got to thinking about warm summer days and relaxing in the shade of some of the big maple trees.

This is a painting of one of the houses in Lakefield that had a couple of huge shade trees on the front lawn and you could barely see the house through the leaves.

Shade Trees is an original 6" x 9” watercolour available matted and shrink wrapped for $55.00.

Waiting - A Work in Progress

The autumn leaves have changed their colours from green to orange and gold.

The clouds rolling in have a hint of cold rain in the forecast and the waiting boat tied up at the edge of the lake will soon be taken out of the water and put away for the season.

I will post this painting at a later date when more work has been completed.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork.

Afternoon Stroll - A Work in Progress

Today we are having a major snow storm so I thought I would like to paint a place where it is nice and warm all year. This is another painting of a street scene (see Evening Stroll in my posting on 04 September 10) in the Caribbean.

The sky was painted with a wash of Antwerp blue and a few of the many pigeons were added.

I lightly drew in the people walking on the street so I wouldn't paint over them. Then the shadowed sides of the street were washed with Antwerp blue and the sunny side washed with raw sienna.

The building at the end of the street was painted with mixtures of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

The shadowed building on the left side of the street was painted with mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna.

The sunny side of the building was painted with a darker mixture of raw sienna in some areas and a mixture of burnt sienna, raw sienna with a touch of French ultramarine blue to grey it.

The roof lines on all the buildings are pure burnt sienna and the shadow from the roof is a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

The doorways, windows and the edge of the roof were a dark mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

For the sunlit side of the street the window frames and door were painted with a mixture of Antwerp blue and raw sienna.

The flowers are alizarin crimson and the foliage are a mixture of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.

I will post this painting when more of it has been completed.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Babbling Brook - A Work in Progress

There are many lakes and rivers to be found in the Kawarthas.

It doesn't matter what season of the year it is, you can always find a beautiful place to picnic, hike along or just sit and enjoy.

This is a place on Northey's River in the spring; it is one of the many small waterfalls that can be found on the river.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Shades of Autumn - A Work in Progress

Autumn is always a breathtakingly beautiful time of year; the vivid colours and strong contrasts between the deciduous trees and the evergreens are a delight to the eye.

This is the under painting to what I see from my hill top.

I will post this painting when I have more of it completed.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and look at the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Through the Storm - A Work in Progress

This was a different way to create clouds in a sky.

Water was splashed over different areas of a piece of watercolour paper.

A mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to grey the blue was then dropped into the wet areas and rolled around.

As the paper dried in a few places a little more of the paint was applied to give slightly darker foreground clouds.

The paper was then set aside to dry completely.

I am going to put a hawk flying through the clouds at a later date.

Northern Lights - A Work in Progress

I was shown another way of doing Northern Lights and thought I would like to try it.

The colour is painted into the background for the Northern Lights and allowed to dry. For this I used new gamboge, alizarin crimson, Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue.

Once the paint is dry then the trees and background are drawn into it. This is so you know where you want the darks to be left and where you want to lift out the lights.

I will do the next step at a later date and post the results.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork.

Confirmed Shows for 2010 and 2011 - December

This is a listing of confirmed shows that I will be exhibiting my artwork at this year and into next year. I will update the list as more shows are added.

The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, Ont.
23 Nov - 18 Dec Christmas Show
Opening Reception 25 Nov from 7-8:30pm.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
05-22 Dec & 04-13 Jan 11 Christmas Show
Opening Reception 05 Dec 10 from 1-4pm.
27 Feb – 10 Mar Miniaturia
Opening Reception 27 Feb 11 from 1-4pm.
13-31 Mar Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 13 Mar 11 from 1-4pm.
05-23 Jun Temperatures Rising
Opening Reception 05 Jun 11 from 1-4pm.
11-29 Sep Changes
Opening Reception 11 Sep 11 from 1-4pm.
30 Oct – 16 Nov Outdoor Painters' Group Show
Opening Reception 30 Oct 11 from 1-4pm.
04-23 Dec 11 & 03-05 Jan 12 Christmas Show
Opening Reception 04 Dec 11 from 1-4pm.

St Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont
Buckhorn Artists' Group
21-23 May 23rd Annual Among Friends Art Show
06-14 Aug 21st Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

Please come out and enjoy the artwork displayed at these shows.

OSWOA - Morning Lake 1

I was experimenting with new gamboge to see what colours I would get by mixing it with alizarin crimson, raw sienna and French ultramarine blue.

To complete the painting I added burnt sienna to the raw sienna and French ultramarine blue to make the grasses and growies in the foreground.

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

The OSWOA shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on either 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Fence Rails 1

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on either 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper.

Congratulations to Shelia Stanley of Norwood, Ontario in her selection of this ACEO to add to her collection.

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Show Updates

I have updated the Buckhorn Artists' Group blog with a listing of shows some of the various artists in the Group are exhibiting their work in during the month of December.

If you get a chance come out and visit them at one or all of the shows.

Writings 2000 Book Cover

It was another busy day at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio as the last few artists came in to hang their paintings in the show.

The gallery looks wonderful with all the poinsettias, ribbons, tinsel, twinkle lights and a handmade creche set up.

It reminded me of the Christmas book launch we had when I took my first credit course at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Creative Writing. At that time we were still allowed to have "Christmas" in the schools and we did not have to be politically correct lest we offend anyone.

Each of the students was allowed to submit one piece of writing that they had been created during the 10 week course.

I was given the task to compile all of the submitted pieces, design a book cover with the book's title, create a table of contents put in the masthead into the front of the book and get everything print ready to take it to the print shop at Fleming and have the copies made in time for the book launch.

This is the cover I designed for the book.

If you have a chance the opening reception is tomorrow from 1-4pm. You are more than welcome to come out, join us in the festivities and enjoy the art work. I hope to see many of you there.

Christmas Show at KAGS

I spent a busy day hanging twenty one paintings in the Christmas Show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.

I will have to go back tomorrow to help with decorating the gallery. We do however, have the Christmas tree set up and decorated. It looks lovely with all the ornaments, tinsel and lights.

I will also have to finish setting up my table and putting my note cards into the carousel.

Shown here are two of the paintings I have in the show: Christmas Day and King of the Hill.

Dandelions - A Work in Progress

Today I just played with French ultramarine blue and once I had a graduated wash painted onto the paper I then threw salt into the wet paint.

I left the salt to do its work on the painting while I got my all the things together that I needed to take to KAGS for the Christmas Show.

By the time I had finished loading everything into the Blazer there was no more time to work on my painting.

With the way the salt worked on the paper it looked like a field of dandelions gone to seed just before the winds blows sending them up into the air and on their way to a new location to grow.

I will post this painting when I complete it at a later date.

Winter Snow

The first day of December started off with mild temperatures for the season and a light rain falling when I drove down to KAGS for the life drawing class. If you would like to see some of my artwork from the life drawing classes you can follow this link to my Life Drawing Portfolio which I should have up and available towards the end of 2011.

When I came out of the Gallery three hours later I was greeted by a blizzard and had to brush over an inch of wet packing snow off my car. I was glad that I took the Blazer with its four wheel drive since this type of snow usually makes the roads icy if the township hasn't gotten out to put down sand and salt.

It was easy to pick out which people hadn't realized that there was ice under the snow and the roads with all that white stuff on it weren't dry as they spun their wheels and fish tailed all over the place.


















Needless to say the drive home was an interesting experience, especially when I watched a car approaching me from the opposite direction going down the road sideways. He continued that way right past me and on down the road as I glanced at his progress in my mirror until I could no longer see him through the blowing snow.

I was happy to finally make it home in one piece and be able to watch the snow through my living room window instead of being out driving in a major snow storm.

By evening the storm ended and we had almost four inches of heavy packing snow covering the ground.

Winter Snow is an original 5" x 5” framed watercolour and is available for $95.00. SOLD

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Polly

This was a sketch from I did in the barn area at a horse show with a charcoal pencil on a 9" x 12" sheet of pastel paper.

The horse, Polly stood patiently in the stall while the groom finished the mane braids before going on to braid up her tail.

Congratulations to new collector Mlle. Martine Veillette of Trois-Riviere, Quebec for selecting this piece to add to her collection.

Quiet Moment

Early morning on the lake with the sun just coming up and hidden behind the treeline.

But the sunlight is starting to light up the clouds and it looks as though it is going to be a bright and beautiful day.

Quiet Moment is an original 5-3/4" x 10” framed watercolour.

Thank you to new collector Ms. Kerry Delany-Dennison of Whitby, Ontario on her purchase of this painting.

The Taylor Place

This is a painting of my neighbour's house and barn.

Their farm at the corner of my road approximately 2-1/2 miles (4 kilometers) away; we can see each other's farms, in fact you can see my barns on the hill from the highway.

The Taylor Place is an original 9-3/4" x 14” framed original watercolour.

Congratulations to Ms. Sandra DaSilva of Ottawa, Ontario on her selection of this painting for her collection.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often

Over the Rise

This is a scene I saw at the top of the middle field back of my barns.

It is at the corners where four fields all come together, with pathways down into each of them.

I was too far away, and with the sun in my eyes I couldn't see if it was a wolf, a large fox or a wild dog, but it was one of the three.

I may do this painting again at a later date with a couple of wolves in it.

Over the Rise is an original 14-1/4" x 21-1/2” framed watercolour available for $295.00.

Twigs

This is often what I see when walking by the edge of the forest in early winter before the snow gets too deep to make going out for a walk a pleasure.

The sun behind the trees causes the shadows to roll over the snow drifts in a pattern of light blue lace.

The young trees often little more than twigs brave the cold weather as they wait for spring to arrive.

This is an original 6" x 10” framed watercolour.

Thank you to new collector Mrs. Mary J. Woods of Peterborough, Ontario on her purchase of this painting.

Treeline

This is an original 4-3/4" x 4-3/4” framed watercolour.

It is early morning and the trees cast long shadows across the fields of ripe grain. Later in the afternoon once the heat of sun has dried the dew the combines will come to harvest the rich golden crop.

Thank you to new collector Ms. Denise Zabloski of Pembroke, Ontario on her purchase of this painting.

Floor Routine 1 and 2

These are the first two in a series of original 15" x 20” framed Prisma coloured pencil paintings I am doing on gymnastic floor routine exercises.

They are available for $195.00 each.














Floor Routine 1

Floor exercise routines may last up to 90 seconds for women and they always perform routines to music which may not include any sound using the voice.

The routine is choreographed to the music and filled with gestures, poses, turns, leaps, dance movements and can include up to three tumbling lines from one corner of the mat to the other.

The movements must be precise, in sync with the music, entertaining, and should use the entire floor area during the routine.


Floor Routine 2

Scores are based on difficulty, artistry, demonstration of required elements and overall performance quality.

The panel of judges watch each contestant closely, deducting marks for poor form and execution, lack of required elements, falls and steps outside the designated perimeters of the floor.

Thank you to new collector Champions Gymnastics of Peterborough, Ontario on their purchase of Floor Routine 2.

Morning Glow

This is a scene from Oka, which is another place in the province of Quebec I visited during the summer as a child and could usually be found at the local stables.

Oka is a village on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, located in the Lower Laurentians near the Lake of Two Mountains.

Morning Glow is an original 5-3/4" x 8-3/4” framed watercolour.

Congratulations to Mr. William Van Wieren of London, Ontario on his selection of this painting.

A Touch of Frost

This is the third of three acrylic paintings that I have been painting into frames that I had found.

It was different painting into a 7-1/2” diameter round frame, but I am pleased with the results.

Congratulations to Mrs. Margaret Legace of Alliston, Ontario on her selection of this painting for her collection.

Today I took my two Paintings to The LindsayGallery for the Christmas Show.

The first is Downhill Rush (see posting on 12 Feb 10), the second is Winter Pines. I thought with it soon to be winter and the snow is not far off they would be in keeping with the season.

The opening reception is on 25 Nov 10 from 7-8:30pm.

I look forward to seeing some of you there.

Overcast Day

This is a small 5-3/4" x 7” framed acrylic painting.

I was inspired by the clouds as they rushed past driven by the winds today. The sun kept trying to peek out between them.

Congratulation to Mrs. Susan Watson of Fox Hill, Nassau, Bahamas on her selection of this painting.

Approaching Storm

This 6-1/2" x 7-3/4” acrylic is one of three I am painting into small acrylic frames I found in my frame room.

It is of a well-known pine tree in Buckhorn, Ontario. With it being cloudy here today I thought a stormy sky would be fitting behind the tree.

I would like to thank new collector Mrs. Helen Bain of London, Ontario on her purchase of Approaching Storm to add to her collection.

OSWOA - Evening Forest 1-2

This time of the year it gets dark a little earlier every day.

Most of the leaves are off the trees and they used to rustle underfoot as I walked along the paths through the forest. Now they are covered with a layer of snow and the air has a crisp, cold feeling to it.

As the season progresses it won't be long before the snow will be too deep to go walking through unless I get out the snowshoes.

Evening Forest 1

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

The OSWOA shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $30.00 each and sold unframed.



Evening Forest 2

ACEO - Seclusion 1-4

Many of the lakes here in the Kawarthas still remain untouched, or with very little development by man.

They are peaceful, quiet places where only the sounds of insects, birds and wildlife can be heard accompanying the rustling of leaves in the wind.


Seclusion 1

We often take a day and go out on the lakes in either the boat or the canoe.

Most of the time Ron fishes while I take pictures and sketch, that is of course until he catches a fish. Then I am the one who has to take if off the hook and gently place it back in the water.

Seclusion 2

If I left it up to him, he forgets his own strength when handling the delicate fish bodies and on occasion they have been crushed.

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on either 140lb. or 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper.

Seclusion 3

They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

Seclusion 4