OSWOA - Granite

In the Kawarthas there is a wealth of lakes, rivers and wetlands.

 The most common rock in the area is granite in both the pink and grey colours.

In many places along the lakes and rivers there are strikingly beautiful and massive outcroppings of pink granite. Burleigh Falls is one area well known for its rushing water set against the pink stone.

Calm Afternoon

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













Pink Rocks

The OSWOA shown here are both original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $40.00 each and sold unframed.

ACEO - Flower Bed 4-6

With these paintings I sprinkled water onto the paper and dropped various colours of paint onto the paper and let the paint move on the paper.














Flower Bed 4

As the paper dries I went back into the paintings adding a few more details to the flowers and leaves.

When the paintings were almost dry I went in with a fine brush and some green and painted in a few more detailed flower stems and growies.

Later I have to go to The Lindsay Gallery and pick up my artwork from the Juried Show and then go and sit at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery for the People, Places and Things Show from 1-4pm today.


Flower Bed 5 SOLD

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













Flower Bed 6

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

Free Flow

Today was a day that I felt like experimenting with combining various different media and seeing what they would do when mixed together.

I was using combinations of chalk pastel, watercolour and acrylic paint on 7" x 10” Arches 140 lb. watercolour paper.














This is one of six mixed media paintings I was working on today and is available framed for $185.00. I will post the others as I finish them.

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

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - JoAnne Connell Northey

I have posted the biography of another member of the Buckhorn Artists' Group,JoAnne Connell Northey to the blog as well as an example of her artwork.

Open Fields

Occasionally I have had the opportunity to go with my husband, Ron in his transport and I was able to make sketches and take pictures of various places throughout North America.

I am always amazed by the differences in the landscape a few hundred miles will make as we go across Ontario.









From here in the Kawarthas, with its rolling landscape and many lakes, as you head west and the land flattens out to where it seems almost as though you are going through the prairies of western Canada.

This is an original 4-1/2" x 10-1/2” framed, watercolour for $225.00.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Spray - A Work in Progress

This is one of three paintings I started with the surf crashing against rock.

The main rock shape was lightly sketched in and the white surf crashing against the rock was masked out. Some of the masking fluid was splattered over the paper to keep areas of spray white.

The sky was painted using a mixture of French ultramarine blue, and Antwerp blue. The shadows on the undersides of the clouds are both blues with a touch of burnt sienna added to grey the colour slightly.















The ocean was painted in using various mixtures of both blues and burnt sienna to create the waves. Then the painting was set aside to dry completely.

The masking fluid was removed. The base colour of the rocks was painted and colour was lifted using a palette knife. I will have to go back in and do more work on the rocks as I am not satisfied with them.

I will post this painting again as more work on it is completed.

Sunrise on the Lake - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I had started back in April (see post on 20 April 10) when I was working on my submission for the "Art of the Turtle" which was a fund raiser for the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre.

This is the first painting I started which looked more like a lake than a pond for the turtle so I restarted that painting and set this one aside.

I have added more colour into the sky and worked on the rocks and water. I haven't decided whether I am going to add a sailboat into the painting or some reeds and a heron. So it is back to the drawing board and making the sketches to see which would look better.

I will post this painting once I have added the main figures into the painting.















The dog show is proving to be very interesting and I have many sketches for working on during the winter months. I also have a number of commissions for dog portraits resulting from the Eastern Ontario Labrador Breeders Association 10th Anniversary Specialty Show and the Limestone Kennel Club Show.

I would like to thank new collector Marita A. Boyd of Ottawa, Ont. on her purchase of Run Appaloosa Run (see post on 04 February 2010).

Also congratulations to Al and Joanne Fernall of Norwood, Ont. for selecting The Hunter (see post on 26 April 2010) as an addition to their art collection. If you would like to see some of their wonderful Labs follow the link to Devonsleigh Kennels. That is where my daughter got her dog Can. Ch. Shanbro's Charisma affectionately known as "Sully".

Home - A Work in Progress

Everything is set up here in Kingston and I have been enjoying the Eastern Ontario Labrador Breeders Association 10th Anniversary Specialty Show and the Limestone Kennel Club Dog Show.

It seems everywhere I look there are images which would be ideal as paintings, so I am doing many rough sketches before I lose the idea as well as taking a lot of photographs of the different breeds of dogs.

This is a painting of my farm very early in the morning just as the sun is starting to come up over the distant hills on the other side of the Snelgrove Brook. Nothing has disturbed the freshly fallen snow from the night before.








The painting is about half finished. I have to paint the house and have to decide whether I would like to have a light on in the kitchen window. Then there are a few more details that need to be added to the barns.

Not a lot of the track shows with all the snow covering the ground when you look at the house from the far turn on the track. There are still a number of trees along the edge of the track that have to be added which will give a little more depth to the painting as well as adding the growies that are in the infield and tall enough to stick up out of the snow.

I will post this later after doing more work on this piece.

Spring Barn - A Work in Progress

This is the fourth painting in the series of four seasons with a barn and horses. Autumn Barn has already been sold and both Summer Barn (see yesterday's post) and Winter Barn (see post on 27 April 10) are works in progress.

The apple trees on the right side were masked out to protect the whites and the barn was covered with masking tape. Unfortunately, the masking tape did not stay taped down to the paper and allowed some of the sky colour to get onto the white of the barn. Just another thing to fix later.

The sky is Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson, the paint was allowed to mix on the paper.

The pasture grasses are various mixtures of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue and raw sienna. A soft wash of pure alizarin crimson was also applied in some areas.














The background trees and the shadowed leaves on the elm tree are a mixture of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

Now I have to finish loading the car and head out to Kingston and set up my paintings at the Eastern Ontario Labrador Breeders Association 10th Anniversary Specialty Show held at the same site with the Limestone Kennel Club Dog Show. It should be an enjoyable weekend.

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

Summer Barn - A Work in Progress

This is the third painting in a series I am working on of the four seasons using a barn and horses.

The first painting Autumn Barn was sold to new collector Ms. Rose Briand of Buckhorn, Ontario. The second in the series is Winter Barn and it is a work in progress (see my post on 27 April 2010), the fourth one is Spring Barn which I will post tomorrow.

The barn had been covered with masking tape to protect the white paper before the sky was wet and painted.














The sky was put in using French ultramarine blue at the top and blending in Antwerp blue leaving some areas of white for clouds and raw sienna down by the horizon line to give it the warm hazy feeling of a hot summer afternoon.

The grass base for the pasture was washed in using mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and raw sienna. The distant trees, under painting for the foreground tree leaves and shadows were a darker mixture of the same colours.

The shadows on the barn were indicated using a mixture of French ultramarine blue with a little bit of burnt sienna to grey it.

As I do more work on this painting I will post it at a later date.

Close to the Water - A Work in Progress

The evening sky has been painted in with a mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna near the top, blending into a mixture of raw sienna and burnt sienna, with the orange a mix of raw sienna and alizarin crimson at the horizon line.

The same colour mixes were used in the water and applied with zigzag strokes to give the impression of movement. A slightly darker mixture of alizarin crimson and raw sienna was painted in below the horizon line, with a few touches of pure alizarin crimson in the background.

The colour was gradually lightened as it came closer to the foreground, where it gradually changed when the raw sienna and burnt sienna was added to the right side of the foreground.














Areas of the French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna were painted into the foreground water. Once the paper was dry the juvenile gull was sketched into the foreground and the shape of the bird suggested using the same colour.

The background island and trees are a mixture of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson. Using a darker mixture of the colour a suggestion of the ripples on the water has been added in a few places as well as the dark tips of the gull's wings.

The foreground rocks have been completed and some of the trees on the closer shoreline have been painted.

I will post this painting once more of it is completed.

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Lorraine Ryan

I have posted the biography of another member of the Buckhorn Artists' Group,Lorraine Ryan to the blog as well as an example of her artwork.

OSWOA - Broken Window 1 and 2

When we first bought the farm, there was a lot of work to do renovating both the house and the barn as they had stood empty for almost ten years.

The weeds and vines around the buildings had grown tall and many of the windows had been broken and needed to be replaced.

Looking out through one of the dusty and dirty broken windows in the barn I remember thinking how fuzzy everything looked through the dirty glass and the strong contrast with the sharply defined leaves through the broken part where the glass was missing.

Broken Window 1

The OSWOA shown here are both original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $40.00 each and sold unframed.

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




Broken Window 2

ACEO - Old Buildings 1-2

Driving through the countryside it seems that more and more of the old barns and some of the farmhouses are being neglected and left abandoned.

One barn on the Lindsay Highway collapsed this year.

Now all that remains of it are a few broken beams, some sheets of tin still partially attached to the fallen roof which rattles in the wind and the stone foundation that has survived for over a century.

But eventually, even all of that too, will give way to the weather and time and disappear forever.

Old Buildings 1

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














Old Buildings 2

The ACEO 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 $20.00 each and sold unframed.

The American Saddlebred – Finishing

All that remains is to add the grasses beneath the horse's feet where the shadow will fall. This serves to ground the image giving the illusion that the horse is actually standing on the ground instead of floating in the air.

Remove any slight smudges that may have occurred during the course of layering in all the details. At this point I like to spray a final light layer of fixative over the surface to prevent any of the graphite moving from where it has been placed.


















The final step is to sign the completed 5-1/4" x 5-3/4” graphite pencil drawing of the American Saddlebred.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the way I work from the original idea through to the completed drawing.

This framed original is available for $150.00

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

Drawing the American Saddlebred - Chest, Neck and Head

I finish the mane first as it is the furthest point to the left on my drawing that hasn't been completed.

I do this is to prevent myself from smearing graphite across an almost finished piece which is a very likely possibility (I know this from past experience).



















Again working with the darkest shadowed area on the chest, foreleg, neck and the inside of the ear, I start the first layer of graphite.

Gradually adding each layer and going over the areas until only the white of the foreleg and any highlights are left without graphite.



















I will remove any excess graphite and then apply another layer of workable fixative over the newly finished area.

The darks are added onto the head and forelock.


















I often find that the head usually requires more time to complete than any other section of the horse as there is a lot of detail to fit into a small area.

I usually start at the top of the head and work my way down adding more details as each layer of graphite is added, finishing by removing any loose graphite and spraying lightly with the fixative.

Drawing the American Saddlebred - The Forequarters

The drawing is a little over halfway finished.

The darkest shadows are again established on the forequarters.


















The main muscle masses and tendons are defined and detailed. This serves as a guide to give the direction the pencil lines will follow.

Starting up at the withers the layers of graphite are applied to the shoulder and worked down through the leg until the only white paper that remains are the highlights.


















The shadowed area at the withers beneath the mane is put in to finish this area. Then the shadow beneath the mane is indicated to define the edge of the mane and to set the darkest area on the neck.

Carefully remove any excess graphite and apply another layer of workable fixative is applied to set the graphite and prevent it from moving.


















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

Drawing the American Saddlebred - The Barrel

All the lines on the barrel are curved as though to wrap around the body and create the illusion of roundness.


















The darkest shadows of the underbelly are put in first, and gradually the depths of values are built up, leaving only the highlights which is created by the white of the paper showing through without any graphite.


















The excess graphite is carefully removed and a light coating of workable fixative is applied.

It is time to move onto the forequarters.

Drawing the American Saddlebred - The Hindquarters

I will now start working on the hind quarters.

Once again establishing my shadowed area first in a mid tone and gradually working up the layers of graphite.


















As I lay down the lines of graphite I follow the direction of the muscles and curve the lines, this gives the illusion of roundness, rather than using straight vertical lines which would make it appear flat.

Where the white stockings are on the leg I lightly indicate the outline and add the shading to the leg and joint to give shape and roundness, leaving the paper to remain white.


















I will establish the dark shadow on the underbelly and finish the flap of skin in front of the stifle.

Before proceeding further now is a good time to remove any excess graphite from the paper and apply a layer of workable fixative.


















The far hind leg is completed in the same manner.

Once again the excess graphite is carefully removed and a layer of workable fixative is applied to the drawing.


















It is now time to proceed to completing the body of the horse.

Drawing the American Saddlebred - Beginning Stage

I use either 90lb. d'Arches watercolour paper or Grumbacher Paper for Prisma Pencil for most of my pencil drawings. This drawing is on the Grumbacher paper.

After transferring the drawing I lightly block in the areas where there will be highlights and make sure everything has been transferred and all the muscle masses are well defined and easy to see and exactly how I want the line drawing.


















Being right handed I work from left to right when putting the shading onto a drawing. It prevents my hand running across graphite already laid down on the paper and smearing it across the drawing which will need to be erased afterward and can cause the sharpness of the drawing to be lost.

I find that a mechanical pencil works best for me, as it always has a sharp point and I do not have to take the time to stop and sharpen the point as I would have to do with a regular wood encased graphite pencil.


















I start with the darkest shadows on the tail and put down my first layer as a mid tone. With each layer I continue to go over the one laid down before, gradually building up a darker value in the shadow, and each successive layer until I reach the mid tone layer of the tail.

By this point my darkest values are well established with up to four layers of graphite.



















Now I start working into the lighter tones always being careful to leave the highlights as the white paper showing through without any graphite on it.
I continue to work the layers over the tail until the lightest tones have been put down.

After carefully removing any loose graphite from the drawing I will lightly spray it with a fine layer of workable fixative.

Drawing the American Saddlebred -Transferring the Outline Drawing

Once I have gotten the drawing as far along with all the outline details on it and I feel that the drawing is finished I take new piece of tracing paper and keeping the lines I want I trace the horse in reverse.

This serves two purposes. By seeing the image in reverse any errors that I have missed seem to show themselves. It is similar to holding your picture up and looking at it in the mirror, it forces you to look at it in a different way.



















It is at this stage that I make any final corrections. I also make sure to press a little harder with the pencil to be sure there is plenty of graphite on this side so I can easily transfer the final outline sketch to the fine quality paper I am going to use to complete my drawing.

This also limits the amount of excess graphite which can be a problem when rubbing over the back of a sketch with a soft pencil before transferring the final outline drawing, which in many cases can cause unwanted smudging over the paper which will have to be erased and may damage the surface of the paper.



















I also find this method better than using the graphite transfer papers as you have to press to harder to get the image to transfer clearly and more often than not score the surface of the paper which should be avoided.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Drawing the American Saddlebred - Outline Drawing

Once this stage has been reached the entire painting from completing the sketch to the finished graphite pencil drawing should take approximately five hours or less for a piece this size 5-1/4 x 5-3/4"; provided of course I don't make a real hash of it (which I have been known to do on occasion).

Now begins the time consuming part of drawing as the sketch is gradually tightened up, the shapes refined and the details are slowly added.


















I begin by adding more detail to the large muscle masses of the hindquarters, forearms, shoulders and chest to use as reference points and make sure that the basic drawing continues to be in proportion.

Corrections are made as necessary on the diagonal set of weight bearing pasterns and fetlocks which are attached to the supporting legs, and have more stress placed on them than would normally be seen when the horse is standing motionless with the weight evenly distributed on all four legs.

I do not use an eraser on my sketch but keep working back and forth over the lines changing them as necessary reworking and refining.



















Then add the main tendons and muscles to the legs and chest; the indent where the windpipe runs down the throat and muscle lines on the crest of the neck.

After being sure to have the throat join in correctly under the cheeks, I work on the head adding the details to the ears and eyes making sure that they are positioned correctly. Then added the forelock and a little definition to the mane.

If at any stage the sketch gets to the point where I am having difficulty with finding the correct lines, I simply get out a fresh piece of tracing paper and take the outline of that lines I wish to keep and leave the messy sketch behind. Then I carry on with refining the drawing.

Drawing the American Saddlebred - Thumbnail Sketches

While at horse shows I often try to spend some time in the barn area seeing the many different breeds of horses being prepared for the show ring, then watching some of the demonstrations and performances put on in the arena over the course of the weekend.

I make many quick thumbnail sketches of what I was seeing as well as taking photographs as reference materials for later when I no longer have a live model in front of me.


















Each drawing or painting begins with a series of thumbnail sketches to capture the movement which made an impression on me that I wish to share with those who will see the final painting.

After going through the thumbnails I had made of American Saddlebreds it was the sketch in the upper left hand corner that I decided I would like to develop further.


















Most of my working sketches are done on layers of tracing paper. First I trace the sketch that pleased me, making any changes to the proportions if I feel it is necessary at this point. I refine the outline from the rough shapes and give an indication of the main muscle masses, the various moving joints and add the hooves.

This is the basis for my first outline drawing.

The Ones That Got Away - A Work in Progress

How is it that it is always one of your favourite lures that snags on something submerged in the lake and it is lost? Although I hear many "fish" tales about how it was taken by a "big" fish that snapped the line.















This painting is about half way finished. The under painting has been completed and now the texture is gradually being put onto the stump. The lures need a little more light and shadows added to them.

I will post this painting at a later date after I have worked on it again.

Onions and Baskets - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started back in the early part of the year with another piece that I completed (see post on 17 March 2010).

I have added the onions to the painting which are almost finished.














I still have to paint in the background, the wooden table and do a lot more work on the two baskets.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

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

Morning Sentinels - A Work in Progress

These are the twin pines that are almost at the top of the hill at the back of my property. I have painted them many times, in every season and at different times of the day and night. Each time it is as though seeing their beauty and majesty for the first time.

The morning sky has been painted in using Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson. The clouds are a mixture of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue and a touch of burnt sienna.

The trees were lightly drawn in and parts of the treetop have been painted silhouetted against the sky. It should be interesting to see the final result.

I will post this painting later once I have completed the trees.

Trilliums - A Work in Progress

This is the first in a series of the Provincial Flowers of Canada.

The Trillium (Trilliium grandiflorum) was chosen as the provincial flower for Ontario in 1937. It is an official symbol of the Government of Ontario and is often used in heraldry in Canada. It also serves as the official wild flower for the state of Ohio.

These charming native woodland wildflowers are a harbinger of spring.

They start flowering for two to three weeks beginning in late April to mid May depending on local conditions.

The plant is most commonly found growing in rich deciduous or mixed upland temperate forests of eastern North America.

They're from southern Ontario, Canada in the north, east across to Nova Scotia, and south into the USA to the northernmost part of Georgia and west to Minnesota.

The simple elegance of these delightfully unusual single stemmed flowers, have a whorl of three leaves and single, large 2" - 4" (5cm - 10cm) three petal flower with slightly ruffled edges. They are white when they first bloom and often turn pink with age, making them one of the best-known and easily recognized wildflower.

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

OSWOA - Nightshade

This is a painting I did as a demonstration piece for the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group in the early part of the year.

Everyone in the Group was required to bring in pictures of flowers already drawn and masked out on watercolour paper.

The background colours of aureolin, and greens made using mixtures of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue with aureolin and raw sienna were set in small containers. A dark was mixed using French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson and set aside.

The paper was wet and the pure yellow was poured onto the paper. The green mixtures were poured over the some areas of the background and rolled around being careful to leave areas of the pure aureolin.

As the paper started to dry and there is more control over the paint the dark mixture was poured mainly around the flowers and berries, then splattered over a couple of areas.

The painting was then set aside to allow the background to dry completely before the masking fluid was removed.

Once the masking fluid was removed the flowers and berries were painted by carefully building up layers of colour.

The OSWOA shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. This one is priced at $50.00 and sold unframed.

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

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

ACEO - After Midnight 1-2

Night skies have a different feel about them and many things are hidden and not as distinct as when sunlit..

Depending on the phase of the moon which changes what you are able to see.

From the bright, shimmering highlights of a full moon which allows you to see much more than when there is the almost inky black darkness of a new moon.

After Midnight 1

While the trees are the same as those seen in daylight they look very different at night.

Darker, more foreboding and if the wind is blowing, the rustling noises can make you feel as though you are not alone and can cause the hairs on the back of your neck to rise.

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

After Midnight 2

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on Strathmore, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

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 July.

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

Confirmed Shows for 2010 - July

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

The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, Ont.
02-30 Jul Annual Juried Art Show of Fine Arts/Visual Arts
Opening Reception 08 Jul 10 from 7-8:30pm.
23 Nov - 18 Dec Christmas Show
Opening Reception 25 Nov from 7-8:30pm.

Settlers' Village, Bobcaygeon, Ont.
09-11 Jul Bobcaygeon Fine Arts Festival

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
11 Jul - 05 Aug People, Places and Things
Opening Reception 11 Jul 10 from 1-4pm.
05-23 Sep Driven to Abstraction
Opening Reception 05 Sep 10 from 1-4pm.
24 Oct – 11 Nov Outdoor Painters Show
Opening Reception 24 Oct 10 from 1-4pm.
05-22 Dec & 04-13 Jan 11 Christmas Show
Opening Reception 05 Dec 10 from 1-4pm.

Kingston Kennel Club Show, Kingston, Ont.
24-25 Jul

Lang Pioneer Village and Museum, Keene, Ontario
05 Aug - 21 Oct MacKelvie Gallery

St. Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont
Buckhorn Artists' Group
07-15 Aug 20th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

The Lindsay Inn, Lindsay, Ont.
18 Nov Canvas Confidential Art Sale
Opening Reception 25 Nov from 7-8:30pm.

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