Spanish Beauty - A Work in Progress

I had started this painting on the second day of the Brian Smith workshop (see post 10 April 2011).

I have continued to do a little work on this painting as the mood takes me (see postings on 13 May 2010 and 31 May 2011).

I have thought about what the model had been wearing and am still undecided about whether or not to put in the long dangling earrings. I will probably wait until the painting is closer to being finished and decide at that point in time.

One of the changes I did decide to do was instead of having her wearing a blue blouse with a paisley pattern on it I preferred to have something a little less busy but with rich colour. This is why I painted her wearing a red shawl. This will provide a lot of contrast against the darkness of her hair which is still only partially blocked in.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have more of it completed.

Deep Snow 1 - A Work in Progress

There is still a little bit of snow on the ground, but nothing like what is usual for this time of the year.

I brushed in a sky and a few snow shadows using French ultramarine blue.

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

Light Show - A Work in Progress

Today I decided to play with plastic wrap and see if I can create the Northern Lights with a twist.

Using masking fluid I splattered a fine spray across the top area for stars and let that dry while I mixed the colours I was going to use in the sky.

I wet the paper and poured French ultramarine blue into the sky leaving some of the areas white. Then into some of the white areas I painted in some aureolin and kept some of the colour pure and allowed the colour to mix with the blue in other areas.

I placed the plastic wrap on the top of the wet paint and set it aside to dry.

After removing the plastic wrap from the painting I used mixtures of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to paint in the trees and foreground.

This painting still needs something before I consider it completed. I will post at a later date once it is finished.

Rays of Light - A Work in Progress

This is an underwater painting I started last year (see post on 26 October 2010) and I decided to add a school of brook trout.

I didn't like the dark rocks in the background so I lightened them up and will be turning them into three more fish.











I drew five fish going around the front of the foreground rocks and had to lift some of the dark water colour so the fish will show up. I then painted in some of the red markings on the fish.

I also added another less detailed fish into the background water to help give the illusion of depth.

I will post this painting at a later date when I have more of it completed.

Sunset Silhouette 2

This is the second of three original 4" x 4" acrylic paintings and is available for $65.00.

The first is Sunset Silhouette 1 (see my post on 19 December 2011).

















They will be exhibited at the Miniature Squared Show at KAGS which will open on Saturday 15 January 12 and will run through to 02 February 12.

Dawn Silhouette 3 - A Work in Progress

I didn't have a lot of time to paint today with going with friends to the stores to check out the Boxing Day sales.

I decided to do a little more work on one of the smaller paintings I had started earlier this year (see post on 04 October 11).

I darkened the sky down slightly and once it had dried, started adding some details to the tree silhouettes.

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

Christmas Candles - A Work in Progress

Christine, Trevor and their dog Sully came over last night and we had a pleasant evening as we waited for midnight and the arrival of Christmas morning.

The stockings were handed out and the contents opened before we headed off to bed. Sully thoroughly enjoyed his new, very large rawhide chew stick.

This is a little sketch of the candles that we had burning last night. I thought I would work with coloured inks for a change and have most of the red put down.

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

Winter Trees 3-5 - Three Works in Progress

With this winter being so unseasonably warm and having very little snowfall I didn't think that we were going to have a white Christmas.

But the snow is falling and we will have at least a little bit of the white stuff on the ground. This helps put one in a Christmas mood.


Winter Trees 3

For these three pieces I masked out the areas I wanted to keep white with liquid frisket and let it dry.

I mixed up a green of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna and painted in the lighter green areas. Then I added a little burnt sienna and painted in the darker greens and indicated a few tree trunks.


Winter Trees 4

Once the paint was totally dry I removed the masking fluid to have my whites show against the dark tree boughs.

Christine and Trevor have arrived and I have to finish getting things ready for supper and tonight's festivities.

I will post these paintings at a later date once they are completed.

Winter Trees 5

Lazy River 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

I was sitting the show at KAGS today and decided to paint a strip of three paintings with a similar theme, in this case a river.

Using French ultramarine blue I washed in the sky on all three pieces and with the same colour ran the river through all of them.

The background hills were painted in using mixtures of raw sienna and burnt sienna.

The shore line on the far side of the river was washed in with raw sienna as was the under painting for foreground dried grasses of the foreground.

Lazy River 1

Against the water I added a little French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and scattered a few rocks along the far shore.

Once the under paint was dry I mixed a green of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna then working between the  three paintings I added pine trees to the background in various areas.

Next I darkened the green by adding burnt sienna to the green mix. I painted in the foreground trees.

I darkened the water with the tree colour in one of the paintings.

Lazy River 2

With burnt sienna and blue I painted in a few tree trunks through the background hills.

I lightly sketched in some tree trunks where I wanted to have deciduous trees.

With a dark mixture of blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna I started to put in a few tree trunks in among the foreground pines.

By the time I started adding in a few leaves with raw sienna onto a couple of the foreground trees it was time to close the Gallery and head home.

Lazy River 3

It will post these paintings as they are completed.

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

Blue Skies - Three Works in Progress

It seems since they changed the show from buying space by the foot and hanging it yourself to a members' show where you are allowed a maximum of three pieces we cannot get enough sitters for the show.













Blue Sky 1

So today I am once again siting the Christmas show at KAGS. I felt I may as well be productive while I was there and decided to paint in different skies.













Blue Sky 2

For the first two paintings I used mixtures of French ultramarine blue and Antwerp blue on the last on I did a graduated was of pure French ultramarine blue.













Blue Sky 3

I will post each of these paintings as more work on them is completed.

OSWOA - Peaceful Place 1

Today I am sitting the Christmas show at KAGS and working on finishing some small paintings.

I thought it fitting since KAGS is known for the red door at its entrance that I put a red door on the cottage in this painting.

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 Windsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Snow Covered 1

It looks as though we are going to have a white Christmas after all.

With the unusually mild temperatures we have been having there was very little snow left on the ground. So hopefully it will stay, at least until after Christmas.

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 Windsor & Newton paint on either 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Sunset Silhouette 1

I decided to do something different from what I would normally do for my three paintings to be exhibited in the Miniature Squared Show which will open at KAGS on Saturday 15 January 12 and will run through to 02 February 12.














Lately we have had some spectacular sunsets with the dark tree trunks and branches silhouetted against them. I chose to use horses as the silhouettes instead.

This is the first of three original 4" x 4" acrylic paintings and is available for $65.00.

Quiet Reflection - A Work in Progress

While going through some of my partially completed paintings I came across this one that I had started last year (see post on 19 Aug 2010).

It needed something in the foreground with more colour to give the painting some life and to tie everything in the painting together.

What would be better than a canoe? It lacks an engine to break the peaceful silence of the morning and it doesn't disturb the water very much as it glides across the lake.

I drew in the canoe and started painting it a nice red using alizarin crimson. Unfortunately I had unexpected company drop by and was not able to finish the entire image.

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

Evening Shadows 1 - A Work in Progress

I did this smaller version of Evening Shadows (see post 29 Oct 11) to make all the mistakes on this one rather than make a mess while trying to work out how I wish to finish the larger painting.













Starting with the light source I lightly indicated with pencil where the tree shadows would fall across the snow and started to put in the shadows with a aple mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.














I will post both pieces at a later date once they are completed.

Rocks and Water 2 - A Work in Progress

This is a painting of a small section of a waterfall with the water rushing past the rocks on the shoreline.













The water is a little too blue and needs to be greyed. More detail needs to be put into the rocks and work should be done to the whites of the moving water.

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

Colour and Composition 2-4 - Three Works in Progress

This was an exercise in a colour and composition class I took with Neil Broadfoot earlier this year.

Seven similar pieces were started in the class.

Colour and Composition 2

I finished the first and called it Over the Hill 1 (see post on 15 August 11) and have pulled the next three out to do work on them and hopefully get them completed.


Colour and Composition 3

I will post the final three of the paintings and post them at a later date along with these paintings as they are completed.




Colour and Composition 4

Yellow Skies - Three Works in Progress

Today I was sitting the Christmas Show at KAGS and I just couldn't get into finishing a painting. So I decided to play with raw sienna as a base colour.













Yellow Sky 1

For the first one I used raw sienna and put in a graduated wash.

While the paper was still damp I added some burnt sienna and worked it into the top third of the paper, then set it aside to dry.

For the second one I used only raw sienna and did a graduated wash which will have a golden glow for early morning light.


Yellow Sky 2

For the last one I used various mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue and put in layers of colour allowing them to blend on the paper.













Yellow Sky 3

I will post these paintings at a later date once I decide what to put into the foreground.

Only a Rose 1

Today is the last meeting of the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group for this year.

Bonnie Windover gave a demonstration of how to create roses using a credit card to pull out the rose petals. It was interesting to see how quick and easy it was to make a rose.

First paint is put down on the paper in the approximate shape of a rose. Then using a credit card the highlights are pulled out.

It does give an interesting affect.

Afterward you go in and paint in the calyx, leaves and stems and any extra details you wish to add.

This 4" x 6" framed, original watercolour is available for $95.00.

Bend in the River - Revisited

This is a painting that the more I look at it the more things I see that need to be added to it (see post on 16 September 2010).

I worked on the foreground trees to give them a little more definition as well as adding a little more colour to some of the middle area trees.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have made all the changes I think this painting needs.

Brief Encounter - A Work in Progress

I have been looking at this painting for a while (see post on 19 Mar 11).

I wasn't happy with the ducks in the painting so I changed them to three larger ducks and added their reflections in to the water.

I lightened the sun a little but it still looks like a large orange in the sky.

I will post this painting at a later date after more has work been done to the sky, sun and water.

Carousel Horse I - A Work in Progress

Today I am sitting the Christmas show at KAGS.

I transferred the drawing from the Carousel Horse (see post on 24 October 2010) onto watercolour paper and started painting the white horse version.

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

Showy Lady's Slipper - A Work in Progress

The Lady's Slipper gets its name from the shape of its petals, which resembles a woman's shoe. It is also known in the USA as the moccasin flower.

The Cypripedium genus has over 40 Orchid species that are native to North America and can be found across much of continent in dry or moist forests, usually found under Oak, Red Maple or Pine trees. They bloom from late spring through early summer and should not be picked or transplanted, as they will rarely survive a change of habitat.













The delicate beauty of these flowers have made two of them become adopted as the state flower of Minnesota, which is the Showy Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium reginae)and the official provincial flower of Prince Edward Island which is the Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule).

The one shown here is the Showy Lady's Slipper which was considered Minnesota's state flower as far back as 1893, long before it was officially passed into law. In 1902 the Senate passed a resolution on 18 February 1902, naming the pink and white Lady Slipper (Cypripedium reginae), as Minnesota’s state flower.

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

Autumn Reflections - A Work in Progress

Today I worked with a limited palette of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

I washed in the sky and water with varying shades of pure burnt sienna.

Using both colours I painted in the distant shore line first, then the closer shore and reflections into the water.

When the paint had dried slightly I scraped out the rocks with a palette knife.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have added some darker more detailed trees.

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

OSWOA - Against the Elements 1

Today I was just playing with colour and seeing if it would turn into something realistic or abstract. In this case it seems to be a combination of both.

What I like about this piece is there seems to be movement within the painting. I may try and do a larger one at a later date.

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 Windsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Solitary 1

Today I spent the morning at KAGS in the Life Drawing class sketching a new model called Alicia.

If you wish to view the sketches and paintings I have created of the nude figure please go to my Life Drawing Portfolio.

After the hair raising trip home from the class I wanted to do a small painting that was fairly simple.

I chose a morning scene with the fog lifting and a single bare tree.

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 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Catching the Wind 1

Today we left the CoCo View Resort and the morning was bright and sunny but by the time our flight was getting ready to leave it had clouded over once more and started to rain.

When our flight landed at Pearson International in Toronto we were greeted with more rain which changed to snow as we left the airport. Canada's way of welcoming me back home.

This is a sketch I did of a couple of catamarans that were sailing by just off the reef in front of the beach house yesterday. I added the ink to the drawing while waiting to board the plane home and plan on working it up into a larger watercolour painting.

This is another original 3" x 5” pen and ink drawing that I will remove my notes from, frame and have available for $95.00.

Confirmed Shows for 2011 and 2012 - December

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

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
04 Dec - 12 Jan 12 Winter Celebration
Opening Reception 04 Dec 11 from 1-4pm.
15 Jan - 02 Feb 12 Miniatures Squared
Opening Reception 15 Jan 12 from 1-4pm.
05-23 Feb 12 Bringing in the Sunshine
Opening Reception 05 Feb 12 from 1-4pm.
15 Apr - 03 May 12 People and Portraits
Opening Reception 15 Apr 12 from 1-4pm.
25 May - 07 Jun 12 Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 25 May 12 from 1-4pm.
10-28 Jun 12 Unfolding
Opening Reception 10 Jun 12 from 1-4pm.
23 Sep - 11 Oct 12 Our Town
Opening Reception 23 Sep 12 from 1-4pm.
28 Oct – 15 Nov Outdoor Painters' Group Show
Opening Reception 28 Oct 12 from 1-4pm.
09-22 Dec 12 & 03-10 Jan 13 Christmas Show
Opening Reception 09 Dec 12 from 1-4pm.

The Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough Ont.
6-8 Apr Peterborough Garden Show

St Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont
Buckhorn Artists' Group
19-21 May 24th Annual Among Friends Art Show
11-19 Aug 22nd Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

Kawartha Arts Festival, Fenelon Falls Fairgrounds, Fenelon Falls, Ont.
01-02 Sep

More Work Horses in Spring

Last night after supper and before the performance of the Fire Dancers I was awarded a certificate for having completed 50 dives while at the CoCo View Resort. I am happy with that achievement, now I get to work my way towards 100 dives there. That is just another of the many reasons to go back.

This morning I work up to a beautiful sunrise, a sore throat, migraine headache and a cough. Not exactly what I wanted for my last day of diving.

I decided to miss the morning dives and try going out for the afternoon ones. Since I was going to be staying in my beach house for the morning I thought I may as well be productive and I worked on some sketches of draft horses.


Team Mates 1

I have posted many of the sketches of the work horses in winter series (see postings on 02 September 2011 and on 23 June 2011).

I have also posted Syrup Time 1 (see post on 30 March 2011) and the sketches of Work Horses in Spring (see posting on 21 September 2011).

I plan on doing at least another seven sketches for the spring series, but not today.


Break Time 1

I am feeling a little better and the sun is still shining so I am going to go diving this afternoon and see how I feel after the first dive.

Low Tide 1

In the early morning I enjoy watching the sun rise as I lay in the hammock on the screened in porch of my beach house.

Unfortunately that hasn't happened very much this trip so today is a very pleasant change.

In is a sketch I marked the in colours of the sky as it tints the water with its light. The water level in the tidal pool rises and lowers with the tide during the course of the day. This sketch is one that when I return home I will make into a larger watercolour painting, then remove my notes and once framed this original 6" x 9” pen and ink drawing will be available for $145.00.

It is peaceful here, which is one of the many reasons I continue to return to the CoCo View Resort here in Roatan.

Now I had better get ready to go on the boat for my first two dives of the day.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

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.

Hidden Beauty

It is another wet, cool, and overcast day here at the CoCo View Resort but I still managed to get another three dives in today. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

I thought it fitting to end the 30 day painting challenge with another view of the old wagon wheels that are behind the barn.

This is in the opposite direction than the first one Days Gone By (see my post on 01 November 2011). I have sketches of more of the old wagon wheels and the framework from some of the old carts that I hope to turn into paintings for next year.

This is an original 4" x 6” watercolour and when framed will be available for $95.00.

Fisherman 1

Today I was greeted with another grey day and rain. But I had no intention of letting that stop me from getting four dives in today; and using my new underwater digital camera.

The nice thing about being in "my" beach house here at the CoCo View Resort is that some things don't change.

The little grey heron was sitting on this rock in the tide pool out in front of my screened in porch. He reminded me so much of the Great Blue Herons we have back in Canada, that you see waiting patiently for unwary prey to come close and then his meal is served.

This original 4-3/4" x 5” pen and ink drawing once I frame it will be available for $125.00.

Now I had better head down to the docks or I will miss my first two dives of the day.

Thawing 1

It was an interesting trip getting to Roatan today. We were supposed to have arrived at 11:45am. Well that didn't happen. The weather was so severe that they closed the airport in Roatan and we continued on to Belize to drop off the other passengers.

After a two hour wait we were able to re board the plane and head back to Roatan. There was a lot of turbulence due to the storm and there were still very strong winds to contend with on our approach to the landing strip.

The plane came in hard and fast, the landing was the roughest one I had ever experienced. But we landed safely, although many were unsettled by getting thrown about, we were all in one piece.

Needless to say, by the time we finally got our baggage together and to the CoCo View Resort and had supper it was too late to dive and the weather had once again closed in around us. After everything that had happened no one was even in the mood for a night dive.

I finished this small original 5-1/2" x 5-1/2” pen and ink drawing which when I bring it back home and frame it up will be available for $145.00.

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

Coconut Tree 1

It is getting closer to the time I can head south and go diving.

As you can see I have the warm beaches and the salt water on my mind.

While the cold winds blow here I will just keep on thinking about the warm breezes and the coconut trees.

I can see I am going to have to remember to erase my reference notes on my sketches before I take photographs of them and I have removed them.

This original 6" x 6-1/2” pen and ink picture when framed will be available for $145.00.

Duet

We still haven't had much snow and the grass is still green which is very unusual for this time of the year, although we have had a green Christmas on occasion.

Today I decided that a winter scene would be nice.

I washed in Antwerp blue for the sky and added a touch of alizarin crimson to the blue and added a little colour to the snowy hill.

I was just playing with alizarin crimson, raw sienna, burnt sienna and Antwerp blue for the background trees.

Lastly I painted in a ski trail and a couple of skiers.

This is an original 9" x 12” framed watercolour painting for $180.00 and can be seen at KAGS during their Winter Celebration Show from 04 December 11 - 12 January 12.

Peaceful Morning

This painting was worked from a number of sketches I made of a small inlet on Lower Buckhorn Lake in the early morning.

I liked the trail of water lilies that were close to the shore and the lovely white blooms which were touched with the pink from the morning light.

Thank you to Mr. Peter St. John of Brampton, Ontario on his purchase of this original 11" x 15" framed watercolour painting as well as two smaller original 3" x 5" framed watercolour paintings Evening Calm and Evening Idyll.

Horse Sketches XV and XVI

While I was out today I stopped on the shoulder of the road by one of the farms with horses.

There were eight mares with foals and I made quick sketches of a number of them as they grazed in the field.

















Horse Sketches XV

Some of the sketches I will tighten up and may use in a couple of paintings of mares and foals at a later date.

These are two that I had the time to ink up. I will post some of the others when they are ready.



















Horse Sketches XVI

The pictures shown here are original pen and ink drawings and are available matted and shrink wrapped for $25.00 each.

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