Spanish Beauty - A Work in Progress

I decided to do a little more work on this painting that I had started in the Brian Smith workshop (see post on 10 April 2011 and for the start of this painting see posting on 13 May 2011).

I blocked in some of the hair around the face using pure Payne's grey.

This is to help with getting the correct value of the face for when the next layer of colour is painted to give more shape and contour to the face.

I added a little of the Payne's grey to the flesh tone mixture for the shadow colour.

Shadows were painted above the eyelid, beneath the eye, jaw, nose, in the nostril, crease of the chin and cheek.

A little alizarin crimson was added to the flesh tone to warm the some areas of the face on the forehead, temple, nose and cheek.

The lips were painted using the by adding more alizarin crimson to the warm flesh colour.

Using Payne's grey the eyebrow, eyelashes and pupil of the eye were lightly blocked in.

I will post this painting again once I have more of it completed.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Thunderheads - A Work in Progress

With all the rain and thunderstorms we have been having I thought I would like to do more thunderclouds.

Using a grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I brushed in the lower clouds.

Adding a little more burnt sienna to the grey mix I painted a layer of darker clouds behind the grey ones.

Using pure French ultramarine blue I brushed the sky into the background behind the clouds.

I will probably add some tree tops into the foreground and I will post this painting once it is completed.

Cloud Layers - A Work in Progress

Last month I did three paintings (Against the Clouds 1-3 see post on 20 April 2011) which had a Group of Seven feel about it.

Today I wanted to do something similar.

Using cobalt blue I started the bottom layer of thunderheads with horizontal strokes. Then I painted in the upper edge of the next layer of clouds. Nest a third layer was painted softening the colour downward.

I added Antwerp blue to the cobalt blue and painted in the sky behind the clouds leaving the final edge of the highest layer of clouds.

Once the clouds were dry I painted raw sienna into some of the clouds to give a little warmth to the picture.

I will probably add trees into the foreground to have them stand out from the background clouds like I did with the ACEO.

I will post this painting when is completed.

Colours - A Work in Progress

This small piece was created by dropping the three primaries on a piece of glass, then placing a piece of wet watercolour paper over it and using a brayer to press the colour onto the paper.

The paper was lifted from the glass and set aside to dry slightly until the shine leaves the paper.

While waiting for the paper to dry new gamboge, alizarin crimson and cobalt blue were mixed together for a dark. The first layer of pine trees were brushed into the background.

I will post this painting once it is finished.

Shades of Pink - A Work in Progress

Today is one of those days where I just cannot get motivated to complete one of the many paintings I have started. But I do like to try and work on something every day.

I decided I would use Antwerp Blue and alizarin crimson and at least get a background painted which I can complete at a later date when I know what would go well with the colours.

I will definitely post this later once I decide what it needs.

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

Over the Dam - A Work in Progress

This is one of the dams on the Otonabee River in Peterborough.

What caught my interest was the contrast between the dark water and the white of the water spilling through the dam and the foam floating on the water.












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

Sunlight - A Work in Progress

This is a small piece that I have brushed the under painting in and have to decide in which direction I want to take it.

It has the feel of a golf course and the white areas on the right side could easily be turned into sand traps.

That may be the way to go with this one.

I will post it once I have it finished.

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Among Friends Show

These are two small paintings I completed on Monday while at the Among Friends Art Show and Sale over the weekend.

I wanted to do a couple of scenes from one of the east coast fishing villages where you can often find boats on the dock being painted, repaired or made ready to go out on the water.


Lobster Traps is an original 3-1/2" x 4-3/4" watercolour available matted and shrink wrapped for $35.00.

The boat houses with all the lobster traps, fishing nets, boat motors, fuel drums and everything needed by the people who earn their living from the sea.

If you go to the Buckhorn Artists' Group blog you can see the daily results of the about what happened during the Among Friends Art Show and Sale.

Keels is an original 2-1/4" x 2-3/4” watercolour available matted and shrink wrapped for $25.00.

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

OSWOA - Sundown 2

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 $40.00 and sold unframed.

Today is the final day of the Art Show at St. Matthew's Church in Buckhorn and it started off warm and sunny and by the afternoon we had rain and thunderstorms.

I worked on various small pieces today which I will post at a later date once I feel they are completed.

Attendance was down considerably from previous years, but three paintings were sold from Heather Grant and Bonnie Windover as well as smaller items from Irene Smith, JoAnne Connell Northey and Bonnie Windover.

I am looking forward to our 21st Annual Shades of Summer Art Show and Sale to be held 06-14 August 2011.

ACEO - Growies 1-3

Growies are put into paintings along the shoreline, by rocks, at the base of trees and in small areas that need something to create interest.

Using lemon yellow and aureolin in the leaves and the green mixtures helps to give the painting the impression of new spring foliage emerging after a long winter.

Growies 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 Windsor Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.



Growies 2

Today is the half day at the Among Friends Art Show and Sale.

Seven paintings have sold from Heather Grant, Rebecca Bilcox and Bonny Windover as well as small items from Diane Collins and Bonny Windover.


Growies 3

I hope you will be able to come out and visit the show either today or before it closes tomorrow.

The hours for our show are:
22 May 11 - 12:00pm - 5:00pm
23 May 11 - 10:00am - 5:00pm

23rd Annual Among Friends Art Show and Sale

Today was the opening of our show and we were greeted with a warm and sunny day with temperatures climbing up to 80F (27C); much better than the rain and thunderstorms the weatherman was forecasting.

It was nice to have the crowds come out to visit our show although with this being the first nice day without rain there were lower numbers than on previous years.

One of the photographers from Lakefield Herald came in to cover our show and took photographs of the art exhibited and some of the members of the Group.

Today I worked on a number of smaller paintings including Melting (see posting on 09 August 2010).

I will probably work on this painting again on Monday and will post it then when it is completed.

So far three original paintings have sold from Irene Smith, Helen Sheppard and JoAnne Connell Northey, as well as a number of smaller items from Bonny Windover and Diane Collins.

The hours for our show are:
21 May 11 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
22 May 11 - 12:00pm - 5:00pm
23 May 11 - 10:00am - 5:00pm

Glowing Sky - A Work in Progress

I have just returned from hanging my paintings at St. Matthew's Church in Buckhorn for the 23rd Annual Among Friends Art Show and Sale which opens tomorrow.

Before I left I had washed in a sky using Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson.













I am not sure what I will put into this painting but it does have the potential to be something interesting.

I will post it once I know what to do with it.

Rearing 1

This is another of the small paintings of horses I often create while at an art show (others include Wary see post on 12 May 10, Evening Percheron posted on 28 May 10 and The Herd see posting on 30 Sep 10).

Rearing 1 is an original 1-3/4" x 3-3/4" framed watercolour available for $65.00. SOLD

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

Winter Trio - A Work in Progress

The days during the winter when we get the thick heavy packing snow coating the branches of the trees creates a magical winter wonderland.

But it can also be harmful to the trees if the weight becomes too much for the branches to bear and it causes them to break off.

Care is also needed when walking through the forest beneath the snow covered canopy; the wind can cause the heavy snow to come down and give you an unexpected snow shower.

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

Big Barn I

I am doing a number of drawings of some of the local barns in the area before they vanish completely.












Big Barn I is an original 3-1/4" x 8” framed pen and ink drawing available for $125.00.

Falling Down I

Many of the barns across the country are left abandoned to slowly fall apart and collapse. They are parts of our heritage that are being lost forever.











This is a pen and ink drawing that was washed over with mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna and French ultramarine blue.

Falling Down I is an original 4-1/4" x 9” framed mixed media painting available for $145.00.

Snow Covered Lake - A Work in Progress

During the winter many of the shallow lakes freeze over completely.

Lake Chemong during the winter is often used as a roadway for vehicle traffic from Curve Lake to Ennismore which saves about 20 minutes of travel time from the traditional roads.

The sky, background trees and snow have been completed. The foreground snow covered rocks and shore have been indicated.

I will post this painting once I have decided where I want to put some of the main pine trees onto the shore.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Daisy Doubles and Daisy Duet

Daisy Duet and Daisy Doubles are original 2" x 5” framed watercolour paintings.

Daisies are such happy flowers and come in a wide variety of colours. They are a wonderful addition to any garden.

They can often be found growing wild in fields, along the edge of roads and sometimes in gravel parking lots.


Daisy Doubles

Daisies are a very hardy flower and will thrive in just about any soil, from rich loam to very poor sandy soil where little more than weeds will thrive.

Congratulations to returning collector Mr. James Douglas of Cedar Hill, Missouri USA on his selection of both these paintings.





Daisy Duet

Spanish Beauty - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started on the second day of the Brian Smith workshop (see posting on 10 April 11).

We did a portrait using the "Dead" palette or the "Traditional Skin" palette. The colours we used were Titanium white buff, cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson (or cadmium red) and Payne's grey.

The background of the canvas was coated with a wash of neutral grey. Once the acrylic paint dried we sketched an outline portrait of the model using charcoal or conte.

The excess charcoal was wiped off the canvas with a cloth to prevent the media from contaminating the acrylic paint being put down and greying it.

Using mixtures of Titanium white buff, cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre and alizarin crimson the under painting of the face and neck were painted.

The highlights were painted using more Titanium white buff and the shadows were darkened by adding a touch of Payne's grey to the flesh tone mixture.

The under painting on this portrait has been completed.

I will post this painting at a later date when I have completed the next stage and put the under painting in on the hair.

Moonshine

Today is the last day for the "Once More from the Top" show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.

I will be sitting the show this afternoon and staying to help with the final take down.

Moonshine is one of the three paintings I had in the exhibition.

It is an original 6" diameter framed watercolour and available for $180.00.

Cirtrus - A Work in Progress

This is another piece I started in the Golden Workshop at KAGS (see posting 06 May 11).

The background walls have been completed, as well as the orange and the lemon. The under painting for the lime and the tablecloth have been finished.

I will post this painting again once I have done more work on the painting.

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

Storm Brewing

I came across a photograph of a painting I did for the Ontario Rodeo Association which was one of their year end awards for Bareback Bronc Riding in 1988.

The Challenge (see my posting on 18 September 10) was the original pencil drawing submitted to the ORA for their approval.

In the final painting there are 15 figures in the background, 13 along the fence, one in the announcer's booth, the mounted flag man and a pick up man waiting for the horn to sound to help the rider off the bronc.

OSWOA - Reeds 1

You know the warmer weather is coming when the reeds on the lakes turn green and it won't be long before the cattails form.

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 $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Spillway 1

This is the Spillway of the Lang Grist Mill, which is a part of the Lang Pioneer Village Museum.

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

The ACEO shown is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Strathmore, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Diane Collins

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

Strawberries - A Work in Progress

Today I was at the Golden Acrylic Workshop at KAGS.

Having taken this workshop last year (Study in Sienna posted on 21 September 10 and my posting on 27 September of Red Rubber Ball) and thoroughly enjoying it I wanted to try it again.

This time instead of doing a pear (see Single Pear posted on 17 September 10) using the Golden Heavy Body Gel I decided to do a grouping of strawberries instead.

It wasn't dry enough to paint the strawberries so I painted in the background and table top before taking it home.

I will post this painting once I have completed the strawberries.

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

Algonquin Morning - A Work in Progress

This is one of the paintings (see yesterday's post for Edge of the Forest 1) we worked on in the Gary Chapman workshop at Six Foot Bay Resort.

Only three colours were used in this painting, Antwerp blue, alizarin crimson and raw sienna.

First the paper was thoroughly soaked on both sides.

Pure raw sienna was washed across the center of the painting and rolled around on the wet paper.

Next alizarin crimson was painted above and below the raw sienna, rolled around and allowed to mix with the raw sienna.

Antwerp blue was washed into the top of the sky and into the water at the bottom of the painting.













Using a mixture of Antwerp blue and raw sienna with a touch of the alizarin crimson to grey the green slightly the distant shoreline trees were painted in being careful to leave some areas of the raw sienna showing through to indicate another line of trees.

The greyed green mixture was darkened and used to paint the next closer shoreline, keeping the bottom edge soft to indicate the mist rising from the lake. This colour was also used to indicate the two closest spits of land and to indicate reflections from the trees to be painted onto them.

The mixture was darkened again and the closer trees were painted in and this colour was brushed into the bottom of the water area and to create a little movement on the water.

Rocks were lifted from the foreground spits using a wet brush.

I will post this painting again once it has been completed.

Edge of the Forest 1

Today we are having a workshop at Six Foot Bay Resort in Buckhorn with Gary Chapman.

This is a wet on wet painting using only French ultramarine blue, cadmium red light and cadmium yellow medium.

Thank you to new collector Diana Charlebois of Lakefield, Ontario on her purchase of this painting for her art collection.

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

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 May.

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

Canadian Sunset - A Work in Progress

As I look out my window it is another cold Canadian winter day. The sun is lowering in the sky and night will soon be here.

The sky was painted with mixtures of Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson with a touch of new gamboge for the sun.

The trees on the horizon are various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna and French ultramarine blue.

Now I have to decide what I will do with the foreground, but I will leave that for another time. I will post this painting at a later date once I have made my choice and the painting is further along.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Confirmed Shows for 2011 - May

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.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
01 May - 12 May 11 Once More From The Top
Opening Reception 01 May 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
BuckhornArtistsGroup
21-23 May 23rd Annual Among Friends Art Show
06-14 Aug 21st Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

Art in the Garden, Peterborough, Ont.
GardenRoute
25-26 Jun Horlings Garden Centre, 3056 Lakefield Rd. 10am - 4pm

Norwood Legion Hall – Branch 300, Corner of Alma and King Street, Norwood, Ont.
01-03 Ju1 Norwood Annual Art Show and Sale 10-4pm.

Settler’s Village, Bobcaygeon, Ont.
SettlersVillage
15-17 Jul Bobcaygeon Fine Arts Festival

MacKelvie Gallery, Keene, Ontario
PioneerVillage
18 Aug - 06 Oct Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Keene, Ont.