House on the Hill 1 - A Work in Progress

While sitting the Figuratively Speaking show at KAGS I spent my time there working on a couple of small paintings.

I painted in an evening sky as a backdrop for the old farmhouse and then added the distant trees on the horizon in silhouette.

Next I painted in the roof and the chimneys on the farmhouse to finish the upper part of the painting.

Now I have to decide whether I wish to make this painting a winter scene or chose one of the other seasons.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Autumn Road - A Work in Progress

Today was a day to experiment with some of the things I had learned in a recent class.

I lightly drew in what my road looks like from the end of my driveway.

Instead of having the road paved as it is now, I am going to make it look like the gravel road it was when I first moved out  here.

I first wet the background area with water leaving the foreground rise of the first hill dry. Then using raw sienna as a base I lightly washed in the road and a slightly darker mix for the edges of the road where the trees and brush grow.

Next various mixtures of alizarin crimson, Antwerp blue, burnt sienna and quinacrodine gold where added to the wet paint to indicate the autumn trees.

I used cobalt blue for the little patch of sky that shows above the top of the far hill.


Next I lightly wet the foreground and brushed in some raw sienna and quinacrodine gold to the sides of the road and a little raw sienna into the centre of the road.

I will leave the painting to dry and will post it again at a later date when it is completed.

Northern Lights - A Work in Progress

I came across this painting that I had started a while ago (see postings on 09 December 2010 and 21 February 2012) and decided to do a little more work on it.

Using a dark mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I started painting in some of the background trees.

I will post this painting again at a later date when more work is completed.

Monkey Shines - A Work in Progress

This morning I watched a thunderstorm over Peterborough from the mow of my barn. They got a good downpour of rain while all we received was a light sprinkling, barely enough to dampen the driveway, never mind the flowers or grass. We are supposed to have temperatures of 86F (30C) which is setting records for the month.













Today I painted with the Creative Arts Guild in Lakefield. Most of the morning was taken up with helping other members pick mats for their artwork. But I was able to work on this painting for a little while and finished one of the tubes of paint as well as the brushes on the watercolour block. I will post it at a later date once I have more of it completed.

Brief Encounter - A Work in Progress

I was not very happy with the sun (see postings on 19 Mar 2011 and 11 December 2011) as it still looked too much like a big orange floating in the sky.

I went back and worked on it a little more and got rid of most of the "orange" and added a little white to the center of the sun to make it more believable.

However, I am still not completely satisfied with it. I will post it again at a later date when it is completed.

Autumn Stillness - A Work in Progress

This is an inlet near the 507 Highway on Upper Buckhorn Lake, where a heron can often be found patiently hunting in the shallows.

I decided to do this painting as an autumn scene just before the herons head out for warmer places where the lakes do not freeze over in the winter.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have decided where I am going to put the heron in picture and the placement of the foreground tree stumps in the water.

Hand and Forearm Sketch

This year KAGS has split the Portrait and Life Drawing Group show into two separate shows.

Apparently some people were offended by the nude figure being displayed together with portraits and paintings of clothed figures.














So today is the take in for the show of the nude figures called Figuratively Speaking.

If you wish to view the sketches and paintings I have created of the nude figure as an art form not which is NOT pornography please go to my Life Drawing Portfolio.

OSWOA - Flowing Colours 2

The temperatures continue to be in the 80F+ (27C+) range with still no rain in sight. It is hard to get motivated to work on a larger painting, so today I felt like playing with colour and not doing anything too serious.

I wet the paper and brushed in the primaries using cobalt blue, alizarin crimson and new gamboge. I allowed the paint to mix together on the paper and let it dry. Then I went in and painted in a few dots of colour to create some interest.

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 - Cottage 1

Since we just had our first long holiday weekend of the summer season and many people have been up to open their cottages, I thought it would be fitting to have a painting of one of the cottages on Chemong Lake.

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

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

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Among Friends Show and Sale

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 as well as seeing some of the paintings that were exhibited in the show.

Final Day of the Among Friends Art Show and Sale

Today is the final day of the Art Show at St. Matthew's Church in Buckhorn. I arrived in the afternoon on a very hot and humid day.

I worked on Leaf Cascade (see post on 28 December 2010) today  and added a little more colour and detail to the leaves. I will post this painting at a later date once I have more of it completed.

The crowds were smaller today than they had been on the previous two days, but eight paintings were sold from Heather Grant, Penny Little, Lorraine Ryan, and Bonnie Windover; as well as smaller items from Diane Collins, Jo-Anne Connell Northey, Irene Smith and Bonnie Windover.

I am looking forward to our 22nd Annual Shades of Summer Art Show and Sale to be held 11-19 August 2012. I hope to you will be able to come out and enjoy the art.

Among Friends Art Show and Sale

Today is the half day at the Among Friends Art Show and Sale and with there being enough other members of the Group in attendance I chose to stay home today and work in my garden and plant the lilies I purchased yesterday.

Even with the temperatures climbing there was a fairly large attendance an original painting and a number of smaller from Diane Collins sold.

















Water's Edge I is an original 4" x 4" matted and shrink wrapped pen and ink available for $30.00.

The hours for our show are:
20 May 12 - 12:30pm - 5:00pm
21 May 12- 10:00am - 5:00pm

I hope you are able to come out and visit the show.

24th Annual Among Friends Art Show and Sale

Today was the opening of our show and it was a hot, sunny day and turned very humid in the afternoon.

With is being the first long holiday weekend of the season, most people were busy buying plants at the plant sale as well as many of the delicious home baked goods to take back to the cottage. Because of this we didn't have a large turnout but it was an enjoyable day.















Today I worked on some pen and ink sketches including this one: Horse Sketches V is an original, matted and shrink wrapped pen and ink drawing and is available for $95.00.

I will probably work on more of these again on Monday and will post them when they are completed.

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

So far three original paintings have sold from Bonny Windover, Heather Grant and Tom Young, as well as a number of smaller items from Diane Collins.

The hours for our show are:
19 May 12 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
20 May 12 - 12:30pm - 5:00pm
21 May 12- 10:00am - 5:00pm

Looking forward to tomorrow.

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

Among Friends Art Show and Sale

Last night we set up the tables and some of the racks in preparation to setting up the large panels today and hanging our artwork today for the 24th Annual Among Friends Art Show and Sale to be held at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Buckhorn, Ontario.

We are not the only ones getting ready; the Church is again holding a plant sale and Community Care will be holding their annual bake sale tomorrow as well, which will be wonderful additions to our show.

It is always enjoyable to add a new plant to my garden and to purchase some home baked goods.

The hours for our show are:

19 May 12 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
20 May 12 - 12:30pm - 5:00pm
21 May 12 - 10:00am - 5:00pm


Evening I is an original 2-1/2" x 3-3/4" pen and ink painting and when framed will be available for $65.00.

If you have a chance please come out and visit us at the show.

Golfing - A Work in Progress

This is another still life painting I started at KAGS last month.

I may make a number of changes to the drawing before I do any more painting on this piece. I do not care for the golf clubs leaning up against the block and I think I will change that to a rail fence and make this into an outdoor still life with grass and perhaps the suggestion of a tree.

I will post this painting again once I have made my changes.

Grazing 1 - A Work in Progress

We are starting to turn the horses out for a short while each day into the pasture to get them used to the new grass.

Today I was experimenting with making grasses using the side of my round brush on dry paper.

The effect is interesting and I will post this painting at a later date once I have more of it completed.

Roses 1 - A Work in Progress

This is a painting of one of the red orange hybrid tea roses that I started last year while I was at the Garden Routes Tour.

The first layer of paint was put on the two smaller petals and on the underside of the centre bloom and into the base of the centre of the bloom.

The first wash of green was put on the calyx and stem of the rose bud. Then the second layer of colour was put into the base of the centre of the bloom and on the underside of the centre bloom.

A second layer of paint was put on the stem and the shadows on the calyx. I put the first layer of under painting on the two large petals.

Then the third layer was put on the underside of the centre bloom and the dark shadows were added onto the large petal beneath it.

The next layer of colour was put on the underside of the bloom's far large petal and once dry the third layer of paint was put on the petal.

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

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Monkey Shines - A Work in Progress

Today I was painting with the Creative Arts Guild in Lakefield (see postings on 27 March 2012 and 08 May 2012).

I finished the few brushes in the jar I had missed painting last week when I was with the Buckhorn Group and started on the brushes that were lying on the block of watercolour paper.

Much of the time today at class was for discussion about the upcoming "Artists in Bloom Show" which will be held at St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Lakefield, Ontario on 02 June 2012.

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

OSWOA - European Evening I

This is another piece I started in the Doug Mays Workshop earlier this month.

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 $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Pond 1

This is a worm's eye view of a pond filled with koi on a farm not very far away from me.

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

Horse Sketches VIII - A Work in Progress

I took a sketch book down to the barn with me today and did a couple of sketches of the horses.

Unfortunately the cats were very interested in what I was doing and insisted on trying to help me draw.















I will try again another day and will post this sketch when I feel it is finished.

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

Guitar - A Work in Progress

Today was the last of the Still Life classes at KAGS until we start back up on 13 September 2012 and our theme will be musical instruments again.

We had a guitar, a mandolin and a tambourine as our musical instruments today along with sheet music, and the mandolin case.

I tried sketching the still life composition a number of times and wasn't successful with getting the angles correct; so I chose to work on one section of the guitar, at least that way I would have something to show for my time.

I liked the strong contrast of the dark opening with the light strings picking up the light and the white highlights cutting across the polished wood of the guitar.

It is a little part of the entire still life composition but once finished I think it will be an interesting little painting.

Flower Power I - A Work in Progress

I wanted to just play with colour and decided to do another of the quick flower paintings that I did with Doug Mays last week.

I used the same colours, but this time I did the painting in portrait format instead of landscape like the first one (see post on 04 May 2012).

After I add a few more details to the flowers and the vase to complete it I will post this painting.

Monkey Shines - A Work in Progress

Today I was painting with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group at St Matthew's Church. I decided that I would like to work on this one again (see post on 27 March 2012).

I drew the some of the many types of brushes that I have in my brush holder. Then I started painting them; making sure to take note of where the highlights and reflected images were on the brush ferrules and then began to paint them.

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

Craft Show - A Work in Progress

This is another piece I started in the Doug Mays Workshop. While his painting was of an open market in France I decided to do something closer to home and did one of the open markets here in Lakefield.

I have most of the background painted in and now have to decide where I want to have the rest of the people and what to put into each of the stalls.

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

Pottery - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I had started with the Still Life Group in April and had completed the under painting of the pottery.













Today I did a little more work on the small piece of pottery on the right side of the painting.

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

Evening Tranquility - A Work in Progress

On the final day of the Doug Mays Workshop this was another of the paintings we did in an evening setting with snow covered rocks.

The background is pretty much finished and I have started adding some of the dark trees to the middle area and indicated where the rocks are in both the middle and foreground.

I will post the painting at a later date once more of it is completed.

Flower Power - A Work in Progress

This is one of three paintings I was working on today in the Doug Mays Workshop.

This was a fun piece where we were to just splash water on the paper and drop in paint and let it mix itself on the paper trying to create a suggestion of flower shapes. The only structured shape was of the vase and it was put in with as few strokes as possible.














I will post this painting at a later date once I have finished with the suggestion of a table to ground the image.

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.

Five Boats - A Work in Progress

Today is the first day of the Doug Mays Workshop held in the Stone Room at Six Foot Bay Resort.

Our first exercise was to do a painting with water and boats. The reflections are an important part of the painting with the calm water.

I chose to do my painting with five boats of various colours, with the sunlight coming from the left side of the painting.

The background was put in using vertical strokes with mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna, Antwerp blue and cobalt blue.

The water is made with mixes of Anterp blue, cobalt blue, raw sienna and burnt sienna, being sure to leave some areas of white paper showing.

The boats are cadmium red, bright red, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, Antwerp blue and aureolin.

I will post this painting at a later date once the dark colours and the details have been added.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Confirmed Shows for 2012 - 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
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.
01-22 Dec 12 and 03-10 Jan 13 Christmas Show
Opening Reception 09 Dec 12 from 1-4pm.

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

St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Lakefield, Ont.
02 Jun Artists in Bloom

Cobourg Waterfront Festival, Coburg, Ont.
Waterfrontfestival
30 Jun, 1-2 July The Lions Club Art Show and Sale

Settlers' Village, Bobcaygeon, Ont.
SettlersVillage
13-15 Jul 8th Annual Bobcaygeon Fine Arts Festival

MacKelvie Gallery, Keene, Ontario
PioneerVillage
30 Aug - 04 Oct Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Keene, Ont.

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

Kawartha Artists' 2nd Annual Paint Out
14 Sep Griffins Greenhouses, 3026 Lakefield, Rd. Peterborough, Ont. 10am - 4pm and
14 Sep Horlings Garden Centre, 3056 Lakefield, Rd. Peterborough, Ont. 10am - 4pm
15 Sep Elmhirst's Resort, Keene, Ont.10am - 4pm
16 Sep Peterborough Riverview Park and Zoo, Peterborough, Ont. 10am - 4pm

Algonquin Park, Whitney, Ont.
Algonquin
03 Nov 12 - 26 Jun 13 Algonquin Palette