Saturday, November 30, 2013

Long Shadows 1-3

Looking out the window at the long cast shadows from the trees running across the snow on the front lawn I thought I should take some photographs and do a few sketches as reference drawing for future paintings.















Long Shadows 1

For the first drawing I used the two maple trees on either side of the front gate and ran the shadows along the snow.














Long Shadows 2

For the second drawing I used the maple tree and some of the young beech trees along the north section of the track.














Long Shadows 3

For my last drawing I did the house from the road side of the front gate looking down the driveway toward the house.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Fallen Snow

Today as I was going through a box I came across a number of acrylic paintings that I started many years ago when I began painting in acrylic.

There was very little to do to complete this painting. I put in the shadows across the snow in the field with a mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

I added more burnt sienna to the mix and put some snow covered rocks into the foreground.

Using titanium white I added in a birch tree to the foreground.

This original 10" x 14" acrylic painting when framed will be available for $145.00. SOLD

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Oil Lamp 1 and 2

Today I was at the Still Life class at KAGS and the theme was Lamps and Clocks.

There were a wide variety of clocks and lamps, everything from pocket watches to ornate mantle clocks, as well as a candelabra, silver candlesticks, oil lamps and lanterns.

There were two different glass oil lamps with various herbs, flowers and leaves in the oil with the wick winding its way through them. I decided to do a drawing of each of both.

Oil Lamp 1

The first one was shorter than the other, with flat sides and triangular in shape.

Its base was of thick glass which showed the lovely pale blue green colour of the glass as the light passed through.

The second one was much taller with the glass slightly curved on one of its three sides.

It had twine wound around the top of the neck of the glass and a green ribbon tied in a bow at the base of the twine.

Oil Lamp 1

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

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Cold Day 1 and 2

This morning I woke up to 4" (10.2 cm) of snow on the ground. There is also more snow in the forecast, but at least it is a little warmer outside 22F (-5.6C) and the wind has died down.

I thought I would do a couple of drawings of the scenery as I looked out my kitchen window at the infield of the track.

By the entryway to the track by the barn, there are a couple of young maple trees on the bank which rises above the last turn.

It is here where the track is at its lowest level in between both sides of the land.

As you head into the first turn everything levels out and is almost even with the ground as you head into the backstretch.

Cold Day 1

Partway along the backstretch the track becomes higher than the ground and by the time you are at the second turn the infield side it is about 8' (2.4m) higher and on the roadside there is a 40' (12.2m) drop.

Midway between the second and third turn the track levels out again and after the third turn the track once again becomes higher than the land on either side, although nowhere near as much as on the backside of the track.

On the driveway side it is about 6' (1.8m) and on the infield side it is less than 2' (.6m) before it levels out in front of the house.

Cold Day 2

Just past the sentimental light the track starts to once again be lower than the banks on either side heading into the fourth turn.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Fire

It is another day with a forecast of pending snow, but at least the temperature made it up to 34F (1C) and once again the snow held off until the evening.














Which is why, tonight I am relaxing in the living room and enjoying a fire in the fireplace.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Race the Wind

The temperatures are remaining low 22F (-5.6C) and the day overcast and by late afternoon it started to snow while I was on my way home from the Executive meeting at KAGS.

After having supper I decided to work on this piece and finish the riders on the horses.













This original 10-1/2" x 13-1/4" watercolour when framed will be available for $235.00.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Frozen Lake 1-4

The cold weather is here and I am breaking the ice off of the horse trough with our high for the day going up to a balmy 22F (-5.6C), but the bright side is that the sun is shining.

I thought today I would take the dog with me and go to the Selwyn Beach Conservation Area and do a couple of sketches of the frozen lake while walking along the beach and on the trails.














Frozen Lake 1

Once we arrived at the park She-Ra stayed close beside me, normally she would be rushing ahead of me and wait until I caught up with her before racing of again. But I have to keep remembering that she is thirteen years old and starting to slow down.















Frozen Lake 2

I stopped and did my first drawing at the end of the first trail which led down to the beach and you could see the edge of Chemong Lake through the trees. From there I continued along the second trail which ran along side of the lake and stopped again to do another drawing.















Frozen Lake 3

I kept an eye on She-Ra, making sure she didn't go too far out on the frozen lake because the last thing I wanted was for her to find a thin spot in the ice and go through it into the lake. After I finished my third drawing I decided it was time to head back.















Frozen Lake 4

Just before we came to the trail which took us back to the parking lot, I stopped and did my last drawing of the lake before heading home.

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

Saturday, November 23, 2013

OSWOA - Rocks and Water 4

Today was very windy with snow squalls and the temperature was 30F early in the morning dropped rapidly through the afternoon.

I decided that I would work inside today and finish up another of the paintings I started in the third Tuesday "Basic Watercolour" class I am teaching at KAGS.

With this exercise they were learning about the colour Antwerp blue which was used for the sky and water, different ways of putting leaves on trees, and how to scrape out rocks with a credit card or palette knife.

Antwerp blue was used with raw sienna to make the greens. Three different ways for creating the foliage were used in this painting.

The trees on the horizon line were put in using a brush, the leaves on the left side were applied with a sponge and the leaves on the right side were put in by wetting the surface of the painting in the areas the leaves were to be placed and Antwerp blue and raw sienna was dropped into the wet areas and allowed to mix on the paper.














The under paint for the rocks  was put in using Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson. While the under paint was drying a dark was made using the blue with burnt sienna.

The dark mixture was painted over top of the rocks and while it was still wet a palette knife was used on the left to lift out the rock shapes and a credit card was used on the right side rocks.

This dark mixture was used to paint the tree trunks and the reflections below the rocks.

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.

Friday, November 22, 2013

ACEO - Twin Willows 1

This morning I woke up to a very heavy fog, but the temperatures had risen to 46F (7.5C), but that is not expected to last very long as we currently have a wind warning in effect for the area.

Going through my file of started paintings I came across Blue Sky J (see post on 28 October 2012) and thought I would like to use that as the background for a painting of my willow tree at the front of the lawn.

I sketched in two different views of the trunk and main branches of the tree and added a couple of the fence line maple trees into the background.














Using a mix of French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson I put in the distant hills behind the fence line.

With raw sienna I painted over the blue sky colour on the paper and put in the dead grasses of the lawn.

Adding some Antwerp blue to the colour used for the distant hills, the shadows from the trees were put into the foreground.














For the tree trunk I mixed a dark colour using French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson and painted in the tree trunks, main branches and many of the smaller branches.

By the time all the smaller branches were painted the background maples were pretty well covered over and I decided not to paint them as I felt they would distract from the weeping willows.

Mixing Antwerp blue and new gamboge I put in the green leaves on the willow trees which would be in shadow.














Adding cadmium yellow to the mix the rest of the leaves were added and lastly with pure cadmium yellow a few of the leaves that were high lit were added into a few areas.

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 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Glasses

Today is the last day of the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group exhibit and I am sitting the show.

While I was there I found a pair of sun glasses and a pair of wire rimmed spectacles that had been left on the front desk.






Since I knew the person they belonged to I phoned them to let them know where they were and while I waited for them to come in I did these little sketches.

I would like to thank new collector Mr. Martin Parker of Peterborough, Ont. on his section of Evening Arrival (see posting on 03 August 2011).

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Four Ships

It is a bright and sunny day, but cold outside and the wind has finally stopped blowing.












Engage I

The movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was on television again and I wanted to do more sketches of the ships as I did earlier this year.














At Anchor I

It is a good exercise that I often do with landscape drawings, as you have seconds to observe what is interesting and you put down on paper what you remember.













First Battle I

Later the sketch may be developed into either a drawing or a painting when I have time.














Derelict I

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Pine and Cedar Trees

Winter seems to have arrived and the snow remains on the ground; with our high for the day to be 32F (0C).

Today was the third class in "Basic Watercolour" I was teaching at KAGS and the class was learning different ways to paint leaves and needles on trees using a sponge instead of painting them in with a brush.

Using any colour left in their palette they lightly painted in a trunk and branches for a pine tree. Then using a sponge dipped into the paint they carefully added the needles onto the branches.

With a brush they darkened in the tree trunk using broken lines to give it texture.

The next tree they worked on was a cedar. For this they lightly indicated the oval shape with a pencil and using the sponge filled in the area being careful to leave lots of space between the clumps of needles.

This original 4' x 6" watercolour painting is available for $30.00 and is sold unframed.

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

Monday, November 18, 2013

Candies

Today I woke up to high winds and a mix of rain and snow, together with the knowledge it would be a very busy day, starting with a meeting at KAGS in the morning and from there taking my paintings to Lindsay for the Christmas show.

While I was there I picked up my canvas for the Canvas Confidential fund raiser for the Lindsay Gallery.










On my way home I ran a few errands and while in the grocery store I picked up an assortment of candies.

After supper I threw a handful of the candies onto the coffee table and did a few quick sketches of them. In the future I may work them up into small paintings.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Happy Hippo 1

Today was warm and overcast day which made it a good day to work outside.

We started in the morning after breakfast by planting acorns along the fence line on the north side of the farm. I am hopeful that they will grow even though they will take a long time to become mature.

After lunch we spent most of the afternoon parging the foundation in the centre barn while it was still warm enough for the cement to cure. We won't get many more days like today before the cold weather and snow arrive.

When it started getting dark, I left Ron to finish the last of the parging and do the evening chores in the barn while I went to the house to get started on cooking supper.

While I was waiting for the meal to cook I did this drawing of a knitted hippopotamus stuffed toy which I thought was cute.

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

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Final Day of Still Life and Objects Show



Today I sat the last shift for the Still Life and Objects Show at Art on Kent in Lindsay, Ontario.



It was a lovely show with many wonderful paintings by the members of the Gallery.



I was kept fairly busy with members bringing their art work for the upcoming Christmas show called Affordableism which will open next week.












Hopefully you will be able to come out and see the new show.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Beached 1

Today I wanted to sketch and while I was watching a program on television, one of the commercials showed a beach scene from the Caribbean and I did this little sketch.














It reminds me of Aruba with the rock cliffs and I thought the boat on the beach made an interesting drawing.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Tea Cup 1

Today I was at the last half of the Still Life class at KAGS, where the theme was Coffee or Tea?

There were many wonderful things to draw but I knew that I wouldn't have time to do the sterling silver tea service.

I decided that I would do one of the China tea cups that were scattered throughout the display.

This one had a gold leaf rim with a touch of gold on the handle and featured a rose design on each half of the cup.

I may do a series of tea cups in the future, which should be interesting considering the many styles and patterns.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Mystical 1

Yesterday I taught the second class in "Basic Watercolour" at KAGS.

Last week the class learned about the various greys they could make using French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

For the first piece we used only two colours, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna.

The background was painted in using more blue to burnt sienna which gave a green grey.

The mixture was darkened slightly and the water reflections were put into the bottom area of the water to reflect the rocks and trees.

Adding more burnt sienna to the mixture the pine trees and rocks were indicated.

This original 4" x 6" watercolour painting is available for $40.00 and is sold unframed.

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

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Salem Cemetery

Today was a busy day with painting with two groups.

In the morning I worked on finishing the drawing of the cemetery with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group until noon and then went to KAGS to teach a class in basic watercolour painting.













Salem Cemetery is an original 6-1/2" x 9" graphite pencil drawing and when framed will be available for $145.00. 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Long Lake VIII - Ghosts I

I wanted to finish this sketch that I did earlier this year while canoeing on Long Lake (see post on 14 September 2013).

What attracted me to this scene was the pale grey bleached "ghosts" of what were once healthy trees scattered among pink granite rocks, with the only living thing remaining on the island being a few small bushes and growies.














This original 5-1/2" x 9” pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $50.00.

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

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Cloudy Sky 5

It is a wet and rainy day and this afternoon I have to go to the AGM at KAGS.














While on the way there the rain stopped and I pulled over to do this quick sketch of the clouds above the rain soaked landscape.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

OSWOA - Afternoon Sky 3

I had started this painting earlier this year (see post on 28 January 2013) and had just put in the sky and the water.

I thought it would be nice as an early summer afternoon with the fishermen out in their boat trying to catch supper.















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.

Friday, November 8, 2013

ACEO - Pottery 2

I started three small paintings at KAGS during a Still Life class (see posting on 24 October 2013).

The first is a painting of a piece of Blue Mountain pottery shaped like a fawn laying down. The lights shining down on the piece were reflected back off the shiny surface creating interesting patterns.














I will post the other two paintings as they are completed.

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.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Roses in Vase 1

Today while out shopping they had a vendor outside the grocery store selling roses to raise funds for one of the local hockey teams and I bought half a dozen.

When I returned home I put them in a vase and set it in the middle of the kitchen table where I could enjoy them while having my meals.

As I was walking by the table, the sunlight coming through the window created a beautiful image that I wanted to capture.

I decided to place the vase to one side of the paper to create interest rather than in the centre of the paper.

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

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Listening

My Inky kitty has been AWOL for the last 4 days, but she sometimes she does disappear for a week at a time, so I hope she returns soon.

I worked on finishing this 3" x 4" graphite pencil sketch of a Standardbred called Try Me Now for Mr. Leon Stephens of Toronto, Ontario.

Now I am off to the Executive Meeting at KAGS.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Blowing Snow 1

Today I taught the first of four Tuesday afternoon watercolour classes at KAGS. It was called "Basic Painting".

 I wanted my students to learn how mixing one or two colours together could give a wide variety of different colours that would create a different feel to the painting even though they are similar.

Rather than having them be intimidated by having to work on a large blank piece of paper I asked them to work on nothing larger than and 8" x 10" piece of watercolour paper. That way each student would be able to complete at least one painting during the class and would have others to work on at home.

The easiest thing for a class of beginners to work on is a snow scene in a limited palette. For this painting we used French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna.

We wet the paper first and then using pure French ultramarine blue brushed in the sky leaving some areas of white for the clouds and worked down into the snow covered ground to put in the shadows with the blue leaving the rest of the snow white.

Adding a little raw sienna to the blue to make a green, we painted in the distant trees on the far side of the open field. To create the illusion of blowing snow we lifted a few streaks in front of the trees with water.













With the light green mixture we marked in the main tree trunks and branches on the closer tress and added the first layer of pine needles.

Next we added a little more raw sienna and a touch of burnt sienna to darken the mixture and painted in the darker closer pine needles onto the foreground trees. A few dead tree trunks were placed among the live trees as well as some bare branches.

Using pure raw sienna a few grasses were painted into the snow at the base of the pine trees and into a few areas on the foreground snow. Then a little burnt sienna was put in among the yellow grasses in a few places and the painting was completed.

We worked on three other combinations of the same three colours and I will post them at a later date.

This original 4" x 6" watercolour painting is available for $30.00 unframed.

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

Monday, November 4, 2013

Winter Building II

I have a new cat in my barn. It is a very large ginger coloured tom cat that has set himself on the front seat of the demolition derby car that is being worked on in the upper mow.

He is extremely wild at the moment, but I know I will eventually gain his trust.














Today I worked on this sketch of an old building in the winter.

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

Sunday, November 3, 2013

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 November.

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

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Winter Building I

Today has been a fairly busy day for me; in the morning I worked on finishing the sketch of an old farm building in the winter with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group until noon.












From there I went to the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio to teach a class in basic watercolour painting.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Confirmed Shows for 2013 and 2014 - November

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 Arts Department - Art On Kent, Lindsay, Ont.
TAD
17 Oct - 16 Nov 13 Still Life and Objects
Opening Reception 18 Oct from 6-7:30pm.
21 Nov 13 - 11 Jan 14 Affordableism
Opening Reception 22 Nov 13 from 6-7:30pm.
19 Jan - 06 Feb 14 Abstracting from Life
Opening Reception 20 Jan 14 from 1-4pm.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
03-21 Nov 13 Outdoor Painters' Group Show
Opening Reception 03 Nov 13 from 1-4pm.
08-22 Dec 13 & 04-16 Jan 14 Winter Delight
Opening Reception 08 Dec 13 from 1-4pm.
19 Jan - 06 Feb 14 Abstracting from Life
Opening Reception 19 Jan 14 from 1-4pm.
06 Apr - 01 May 14 Renewal
Opening Reception 06 Apr 14 from 1-4pm.
08 Jun - 03 Jul 14 Summer Sizzle
Opening Reception 08 Jun from 1-4pm.
10 Aug - 04 Sep 14 Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 10 Aug 14 from 1-4pm.
21 Sep - 16 Oct 14 Carnival of Colour
Opening Reception 21 Sep 14 from 1-4pm.
02-20 Nov 14 Outdoor Painters' Show
Opening Reception 02 Nov 14 from 1-4pm.

The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, Ont.
LindsayGallery
19 Nov - 20 Dec Annual Christmas Show
Opening Reception 21 Nov from 7-8:30pm.

Norwood Legion Hall – Branch 300, Corner of Alma and King Street, Norwood, Ont.
Norfest
16-17 Mar Norfest - The Spring Arts Festival