Cottage Reflections

It won't be long before the locks are open again and there will be more boat traffic on the lakes and rivers as the cottagers come up to open their cottages and spend the weekends until the summer when many stay until they close their cottages in September.












I started this painting yesterday when I was with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group in the morning before I had to go to KAGS to teach my watercolour class in the afternoon. It is of the cottages on Buckhorn Lake behind the lock.

I made the painting as it would look in the summer, rather than show the trees that are barely starting to have leaves on their branches.

This framed original 7" x 13" watercolour is available for $185.00.

Long Hair on Cat

Today I taught my last watercolour class at KAGS for this year. My students wanted to do hair texture and chose as the subject a long haired cat and wanted it to be ginger coloured.

It seems appropriate to be painting a ginger cat today since this morning was the first time that I was able to touch the wild ginger tom cat that has been in my barn since November of last year. He is still extremely wild but with time he may stop being afraid.















This is as far as I was able to take the class with this painting in the three hour lesson.

Thank you to Mrs. June Wismer of Peterborough, Ontario wanted the painting for reference material and it is now in her collection.

Undisturbed Beauty

Nothing like waking up on a spring day to find a hard frost on the ground the the temperature at 26F (-3C) and by late afternoon it is a wonderful 60F (15.5C).

It is fitting that I work on a winter scene this morning.

This is a scene on the infield at the north east corner of the track beside the house on a bright clear winter day. I see it often when I am out walking, provided of course that the show isn't too deep.














This 7" x 9" original, framed watercolour is available for $225.00.

After the Executive meeting at KAGS it was great to be able to get outside and work in my garden for a while.

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

Winter Snow 1

Today I am sitting the Buckhorn Artists' Group show at KAGS.

While I was there I worked on a drawing of a farm house on a hill. Since it was in the distance I didn't need to put in a lot of detail.

In the foreground I put in a fence line along the crest of the hill to divide the fields.














To balance the drawing I did a couple of large pines to on the right side behind the fence.

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

I hope you will return often to see the postings.

Kind Eye

Today started off below freezing again 30F (-1C) and even though it was overcast most of the day we were fortunate that we had rain instead of snow, because our high was 38F (3C).

I was getting a number of things finished around the house but I also wanted to do some art today.













I started doodling and the finished drawing ended up being the eye of a horse.

This original 3" x 4" graphite pencil drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $20.00.

Self and Others Show

Today I took my three paintings What? (see posts on 25 February and 04 April 2014),  Winter Trail I (see posts on 07 and 10 March 2014) and Winter Creek I (see posts on 17 and 24 March 2014) for the Canvas Confidential Fund Raiser to The Lindsay Gallery.

Afterward I stopped at Art on Kent to see the new show Self and Others where I have three of my paintings with figures on display.

From there I returned home in time to start the evening barn chores.

Acrylic Medium Trio 1

Another cold start to the morning with the temperature below the freezing 30F (-1C) when I set off to go to KAGS for the still life class in the morning and to paint with the Outdoor Painters' Group in the afternoon.

Our theme for the still life class was art supplies.

I chose to do the three containers of acrylic art medium.

The one on the left was airbrush medium, the next one was acrylic glass varnish, and the small container on the right was regular matte gel.

Before I could work on other drawings of pieces in the display I was interrupted to do my duty as Treasurer and sign some cheques.

In the afternoon with the Outdoor Painters' Group I worked on a number of drawings, but didn't get any of them finished.

By the time I was on my way home the temperature rose to a nice 52F (11C).

OSWOA - Night Sky 3

I came across this small painting I started last year (see post on 29 January 2013) and it looks very similar to one I had started in a class at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio with Emil Varga last month (see post on 11 March 2014) so I will experiment with this one so see where I would like to place the foreground islands for the larger one.

Using a mix of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I painted in an island to the right side of the painting and using the same colour put the land reflections below it in the water.














With a lighter mixture of the same colour I painted in the distant shore line.

For the foreground water I added some ripples into the water with a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

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 Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Morning Sky 5

Today while teaching my basic watercolour class at KAGS one of my students brought in a box of watercolour crayons and asked me how to use them when creating a painting.

This is a quick sketch of trees against a morning sky and was done in less than 5 minutes using the watercolour crayons.

Using a blue and a pink the sky was scrubbed in lightly leaving a lot of white paper and using water the colour was blended together for a soft background.

Using a medium green the pine needles were indicated and water was used to soften the edges but not as much as for the sky.

Next a lighter green was used for some lighter needles and for the grass at the bottom of the trees.

Lastly a yellow was added to the grasses and a small amount of water was used to blend it slightly.

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.

Flying By I

Today was a warm and wonderful spring day with the temperature making it up to 65F (18C).

It was so nice to be able to go out and work in my garden again today. The spring flowers are starting to come up and the grass has turned green. Soon I will have to start mowing the lawn.














It made me think of some of my vacations in Cuba so I pulled out this drawing of the beach in Veradero that I started earlier this year (see post on 11 January 2014).

I added a herring gull and clouds into the sky; next I added a high point of land in the distance and lastly added a woman into the ocean watching the sailboat on the horizon.

This original 9" x 12" pen and ink drawing when framed will be available for $165.00.

Approaching Storm 1

Even though it was overcast for most of the day, we didn't get the rain they were calling for in the afternoon; and the temperature rose to 54F (12C).

While I was on the porch I did this quick sketch of the storm clouds and added a few of the pines from my front fence line and decided instead of putting the driveway in the drawing I would turn it into a lake and added in a distant island on the horizon line.

I gathered together my gardening tools and went outside to get a start on getting rid of some of the weeds.

Hopefully, this is going to be the first of many more days where I can get a little work done in my garden.

Thawing

Considering the day started off with the windows on my car being coated in frost due to the 22F (-5.5C) temperature, but the bright and sunny day ended up having a high of 49F (9C). Perhaps spring is finally going to arrive.

This painting had been started a few years ago and set aside until I decided what it needed to be considered a finished piece.

Using a mixture of burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue I added a number of larger deciduous tree trunks along the shoreline.















This was followed by adding the reflections of the tree trunks into the open water.

Once this original 11" x 15" watercolour painting is framed it will be available for $185.00. SOLD

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

Birch Trio 3 and 4

Today as I was on my way home I decided to stop by the Peterborough Riverview Park and Zoo and go down to the lower level of the Park by the Otonabee River.

There is a small island you can get to by crossing over a wooden bridge and while I was there I did these little drawings of two groupings of birch trees.

At a later date I may add some colour to the drawings, but for now I am pleased with the sketches.





Birch Trio 3




















Birch Trio 4

Long Lake XI and XII - Two Works in Progress

Today I was going through some photographs that I had taken last year on the two occasions that we went out on Long Lake (see posts on 15 June and 14 September 2013).

One of the things I enjoy seeing are the magnificent rock faces of pink granite which surround some of the inlets on the lake and the rocky islands that are scattered throughout the lake.














Long Lake XI

I started working on a couple of the sketches with pen and ink. The first one of was of a rock face with a few pines that had taken root at the top of the rocks.














Long Lake XII

The second was of a small island with a weathered pine tree surrounded by dead trees.

Each of these original 5-1/2" x 9” pen and ink drawings when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $40.00.

Autumn Shadows

It is another cold day with the temperature at 15F (-9C) but at least the sun is shining and there is no new snow falling, although the snow we had yesterday remains.

I thought I would like to finish this painting that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 27 May 2010).

I mixed different browns and greys and pinks using mixtures of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and alizarin crimson.

Next I painted the rocks on the left side of the painting making sure to leave some areas of white on the rocks for highlights and adding shape and shadows onto their surface.













Mixing greens using Antwerp blue, raw sienna and aureolin I added a few more areas of shadow across the grass, this was followed by using a darker green and putting some individual grasses and growies at the base of the rocks in the pasture.

I used this darker green mixture into the water near the shoreline.

Lastly, I added a few dark lines at the edge of the water where it meets the land and at the base of the rocks.

This original 7" x 11-1/2” watercolour painting will be available when framed for $235.00.

Setting Sun 2

Well, the temperatures have dropped yet again, to 26F (-3C) and it is snowing, so much for my plans of working in my garden.

I thought I would do a drawing of the sun setting behind a stand of trees that grow along my fence line.















I added in some of the hills on the far side of the road to complete the drawing.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Barn V

I sat on the porch and enjoyed last night's thunderstorms. The first one went on for over an hour and was often overhead and then the rain continued for a couple more hours before the second thunderstorm arrived. It was even more spectacular than the first one.

We are off to a good start this morning with the temperature at 56F (13C) and rising. I will take the welcome warmth even if rain is falling. However, I can already forecast that the summer is going to be unseasonably hot. There is no sense to complain, we will just have to take it as it comes.

Today I went to paint with the Lakefield Creative Art Guild at St. John the Baptiste Anglican Church.











I brought along a number of sketches of barns that I had started last year (see post on 25 September 2013). I decided on this one and began by fixing the barn roof, adding some windows on the long side of the building, adding doors onto the front of the building.

Next I added a fence line from the barn and along the roadway and another at the back of the pasture in front of the tree line. I added more details to the tree in the foreground.

This original 4-1/4" x 9” graphite pencil drawing will be available when matted and shrink wrapped for $40.00.

Peterborough Garden Show

Today was the last day of the Peterborough Garden Show held at the Evinrude Centre, in Peterborough, Ontario.

The show was well attended and many people headed to KAGS to see more floral paintings at the current art show "Renewal".

OSWOA - Bird's Nest 1

This was another of the items found in the display for the Still Life class at KAGS earlier this week. The bird's nest was an interesting piece which I omitted from the larger painting.













I worked on this little painting as well as one with a dressed up Easter bunny  while waiting for the background and foreground washes to dry so I could continue to paint on the larger piece.

I wanted to get the smaller pieces from that class completed and succeeded with this one and also did a little more work on the other one which I will also post as it is completed.













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 paintings 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 - Watering Can 1

Today was the opening of the Peterborough Garden Show held at The Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough Ontario, it runs from today through to 13 April 2014.

As usual for this show, I sat the last shift of the first day and one of the other KAGS members that had the earlier shift bought a lovely floral planter as a gift for her mother-in-law.

Since I demonstrated while I was there I decided to paint the lovely little watering can with the spring flowers in it. I used one of the cards that I had already painted in a background (see posting 16 October 2012 of Yellow Sky C).

I didn't have time to finish it while I was there as I had to stop often to talk with people about the display; so when I got home I completed the painting.

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

Spice Jar 2

Finally, we are having a beautiful, warm and sunny day. The temperature made it up to 61F (16.1C) and pretty much all of the snow has disappeared, except for in a few places along the fence line where the snow was exceedingly deep.

Today the theme for the Still Life class at KAGS was cooking and baking.

I thought I would do a drawing of one of the jars of seasonings that were set in among the cooking items.

In the future I may do a few more drawings of different kinds of spice jars since they come in such a wide variety of shapes, sizes and materials.

Now it is time for me to go and help with hanging the art exhibit for the Peterborough Garden Show at the Evinrude Centre.

I hope you will return often to see the postings.

Fire Cracker

I would like to thank Mr. Robert Johnston for commissioning me to do a graphite pencil drawing of his draft horse Fire Cracker.

He was a wonderful horse to work with and stood quietly while I blocked in the sketch.

It took less than three hours to complete the drawing, mainly because he simply munched on his hay and allowed me to move his head without any fuss to capture the details.

Four Seasons

Today I am painting with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group at St. Matthews Church.

I couldn't get into painting so I decided I would sketch different things I could see outside that were around the church.














Spring 2

Looking out the south window I could see the trees by the lock starting to show their spring colours.














Summer 2

Out the back door there were three large trees, two oaks and a maple, which I put them into full summer foliage.














Autumn 2

From the front door there were two large oaks in the front lawn and you could see the waters of Buckhorn Lake all that was needed was to add a few autumn leaves.















Winter 2

Lastly, I looked across the street from the bottom of the ramp at the back of the church. With the birch trees on one lawn and a large pine on the next lawn and I changed the houses into trees in the background, which would be ideal for winter.

Skimming the Waves 1

Spring is definitely here now and this morning I was overjoyed by the arrival of my pair of North American Kestrels (Falco sparverius).

They have returned once again to their nesting box under the eaves of the house just outside my bedroom window. I look forward to watching them and their young until they have to leave and head south for the winter in the fall.








With the arrival of my kestrels I thought I would like to work on a drawing of a bird in flight and I chose this piece that I had started last year (see post on 22 September 2013).

It didn't take very long for me to ink in this small 2-1/2" x 9” drawing of a gull flying close to the waves. Once it has been matted and shrink wrapped it will be available for $30.00.

What?

This is a painting I stated with Gail Hawkins a couple of months ago (see posting on 25 February 14).

I enjoyed working on this piece and I think I may do a few more pictures of cattle in the future.














This is the third of three paintings that will be donated to the Canvas Confidential fund raiser for The Lindsay Gallery.

Paint It Big! Show at Art on Kent

Today was the last day of the Paint It Big! Show at Art on Kent in Lindsay, Ontario. I sat the afternoon shift of the day and took in my paintings for the upcoming show Self and Others which opens next Saturday.














At the same time I also brought in my paintings for the Exchange Show with Gallery in the Attic which is here in Peterborough, Ontario and the opening for that show will be on the evening of 09 May 2014.

Evening Quiet

Junkyard is finally starting to show a little more trust and starts meowing when he hears or sees me coming to the barn and comes downstairs and waits for this food. But he still retreats quickly, although not very far away; if I go to touch him. His paw is still swollen, but he seems in good health.

So far he has not entered any of the live traps I have set out for him so I can take him to the vet to have it treated.

















I came across this painting that I had started with a number of others of the same scene; an open gate leading into a snow covered field. I did a series of them at various times of day.

This painting only needed the shadows from the trees and the track leading through the gate to be completed.

This original 6-1/4" x 7-1/4" framed watercolour is available for $165.00.

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

A Flash of Red

Even though spring supposedly arrived last month, winter is still holding on tightly with its cold and icy grip. What better than to paint a snow scene of another winter sport? In this case ice skating.

In rural Canada whenever the ice freezes over on the lakes, ponds or rivers and becomes thick enough to carry weight it is time to shovel out a clear space and put up the nets for a game of shinny hockey, figure skate or simply go skating alone or with a group.













I decided to paint a young girl out practicing on a frozen river who perhaps has dreams of becoming an Olympic medalist and stand on the podium representing her country; like Barbara Ann Scott gold 1948, Petra Burka bronze 1964, Karen Magnussen silver 1972, Elizabeth Manley silver 1988 and Joannie Rochette bronze 2010.

Who knows; perhaps one day her dreams may become a reality.

This original framed 9-3/4" x 15" watercolour is available for $295.00.

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 April.

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

Confirmed Shows for 2014 - April

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 Arts Network - Art On Kent, Lindsay, Ont.
KAN
13 Mar 14 - 05 Apr 14 Paint It Big!
Opening Reception 15 Mar 14 from 1-3pm.
10 Apr 14 - 03 May 14 Self and Others
Opening Reception 12 Apr 14 from 1-3pm.
08 May 14 - 05 Jun 14 Exhibit Exchange with Gallery in the Attic
Opening Reception 09 May 14 Evening - Times to be Announced
03 Jul 14 -02 Aug 14 Member's Show
Opening Reception 05 Jul 14 from 1-3pm.
04-27 Sep 14 Reaping and Gathering
Opening Reception 06 Sep 14 from 1-3pm.
02-25 Oct 14 Water, Water Everywhere
Opening Reception 04 Oct 14 from 1-3pm.
30 Oct 14 - 22 Nov 14 Abstraction and Contraptions
Opening Reception 01 Nov 14 from 1-3pm.
27 Nov - 10 Jan 15 Affordableism
Opening Reception 29 Nov 14 from 1-3p

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
23 Mar - 03 Apr 14 Buckhorn Artists' Group
Opening Reception 23 Mar 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.

St Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont
BuckhornArtistsGroup
23 Mar - 03 Apr 14 Show at KAGS Buckhorn Artists' Group
Opening Reception 23 Mar 14 from 1-4pm.
17-19 May 26th Annual Among Friends Art Show
09-17 Aug 24th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

The Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough Ont.
11-13 Apr Peterborough Garden Show

The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, Ont.
LindsayGallery
01 May 14 Canvas Confidential

MacKelvie Gallery, Keene, Ontario
PioneerVillage
29 May - 26 Jun Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Keene, Ont.

Fenelon Falls Fair Grounds, Fenelon Falls, Ont.
KawarthaArtsFestival
30-31 Aug 14 Kawartha Arts Festival