Winter Solo I - A Work in Progress

I thought I would like to work on an 8" x 10" painting for the Small Treasures exhibition in March.

I started by under painting the panel with raw sienna and then using Grumbacher (naphthol) red I blocked in the main tree, indicated the far treeline, the land on the far side of the lake and the base of the foreground rock.

Earlier this month we had an interesting sunset with an almost horizontal line of clouds above and below the setting sun that I decided to put into this painting.

I started the clouds with cerulean blue and Grumbacher red with a little titanium white above and below the sun.

Adding more blue to the cloud colour I put in the distant trees.

I put in the sun and the sky colours in between the clouds with various mixtures of cadmium yellow deep, the red and a little bit of white.

Using white with a touch of blue I put in the snow covered land, followed by a little of the sky colour on a few areas of the snow.

Next I put in the under paint for the foreground rock with burnt sienna, the blue and the red.

I will post this painting at a later date as more work on it is completed.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Winter Lakes - Two Works in Progress

Since it is 12F (-11C) and it is snowing what better to paint than a couple of snow scenes.

I came across these two pieces that I had started a few years ago (see posts on 24 November 2013 and 29 November 2015).

For the first one I thought I would use Antwerp blue for the sky and the ice covered lake.















Frozen Lake 2

I added burnt sienna to the blue and painted in the trees on the far side of the lake and set it aside to dry.

For the next painting I used French ultramarine blue for the sky and the shadows on the snow covered lake.















Cold and Calm 1

I used burnt sienna and the blue and painted in the rocks in the foreground and on the far shore.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date once I have put in the pine trees.

ACEO - Winter Evening 1

It was on the chilly side this morning, with the temperature at -13F (-25C) and the wind chill making it feel like -27F (-33C). The snow under my feet made that crackling sound with each step I took on my way to do the barn chores.

The nice thing is that it is supposed to warm up this afternoon to a high of 1F (-17C) with the wind chill at -13F (-25C).

Once I warmed up after having breakfast and a second cup of tea, I pulled out this little painting that I had started earlier this year (see posts on 11 January and 08 February 2017).

I started by using various greens using mixtures of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and new gamboge, beginning with the trees on the distant horizon.

On the slightly closer trees I darkened the greens on the pine needles and for the closest trees I darkened the colour a little more and put in a single dead tree trunk using a light green with a small amount of burnt sienna.















Using French ultramarine blue with a small amount of burnt sienna and a lot of water I washed in the shadows across the snow.

Lastly, I used various mixes of raw sienna, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I put in the grasses and growies at the base of the pine trees, and a few areas where they came out through the snow

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

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. Fabriano 100% cotton, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Riverview Pines and Horses I - A Work in Progress

Today was a little on the cool side with the high being 7F (-13.9C) and the wind chill making it feel like -17F (-27.2C).

I pulled out this sketch that I did while we were bringing in hay during the summer (see post on 06 August 2017).

I wanted to do a little more work on this drawing and thought I would start on the foreground and put in some grasses and growies.

I will get my photos of their horses for reference.

I will post this drawing at a later date as more work on the horses are completed.

Young Pine Tree I - A Work in Progress

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Being in the warm house looking out the window across the front field it looks like we are having a wonderful, white Christmas with 6" (15.2cm) of snow covering the ground with a white blanket. From here you won't feel the cold 23F (-5C) weather with the wind chill making it feel like 6F (-14.4C).

While I sat at the kitchen table enjoying the view I saw one of the young pine trees that are growing along the north fence line and I decided to do this graphite pencil sketch of this snow covered Christmas tree.

I may add more detail at a later date and work it up into a pen and ink drawing, but now I have to get ready to go out to the family Christmas.

Pink Sky 7 - A Work in Progress

It is Christmas eve and I thought I would work on this little painting, which I started last year (see post on 26 December 2016).

Using a pencil, I lightly drew in the outline of the rock face in the foreground that would be touched by the sunlight and be lighter in colour.

This was followed by indicating the shoreline on the land in the background.

Next I indicated the tree trunks and the main branches of a couple of pine trees on the rock face.

Using a pale mix of Antwerp blue and raw sienna I painted in the trees on the far shore leaving the paper above the horizon line untouched.

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

Along the Shore 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

This morning I woke up 19F (-7C), with the wind chill making it feel like 8F (-13C) and add to that another 3" (7.6cm) of snow on top of everything we had received a couple of days ago.

To offset the cold I decided to work on these three paintings that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 16 September 2013, 27 August 2016 and 16 January 2017).

Working on all three paintings at the same time, I started by putting the seagulls into the sky using a dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.















Along the Shore 1

Next I put in the blue of the water using various mixtures of Antwerp blue and raw sienna, leaving some areas of the paper white against the shoreline.

I added a small amount of French ultramarine blue to the water colour and added a few darker areas throughout the water to indicate waves.















Along the Shore 2

Using various mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, raw sienna, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I started adding layers of colour onto the distant islands on the horizon line.

Darkening the colours slightly I put in the closer islands.















Along the Shore 3

Lastly, I worked on the closer more detailed rock cliffs close to the beach.

I will post each of these paintings as they are completed.

Winter Buildings II - A Work in Progress

Today I wanted to do some work on this drawing that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 04 November 2013).

I started working on the wind bent pine tree on the left side of the building and thickened the tree trunk, added a few more branches and some pine needles.

I found this building interesting in that the roof on the one side of the building extended further out and was lower than the back part of the building. 

The roof also, had a dip almost in the middle with both peaks higher on the ends.

The back part of the building was set back from the front part and it extended further out on the far side which, unless you walked around the building you wouldn't know.

I worked on the back part of the building and added the dip in the back part of the roof near the peak.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have completed more of the building.

New Toys at Work

Ron finished fixing my newest toys, put them all back together and took them out today for a "test drive".















He started at the back of the house and cleared a path for me to get to the bird feeders making it easier for me to fill them without the risk of falling.















From there he cleared the way to the bird feeders at the front of the house and to the porch door.















He finished by clearing the snow on the way to the back of the barn to the far door leading to the hay mow, which makes my life a lot easier.

ACEO - Early Morning 1

Today we are supposed to have a high of 23F (-5C) and with the wind chill it will feel like 16F (-9C) which is a lot warmer than yesterday when I had no heat for most of the day.

We did however, have a beautiful sunrise and I thought I would finish this painting that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 11 February 2013 and 22 July 2016), by adding some of the sky colours which were reflected onto the snow.

Next I painted in the tree trunks and fence rails with various mixes of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.















Lastly, I added in some of the grasses and growies at the base of the trees and some of the ones poking out of the snow.

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.

Countryside Art Group Blog - Show Updates

On the first of each month I will update the Countryside Art Group's blog with a listing of shows where the various artists in the Group are exhibiting their work.

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

Sharing the Sky I - A Work in Progress

Today I wanted to do a little more on this sketch that I started in Cuba (see post on 23 May 2016).

Using pen and ink I started with the clouds putting in the outline first and then adding in some shadows.

Next, I put in the horizon line, followed by adding the islands and hills.

From there I put in the palm trees, life guard hut, and the pier.















I then started in on the water and put in the waves and white caps as well as the ripples from the waves washing onto the beach.

The kite boarder was added onto the water. I then erased the hut that had been on the end of the pier as I felt it made things too "busy" and fought for dominance with the kite boarder.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have added a few more kite boarders and some of the seagulls which are sharing the sky with them.

Winter Island and Open Water 1 – Two Works in Progress

Today I wanted to paint a couple of small winter scenes on boards and I thought I would work back and forth on both pieces at the same time.

For the first one I painted in the sky using titanium white and ultramarine blue. I then added a small amount of alizarin crimson to the sky colour and painted in an area of open water.












Winter Island

Next using burnt sienna, raw sienna and white I painted in some trees on the horizon.

Adding ultramarine blue to the background tree colour I put in darker closer trees near the horizon line before setting it aside to work on the second painting.











Open Water 1

Using the same colour for the water as in the first painting, I painted in areas of open water on the second painting.

At this point I wasn't quite sure how I would progress with either of these pieces. But I found four small wooden frames and I make cut them down to fit the frames.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date once I decide what direction I wish to go with them in the future.

Dusk 5 and 6 - Two Works in Progress

I didn't have a lot of time today to work on my art before having to go out and run errands, so I pulled out a couple of watercolour backgrounds that I started earlier this year (see post on 08 March 2017).

I thought that I would sketch in the land areas, the lakes and the some of the larger trees, so when I come back to this painting I can get it completed.

Dusk 5

On the first one I put in the horizon line and thee trees on the far shore.

With the light coloured area on the right hand side, I decided to use that as rocks and added three pine trees on top.

For the next background I decided to turn it upside down and use the lighter area at the bottom for a base to put in a few large pine trees.

Next I added a few trees into the middle ground area between the trees.

Dusk 6

I will post each of these paintings at a later date once they have been completed.

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

Poster for the Waterfall Painting Class

I just had the poster made for the class I am teaching at The Point - the Young's Point Diner and Pizzeria, at 403 South Beach Rd., Lakefield, Ontario on 17 January 2018.

If you are interested in taking this class, please contact Janice Costa at The Point.

Toys and Gift Wrapping - Three Works in Progress

Today I was in the Still Life class at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio in the morning and sitting the Gallery in the afternoon.

There were a wide variety of things to paint and I decided to do three small sections of the display.














Don't Drink and Drive 1

The first was of a bottle of wine, a small snowman, a teddy bear and a couple of toy cars with a gold ribbon running between them.














Gift Wrap 1

The second was of various gift boxes and bags with a roll of gold ribbon.















Santa's Bag 1

The third on was of Santa's bag filled with toys and wrapped gifts.

As more work is completed on each of the three paintings, I will post them at a later date.

Hung Up to Dry - A Work in Progress

This is a larger version of one of the sketches I did last month in the Still Life class at KAGS.

It was of a teddy bear on a clothes line with its arm tangled in the shoulder strap of a corset.

I thought it would make an interesting painting and will probably get a chuckle out of many people who see it, as it certainly caused a lot of laughter in the class.

I will post this piece at a later date once I have completed the outline drawing.

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.

ACEO - Caribbean Shore 1

It is fairly mild here 39F (4C) with the wind chill at 28F (-2C), fairly "balmy" weather for a December day, which is why I pulled out this painting that I had started a couple of years ago (see posts on 08 April 2015 and 27 August 2016).

Using greens made from various mixtures of  Antwerp blue, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue, new gamboge and raw sienna I started by putting in the trees on the distant land on the left side of the painting first.

I followed this by putting in the palm trees on the right side of the beach, followed by adding the closest palm trees on the left side of the beach.














I added a few strands of seaweed onto the sand of the beach just above the waterline.

Finally, using a dark of burnt sienna and the darker green mix I painted in the coconuts among the palm fronds on the two closer trees, then lightened the colour with water I put in the tree trunks on the closer trees and on the tree trunks at the far end of the beach.

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. Fabriano 100% cotton, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Confirmed Shows for 2017-2018 - December

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.

Extendicare, 860 Alexander Court, Peterborough, Ont.
30 Oct 17 - 01 Jan 18

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
29 Nov - 22 Dec 17 and 03-21 Jan 18 The Winter Show
Opening Reception 03 Dec 17 from 1-4p.m.
24 Jan - 04 Mar 18 Beauty of Stillness
Opening Reception 28 Jan 18 from 1-4p.m.
07-25 Mar 18 Small Treasures
Opening Reception 11 Mar 18 from 1-4p.m.
Draw 25 Mar 18 from 1-4p.m.
28 Mar - 03 May 18 SPARK Photography Show
Opening Reception 08 Apr 18 from 1-4p.m.
20 Jun - 15 Jul 18 Interactions
Opening Reception 24 Jun 18 from 1-4p.m.
08 Aug -09 Sep 18 Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 12 Aug 18 from 1-4p.m.
26 Sep -21 Oct 18 Driven to Abstracrion
Opening Reception 30 Sep 18 from 1-4p.m.
24 Oct - 11 Nov 18 Outdoor Painters' Show- Nature's Splendour
Opening Reception 28 Oct 18 from 1-4p.m.
28 Nov - 21 Dec 18 and 03-20 Jan 19 On the Move - A History of Transportation
Opening Reception 03 Dec 18 from 1-4p.m.

Academy Theatre, 2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, Ontario
Guild Room
29 Nov 17 - 03 Feb 18

The Douro-Dummer Library Art Gallery, 425 Douro Fourth Line Road, Hamlet of Douro, Ont.
04 May - 04 Ju1 18 Countryside Art Group
Opening Reception 11 May 18 from 7-8p.m.

Please come out and enjoy the artwork displayed at these shows.

Hung Out to Dry 1-4

Today I spent the day at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.

In the morning I took the Still life class where the theme was Wash Day - Things Hung Out to Dry.

A clothesline was strung from the support beams in the ceiling and it didn't take long for a couple of  brightly coloured summer dresses, a white dress shirt, a pair of denim jeans, a housecoat, flannel pajama pants, a bright red satin corset and a teddy bear were hung along with a clothes pin bag.

Hung Out to Dry 1

I started with a drawing of the teddy bear with his paw through one of the straps on the corset.

The next sketch was of the white dress shirt.

What attracted me to that one was the many folds in the material and the different areas of shadows and cast shadows throughout the shirt in a wide variety of blue, blue greys and greys.

Since I have reference photographs and this sketch I may do a large painting of the shirt on the line at a later date.

Hung Out to Dry 2

Beside the shirt was a pair of black denim jeans which I started on next.

After completing the sketch of the jeans I thought it needed a little more around it, so I added a part of the white shirt on the left side and although there was a brightly coloured dress beside it I took artist's licence and changed it into a towel instead.

From there I started on another sketch of the clothes, but this time those on the far left side of the clothes line.

Hung Out to Dry 3

I placed the pajama bottoms in first with the one leg flipped up over the clothesline as though blown there by the wind and then added in the house coat beside it to the left.















Hung Out to Dry 4

I felt that the sketch needed a few more clothes so I put in part of one of the dresses on the left side and a wash cloth on the right side.

The Winter Show

Today is the first day of the "The Winter Show" exhibit at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio. It is an interesting show with a wide variety of subject matter.

If you have a chance you should come out for the Opening Reception on 03 December 2017 from 1-4 p.m., or visit the show this year until it closes for the holiday season on 22 December 2017 or perhaps join us in the New Year when it reopens from 03-21 January 2018.

Art Exhibit at the Academy Theatre

Today ten of the members of the Kawartha Arts Network are setting up an exhibit in the Guild Room at the Academy Theatre, located at 2 Lindsay Street, Lindsay Ontario.


















Paintings will be exhibited year round in the Guild Room and will change every one to two months.














In 2018 this publicly owned non-profit organization will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Theatre.

Check show dates and come out to enjoy a live theatre performance and before, during intermission and after the show enjoy the art work exhibit our various members.

Waterfall 3

Today I was watching a program on television featuring the great waterfalls of the world. It was an interesting program and it was only toward the end that I took out some paper to try and sketch them.

This isn't one of the waterfalls shown in the program, but a mixture of different parts and pieces from three waterfalls.

Next time this program comes on again, I will be prepared to do some better sketches of the various waterfalls.

This has inspired me to pull out my paintings with rapids and waterfalls and get to work on them and perhaps get them completed.

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

Dark Water I

Today I wanted to finish this drawing that I had started last year (see posts on 02 July, 20 August and 31 October 2016).

I started by putting in the rest of the trees on the distant shoreline, indicated a few rocks at the waterline and added in a few ripples into the water below the rocks.

From there I started working on putting in the shadows on the large rocks behind the pine trees and the large dead cedar tree.

I added in the growies and small bushes along the edge of the water and at the base of some of the trees.














This was followed by adding definition and shadows onto the small rocks on the shoreline.

Next I put in the two dead cedar tree trunks on the left side of the drawing.

Lastly, I added more ripples into the water in the foreground below the rocks and the shoreline.

This original 6" x 9" pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $40.00.

The Road Home 3

Today is overcast; with a mild temperature of 45F (7C) and showers throughout the day are in the forecast.

On the way home I was on one of the back roads and came across one of the long driveway leading up to a farmhouse off in the distance. I stopped the car and did this little drawing of the driveway leading to the house.















What I liked about this scene were the three birch trees at the side of the road and how their white bark and black markings were outlined against the cloudy sky and also how the road disappeared into nothing only to reappear further in the distance.

This drawing could be developed into a larger painting at a later date.

Grass Huts I

Today I didn't feel like working on a painting so I decided that I would work on this drawing that I started work on earlier this year (see posts on 15 February and 06 July 2017) once they had been found in a box that had been put away in storage.

I started back working on the right side tree and added a couple more palm fronds to finish the first tree.

Next I put in the two remaining palm tree trunks beginning with the trunk of the smaller one on the left side of the group and then doing the larger one in the middle.

Then I started putting the last of the palm fronds on the first tree which were blowing in the wind, followed by putting those on the smaller tree, being careful to keep them behind the middle palm tree trunk.

Lastly, I added the palm fronds on the large tree in the middle, being sure to keep them behind those of the first tree.

This original 6" x 7" pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $75.00.

ACEO - Farm Buildings 4

I thought I would like to finish this little painting that I had started last year (see posts on 13 June and 09 December 2016).

I started by putting in a few trees along the horizon line with Antwerp blue and aureolin.

Next I added a little French ultramarine blue and raw sienna to the green and put in the pine trees on the right side of the painting.

With a mixture of the blue and burnt sienna I put in the branches and trunks on the pine trees and then added in the deciduous trees on either side of the painting.















I added a little more blue to the dark mixture to grey the colour and put in the barn and shed. I used the same colour to indicate the path leading to the barn door.

Lastly I brushed some of the sky colours into the snow to add a little more warmth to 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 Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Barn VII

Today I pulled out this drawing that I started a number of years ago (see posts on 28 September 2013, 06 November 2014 and 08 October 2017) and did a little more work on last month.

I started by adding the fence line in the distant field and adding in the fence posts and the wire fence into the foreground.

Next I put in the trees starting with the one on the right side and then the one in front of the barn; it was at that point I decided not to put in the tree on the far left side to prevent having three evenly spaced trees in a row.

Now it was time to put in the barn. I started with the roof, darkening in the areas where the tin had been torn off of the roof leaving the dark spaces showing the rafters.









From there I darkened the windows, the open doorway and all the missing  and broken boards on the barn.

Lastly I put in the grasses and growies along the fence line, at the base of the trees and some near the barn.

This original, 3-1/4" x 9” pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $40.00.

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

More New Toys

I have always wanted to have a little trailer to put my gardening stuff in and pull behind my lawn mower to make it easier to work in my gardens which are located throughout the 4 acres (1.6ha) of lawn surrounding the house.















Especially when carrying buckets of water to the flower beds along the west fence at the entrance to the property and on the south fence where my arbour with my climbers are located and the hose is not long enough to reach so they can be watered.















Another thing I wanted was to have a small snow blower attached to the lawn mower so I could use it in the winter to clear out the small areas that the snow blower on Ron's tractor cannot clear and it would make it a lot easier than shovelling it out by hand.















Earlier this week when I went into Lakefield I saw a small lawn mower with a trailer and snow blower and I let Ron know that I have found one that was for sale.















Since I was at KAGS today he was going out to look at and it would make a very nice Christmas gift.















When I returned home from the Gallery Ron told me that he didn't get the lawn mower and accessories that I had looked at, instead I could go and look at what he found for me, which was in the shop.















Needless to say I was delighted with what I found there, which was a much newer and larger lawn mower and accessories. Ron will fix the flat tires on the trailer and get everything ready for me to use the snow blower for the winter.

People's Choice Award

Today found that I tied with Lois Shaw as the People's Choice for Best Display in the "Outdoor Painters' Show - Rural Outlook" exhibit at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.













I would like to thank everyone who enjoyed viewing my display of paintings and selected it as their one of their favourites.

Loon Call Lake III

Today I was at St. Matthew's Church in Buckhorn, with the Tuesday Buckhorn Painting Group.

I wanted to change the watercolour painting I have had at the church since the summer with a different piece. The one I chose is an acrylic painting called "Strawberries".

I brought my pencil sketches and pen and ink drawings, that were in various stages of completion to work on and hopefully get at least one completed.

I chose this one which I had started a number of years ago, and have been working on this year (see posts on 14 September 2014, 23 February and 09 October 2017).

Since I usually work from left to right on a drawing, I began with the trees and foliage on the left, worked my way across in behind the boathouse and finished with the trees on the right side.

I did the same, this time putting in the rocks and shadows from the left to the right side of the drawing.















Lastly, I added some shading onto the boathouse, followed by adding in more reflections and ripples into the water.

This original 6" x 7" pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $50.00.

Fire

Everything outside is white with a covering of snow that we received overnight.

With the temperature this morning, as I went down to do the barn chores at 9F (-13C) and the wind chill making it feel like -2F (-19C), I think it's going to stay for a day or two.















Tonight we started the first fire of the season, which is something I always enjoy.

I can now look forward to many evenings relaxing with the glow of a fire in the hearth.