Farm by the River I - A Work in Progress

It is a little warmer today with the temperature at 12F (-11C), with the wind chill making it feel like 0F (-18C) as I went down to the barn to do the morning chores. I get to look forward to snow flurries this afternoon and for it to warm up to 25F (-4C) and a wind chill of 16F (-9C).

While I warmed up with a cup of tea I looked through a number of drawings that  I had started a number of years ago and decided that I would work on this one I did on location on River Road, in Lakefield, Ontario (see post on 11 November 2015).















I started with the dead tree trunk in the foreground on the left side of the drawing.

Once the tree was finished, I put in the farm in the background on the other side of the river, including the fences and trees at the edges of the fields.

Next I came back to the foreground and put in the grasses and growies at the base of the dead tree on the left side of the drawing.

I will post this again at a later time once I have put in on the right side of the drawing.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Big Cedar Lake I and II - Two Works in Progress

The temperature has once again dropped down to 9F (-13C) with the wind chill making it feel like -2F (-19C) as I went out to do the barn chores. The nice thing is that by the afternoon the temperature is to go up to 19F (-7C) with the wind chill making it feel like 9F (-13C) and the sun will be shining.

After warming up with a cup of tea I pulled out these two drawings that I started a couple of years ago while canoeing on Big Cedar Lake (see posts on 23 August 2015 and 09 October 2016).













Big Cedar Lake I

I started near the left side of the paper and put in the large  pine tree on the shore first and continued to work my way across the to the left side of the paper adding in the trees close to the shore.

It was time to take a break and after taking the dog out for a walk and having lunch I started to do some work on the other drawing on the same piece of paper.














Big Cedar Lake II

Starting on the left side I put in a couple of the closer pine trees.

Next I decided that I needed a change and instead of continuing with the trees I put the motor boat on the lake.

I will post each of these drawings at a later date as more work on them had been completed.

School's Out I - A Work in Progress

I started to work on this underwater drawing that I began last year (see posts on 15 July and 28 December 2016) by indicating the bottom edge of the sea fan by the top edge of the rock.

Next I put in the top of the highest rock on this piece of the reef.

Part way down the reef I put in the rock out cropping with some yellow tube sponges. At the base of the sponges I put in some sea weed.

I will post this drawing at a later time once I have decided whether I am going to put in a school of French Grunts or Purple Wrasse.

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

Monster Trucks

For Ron's birthday gift Christine got tickets to go and see the Monster Jam event in Toronto, Ont.














We haven't been to see them since the mid 90's, when we took Christine to see the Monster trucks when they first came to Sky Dome.














We were amazed at how many things have changed over the years. The most obvious was when we first saw the arena divided in half with two sets of concrete ramps and on one end a vertical ramp for the trucks to do back flips, was unheard of years ago.














The track itself was flat instead of being hilly and there were a lot less of the cars for the Monster trucks to crush. These changes came about in 2014.














Before there was one huge mound of dirt in the centre of the arena for the trucks to do their aerial maneuvers and with the hilly track they could go airborne during the race and needless to say the Monster Trucks at that time were known for crushing the many cars scattered around the outside edges of the arena.














Unfortunately, due to traffic and finding a parking spot we arrived just as the doughnut competition ended. In the doughnut competition the driver tries to spin their truck until the truck cannot spin any more, the truck falls over or the driver thinks they may have a high enough score to win.














It didn't take long before the next event, the wheelie competition began. The goal in the wheelie competition is to go up a ramp and get as much height in the air while remaining as close to perpendicular to the ground. It was an excellent competition with a couple of the trucks landing on the platform on their back wheels and bouncing back up into the air before landing off the other side of the ramp.














We waited while they set up the Christmas trees and the timers for the next competition which was racing but instead of the usual side-by-side racing each truck started half of the arena away from the other. After two laps the truck with the fastest time moved onto the next round until it was eliminated or won the Championship race. It was an interesting competition with a total of seven heats to determine the winner of the event.














Then it was time for the intermission while the mechanics worked on the Monster Trucks to have all thirteen of them up and running for the final event which was the freestyle competition.














Each driver is given two minutes alone in the arena to show off their skills as they did wheelies, spins, drove their trucks over cars; and did some amazing stunts with their trucks.














It was unbelievable to see two trucks attempt a back flip, Grave Digger completed the flip, while Son Uva Digger did not quite make the landing and ended up on its side.

Communion - A Work in Progress

Today I am not leaving the house except to go to the barn and do the chores. It is one of those days with a strong wind, where the weather is going to give us a little of everything from sun, clouds, rain, freezing rain, ice pellets, snow and back again.

I have spent a fair amount of time working on last year (see posts on 09 May, 18 July, 02, 09, 19, 23 and 30 August, 13 October and 15 December 2016) and I hope to have the water decanter finished today.

Before I started to paint I needed to fix the shape of the right side of the decanter, it just didn't look right.

With greys made of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I started at the top of the decanter adding the grey shadows on the spout, then worked my way down through the neck of the decanter.













I touched along the outside edge of that I had corrected and then filled in the areas of the main body being careful to leave areas of white highlights before I worked my way up the handle. Lastly I added the grey to the base of the decanter and into some of the water.

Using new gamboge with a little raw sienna added, I put some colour showing through the glass from the plate onto the handle and in the main body of the decanter.

The wood showing through the water was added with a mix of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson. French ultramarine blue was added to this mix for the wood that was in cast shadow.

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

Old Oak I and Lily Pond I - Two Works in Progress

Today isn't a very nice day with the temperature at 37F (3C) and the wind chill making it feel like 30F (-1C), but the worst thing is the mixed precipitation making everything cold and wet.

So I decided that I would do a little more work on a couple of sketches that I had started a long time ago (see posts on 22 February and 18 June 2013).
















Old Oak I

I started on the fence posts to the left of the oak tree first and once they were finished I added the grasses in some areas of the foreground.















Lily Pond I

From there I did a little work on the fence in front of the barn and decided that I needed to do a little more work on the drawing. I will post each of these drawings at a later date once more work on them has been completed.

Gathering Storm 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I went to Buckhorn to paint at St. Matthew's Church with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group.

I wanted to try and get this painting completed today that I had started a couple of years ago (see posts on 12 January, 19 February and 15 May 2015) and I started by drawing in the island in the right side of the painting, and indicated the tall pine tree trunks.



















It wasn't long before we noticed that the room was getting colder, and when we looked at the thermostat we found that the furnace wasn't coming on to heat the building.

After calling maintenance we found that the repair man would not be there until late afternoon to fix the furnace. We decided to go home rather than work in the cold, which worked out well because as we were leaving it began to snow and we are to get 3" (7.6cm) of heavy packing snow today.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have painted the island.

Autumn Maples 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

I didn't have a lot of time to paint as I had a number of appointments to go to today.

However, I wanted to get something done today on a painting even if it was only putting in a sky.

I picked these two paintings as they are very similar having the same autumn theme with maples.

I started by wetting the top of the paper for the sky on both pieces and mixing French ultramarine blue and Antwerp blue.

Autumn Maples 1

I brushed in the sky on each painting, leaving some areas of white for the clouds.

Unfortunately, time waits for no one and I had to get my things together and leave.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them is completed.









Autumn Maples 2

Farm Buildings 5 - A Work in Progress

Today I am going to do a little more work on this piece that I had started last year (see post on 13 June 2016).

I wet the sky area and brushed in streaks of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and alizarin crimson to give it an early morning feel.















I had to set this painting aside to get supper ready for the family.

I will post this painting at a later date once the foreground has been completed.

Poster for the Birch Tree Class at The Point

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 the 22 February 17.

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

ACEO - Pastel Colours 2

Today I wanted to finish this painting that I had started last year (see posts on 14 April and 17 October 2016).

I started withe background trees on the hill with a mix of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.

I darkened the colour slightly with a little bit of burnt sienna and painted the foreground pine trees on each side of the painting.

Lastly I added the dead grasses and growies beneath the trees with mixtures of raw sienna and burnt sienna.

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.

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

The Mix

Today is the first day for "The Mix" exhibit at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.













It was an interesting display that featured a mix of traditional art placed together with various paintings in mixed media.












It started today and continues through to 12 February 2017, with the opening reception on 22 January 2017 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.










If you have a chance, please come out and view the show.

Winter Creek 2 and 3 - Two Works in Progress

Last night Environment Canada posted a Meteorological Alert for freezing rain.

The storm began early this morning and is to continue into tomorrow afternoon.

Today I spent most of the day in the barn making sure Tai and Chi would be comfortable in deeply bedded stalls, with full buckets of water and plenty of hay to keep them occupied since they would be inside for the next couple of days.

Since I wasn't going to go out anywhere today I thought I would work on these two paintings that I had started last year (see post on 15 September 2016).














For the first one I used French ultramarine blue for the sky leaving a few areas of white paper for clouds.

Next I darkened the blue slightly and added a little bit of Antwerp blue and then brushed it in the water.

I also used it for the sky in the second painting.

I added a touch of burnt sienna to the blue mixture to grey the colour slightly and added a few horizontal streaks of this colour into the water.

I changed the name of this painting from River 1 to Winter Creek 3

Then I set this painting aside to dry.














I changed the name of this painting from River 2 to Winter Creek 2.

Next I added a touch of alizarin crimson to the grey mix and painted in the distant hills and the water.

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

Along the Shore 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

Today it is 25F (-4C) with the wind chill making it feel like 18F (-8C) and we are going to get just under 1/2" (8mm) of freezing rain accretion.















Along the Shore 1

I pulled out these three paintings that I started a while ago (see posts on 16 September 2013 and 27 August 2016).















Along the Shore 2

Since I didn't have much time to work on paintings today, I decided to put in the sky on each of the paintings with Antwerp blue.















Along the Shore 3

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them has been completed.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Through the Canyon I

I wanted to do more work on this sketch that I had started last year (see post on 15 January 2016).

First, I added more details to the middle horse and then I worked on the lead horse.















Before I could get started on the third horse, I had company drop by for a visit.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I finish the third horse and do more work on the canyon walls.

Abandoned House 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I wanted to do a little more work on this drawing that I started a number of years ago (see posts on 19 June 2013, 20 March and 29 July 2016).

I started with the windows on the shadowed side of the building first, putting in the window frames and then darkening the windows of the empty house.













Next I did the door frame and put the shadows on the door.

Lastly, I did the window frames on the front of the house and darkened in the windows.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I finish some of the stonework on the house.

Morning Fisherman 1 - A Work in Progress

Last night there was a full moon and early this morning it was setting in the west as the sun was coming up in the east. The sky was a mix of greys and yellows.

I thought an early morning sketch with a blue heron patiently waiting for its prey to swim by and be caught would make in interesting drawing.

I started with the heron first and placed him standing on a rock.

Next I put in the distant shoreline with some trees behind the heron and then I placed the full moon in the sky to the left.

Lastly, I added in some bull rushes or cattails around the heron to finish the drawing.

I will post this drawing again at a later date once I have completed the sky and water.

Moonlight 1 - A Work in Progress

Tonight the rain stopped for a little while and the full moon peeked out and cast its reflection on my ice covered driveway.

Since I wasn't tired I decided to paint for a while and pulled out this painting with a full moon that I started last year (see post on 20 June 2016).

I thought on this piece I would put a halo around the full moon and using French ultramarine blue I started by circling around the moon and painting outward until the sky had its first layer of blue.















Once the first layer dried I added a second layer around the moon, left a thin ring around the moon and continued until all the rest of the sky was painted.

I added two more layers of paint to the outside of the halo around the moon allowing the paint to dry completely between layers.

I will post this painting again once the trees have been completed.

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

Blue Lines 5-7 - Three Works in Progress

Today I wanted to paint but didn't really know what subject I wanted to paint.















Blue Lines 5

I pulled out three pieces of paper and thought I would do a triptych. I wet all three pieces and while I waited for it to dry I mixed a small amount of French ultramarine blue with a touch of burnt sienna.















Blue Lines 6

I brushed it across the bottom of the all three pieces of paper and set it aside to dry while I had a cup of tea and decided what I would do to it next.















Blue Lines 7

Before I could get back to doing more work on it I had company come over and had to put them away. I will post each piece at a later date once I have more work on them completed.

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

The Point

Today I went to The Point - the Young's Point Diner and Pizzeria, at 403 South Beach Rd., Lakefield, Ont., with Cindy Allan and Norma MacEachern.









It didn't take long to hang my paintings on the one wall, where they will remain on display from 10 January through to 14 March 2017.













Over lunch we spoke with owners Max and Janice Costa about the class Cindy would be teaching tomorrow night and the class I would teach next month on 22 February 2017.














If you get a chance come out to The Point and enjoy a meal Tuesday through Saturday and an added bonus is the live music on Saturday night from 5-8 p.m.

Tied Up 2 - A Work in Progress

I came across this piece that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 22 June 2013) and I thought I would like to get more work on it completed.

With the boats tied to their mooring lines I felt an evening scene would be appropriate.

I started with aureolin at the horizon line and worked upward in the sky, then added new gamboge above the first colour, followed by a little alizarin crimson into the top of the sky.

I added a little burnt sienna to the alizarin crimson and brushed in a few clouds into the sky.














Using new gamboge with a little raw sienna, I put in the water just below the horizon line. This was followed by adding in alizarin crimson and painting down to the top of the wave curling toward the beach.

Leaving some areas white for the waves rolling up on the beach, I put in the sand using mixes of burnt sienna and raw sienna.

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

Oak Leaf 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I came across a number of photographs I had taken last fall of leaves on the ground with water droplets on them.

I thought I would do a small painting of oak leaves and perhaps in the future do other kinds of leaves with water droplets.

After putting the main leaf down, I indicated other leaves beneath it and then placed water droplets on the leaf.














Using a wash of burnt sienna I painted in the main leaf and left spaces for the three water droplets white.

With various tones of burnt sienna to make the water droplet and its cast shadow, I put in the largest water drop.

I will post this painting at a later date once the painting has been completed.

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

ACEO - Pastel Colours 1

Going to the barn this morning it was 10F (-12C) and the wind chill made it feel like 0F (-18C), but the good news is that it is going to warm up to 17F (-8C).

I thought I would finish this painting of an early morning in the fall (see posts on 14 April and 17 October 2016).

With clear water I lifted a little of the colour from the sky where the birch tree trunks are placed.

Using a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna for a grey I put in the background trees while waiting for the birch trees to dry.













Once the paper was dry I put the markings on the birches trees and onto the dead cedar tree.

Lastly, I mixed French ultramarine blue and raw sienna and painted in the grasses and growies into the foreground.

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

Railway Bridge - A Work in Progress

While going through a stack of unfinished canvases, I came across this painting I had started last year at the 1st Annual Outdoor Painting Festival Cavan/Millbrook held on 01 and 02 October 2016.

I was more concerned about completing the other painting I had started on the first day of the plein air painting competition (see post on 02 October 2016) that I forgot all about this one and it was added to the stack of paintings that needed to be completed.

Using a pencil, I give some definition to the bridge, the top of the overpass and to the road, as well to the trees in the background.

With it being an autumn scene there will be a lot of colour in the painting.

I may put a train on the track, or a car going through the underpass or someone riding a bicycle or walking on the road.

I will post this piece at a later date once I have decided what I was going to add and finished the drawing and transferred it to the canvas.

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 January.

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

Big Cedar Lake VI - A Work in Progress

I wanted to do something productive today so I picked this sketch that I did a couple of years ago (see post on 23 August 2015).

First I blocked in the boathouse and then I put the various deciduous tree trunks, branches and leaves around the building.

Next with vertical strokes I put in the trees in the distance behind them.

Then I put in the pine trees in the background around the boathouse.














The rocks were placed in the water, on the shoreline and by the boathouse and the shading was put on both of them.

The waterline and water ripples were put against the shoreline and at the base of the rocks.

A few growies and small bushes were put at the base of some of the pine trees.

I will post this drawing again once more work on it has been completed.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Confirmed Shows for 2017 - January

This is a listing of confirmed shows that I will be exhibiting my artwork at this year and into next year. I will update the list as more shows are added.

Kawartha Arts Network - Art on Kent, Lindsay, Ont.
KAN
27 Oct 16 - 29 Apr 17 Wall of Small
Opening Reception 29 Oct 16 from 1-3p.m.
24 Nov - 17 Dec 16 and 05-14 Jan 17 Affordableism
Opening Reception 26 Nov 16 from 1-3p.m.
13 Apr - 06 May 17 Added Dimension
Opening Reception 15 Apr 17 from 1-3p.m.
11 May - 03 Jun 17 Annual Members' Show
Opening Reception 13 May 17 from 1-3p.m.
08 Jun - 08 Jul 17 What's Your Canada?
Opening Reception 10 Jun 17 from 1-3p.m.
13-29 Jul 17 Diversity
Opening Reception 15 Jul 17 from 1-3p.m.
03-26 Aug 17 Open for Interpretation
Opening Reception 05 Aug 17 from 1-3p.m.
31 Aug -23 Sep 17 Holy Cow - It's a Moonet!
Opening Reception 02 Oct 17 from 1-3p.m.
28 Sep - 21 Oct 17 Featured Artist in Members' Room
28 Sep - 21 Oct 17 TBD
Opening Reception 30 Sep 17 from 1-3p.m.
26 Oct - 23 Dec 17 and 04-13 Jan 18 Affordableism
Opening Reception 28 Oct 17 from 1-3p.m.

Extendicare, 860 Alexander Court, Peterborough, Ont.
07 Nov 16 - 02 Jan 17
06 Nov 17 - 01 Jan 18

Roland's Steak House , 845 Highway 7 East, Peterborough, Ont.
21 Nov 16 - 27 Feb 17

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
30 Nov -18 Dec 16 and 04-15 Jan 17 Warm in the Cold
Opening Reception 04 Dec 16 from 1-4p.m.
18 Jan - 12 Feb 17 The Mix
Opening Reception 22 Jan 17 from 1-4p.m.
15 Feb - 12 Mar 17 Petals and Pitchers
Opening Reception 19 Feb 17 from 1-4p.m.
15-26 Mar 17 Diversity
Opening Reception 19 Mar 17 from 1-4p.m.
29 Mar - 04 May 17 Spark Photography Show
Opening Reception 02 Apr 17 from 1-4p.m.
21 Jun -09 Jul 17 Sunlight and Shadow
Opening Reception 25 Jun 17 from 1-4p.m.
16 Aug - 10 Sep 17 Faces and Figures
Opening Reception 20 Aug 17 from 1-4p.m.
13 Sep - 08 Oct 17 150 Years of Canada's History Featuring Peterborough County
Opening Reception 17 Sep 17 from 1-4p.m.
25 Oct -12 Nov Outdoor Painters' Show- Rural Outlook
Opening Reception 30 Oct 17 from 1-4p.m.
29 Nov - 22 Dec 17 and 03-14 Jan 18 Winter
Opening Reception 03 Dec 17 from 1-4p.m.

The Point
Young's Point Diner and Pizzeria, 403 South Beach Rd., Lakefield, Ont.
10 Jan - 14 March 17

The Douro-Dummer Library Art Gallery, 425 Douro Fourth Line Road, Hamlet of Douro, Ont.
28 Feb - 30 Apr 17 Countryside Art Group
Opening Reception 03 Mar 17 from 7-8p.m.

17th Annual Peterborough Garden Show, The Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough Ont.
07-09 Apr 17

27th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show, St Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont.
17-20 Aug 17 Buckhorn Artists' Group

28th Annual Kawartha Arts Festival, Fenelon Falls Fair Grounds, Fenelon Falls, Ont.
02-03 Sep 17

Dancing Blueberries, 360 George St. N., Peterborough, Ont.
01 Nov 17 - 03 Jan 18
05 Sep - 07 Nov 18

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

Birch Tree Trunks I - A Work in Progress

I would like to wish everyone peace, good health and prosperity for the New Year!

I started to work on this drawing that I had sketched on location a couple of years ago (see post on 11 June 2015).

With a pencil I defined all the lines on the first tree trunk and then inked them in and added all the "whip marks.

On the next tree trunk I drew in some curled bark added a branch and some scar marks.














Next I inked in the markings on this tree trunk and again added in the whip marks where I felt they needed to be applied.

I started to put in the markings on the third tree trunk, but then we had company arrive and it was time to put it away.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have completed the third birch tree trunk.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.