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.

Street Scene III - A Work in Progress

Today I thought I would work on this sketch that I started a number of years ago (see post on 19 June 2013).

I started on the building on the left side of the road and gave some definition to the outside walls and the roof.

From there I went to the building at the far end of the road and worked on the roof and added a window and a set of double doors.















On the right side of the street I straightened the hitching post in front of the building.

Christine came in to visit me and make sure I had everything I needed before she would have to leave for work.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work is completed on the buildings.

Thank you for looking at may artwork.

Birch Trio 3 and 4 - Two Works in Progress

While waiting for Christine to take me to see the Surgeon I pulled out these two pieces that I did a while ago (see post on 18 April 2014) while at the Peterborough Riverview Park and Zoo.

I wet the paper around the birch trees and using cobalt blue I carefully floated the colour into the wet areas which made it easier to keep the birch trees white.

I set this painting aside so it could dry and where there is a little bit of the colour bleeding into the trees it can either be lifted at a later date or covered up with the dark areas on the birch bark.

Birch Trio 3

I repeated the same process of wetting the paper first before adding the paint into the sky.

As I set this piece aside to dry Christine arrived.

I am hoping that the Surgeon will open the splint up completely to I will have the full range of motion, although I doubt at this point that he will let me put any weight on the leg but, I can always hope.

Birch Trio 4

On the Lawn I

This morning I saw my little kestrels going in and out of the nesting box that I have for them. It is just under the eaves of the house and beside my bedroom window.

Today I thought I would work on this drawing that I did on location when I was in Magnetawan last year at the Knoepfli Inn.















This original 6" x 9” pen and ink drawing when framed will be available for $150.00.

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

Stone House - A Work in Progress

I wanted to do something today so I thought I would work on this piece that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 21 June 2013).

I wanted to get the large oak tree in the front of the drawing completed.

After working on the drawing and finally finishing the tree I decided I need to take a break before starting work on the house.

That was a big mistake. When I reached for my cup, I accidentally knocked it over.

I ended up spilling tea over the right side of the paper.

I have cropped off the ruined sections ans when I decide what I am going to do with it, I will post this drawing at a later date.

Long Shadows 4 and 5 - Two Works in Progress

I wanted to do a little more work on each of these two paintings that I had started a few years ago (see post on 28 November 2014).

Using a mixture of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue I brushed in the sky on each painting.

While the sky was drying I added a little more Antwerp blue to the sky colour and put in some the tops of the background trees.

Into the other painting I put in the frozen lake and added the shadows across the snow.

Long Shadows 4

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















Long Shadows 5

Coon Lake I and II - Two Works in Progress

Today I pulled out these two sketches of Coon Lake that I did a few years ago (see post on 29 July 2014).

I started with the first sketch and working from the background forward I put in the horizon line and added a few details to the cottage at the far side of the lake.

Next, I put the bark on the tree trunks and added the needles onto the branches of the one living tree.













Coon Lake I

From there I added more details onto the rocks and gave more shape to the reeds in the foreground.

Once again starting from the back and working forward I put in the horizon line first and indicated the heights of the trees on the distant shore.













Coon Lake II

Next, I added more details to the rocks and trees in the middle area, followed by doing the same to the foreground trees, rocks and growies.

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

ACEO - Peach Sky 5

Last year I started a number of paintings using opaque watercolour paint (see post on 07 December 2016) and today I wanted to finish this piece.

I liked the sky and wanted to keep most of it untouched so I decided to use some of the green at the bottom of the painting as the background for a row of trees. 

Using a mix of burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue I painted in the tree trunks and main branches; this was followed by adding the foliage with a green of lemon yellow and Antwerp blue. 














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

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.

Shades of Grey - A Work in Progress

I had started this piece by doing a demonstration of clouds for someone who needed some help with them and it sat for quite a while, until recently when I drew in a line of winter trees along a fence line.

It is going to be a winter scene with some grasses poking through the snow and perhaps a few scattered leaves on top of the snow.













I have to decide if I am going to use masking fluid or salt to create the snowflakes.

I will post this painting again after more work on the sky and background has been completed.

West Barn I - A Work in Progress

I want to keep trying to do some art each day, although sometimes I find it to be very tiring even after a short time.

I picked this sketch that I started a number of years ago (see post on 13 June 2013) when I had a paint out at my farm.

I wanted to get the front of the barn balanced and at the right angle.














After a couple of tries and things not coming together I decided to stop before I wreck the sketch.

It does get very frustrating when things don't go as planned, but tomorrow is another day and things should be better.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I get the correct perspective on the barn.

Snow Storm 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I wanted to get more of this painting closer to completion (see post on 23 Oct 2016).

First I wet the top third of the painting with water and using a mixture of cobalt blue and burnt sienna I indicated a few trees in the background of the left side of the paper.















While the paper was drying I brushed a small amount of water across the centre of the paper and with a slightly darker mix of the same colours I put in the closer trees adding a little more detail than those in the background.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have finished the foreground.

Moonlight Island - A Work in Progress

Today as I continue to work in acrylic paint I wanted to get this canvas that I had started a couple of years ago (see post on 19 October 2015) a little closer to finally being finished.

I started by using titanium white and brushed in a few thin clouds into the dark sky.

Adding a small amount of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to the white I painted in the tree trunks and put down a base coat for the rocks of the island and the rock reflections in the water.

From there I added the needles onto the branches of the trees using various combinations of ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, raw sienna and Hansa yellow.

I kept the brighter colours on the moonlit side of the pines and brushed a mid-tone green into the water for the tree reflections.

Using the white I touched a few highlights into the water and on the tops of the rocks.

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

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

September - A Work in Progress

It was going to be a miserable, with the temperature at 14F (-10C) and just under 1/2" (10mm) of ice accretion to accumulate over the course of the day I decided that I would like to work on some of my acrylic paintings which had been started a number of years ago (see post on 03 October 2010).

First I mixed some of the background greens with ultramarine blue and raw sienna and covered the areas where the tape had lifted the background.

I darkened the colour with burnt sienna and more of the blue and added in a couple more pine trees to the right of the large one.

Next I added a small amount of titanium white to lighten the colour slightly and added a few more pines on the right side of the painting.

With burnt sienna I put in the middle area where a path runs through the forest.

Using raw sienna I put in some dead grasses below the trees and into the foreground on the left side.

Using various mixtures of Hansa yellow and cadmium red I scattered some leaves across the ground.

Using the white I added a couple of birch trees in front of the pines and the dark mix to add the markings onto the trunks.

Lastly, I used Hansa yellow and raw sienna for the leaves on the birches.

I am not happy with this piece and I will post this painting again at a later date once I have made a number of changes.

Sunset Lake 1 - A Work in Progrerss

With the morning temperatures starting off at 9F (-13C) and the wind chill making it feel like -8F (-22C) I didn't envy Christine doing the barn chores.

While looking out the patio doors in the living room, I was pleased to see my North American Kestrels for the first time this year. It is nice to know that they will once again be nesting in the box we made and put on the south side of the house for them.

I wanted to do some painting and pulled out this one that I had started a couple of years ago (see post on 27 April 2015), and drew in an island into the foreground with a few pine trees.

I started by using cobalt blue into the top of the sky and then brushed it into the bottom of the painting for the reflected colour in the lake. This was followed by alizarin crimson into the middle area of the sky and into the middle of the lake lastly I brushed aureolin into the remaining areas of sky and lake.















Next I used a mix of burnt sienna and new gamboge and painted the trees along the horizon line on the far shore.

I mixed a dark grey using French ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna and painted in the rocks of the island followed by the reflections into the water beneath them.

As I was starting to paint the pine trees onto the island in the foreground some of my friends dropped by to see how I was doing and we had an enjoyable time discussing various places the outdoor painters could visit for their paint outs later this year.

Once my company left I didn't have a lot of time to do any work on this painting, so I put it away and will post it at a later date once it has been completed.

ACEO - Morning Sky 7

I wanted to finish this piece I started last month (see post on 28 February 2017).

With French ultramarine blue and raw sienna, I painted the pine trees in the foreground, just behind the large rocks on the shore.

Lightening the colour with water I put in the distant trees on top of the rocks on the far shoreline.















Lastly, I used various combinations of cadmium red, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna and new gamboge to put in the reflections of the sky colours in the water.

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.

Clear Lake VIII - A Work in Progress

Today I go for my first physiotherapy appointment since the Zimmer splint has been replaced with the hinged splint.

I am sure after the assessment that I will have a whole new range of exercises to strengthen the leg and help me regain some of the motion in my knee.












Before Christine arrives to take me to my appointment I thought I would do a little work on this sketch that I stated a while ago (see posts on 09 June 2013 and 13 February 2017).

Unfortunately I only had time to add a pine tree and start the main trunks on a couple of deciduous trees before it was time to leave.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work on the trees has been completed.

Early Morning 2 - A Work in Progress

It was fairly cold this morning 3F (-16) with the wind chill making it feel like -13F (-25C) and a strong wind blowing as I headed down to do the barn chores.

I decided that I would work on a painting and pulled out this drawing that I did quite some time ago (see post on 26 April 2013).

I wanted to start by putting a little bit of colour into the sky, so I lightly wet the paper.















Using new gamboge I brushed in the area just above the horizon line in first and this was followed with a mixture of alizarin crimson blending it slightly where the two colours touched.

Into the top of the sky I used a blend of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue and set the painting aside to dry.

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

Dusk 11 and 12 - Two Works in Progress

I decided to do a couple more pieces but I changed them into the landscape direction as opposed to the portrait direction as in the two days previous.















Dusk 11

These are the probably the last two I am going to do with the opaque paint for a little while and I will see how they turn out as paintings.















Dusk 12

I will post each of these pieces once they have been completed.

Dusk 7-10 - Four Works in Progress

Today I am continuing to play with the opaque watercolours and will probably do a few more tomorrow.

Once I have decided what to do with each of them I will post each one at a later date.








Dusk 7




















Dusk 8



















Dusk 9



















Dusk 10

Dusk 3-6 - Four Works in Progress

I am still not convinced that I am going to keep using the opaque watercolor paint, but I will give it a fair chance before making a final decision.

Over the next couple of days I am going to just play with the various colours individually to see what they can do and then find out about the full range of colour combinations that can be made.

Dusk 3

I will do streaks of colours across small pieces of paper and then add layers of different colour combinations to see which ones work well together and which ones end up turning muddy.

At the end of it I will have a number of pieces that I can either make into abstracts or small paintings depending on the results, some may be trash.

Dusk 4

I will post my experiments over the next couple of days and then at a later date post the end result.













Dusk 5



















Dusk 6

Granite Cliffs 1 - A Work in Progress

I wanted to work on something with rocks and I brought out this piece that I worked on earlier this year (see posts on 05 November 2016 and 05 February 2017).

Using various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue I painted the granite cliffs and the various rocks and boulders in the water.















I will post this painting at a later date once I have painted the in the lake and rock reflections.

Watering Cans I - A Work in Progress

Today is a rainy day and we were fortunate that we missed the freezing rain they were calling for in the morning and I thought I would work on a drawing that felt like spring or summer. I pulled out this sketch that I had started a while ago with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group (see posts on 19 June 2014 and 08 August 2016).

I wanted to straighten up the post and rails on the deck as well as the indicating the boards on the deck.















I also straightened the door behind the watering cans, but it still needs a little more work before I am happy with the sketch.

I will post this drawing in at a later time once I have completed the door in the background.

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

Clear Lake II - A Work in Progress

I wanted to do a little more work on this drawing that I have been working on for a while (see posts on 09 June 2013, 23 March and 12 October 2016).

The drawing seemed to lack definition, so I went in with a pencil and added more details to the large foreground trees, indicated a large rock on the right side and added a pine tree.

With the fine liner I put more cattails in front of the island and also a few more of the water ripples.














Next I added some of the branches and needles onto the foreground pine trees.

I kind of like the way it looks, having a mix of the pen and ink and graphite pencil.

I will post this drawing again once I decide if I am going to leave the drawing as it is, or when I have completed the trees on the island.

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 March.

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

Old Shed I - A Work in Progress

I started this sketch a number of years ago (see post on 13 July 2013) while on a paint out with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group.

On the front side of the building I put some shading under the eaves and then indicated the doorway.

I ran the remaining boards across the front of the building and started putting in some of the leaves from a climbing plant down the right side.

I extended the roof line and put in the rest of the tin roof.














Next I indicated one of the boards leaning against the side of the building and added a little bit of shading to the rain barrel.

I added more grass at the base of the building on each side of the doorway and to the left of the rain barrel.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work on the building has been completed.

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

Confirmed Shows for 2017 - March

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.
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 What's My Issue?
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.

Roland's Steak House , 845 Highway 7 East, Peterborough, Ont.
27 Feb 17 - 26 Jun 17

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
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.
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 03-21 Jan 18 The Winter Show
Opening Reception 03 Dec 17 from 1-4p.m.

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

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

I look forward to seeing you at some of these shows.

Shades of Spring 1 - A Work in Progress

Overnight we had 3/4" (19mm) and the temperature dropped to 10F (-12C) with the wind chill making it feel like -2F (-19C).

Today I have just returned from seeing the surgeon and had X-rays taken and see how the break is healing.

The best thing is he changed my Zimmer splint to a hinged split which is is wonderful, as now I am able to bend the knee and I can sit in a chair normally.

I started by using Antwerp blue and new gamboge as a background.

When the paper was dry I lightly indicted three birch trunks with a pencil.

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