ACEO - Cottage Country 1

We are supposed to get another up to another 2" (5cm) of snow today on top of all the other snow we have had this week.

After doing the barn chores and feeding the birds I decided to paint. I pulled out this piece that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 05 June 2014 and 05 May 2019).

I started by putting in the distant shore on the horizon line with burnt sienna.

Next, I worked on the cottages, starting with the roof which I painted with various greys made of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

With a wash of burnt sienna I painted both cottages, being careful to leave the windows without paint.

Darkening the burnt sienna slightly I indicated the logs on the cottages.

Next, I darkened the roof colour and added more details to the roof, the door jamb, and window sills on the cottage. At the same time, I indicated the tree trunks around the cottages.

To finish the cottages I used cadmium yellow for the lights shining through the windows.














Mixing various green using Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue and raw sienna, I used a sponge and applied the green paint to the deciduous trees.

This was followed by painting in the pine trees around the buildings.

I added in the grasses and growies around the foreground cottage with mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and new gamboge.

Lastly, I painted the rocks using various mixtures of burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue.

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.

ACEO - Splash 1

Today is the first time I have had Evening Grosbeaks come in for food at my feeders in over 30 years.

It was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise.

There were only two males and I hope they return often and bring others next time they come back for food.

I came across a number of small frames in a box that I had purchased a couple of years ago.

I thought it was about time I put paintings into them, especially since I had some small pieces of paper that would fit into the frames perfectly.

I started by putting in a sky into the top of the paper with Antwerp blue.

Next using alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue I painted in the area where the rocks would be placed.

While the paint was drying I mixed a dark of the colours used for the rocks and painted over top of the rocks when they were dry and using a palette knife I scraped out the rock shapes.

I splattered a mix of raw sienna and Antwerp blue into the white area above the rocks.

Lastly, I scraped out the splash from the waves below the rocks.

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 $25.00 and sold framed.

ACEO - Burleigh Rocks 1

Today I thought I would finish this painting that I had started last year (see post on 09 December 2019). All that it needed to be completed were the rocks in the foreground.

First I washed some of the rocks with alizarin crimson and while the paint was still wet I added a small amount of burnt sienna into a few areas.

As the paint dried I used a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the shadows and cracks on the rocks.














On the other rocks I lightly touched them with a wash of Antwerp blue and burnt sienna and as it was drying I brushed in some alizarin crimson and then added the cracks in the rocks and the shadows with burnt sienna and a small amount of French ultramarine blue.

Lastly, I put a little alizarin crimson into the water below the rocks for reflections.

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.

ACEO - Shades of Spring 1

Today I wanted to finish this painting that I had started a while ago (see posts on 01 March 2017 and 25 March 2018).

I started by mixing a blue grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and brushed in the shadows onto the left side of the birch tree trunks.

Next, I mixed darks using the shadow colours in different strengths and added a small amount of raw sienna to some of them and added more markings onto the tree trunks and branches to give them shape and definition. 

Lastly, I mixed a green of Antwerp blue and raw sienna and added a tree covered hill in the background and added more grasses.

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.

ACEO - Sand Bucket 1

Today was going to be a very busy day; most of it was spent running errands leaving just a small amount of time for painting.

We started off by going to Wimpy's diner, at 1080 Landsdowne Street West, in Peterborough, Ontario for breakfast.


I enjoy going there as they play music from the 50's, have a wide variety of choices, good quality food and wonderful service.

The décor is in keeping with the time period, having advertising on the walls of the foods, motorcycles, cars and trucks, pictures of the actors and actresses, some of the cartoon characters and a number of the slogans.

In one corner there is a junk box with flashing lights changing colours in time with the music.

From there we went to two hardware stores, the lumber yard, the bank and three different grocery stores. On the way home we picked up lunch.

After having our meal, I put the groceries away before getting out my art supplies to paint.















I picked this painting that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 21 June 2013 and 22 July 2017).

I worked on the sand bucket first and washed in alizarin crimson on the main body of the pail. I darkened the paint slightly and added another layer of paint into the mid tone and shadowed areas of the pail. Lastly, I put in another layer of darker colour into the shadowed areas to complete the body of the pail.

Next, I worker on the trim and handle of the pail using a wash of new gamboge first. This was followed by using a mix of cadmium yellow and new gamboge to complete the pail.


















Next, I used a mixture of Antwerp blue and raw sienna and put in some seaweed, that had been washed up on the shore.

I added a small sea shell on the right-hand side of the beach below the pail. 

Lastly, I added some texture to the sand using a sponge with mixture of burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue. 















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.

ACEO - Frozen Lake 2

It won't be long until there is snow on the ground, so I thought I would finish this painting that was started quite a while go (see posts on 24 November 2013 and 30 December 2017).

With a mix of raw sienna and French ultramarine blue I give a little bit of detail to the tops of the trees in the distant shoreline.

Next, I brushed in a few shadows across the snow with Antwerp blue.

Mixing a green of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and raw sienna, I put the needles on the pine trees.














Next I added little burnt sienna to the needle colour and painted in the branches and tree trunks.

With mixes of burnt sienna and raw sienna I put in the grasses and growies poking up through 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. or 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Early Morning 2

This morning I saw a number of flocks of Canada Geese flying in their V shaped formation as they head south for the winter.

I started in the background and put in the distant hills on the other side of the river with raw sienna and a little bit of cobalt blue.

With a grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the furthest back tree trunks on the left side and then darkening the colour slightly and put in the closer trees on the left side, followed by using a darker grey for the maple tree in the foreground on the right side.

I wet the river with water first and then using the colours of the sky I brushed in bands new gamboge, alizarin crimson and the cobalt blue for the reflected sky colour into the water















Lastly, I used various mixtures of raw sienna, new gamboge aureolin, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, cadmium red and burnt sienna to put the leaves onto the maple trees and 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 painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 90lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Sunset Island 7

Today is our last day at the Knoepfli Inn and we will head for home after breakfast.

Last night I couldn't get to sleep so I got up, made myself a cup of tea and worked on this painting that I had started a couple of years ago (see post on 12 July 2017).

With a dark mixture of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I painted in the silhouette of the pine tree and a couple of dead trees to either side of the main pine tree.

Next, I in a few reflections into the water.

With a lighter mixture of the same colours I put in the cracks and shadows on the rocks and indicated a few grasses at their base.

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.

ACEO - Garden Shed 2

Today is the first day of the Creative Hands on Festival and Lois Shaw, Jewell Allington and I were the artists displaying our art work and representing KAGS.

It is being held on the lower level of the Peterborough Square from 13-15 September 2019 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

In between showing people how to paint pine trees in watercolour I worked on this painting that I had started a number of years ago while painting with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group on location (see posts on 16 May 2016, 29 May and 19 October 2017).















By the end of the day three people went home with lovely little watercolour paintings of pine trees.

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.

ACEO - Morning Fisherman 2

Today I decided to finish this painting that I had started a couple of years ago (see posts on 07 February 2017 and 08 December 2018).

First, I mixed a couple of different greens with French ultramarine blue, raw sienna and new gamboge. I painted in the distant shore on the right side of the lake and then using a sponge, I dotted the leaves into the area above where a tree would be located on the rock spit.

Next, I mixed a brown of burnt sienna and the remaining green paint for the tree trunk and branches.

With burnt sienna I put in the rock reflections into the water.















For the fisherman I used cadmium yellow for the shirt, French ultramarine blue for the jeans and a mix of the blue and burnt sienna for the hat.

Lastly, the all important fishing pole and line were put in with the hat colour and a small amount of the tree trunk colour to darken 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.

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

ACEO - Pink Sky 4

Today I wanted to work on a small painting, so I chose this one that was part of a series of paintings with "pink" skies (see posts on 16 October 2016, 14 May 2017 and 05 June 2018).

I started with the background and added in a few pine trees throughout the distant shore.

With the dark green I put the needles on the branches of the largest pine tree.

From there I added some Antwerp blue to the green and put the needles onto the middle tree, followed by adding a few needles onto the branches of the far right tree that had lost many branches through the years.

At the left side of the island I added a young tree.

Using the dark green, I painted in the trunks and branches.

Grasses and growies were added to the base of the trees and in various places by the rocks.

Using burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue I added the shadows onto the rocks.

Lastly, with a light tint of Alizarin crimson I brushed a few lines of pink across the surface of the lake to change it from one solid colour.

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.

ACEO - Long Shadows 5

Today I wanted to work on this painting that I started a number of years ago (see posts on 22 November 2014 and 26 March 2017)

Using various mixtures of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue and raw sienna I painted in the background trees and the base colours on the needles of the tree in the foreground.

I added more of the blues to darken the colour slightly and put in the shadowed needles.

While the shadowed needles were drying I added a little bit of raw sienna to the green mixture and the high lit needles were painted.















Next I mixed a grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the tree trunks and branches.

Lastly, using mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and new gamboge I put in the grasses and growies.

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

ACEO - Northern Island 1

Today the temperatures are 86F (30C) with the humidity making it feel like 104F (40C). We are under a Meteorological Alert for severe thunder storms, a large hail warning, flash floods and the possibility of tornadoes and winds of 50mph (80kmph).

I thought I would stay inside out of the heat and humidity and work on this painting that I had started many years ago (see posts on 14 June 2013 and 22 December 2016).

I started by painting in the under paint of the rocks with a mix of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

Using various mixtures of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and new gamboge, I painted the trees on the islands, beginning with those in the background being the lightest green and gradually darkening the colour while working forward to those on the large island.















Next using various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue I added the shapes and shading onto the rocks, again beginning on the background islands and working forward with darker colour and more details.

With a mixture of the two blues and burnt sienna I dry brushed in the water leaving some areas of the paper white.

Using the rock colour I put in a few reflections of the rocks into some of the white areas.

Lastly I put a lone seagull into the sky.

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 visit my blog and look at the artwork. I hope you will return often.

ACEO - Sunset Island 6

I wanted to complete this painting that I had started a couple of years ago (see post on 12 July 2017).

With a mixture of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I finished adding the needles onto the pine trees on the island.

I lightened and darkened some areas of the rocks on the island to give it more texture. This was followed by adding the reflections into the water.

The painting looked too stark so I added another island onto the right side of the painting and its reflections.

I lifted some of the dark colour from the trees on the horizon line.

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 visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Two Guys and a Girl Show Opening

Today is the opening of the Two Guys and a Girl Exhibit at the Kawartha Artists Gallery and Studio, located at 420 O'Connell Road, Peterborough, Ontario.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who came out to see the show, considering the temperature was 88F (31C) and the humidity made it feel like 91F (33C).

I am not sure that I would have gone to a show on a day as hot as this when it continues for another two weeks.

It was interesting to see the visitors interacting with the artists and discussing the artwork among them.















About halfway through the afternoon Ron came out to see the show. This is the first time he has ever come out to see one of my gallery opening receptions.















He spent the better part of an hour speaking with Daniel Marlatt and Emil Varga about their art, before he left to return home to do chores.















I spoke with many people about my art and a number of them were especially interested in my pen and ink drawings and my poured acrylic abstract paintings.















Shortly before closing Christine arrived to see the show. She has always been very supportive of my art and chose her three favourite pieces in this show.















We ended up staying open past our closing time to accommodate the pubic. On the whole it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.















I would like to thank returning collector Ms. Christine Martin of Peterborough, Ontario on her purchase of Creation VI (see post on 10 October 2018).

ACEO - Autumn Maples 1 and 2

Today I wanted to finish these two paintings that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 20 September 2013, 23 January and 17 October 2017).

I decided that I would work on the first painting, beginning with the trees in the background and get it as far along as the second painting and then I would work back and forth on both pieces together until they were completed.

I used various mixtures of cadmium red, cadmium yellow, new gamboge, burnt sienna, raw sienna and French ultramarine blue for the trees.

Autumn Maples 1

I used burnt sienna and alizarin crimson for the rocks on the far shoreline.

Using French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I painted in the maple tree trunks in the foreground.

Now I can start working on both paintings together.

Using a mix of Antwerp blue and a small amount of French ultramarine blue I painted in the water adding lighter and darker areas.

With a sponge and cadmium red, cadmium yellow and raw sienna I added the leaves onto the trees.

Lastly I put in the grasses and growies with new gamboge and raw sienna.

Autumn Maples 2

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

New Show at A Place for the Arts

Today I went up to A Place For The Arts in Bancroft to help hang the new show.

I was told that I could use the same space that I had my artwork in previously.

First I put the two small paintings in the same place which made the switch easier.

On the large panel I started by hanging the sailboat at the top and this was followed by putting the two paintings that were in the aluminum frames below.

I had to decide how I would place the rest.

I moved them around a number of times before finally deciding on having the larger one to the inside of the panel and the two smaller ones on the outer edge of the panel one on top of the other.

If you have a chance, please come out and enjoy the new exhibit.

The Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and on all holiday Mondays.

ACEO - Long Shadows 4

Today I wanted to complete this painting that I had started a while ago (see posts on 28 November 2014 and 26 March 2017).

I started by putting in the shadows across the snow with a mixture of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue.

Next I added a little bit of burnt sienna to the shadow colour and put the first layer of pine needles on the trees.

I added more of the blues to darken the colour slightly and put in the shadowed needles.

While the shadowed needles were drying I added a little bit of raw sienna to the green mixture and the high lit needles were painted.

Next I mixed a grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the tree trunks and branches.

Lastly, using mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and new gamboge I put in the grasses and growies.

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

ACEO - Sunset Lake 1

I came across this painting that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 27 April 2015 and 16 March 2017) and wanted to complete it before I went out to meet with friends for a late lunch.

I mixed a dark grey of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and finished painting the pine trees on the island and added a couple of dead tree trunks between the live trees and added some grasses and growies at their base.















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.

ACEO - Pink Sky 3

I wanted to work on something small that I could complete today and after looking at a number of partially completed paintings I picked this one that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 16 October 2016, 14 May 2017 and 05 January 2018).

I mixed various different greens using Antwerp blue, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.

Using the darkest green I put in the shadowed areas onto the pine needles. This was followed by adding the sunlit needles with the lightest green.

With some of the remaining greens I added the ripples in the water below the horizon line and the reflections below the island.

Next I put the grasses in with raw sienna.

Lastly, I used the dark green and added some alizarin crimson and put in the tree trunks, branches and a few dead trees.

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.