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.

Lilac Spring

Today as I was out and about, I came across some lilacs in bloom. I pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out my sketchbook.

I liked the composition of the scene in front of me, with the contrast of the dark greens of the lilac bushes with their pale coloured flowers against the bright greens of the fields in behind them.















I like the drawing and it has the potential to make an interesting painting.

Before I left, I made sure to take a number of reference photographs as I never know how long it will be before I actually start the painting.

Garden Shed 2 - A Work in Progress

We have a frost warning in place and with the high for the day being 32F (0C) I can understand why, so I decided to work on a painting that reminds me of spring that I had started last year (see posts on 26 May 2016 and 29 May 2017).

I started by finishing the boards on the shed and then adding the shadows cast by the edge of the roof and the shadowed side of the shed.

Next I darkened in the open doorway leaving and area near the bottom blank for when I draw in the wheelbarrow.

Using Antwerp blue, raw sienna and new gamboge I indicated the leaves of the flowerbed on both sides of the shed.















I added French ultramarine blue to the light green colour and put in the grass on the side of the pathway.

I scattered flowers throughout the flowerbeds using cadmium red and a few dandelions through the grasses with cadmium yellow.

I will post this piece 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.

Garden Shed 2 - A Work in Progress

Today when I returned from my physiotherapy appointment looked at my lilac bushes, which are currently in bloom and decided I would go out later this afternoon to cut a fresh bouquet for the house to bring their scent indoors.

Since I needed to take some time to rest and relax I thought I would like to work on a painting with lilacs and I pulled out this little paintings that I had started last year (see post on 26 May 2016) while with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group.

Using various mixtures of alizarin crimson, Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue I added more lilacs around the shed.

While the paint was drying, I worked on the shed and erased the wheelbarrow which I will redraw in at a later time.















Next I mixed various greens of raw sienna, French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and new gamboge and I put in the leaves throughout the lilac bushes.

With burnt sienna and one of the greens I put in the facing boards on the shed and with a light mix of colour I put the tin roof on the shed.

Now it is time for me to have lunch before I go out to get my bouquet of lilacs.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Garden Shed 2 - A Work in Progress

Even though the forecast called for warm temperatures 83F (27.8C), high humidity  94F (34.4C) and thunderstorms, today I went and painted with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group at a farm on Cameron Line that was known for its lilac bushes.

The first thing I saw as we turned into the driveway was a peacock walking across the road; needless to say I grabbed my camera and took a picture.

I later learned from the owners that they had eight peafowl on the property but the peahens had already gone to ground and wouldn't appear until after the eggs had hatched.














The farm was a treasure trove of opportunities for paintings and I spent most of the morning taking photographs and making a few quick sketches.

The original barn was built in 1813 and the original section of the stone house was built in 1821 and various additions were added at later times.

There were many wondrous things hidden in and among the flower gardens surrounding the house which also had an enchanting natural stone slab set of stairs leading up to one of the additions.














After taking many reference photographs of the building, gardens, livestock and farm equipment I settled down to work on a painting.

Just before lunch time it started to cloud over and when I went back to do more work on my painting it wasn't long before the first few drops of rain started to fall.

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

Lilac Reflections - A Work in Progress

I washed in the background using various mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp Blue and alizarin crimson then set it aside to dry.

Once it was dry I used a mixture of alizarin crimson and Antwerp blue as the under paint for the lilac flowers. While that was drying I added some French ultramarine blue to the lilac mixture and painted the vase.














Next I washed in raw sienna and Antwerp blue into the leaves. I left this colour for the high lit areas of the leaves.Then added French ultramarine blue and painted the mid tone of the leaves, then with a little burnt sienna added to the mixture and the dark shadows were painted.

I started adding in the shadows on the lilacs, which were a mixture of French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson.

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

Lilacs

This was the third of the three 20 minute warm up exercises for an hour long painting. See yesterday's posting for Abundance (the one hour painting).

For me, I found it was better to break the shapes down into their simplest forms and putting the base colour in and if there was time remaining to add the shading.

Lilacs is an original 3" x 4” framed watercolour available for $95.00.