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.

Autumn Rapids

Today I saw my first Robin on the front lawn; although I have seen them a number of them at the bottom of the front field for almost a month.

I thought that I would work with acrylic paint today and pulled out this painting that I had started quite some time ago (see posts on 11 October 2010 and 21 February 2017).

The mass of trees in the distance was just too solid a colour and I decided to add a few more trees into the background.















Using ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna I added a few trees into the background between the maple trees on the right side of the painting as well as a few dark colours into the background between the maples and the birches..

This original 16" x 20” acrylic painting when framed will be available for $425.00.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

ACEO - Winter Creek 3

After going out this morning and doing the barn chores with the temperature at 18F (-8C), and the snow being whipped around by the wind making it feel like 5F (-15C) and finally coming in and settling down with a nice hot cup of tea; I decided that I was going to paint today.

I pulled out this painting that I had started a couple of years ago (see posts on 15 September 2016 and 17 January 2017) and wanted to get it finished.

Working from the back of the painting forward, I put in the trees on the horizon line with a pale mix of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna and a small pine tree by the birch tree on the left side by the creek.

Darkening the green mix, I put in the clump of pine trees on the right side of the creek and a large pine on the left side.

With a grey of burnt sienna and cobalt blue, I put in the maple tree, the branches on the birch tree, some ripples into the water of the creek and lastly, put in the twigs in the foreground on the right bank of the creek.

With various mixtures of raw sienna, alizarin crimson, aureolin, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow, I put in the few remaining leaves on the maples; and then added the markings on the birch tree, followed by putting in the grasses and growies throughout 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.

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

ACEO - Winter Creek 2

Today I wanted to complete this little painting that I started a couple of years ago (see posts on 15 September 2016, 17 January and 11 July 2017).

With a pale mixture of French ultramarine blue and cobalt blue I brushed in some shadows on the snow covered fields.

I darkened the mixture and added some ripples into the water on the creek.

Next I added burnt sienna to the darker blue colour and put in the tree branches and dark spots onto the birch tree on the left side of the painting.















Using various shades of green made from French ultramarine blue, raw sienna and new gamboge I painted in the various clumps of trees growing in the fields.

Lastly I added the various grasses and growies throughout the painting using mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna, new gamboge and aureolin.

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.

Pathway 1 and Reflections 7

Today it is back to being another overcast day at the Knoepfli Inn, but hopefully the rain will continue to stay away.

After breakfast I went down to the Magnetawan River and this time I wanted to sketch some of the trees on the far shore and their reflections in the water.

There were a number of trees that had not changed from their bright green foliage in behind the ones closest to the shore. I liked how the pale dead tree trunk beside a brilliant orange maple were reflected into the dark water of the river.

Reflections 7

I added in a few of the plants into the foreground of the drawing that where on this side of the river.














Pathway 1

On my way back to the Inn for lunch I stopped and did this sketch of the pathway near cabin 1.

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

After lunch Norma and I brought our friend back from the hospital in time to join us for supper. 

Farm by the River I

Today is the first day of painting with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group at St. Matthew Church in Buckhorn, Ontario.

I thought since I was there, I may as well change my painting hanging in our display area, so I exchanged Strawberries with Single Pear.

I brought one of my pen and ink drawings that I had started a few years ago (see posts on 11 November 2015, 31 January and 13 October 2017) and thought I would complete it.

I started by putting in the third large tree trunk into the foreground.

Next I added in the grasses and growies on the edge of the water and at the base of the two trees on the right side of the drawing as well as a few small bushes.















Lastly I added in the trees on the far shoreline and the ripples into the river.

This original 9" x 12" pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $95.00.

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

ACEO - River Morning 1

This morning I looked at the two Monarch butterfly chrysalis on the outside of the front porch.

The first one that was at the lower part of the porch window frame had changed and you could see through the outer shell the darker veining in between the areas of the orange on the wings and some of the white markings.

More than likely the butterfly will emerge either later today or very early tomorrow morning. I will keep checking on it and hopefully be able to watch it happen.

The second chrysalis, which is on the corner of the upper window on the porch, hasn't started to change colour and probably won't emerge today, perhaps sometime tomorrow.

I will just have to be patient.

In the meantime I thought I would work on this painting that I had started a few years ago (see posts on 13 September 2015 and 26 February 2018).

The first thing I did was bring the orange and peach colours from the sky further down into the water making the river wider.

With a pale mixture of burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue I put in the furthest back tree trunks on the far shore and gradually darkened the colour and increased the size of the tree trunks as the trees came closer to the river.

Darkening the colour more I put in the largest tree trunk on the shore in the foreground.

Next I mixed a pale green of raw sienna, French ultramarine blue and Antwerp blue and using a sponge I put the leaves on the furthest back trees first. Then I slightly darkened the green mix and put in each layer of trees on the far shore.

At this point I put the grasses at the edge of the shore leaving some areas untouched for the rocks at the river's edge.

I wet the river with clear water and using the green brushed in the reflections of the closer trees into the water.

While the river was drying I darkened the green mix and with the sponge I put the leaves on the foreground tree.

Lastly, I painted in the grasses and the growies at the base of the foreground tree and on the closer shore.

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 - Waterfall 2

Today I thought I would finish this painting that I had started last year (see posts on 06 February and 08 August 2017).

Using a small sponge to put in the autumn leaves on the closer trees I used mixtures of cadmium red, cadmium yellow, aureolin and new gamboge.

I started with the larger trees in the middle area and darkened the colours as I worked my way forward to the largest tree in the foreground.

Using a brush I added a few leaves scattered throughout the 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 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Freezing Fog and Winter Streams

Overnight we had freezing fog and I woke up to see everything coated in white ice crystals.

For the third day we are under a Meteorological Alert issued for the area of a winter snow storm warning with up to 9" (22.9cm) of heavy, wet snow and a heavy rain warning together with possible flooding. With the sun making an appearance in the late afternoon the high reached 41F (5C).















After doing the barn chores I went for a walk around the track and took a number of photographs of the ice covered trees.

I thought I would do a couple of sketches of streams with winter trees coated with ice much like the scenes I had on the property.















Winter Reflections 1

For my first drawing I put in the river and then added in the snow covered banks. From there I added some grasses and growies onto the river banks coming up out of the snow.

Next I went in and put the tree trunks and branches along the shore and added them faintly into the distant hills.















Winter Stream 1

For my second drawing I wanted to do one of the wetland at the S bend at the bottom of the property, where there are cattails growing.

I put in the stream followed by the snow covered banks against the water. Next I added the trees onto the land and some of the dead, dried cattails at the edge of the wetland.

Moonlight 7 - A Work in Progress

I pulled this drawing out that I started a couple of years ago (see post on 17 September 2016) and thought I would like to do a little more work on it and decided that this would be a snow scene.

I wanted to try a different coloured night sky, so I started with a mix of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and a small amount of alizarin crimson to warm the colour.

Working with the darkest colour of the sky at the edges of the painting and I gradually lightened the colour toward the full moon creating a halo.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have added the river and the snow.

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

Mornings - Two Works in Progress

After returning from the Executive meeting at KAGS I wanted to do some work on a painting and I pulled out these two drawings and wanted to at least put in the skies.

The first one (see post on 13 September 2015) already had some colour in the sky and I wanted to darken it slightly.

In the bottom of the sky I washed in aureolin, then added alizarin crimson and put in the centre of the sky and into the water.

Lastly, I added more red and put it into the top of the sky and into the water.

River Morning 1

I set this painting aside to dry and picked another drawing to put in the sky and reflections using the same colours.

For the next piece that started a long time ago (see post on 10 September 2014) I wet the paper and started with aureolin in the bottom of the sky and in the water nearest to the shoreline.

I added alizarin crimson and brushed in the middle of the sky and the water.

Adding more red I finished the sky and water.

Peaceful Morning 1

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

Farm by the River I - A Work in Progress

Today I couldn't get into painting so I flipped through the many sketches I have created while drawing on location and thought I would apply some ink onto the drawing.

I pulled out this one that I had started a couple of years ago while I was on River Road in Lakefield (see posts on 11 November 2015 and 31 January 2017).















I started with the large foreground tree on the right side of the paper, but before I could get it completed I had to go out and help a friend who needed a ride.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have completed the foreground trees.

ACEO - Dusk 14

We arrived at the Knoepfli Inn, located at 5484 Highway 124 in Magnetawan, Ontario yesterday and spent most of the afternoon settling in and taking photographs. I am limited by my leg as to where I can go on the property but hopefully by next year it will be a lot better and I can get down the hill to the river behind the cottages.

Bea Kolman mentioned at breakfast this morning she would really like it if for next year she could have some paintings of the various cottages for the Scenes of Magnetawan" show for next year. While the light was good in the morning I most my time out taking photographs of the cottages on both sides of the road, then I took pictures of the Inn, the farmhouse and the boathouse.

After lunch I spent some time working on a number of sketches of various birch trees on the property.

This evening after supper went down to the dock by the boat house, which is on Ahmic Lake at the start of the Knoepfli Falls which become the Magnetawan River at the end of the rapids under the Highway 124 bridge.

I thought I would use the opaque watercolor paint that I had used earlier this year, as it seems to lend itself to painting late evening scenes.

I had to work quickly so I kept the painting fairly simple before I lost the light as the sun set.

Thank you for looking at my 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. Fabriano 100% cotton, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Three Rivers

The heat 81F (27C) and humidity 91F (33C) are back again and having the temperatures this high in are unusual.

So to think cool thoughts I decided to do a few drawings of partially frozen rivers in the winter with snow on the ground and trees.















Bend in the River 1

 For the first one I wanted to have a covering of snow on the ground with thin ice forming along some sections of the river bank; together with an ice fog in the background to keep things misty.















Evening River 1

For the second one I wanted a deep layer of snow on the ground and in the branches of the pine trees. The river would have a thin layer of ice across most of its surface and some grasses and growies poking out of the snow.















Sunset River 1

On the third one I wanted a light dusting of snow on the ground which would allow the rocks to show through the snow. The river would be open water and the trees would be a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees.

Any of these sketches could easily be developed into paintings in either watercolour or acrylic, which I may do at a later date.

Waterfall 2 - A Work in Progress

I pulled this sketch out that I did earlier this year (see post on 06 February 2017) and though I would like to add some colour to the drawing.

I put the sky in with a mix of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue with a touch of burnt sienna. While the sky was drying I used the sky colour and added a little raw sienna to the mix and put in the rapids and the waterfall leaving areas of white for the white caps and froth.

Using various mixtures of alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue, I painted in the rocks along the river banks and in the water.

While that was drying I mixed a grey of the blues and burnt sienna for the tree trunks. Starting at the back of the forest and gradually working my way forward by darkening the color and adding more detail.

Next using raw sienna, burnt sienna, new gamboge, alizarin crimson and Antwerp blue I painted in the grasses and growies at the basses of the trees and started with some of the leaves on the trees in the background and the middle ground.

I set this painting aside to dry completely before I put in the closer leaves on the trees. I will post this painting at a later date once it has been completed.

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

Winter Creek 2 - A Work in Progress

It is going to be another hot 81F (27C) and humid 91F (33C) day and I would like to I thought I would like to work on a winter scene. I chose this one that I had started last year (see posts on 15 September 2016 and 17 January 2017).

I started in the background using greens made of French ultramarine blue, new gamboge and raw sienna to create the pine trees in the back ground, leaving space for the rocks in front of the trees.

With a dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I put in the trunks of the deciduous trees in the background and then painted in the trunk of the maple tree in the foreground.















Next I darkened the trunk colour with a touch of alizarin crimson and painted the bark onto the birch tree. This was followed by using burnt sienna on the areas where the bark had peeled away from the trunk.

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

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

Autumn Rapids 1 - Work in Progress

Today I wanted to work with acrylic so I pulled out some of my partially completed canvases and chose this one that that I had started many years ago (see post on 11 October 2010).

I began by adding more colour and texture to the bark on the maples trees using mixtures of burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and titanium white.

Using the same colours for the maples, I added some dead tree trunks into the background on the far side of the river.

I darkened the foreground rocks slightly and mottled the colour on them so they were not just one flat shade of grey.

Now it was time to add the grasses and growies into the foreground. For this is put in the base layer with mixtures of raw sienna and burnt sienna.















From there I added ultramarine blue to the base colours and added in various shades of green throughout the foreground.

Using various mixtures of Cadmium red, cadmium yellow, Hansa yellow and alizarin crimson I added a little more colour onto the maple trees on the far side of the river and then added the bright colours into the tops of the foreground trees.

Next I added a few smaller trees at the base of the birch trees, and then scattered some fallen leaves throughout the grasses and on top of the rocks.

Lastly, I added some maple leaves throughout the background as though they had fallen from the branches and were carried away by the wind.

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

Morning Fisherman 2 - A Work in Progress

Today I was just scribbling to see what I could inspire myself to draw and I ended up playing with a fisherman, in waders fishing by the shore of a lake.

I added in a tree on the shore on the left side of the drawing and a few water ripples, on the right side I put in some land with pine trees, I may add a cottage later.















In the background I lightly put in the horizon line and added some small tree tops in the distance.

I will post this again once I have put in the sky and the water.

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.

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.