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.

Front Field II - Lone Pony - A Work in Progress

I had a little bit of time and I wanted to work on one of my drawings and I chose this one that I had started last month (see post on 18 June 2017).

Looking out my living room window down toward where I did the original drawing, I thought I would add a pony into the field between the two stands of trees.

I started with the tree trunks of the stand of trees in the foreground and then added shadows from them into the grasses at their base.















Next, I started to add some of the shadowed grasses below the further back treeline and before I could go any further on this drawing, I had friends arrive.

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

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

The Morning After - A Work in Progress

I did a couple of sketches last month (15 June 2017) of the bridge on Peterborough County Road 10 that crosses the Cavan Creek.

I thought I would do a larger sketch of the bridge and the things beneath the bridge and with a number of changes.

The water bottle became two beer bottles and a wine bottle, all empty.














The towel was changed into a blanket and the stool into a folding chair.

I started with one of the tree branches in the foreground before I ran out of time.

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

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.

ACEO - Autumn Stream 1

Recently the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group were given the opportunity to hang our artwork in Roland's Steak House at 845 Highway 7 East, Peterborough, Ontario. This morning Vera Penrose and I went to look at the space at Roland's where our paintings would hang.

The first area we were shown was a 12-1/2' (3.8m) wall in the hallway leading to the dining rooms. Then we were shown the Club Room which is a large 20' x 30' (6m x 9m) room with plenty of space for paintings.

After talking with the owners Brigitte and Peter Brugger we decided that the first group of artists going in to exhibit their art work would set up the placement for the paintings and that way no damage would be done to the walls with future shows by changing the nails around.

When I returned home I wanted to do a little painting and I picked this one that I had been working on earlier this year (see posts on 15 September and 10 October 2016).














I started by mixing French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna together for a grey colour and used it to paint in the maple tree trunks and branches. I also used some of the darker mix on the base of some of the rocks, in the shadowed areas, putting in the bridge and into the water for the rock reflections.

With various mixes of raw sienna, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, cadmium yellow and new gamboge the leaves were put on the trees and bushes with a sponge.

While these areas were drying I used mixes of alizarin crimson and burnt sienna to paint in the main color of the rocks.

Using pure raw sienna and pure burnt sienna grasses and growies were painted into the land above the rocks.

Lastly to complete the painting, I put in a small figure walking across the bridge wearing a jacket of cadmium red.

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.

Autumn Strream 1 - A Work in Progress

I was sorting through a number of small drawings already put onto watercolour paper last month (see post on 15 September 2016) and chose this one on which to work.

I remembered it as an autumn scene and for the background brushed mixes of burnt sienna and raw sienna with vertical strokes in the top two thirds of the paper.

Next using the same two colours with horizontal strokes I put in the water of the stream leaving the area where the rocks would be as white paper.















Using the same two colours mixed together I brushed in the ground colour, once again leaving the area along the bank as white paper.

I have decided to rename the painting from River 3 to Autumn Stream 1.

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

Rivers 1-3

Today I was at KAGS and did a few small landscape drawings with rivers, creeks or streams.

On the first one I did was of what I could remember of a winter scene in Buckhorn, Ontario that I came across last winter when on a rare day that I forget to take my camera with me.

The center area of the river was dark, open water which contrasted strongly against the snow covered ice along the banks.

River 1

The pine trees had snow clinging to their branches and grasses and growies poked out of the snow.














River 2

The second one had a stream meandering through a farmer's field with a barn in the background.














River 3

The third one was an autumn scene with a stream running beneath a wooden bridge.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

OSWOA - Forest Stream 1

Today I am painting with the St. John's Art Group in Lakefield.

I wanted to complete this painting that I have been working on (see posts on 13 February 2011, 13 March, 13 August and 25 August 2016).

With a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I painted in the frozen stream running through the forest, darker in the front of the painting leaving some areas white for ice and snow.

Using various mixtures of alizarin crimson, new gamboge, raw sienna, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow I put in the grasses and growies at the base of the trees and at the edge of the stream.













With French ultramarine blue and a touch of burnt sienna, I painted shows into the base of the growies.

Lastly I added a few more leaves into some of the trees with burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

The OSWOA 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 $40.00 and sold unframed.

Forest Stream 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I worked on this painting that I worked on earlier this month (see posts on 13 February 2012, 13 March and 13 August 2016).

I wanted to finish all the background trees. As usual I started working from the furthest back trees to the closest ones using various mixtures if French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna.

Once the treea were completed I put in some grasses and growies that were still above the snow into the background with raw sienna, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.













Next I added a few leaves onto the trees that are often seen still clinging valiantly to their place on the tree branches, refusing to leave until pushed out by the new spring growth or eaten by hungry squirrels.

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

OSWOA - Morning Reflections 1

We are finally getting more rain which started around 4:00am this morning and has continued through most of the day. Although there was a Meteorological Alert issued by Environment Canada for severe rain and wind warnings for the area we were fortunate that it bypassed us, but we still had the 80F (26.7C) temperature and the humidity making it feel like 98F (36.7C).

I wanted to finish this painting that I have been working on (see posts on 10 January 2013, 05 March 12 and 14 August 2016).

After looking at it for a couple of days I decided that the painting needed darker colour in the closer tree trunks and in the water and rocks.

Using French ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna I added the darker colour into the trunks and branches of the closer trees.













With the same colour I added the shadows on the rocks and at the water line.

Next I added in some of the reflections into the water from the main tree trunks and coniferous trees.

Lastly I added a little more alizarin crimson into the stream.

If you would like more information about OSWOA please go to my post on 12 March 2010.

The OSWOA 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 $40.00 and sold unframed.

Last Day of Shades of Summer Art Show

Today is the half day of our show and it was also the busiest with a steady stream of people going through the show.

I thought I would continue with the painting Morning Reflections 1 that I had worked on earlier this week (see posts on 10 January 2013, 05 March and 12 August 2016).

I wanted to darken the warm colour in the sky which is also reflected into the stream using alizarin crimson.

Next I painted in the tree trunks using various mixtures of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. Once this was completed I took a much needed break for lunch.

On my return I added the darker colour onto the evergreen trees with French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.













Using the tree trunk colour, I put in some of the branches, twigs and growies at the base of the trees. With various mixes of raw sienna, burnt sienna, cadmium red, cadmium yellow and alizarin crimson I added dead grasses and leave around the trees.

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

Ten paintings were purchased from Heather Grant, Catherine Selinger, Ron Desjardine, Diane Collins Penny Little and Helen Sheppard. Small items were sold by Penny Little, Diane Collins and JoAnne Connell Northey, who also sold pottery.

The hours for our show are:
14 Aug 16 - 12:30pm - 4:00pm

We hope some of you will be able to come out and visit our show before it closes.

Shades of Summer Art Show and Sale

It was an interesting day at the art show, with a refreshing breeze blowing and the lack of humidity in the morning due to a much needed downpour of rain around 5:00a.m. this morning.

The skies however, remained overcast and as the morning progressed the wind increased along with the temperature 80F (26.7C) and the humidity 100F (37.8C) and then the rain came again in waves, of extremely heavy down pours and high winds, then eased slightly before another rainstorm came in, including two thunderstorms during the afternoon.

There were Meteorological Alerts issued by Environment Canada for tornado warnings, severe rainfall warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for the area. The power went out twice at the show, but no one complained about being in the dark for a short time and continued to enjoy the art work when the lights came back on.

I am not going to complain about the weather as we got the much needed rain which means tomorrow I will not be walking the dog on "crunchy" grass and no tornadoes touched down in the area.

I worked on this painting that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 13 February 2012 and 13 March 2016) called it Forest Stream 1.













I put some shadow into the bottom of the painting using a pale mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

Next I added another layer of maple and birch trees into the background using various mixes of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna before painting in some of closer trees into the foreground with a slightly darker mix of the same colours used on the background trees.

Eight paintings were sold by Catherine Selinger, Susan Sydney, Bonnie Windover and Penny Little. Diane Collins, JoAnne Connell Northey and Penny Little sold small items.

I would like to thank new collector Ms. Barbara Worthington of Mississauga, Ont. on her purchase of Birch Song 4 (see post on 03 June 2010).

The hours for our show are:
13 Aug 16 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
14 Aug 16 - 12:30pm - 4:00pm

I hope you will be able to come out and visit the show either today or before it closes tomorrow.

26th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show and Sale

It was a fairly quiet day today with the temperature once again hot 94F (34.4C) and the humidity making it feel like 107F (41.7C) and even though it did cloud over in the afternoon there was still no rain; hopefully tomorrow will bring some of the rain we so badly need.

I worked on this painting that I had started a few years ago (see posts on 10 January 2013 and 05 March 2016) called Morning Reflections 1.

The background deciduous trees were put in using a pale mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and the under paint for the evergreens was a pale mixture of raw sienna and Antwerp blue.

Using burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson I put in some of the rocks along the edges if the stream.













I will post this painting again at a later date once I have painted in the foreground trees.

One painting sold today and I would like to thank new collector Mrs. Anne Herron of Lakefield, Ontario on her purchase of Golden Birches (see post on 02 June 2012). Small items were sold by Diane Collins and Penny Little.

The hours for our show are:
12 Aug 16 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
13 Aug 16 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
14 Aug 16 - 12:30pm - 4:00pm

We hope you will be able to come out and enjoy our art at some point over the remaining two days.

Forest Stream 1 - A Work in Progress

I wanted to paint today but didn't really know what I wanted to work on, so as I looked through the many smaller pieces I had started over the years I decided to work on this one (see post on 13 February 2013).

I thought it would make a nice winter forest scene and indicated the placement of the larger trees and also put in a small stream running through them.

This painting was originally called Grey Sky 1 and I have changed the name to Forest Stream 1.














At the back of my property I have 4 acres (1.6ha) of mixed hardwood consisting mainly of maple, birch and elm which I thought would make in interesting painting.

Working from the back forward I put in the distant tree line with a pale mix of French ultramarine and burnt sienna.

Gradually darkening the mixture slightly I added the first of a slightly closer tree, then the next closer tree and for a change put in the markings on one of the birch trees to get an idea of the values needed for the painting.













I will post this painting as more work on it is completed.

Morning Reflections 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I didn't have a lot of time to work on painting as I had friends coming over; so I thought I would go through some of my unfinished pieces and at least draw some basics of what the painting needed.

I pulled this one out that I had started a couple of years ago called Peach Sky 1 (see post on 10 January 2013) and thought an early morning snow scene in a woodland setting would work well, so I lightly drew in a river and some of the main tree trunks and branches. Next I changed this painting's name to Morning Reflections 1.














My friends have arrived and I will post this painting at a later date as more work on it is completed.

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

Spring Stream 2 - A Work in Progress

I decided I wanted to do a little more work on this painting that was started a couple of years ago in a class on Colour and Composition class (see posts on 29 January 2012 and 11 December 2015).

It was originally called Colour and Composition 7 and I have renamed it Spring Stream 2.













I added more aureolin into the top of the sky and while the sky area was still wet I added a mix of cadmium red and cadmium yellow throughout the sky.

Using aureolin and the mix of cadmium yellow and cadmium red I put in the under paint on the stream.

It still needs a lot more work before it is finished and I will post the completed piece at a later date.

Colour and Composition 6 and 7 - Two Works in Progress

I pulled out these two paintings that I had started quite a while ago (see post on 29 January 2012) and decided it was about time I did something with them.

For the first one I thought that it looked as though a road winding its way through the hills would work.















Colour and Composition 6

I lightly sketched in the road and added a fence line on the one side as though it was part of a pasture and added a few trees to the top of the hill.

On the other side I put in a few trees and I may at a later time when I start painting it add another fence or do something entirely different.















Colour and Composition 7

For the second one it seemed as though it should have a stream running through the fields.

I lightly indicated the stream and added a few of the main trees. I will have to decide if I wish to turn this piece into a pasture or a forest scene.

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

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

Meandering Stream

This is another painting that I found in storage earlier this month that I had started in a class a number of years ago with Mary Lampman.

This one as with the other two that I found, they just needed a few grasses and growies put into the paintings to finish them.

Using yellow ochre and a small amount of burnt sienna I painted in the dead grasses at the base of the trees on the left side of the painting and smudged in a little as a reflection into the stream.














Using a mix of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, I put in the small twigs and branches of small trees and bushes peeking up through the snow on both sides if the painting.

Mixing the grass colour and the twig colour together I put in small bits and pieces into the background.

This original 16" x 20" acrylic painting when framed will be available for $375.00.

Snelgrove Brook 1

Today as I was driving home, I stopped and did this little sketch of the Snelgrove Brook that runs along the side of the road on my way home.

When I first moved out here the Brook, in the spring when the ice melted would usually run over the road washing parts of it out. One year it washed out so bad that they had to close the road on the south end.















That year I rode my hunter mare, Buck down the road through the water. On my way back home a couple of people in a BMW Mini Cooper asked if they could make it to the end of the road. I just shook my head and let them know the water was up over my horse's knees (which was about halfway up the side of the car door).

Needless to say, they turned around and found another road to take them down into Peterborough.

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