Taking the Bait - A Work in Progress

Today was the opening for the Miniaturia show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio and my two submissions were of juvenile Spotted Drumfish (see my postings on 21 and 23 February 2011).

I thought it was only fitting that I should paint a freshwater fish this time.

I have the under painting completed and will work on the detail next. I will post this painting once I have it finished.

Flat Out 1

I often doodle in my sketch book with pencil and my imagination.

Once I have them down I will come back and ink them in. These doodles are often the basis for paintings at a later time. This one needs more work on the composition but I think it has potential.

The picture shown here is an original 4-1/2" x 7-1/4” pen and ink drawing and is available matted and shrink wrapped for $25.00.

OSWOA - Snow Clouds 1

This is a painting using a limited palette of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna.

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.

This framed painting is available for $125.00. SOLD

ACEO - Mystique 1

Only two colours were used in this misty looking painting French ultramarine blue and raw sienna.

The sky was washed in with pure French ultramarine blue.

While the background was still wet raw sienna was added to the sky colour and the trees were painted keeping them soft looking and unfocused.

The water was washed in with a slightly darker green and a highlight just below the tree line was lifted using clear water.

As the paper dried a darker mixture of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna was used to paint in the foreground 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 either 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Spotted Drumfish - Juvenile 2

As the Drumfish gets older the dorsal fin gradually is reduced in size, the body thickens and lengthens as the fish darkens and develops its spots.

Spotted Drumfish - Juvenile 2 is an original 4" x 4" acrylic, sold unframed for $125.00.

This is the second of two acrylic paintings that I am submitting to the Miniaturia Show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio. For Spotted Drumfish - Juvenile 1 (see posting 21 February 11).

I am currently working on sketches of an adult Spotted Drumfish as a companion piece the two juveniles.

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

Sunflowers 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

Today the Buckhorn Tuesday Painters had Janet Skrepnek as our guest artist to give a workshop on painting Sunflowers.

The sketches of the Sunflowers are lightly drawn onto the paper.

The inside area over all of the Sunflowers are carefully wet with water and a wash of pure aureolin is painted over the entire Sunflower as a base colour.

Sunflower 1

Raw sienna is used to give a little depth of colour to the some of the leaves, stalks and flower heads.

Next the flower heads are painted in using various mixtures of aureolin, raw sienna, burnt sienna, Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue.

The leaves are painted using various greens made from mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, cobalt blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna, aureolin and a touch of alizarin crimson into the shadows to darken the colour.

Sunflowers 2

The petals are painted next using mixtures of aureolin, raw sienna and burnt sienna.

Lastly the sky is washed in behind the Sunflowers.Using pure cobalt blue for the top of the sky and a mixture of cobalt blue and alizarin crimson where the sky colour touches the Sunflowers. Be sure to leave some white areas for clouds.













Sunflowers 3

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

Spotted Drumfish - Juvenile 1

The juvenile Spotted Drumfish has to be one of the most enchanting fish I have come across on the Caribbean reefs (next to the seahorse, of course).

This is a painting of a very young juvenile with the extremely long dorsal and tail fins which flutter like twin black and white striped streamers as the fish moves along the reef.

This is the first of two acrylic paintings that I am submitting to the Miniaturia Show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.

This is a 4" x 4" original, acrylic sold unframed for $125.00.