Brian Smith Workshop - Maria

I have had a very enjoyable weekend at KAGS with the Brian Smith workshop on "Colour for the Portrait Painter".

On Saturday the first exercise in the morning was a value study using just black, white and grey in any media. I chose to do mine in Prisma pencil on a 9" x 12" sheet of pastel paper (the completed sketch called Maria is shown here, and is available matted and shrink wrapped for $50.00).

In the afternoon the second exercise was using a monochromatic palette to complete a painting using tints, tones and shades of burnt sienna. The background of the canvas was washed with pure burnt sienna for a mid-range colour.

Brian Smith demonstrated this technique from start to finish and completed the painting in the class.

Quarter Horse - Happy Hopper

While watching a local schooling show last weekend I did a number of sketches of Quarter horses.

I have sketches on the drawing board that I really need to work on but I was not in the mood to work with watercolour today, so I worked on this one using conte pencil on a 9" x 12" block of pastel paper.

I also started a second head study which I will complete at a later date.

Congratulations to new collector Mrs. Louise Stewart of Sydney, Nova Scotia on her purchase of this painting.

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

OSWOA - Ghost Trees 1

Often in areas on a flood plain or at the edge of a marsh you will find the skeletons of trees standing in lush grass.

These are a few of the trees I have at the edge of the Snelgrove Brook at the back of my property.

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 paintings using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Boat 1

Even though the temperature was 19F (-7C) and foggy, by 11:00am the sun was out and by the afternoon the temperature made it up to 40F (4C).

It was nice to have a warmer temperature and no snow flurries for a change. It makes you want to start thinking about the things you can go out and do in the warmer weather; which is why today I did a boat with its sails furled waiting for the warmer weather to go skimming across the lake.

The ACEO shown 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.

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

Gentle Breeze

It is April and we are still getting snow flurries. They have continued on and off since yesterday; some spring temperatures would be a pleasant change.

This is the kind of weather I would like to see. A warm gentle breeze softly rustling the shade giving leaves on a summer afternoon.

Congratulations to Mr. William Winter of London, Ontario on his selection of Gentle Breeze, an original 8" x 10" framed acrylic.

Autumn Tranquility

This is a painting I had started last autumn.

It is a scene from the top of the middle field behind the barns and is the gateway to three of the lower fields. Behind the distant treeline is the Snelgrove Brook. It is part of the Miller Creek water system and divides the back part of my property through the wetlands, which are home to a multitude of wildlife including deer, bear, wolves, beaver, an occasional moose, and is both a nesting ground for waterfowl and a rest area the during migration.

This is an original 11" x 14" framed acrylic painting selected into the collection of Fortune Palace, Prince George, B.C.

Misty Morn

At least we have sunshine today and slightly warmer temperatures but still unseasonably cold.

Today I chose to work with another "grey" combination using only Antwerp blue and burnt sienna. I feel this combination of greyed colours have a very soft effect, without any harshness.

Thank you to collector Dr. David T. Barnard PhD. of Kingston, Ontario on his purchase of this original 10-1/2" x 13-1/2” framed watercolour painting and Morning Mist (see yesterday's posting).

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