Through the Storm - A Work in Progress

Today it is bright and sunny with the temperatures climbing into the low 40's F (4.4C), which is making some of the snow melt, but it has a long way to go yet.














I wanted to do more work on the seagull  as this painting is getting very close to being completed (see postings on 10 Dec 2010, 23 Mar 2012 and 31 December 2012).

I added another layer of Chinese white to the leading edge of the wings and on the bottom edges of the primary and secondary feathers.

Using a mixture of cobalt blue and burnt sienna I added some definition to the upper wing coverts and the speculum.

Then with a wash of pure cobalt blue I added a little shape to the gull's back and to the curve of the wings.

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

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Frozen Birches - A Work in Progress

Due the heavy snowfall and slippery roads it was decided that the Still Life class at KAGS would be cancelled.

After looking out the window and seeing such beauty around me I went out and took many pictures of the snow laden trees before my fingers and toes got too cold for me to continue to stay outside in the wind and the snow taking more photographs.

Once inside while warming up and enjoying a hot cup of tea I decided that I still wanted to do some painting today and went through a number of pieces on which I have been working.

I chose one suitably called "Frozen Birches" (see posts on 12 February 2013, 26 August 2012 and 13 May 2010).

Since this is a monochrome painting using Antwerp blue I started work on the final tree and washed in some of the shading on the trunk and branches before setting it aside for a while to dry.

When I returned to it I penciled in the direction of the curves on the trunk and some of the areas that I wanted to put in the birch "whip" markings.

I began painting one of the smaller branches and started with one of the other sections where the branch joins in onto the main trunk.

I will post this painting again at a later date once I have more work on the main tree completed.

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

Fog 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

Well, I woke up to more white stuff on the ground and it has continued throughout the day and is not expected to quit until late tomorrow night.














Fog 1

When the snow was blowing it made the trees along the fence line look as though they were surrounded by fog.














Fog 2

I started these two paintings to create something similar to what I was seeing. I will post them at a later date once more work on them has been completed.

Corridor - A Work in Progress

Today is a beautiful, bright and sunny day with the temperatures just above freezing at the moment, although the wind is starting to pick up and we are to have another major snow storm come through tonight and continue throughout the weekend.

I am not looking forward to that, but I will enjoy what I have right now.

Yesterday I painted with Neil Broadfoot and Lucie Lemieux Wilson at KAGS and I decided to work on an abstract painting. I have the blocked in the basic shapes and added some areas of colour.

I will post this painting at a later date once more of it is completed.

Alert

I wanted to do a number of drawings of foals in various different breeds of horses.

An Arabian foal seemed like a good place to start. The head on an Arabian with the its small muzzle and dished face makes it almost impossible not to recognize.


















This original 4-1/2" x 4-1/2” graphite pencil sketch when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $25.00.

Now I have to head out and go to the Executive meeting at KAGS.

Mysterious Island - A Work in Progress

Today I was trying a new type of paper to see how it would handle watercolour paint. It is giving some interesting effects, but doesn't take very well to wet on wet.

I put in the sky and water with French ultramarine blue and left some areas of white for clouds and added a touch of burnt sienna to the blue for the shadows on the underside of the clouds.
















I added a little Antwerp blue to the blue of the water to change it slightly from the sky colour.

With a mixture of the two blues and raw sienna I painted in the island. The paint separated on the paper and give the look of vertical stripes, so I set is aside to dry.

I will post this painting at a later date once I go back into it and add some detail to the island trees.

Abstract A and B - Two Works in Progress

Today was one of those days where I just wanted to play with colour and what better way than to do a couple of abstract paintings.

With it being a fairly cool day with some snow still on the ground I decided that I would use a couple of warm colours that would remind me of the various colours which are reflected off snow on a sunny day in winter.

Using French ultramarine blue and a touch of alizarin crimson I started at the bottom of both paintings so they would have similar colours and I could work back and forth between the two pieces at the same time.

Abstract A

Using the brush I wet a few areas and then dropped the colour into them.

Next I changed the various shapes as well as the mixtures of blue and red and softened some of the colours as I painted by adding more water.

I added a little bit of pure cobalt blue to the bottom of each piece as well.

Abstract B

I had planned on doing more to these two paintings but had unexpected company arrive.

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