Four Seasons - Buckhorn Lake Sketch

After nice weather yesterday there is now more white stuff on the ground. Although it is spring winter just doesn't want to let go its hold on the temperatures.

However, each season has its own kind of magic whether it is the view from the top of my hill in the glorious golden days of autumn; or the bare tree branches weaving a pattern of shadowed beauty across the glittering new fallen snow.

Winter is followed by the arrival of spring with its gorgeous palette of yellows and greens, the return of the a wide variety of birds and early blooming flowers; leading into the hot, humid and hazy days of summer and the exquisite beauty of the garden flowers that seem to last until the frost sends them once again into hibernation.













When I came across this sketch of Buckhorn Lake and I thought this one would be ideal to try to capture the enchantment and beauty of the same scene in each of the four seasons.

I will post each painting created from this sketch as they are completed and after I decide with which media I will create them.

Through the Storm

This painting is finally coming together after all this time (see postings on 10 Dec 2010, 23 Mar 2012, 31 Dec 2012 and 01 Mar 2013).















A little more shading using cobalt blue was put into the grey areas of the gull's back to give the bird more shape to coverts on the wings to add a little more definition to the feathers.

Then it was the small details that needed to be added to the Herring gull; the yellow rim around the eye and the small red spot on the lower part of the beak.

Next a little more definition with the dark colour on the flight feathers and then the final layer of Chinese white to the edges of the wings and on the white spots of the wing feathers.

This original 11-1/2" x 14-1/2" watercolour painting when framed will be available for $295.00.

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

Paradise I Revisited

Today I was going to frame this drawing that I had completed last year (see post on 18 November 2012), but the more I looked at it the more it didn't look finished.

The first thing I did was to add more details to the waves to give them a more three dimensional look and next I added more substance to the clouds.

The palm trees seemed a little too planted so I added more trees and some growies at the base of some of them to give it a more "lush" feeling.















The beach house needed some shadows added to the one side and the doorway needed a little more definition.

I thought about adding a few seabirds to the sky and decided that I didn't want it to look cluttered so I left it alone.

This framed 7-1/4" x 12" original pen and ink drawing is available for $150.00.

Landscape 133

Recently while going through an old box I found a bundle of small pieces of watercolour paper. I had cut the paper to fit into very small photograph frames when I did miniatures for gift shops in a couple of the hospitals in Toronto, Ontario many years ago.

I decided to paint a small snow scene and quickly washed in a sky with French ultramarine blue and using Antwerp blue painted in snow covered hills leaving some areas white for the sunlit snow.

Next I painted in the background evergreen trees using various mixes if French ultramarine blue, raw sienna, new gamboge, burnt sienna and Antwerp blue.

While waiting for the paint to dry I washed a small amount of raw sienna into some of the white areas of snow.

Using a little pure China white I painted in some birch trees.

This original 1-1/2" x 2-1/4” watercolour painting when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $15.00

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

OSWOA - Light Rays 1

Today in our class with Neil Broadfoot we worked on two paintings. The subject matter was calm water and reflections using a limited palette.

In the first painting we used Antwerp blue, brown madder and alizarin crimson.

The bottom of the paper was wet with water to just below the horizon line. Using a dry brush and Antwerp blue the areas of sun touched water was painted in first and then mixtures of the three colours were used in the wet area for the water.

The top half of the paper was then wet above the horizon line and clouds were painted in using a mixture of Antwerp blue and brown madder.














While the paint was still wet the rays of light showing through the clouds was pulled out.

I will post the other painting showing reflections once it is completed.

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 Windsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Hidden 1

The power came back on sometime during the night. Having no power for three days was an interesting experience that I would rather not do again anytime in the near future.

I pulled this piece out that I had started last year and did a little more work on last month (see posting on 29 December 2012 and 24 March 2013).

Using various greens created using mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and new gamboge.

First the grasses at the bottom of the painting were indicated and some of the background colour was allowed to show through.

The green leaves of the bushes were put over the blue sponge work allowing some of the blue to show through in some areas as shadows.

While this  part of the painting was drying I added some small growies into the grasses with burnt sienna.

Small branches and twigs were painted into the bushes to complete the painting.

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.

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

Crashing Surf

It has been an interesting few days with the power going out at 10:00am Friday morning and finally getting the power back shortly after 9:00pm tonight.

During the day I decided to work on this piece that I had started a few years ago (see post on 27 December 2010).










In the white areas of the spray on the waves I added various soft grey greens and yellow greens using various mixtures of raw sienna, Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue and aureolin.

A few areas in the waves needed to be darkened. For this I used French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna.

This original mixed media, collage when framed will be available for $185.00.