Clouds 1-4 - Four Works in Progress

Finally, a day above freezing! It  made it up to 36F (2C) and it is so nice to see the snow slide off the barn roof and some of the snow melt off the driveway. But I know this is just Mother Nature's joke on all of us, because next week the temperature is going to plunge back down below the freezing mark yet again, so I am going to enjoy it for the short time it lasts.

Clouds 1

It somehow seemed fitting that I should paint some nice blue skies with snow clouds.














Clouds 2

I worked back and forth on all four pieces at the same time so by the time I had finished washing in the fourth sky the first painting would be dry enough to paint in the next layer of paint.














Clouds 3

I used French ultramarine blue to wash in the sky leaving some areas of the white paper to show for the white of the clouds.















Clouds 4

Next I added a little burnt sienna to the blue to grey it slightly and painted in the shadows on the clouds.

I will post these paintings at a later date as each of them is completed.

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

Snow Lady and Child 1 - A Work in Progress

Going through a file folder last week, I came across two paintings with a little colour at the bottom (see post on 23 February 2013) and decided they would make ideal winter scenes.

The first one was made into a Snow Man 1 earlier this month (see post on 12 February 2013).

I decided that I would continue with that theme using the one called Abstract B and rename it Snow Lady and Child 1.

The area at the bottom seemed as though it was the base for a small snowman which would become the Snow Child.

The round shape also gave me a light source to use for this piece.

To complete the snow family I would place a larger Snow Lady with the smaller Snow Child.

It didn't take long to do the sketch of both the snow people with the child wearing a scarf and toque, the lady wearing a bonnet and to complete them stick arms were added.

I will post this painting at a later date once they have been transferred onto the paper.

Autumn Tress 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

These are two paintings I started last year when I was at the Knoepfli Inn in Magnetawan, Ontario (see post on 20 October 2013).

I started by masking out the leaves on both paintings with liquid friskit and then set them aside to dry.

Once the friskit was dry on the first one, using a pencil I lightly did more drawing on the birch tree trunks and to the branches to give them more definition.

I then did the same to the larger maple trunks and branches and added in some of the background tree trunks that didn't need much detail.

Now that the second piece was dry I indicated many of the pine branches from the trees that were in the background.

Next I added more details to the larger oak tree trunks and added many of the branches joining them to the clumps of leaves.

Lastly I worked on the maple tree trunks, branches adding the maple leaves which will be masked out with a different friskit.

I will post both of these paintings at a later date once I have  masked out the maple leaves and have the backgrounds completed.

OSWOA - Lone Pine 1

Since I have been working on paintings with pine trees this week I thought I may as well finish this one that I worked on last month (see posts on 27 February 2012 and 06 January 2014).

First, I lightly sketched in a few trees into the background as well as a distant hillside.

Next, I mixed various different greens using combinations of Antwerp blue, cerulean blue, French ultramarine blue, raw sienna, aureolin and new gamboge.

Starting in the background and using a pale blue green, I indicated the distant trees on the hill.

Using various mid tone greens, I put the needles onto the background trees, being careful to leave spaces to put in the tree trunks and dead branches.

I put the mid tone green needles on the branches in first, followed by the darker greens on the branches of the foreground tree.

For the trunk and branch colours, I used light and dark mixes of burnt sienna and French ultramarine blue.

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

The OSWOA shown is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Windsor & Newton paint on either 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Pine Reflections 1

This morning I wanted to paint, but only had a couple of hours before I had to get ready to go out and run a couple of errands before going to meet the rest of the family for a Valentine's Day supper.

I pulled out this painting that I had started last year (see post on 25 April 2013). I started putting in the background trees with various greens made from Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, raw sienna and new gamboge.

From there I darkened the greens and moved forward to the trees on the islands.

Then I darkened the various greens again and painted the trees in the foreground.

Using raw sienna and burnt sienna I put in the grasses and growies at the base of the trees.

I put in the rocks with alizarin crimson.

i 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 140lb. Fabriano 100% cotton, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Lake Reflections and Pine Island - Two Works in Progress

Today I pulled out a couple of pieces of board and applied gesso to them on both the front and back sides and set them aside to dry.

Using a pencil on the first one I indicated a few clouds in the sky, put in the horizon line, indicated where I would place the island added a couple of large pine trees onto the island and added a few ripple lines to the first one.

Where the rocks would be on the island I used impasto gel and using a palette knife put in the rocks. Then I set it aside to dry.

Pine Reflections

Next I worked on the second piece and started by placing the horizon line.

From there I added in the far shoreline and indicated a few of the taller pines in the background, I put a few clouds into the sky and this was followed by placing the island rocks and the reflections of the island in the water.

I put indicated the larger pine trees on the island and added a few water ripples into the lake before adding the impasto gel to the rocks.

Pine Island

I will post each of these paintings once I have decided on what colours I want to use in the sky and in the water.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Thundering Trio - A Work in Progress

Today I worked on this sketch of three horses galloping. I still have a lot more work to complete on each of the three horses, But I feel it will work up into a nice painting.














I will post this piece at a later date once the outline sketch is completed for each horse.