Frozen Reflections 1 and 2

The temperatures were at 25F (-3.9C) this morning when I went into Peterborough to take down my exhibit at the Dancing Blueberries.

On my way home I stopped at the small park on Water St. to do a couple of drawings of the reflections of the trees on the ice of the frozen Otonabee River.

Just off the shore of the park there was a small island and I did a part of its shoreline.

This section of the island had more coniferous trees which had lovely reflections.

Frozen Reflections 1

From there I walked along the shore of the park until I could see where the shoreline jutted out into the river.

I could see a few deciduous trees which cast long shadows across the snow as well as seeing the tree reflections onto the ice on the river.

In the distance I could see the far shoreline and I indicated the trees on the horizon  line.

Once I finished the second drawing, I had enough of being out in the cold and it was time to go home for lunch and a hot cup of tea.

Frozen Reflections 2

At a later date I may decide to make these drawings into paintings.

Against the Sky I

Today I wanted to sort through a box that was in heated storage. It contained some of my paintings that needed to be completed as well as a number of sketches for paintings that either had been completed or that needed to be developed for future paintings.










After finding this quick sketch, that was the basis of a painting that I had completed a number of years ago (see post on 03 June 2011) I may do a set of the four seasons using the sky as the background for Standardbreds jogging on the track.

At the Beach 1

Almost all of the snow has melted and the temperature today is to go up to 56F (13.3C)  which is just to tease us as tomorrow we are to get snow once again.

The sunset was beautiful this evening with the warm reds, oranges and yellows lighting up the sky before the sun disappeared from sight.

As I sat at the kitchen table watching the sun go down I thought of the sunsets we would see in Aruba while looking out over Eagle Beach from our balcony.

I did this drawing of the beach at sunset.

Since there often were people strolling along the beach in the evening I added someone walking along the shore.

Winter

A couple of days ago, when I was going through some old canvases I came across a couple of partially finished paintings.

This one needed something to make it more interesting from just a row of pine trees, so I added another layer of trees in front of the pines.

I started with titanium white and indicated the trunks of a few birch trees in the middle area and then some more larger ones just above the snow covered rock.

Next, I added a small amount of ultramarine blue to the white and put shadows on the right side of the birch tree trunks.

With a mix of titanium white, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I put the markings on the further back birches.















I darkened the mixture slightly and added a maple tree and a tree stump by the birches.

Next, I added more ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and a small amount of alizarin crimson to darken the colour for the markings on the closer birch trees and added the dark limbs and branches that were indicated in white.

In some areas I added tiny amounts of pure burnt sienna onto the trunks to give some added colour to the markings on the trees.

Using various mixes of burnt sienna and yellow ochre I put in the grasses and growies sticking up out of the snow around the closer birches.

This original 16" x 20" acrylic painting when framed will be available for $375.00.

Trent River I

It is an overcast, but mild day of 47F (8.3C) with rain falling and I am sitting at Kent.

Due to the rain there were a number of people who can out for the last day of the Abstractions and Contraptions exhibit.












But I was still able to have the time to complete this pen and ink that I did the sketch for while canoeing on the Trent River earlier this year (see post on 28 September 2014).

This original 5-1/2" x 10” drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $40.00.

Three Mountains - Nevada

-4F (-2C) but at least there is no more snow in the forecast and the wind won't start until this afternoon which will make it feel a lot colder.














Dark Mountains I

After finding these sketches that I did when we were in Las Vegas around this time of the year and I think about how it was hot enough that we went swimming in the pool everyday and relaxed in the sun.














Early morning Mountains I

In the morning as the sun was rising I did these sketches as I looked out our hotel window at the mountain ranges in the distance.











Mountains I

I did one sketch each morning that we were there of the three different mountains: Sunrise Mountain, Frenchman Mountain and the River Mountains.

Perhaps one day soon we will return to Las Vegas, Nevada even if it is only for a long weekend.

Glowing Winter Sky

It's another snowy day and we have almost 8" (20.32cm) of snow on the ground with more coming down and no end in sight.

After doing the barn chores I thought I would like to paint in acrylic today, especially since last night I had found other paintings that were almost finished and decided to complete this painting.

On the left side of the painting there were the a number of birch tree trunks that were indicated in white and needed to be completed by putting on the shadows and the markings.















With a mix of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson I put the markings on the closest tree and added the dark limbs and branches. I added a small amount of titanium white and did the same on the two further back birch trees. 

Lastly, using various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna and Hansa yellow I put in the grasses, growies and twigs sticking up out of the snow. 

This original 16" x 20" acrylic painting when framed will be available for $375.00.