Monday, March 7, 2016

Backyards - A Work in Progress

It is a nice mild day with the temperature at 47F (8.3C) and the ice on the driveway starting to melt.

We are having the second to last workshop with Lucy Manley and are going to do a street scene on black canvas using a mosaic style of painting.

I was supposed to do a painting last year (see post on 19 October 2015) but was unable to start painting in that style as I had to leave early.

I already had a couple of canvases painted black and used this one called Background 52 (see post on 21 October 2015) from that workshop.

The outlines of the buildings were sketched onto the canvas using cadmium red.

Since the background was already the darkest dark we started the painting with the lightest light, in this case titanium white for the sunlit snow, the white window frames and the clouds.

Adding Cerulean blue to the white for the next lightest colour, the snow and the brightest part of the sky were indicated.















For the next darker colour ultramarine blue as added to the white for the darker area of the sky and the cast shadows in the snow.

The background trees were indicated with various mixtures of cadmium red, cadmium yellow, white and a small amount of alizarin crimson.

Next was to start painting in the various buildings. Using the tree colour and adding a little ultramarine blue to grey the colour, the larger background house was painted and then the shadow under the eaves of the garage, the small area of roof from the house and the smaller shed in front of the garage.

Adding a little more white to the grey a few highlights were added to the larger house and the shadowed side of the garage was painted.

After adding a little more white to the grey mix, the sunlit side of the garage was completed.

Lastly a mix of raw sienna, burnt sienna and white was used to indicate the front of the house across the street on the right side of the painting.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have completed more work on the various buildings.

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

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Cross Roads - Autumn

Today I wanted to work on the third sketch in a set of the four seasons at a Cross Road (see posts on 06 and 25 February 2016).

This one is of my favourite season, Autumn with all its beautiful colours.













It is a team of harness horses pulling a carriage. I just have to decide which type of carriage I want.

I will post this painting at a later date when the horses, carriage and background have more work on them completed.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Morning Reflections 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I didn't have a lot of time to work on painting as I had friends coming over; so I thought I would go through some of my unfinished pieces and at least draw some basics of what the painting needed.

I pulled this one out that I had started a couple of years ago called Peach Sky 1 (see post on 10 January 2013) and thought an early morning snow scene in a woodland setting would work well, so I lightly drew in a river and some of the main tree trunks and branches. Next I changed this painting's name to Morning Reflections 1.














My friends have arrived and I will post this painting at a later date as more work on it is completed.

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

Friday, March 4, 2016

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Show Updates

I have updated the Buckhorn Artists' Group blog with a listing of shows some of the various artists in the Group are exhibiting their work in during the month of March.

If you get a chance come out and visit them at one or all of the shows.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

ACEO - Twin Pines 1

The storm has finally passed and the wind is no longer screaming, although it is still blowing strongly enough to make the 9F (-12.8C) temperature feel like -10F (-23.3C). The ground is once again covered with 8" (20cm) of snow with the drifts along the fence being much deeper.

I pulled out this drawing that I did last year (see post in 06 June 2015).

Using French ultramarine blue I put in the sky and the base colour in the water.

While the paint was drying I mixed a green of Antwerp blue, raw sienna and aureolin. I used this colour for some of the background trees on the far shore and as the under paint for the twin pines.

To the green mix I added a little French ultramarine blue and put in the large pines on the far shore. Then, I added a small amount of burnt sienna and painted over the some of the light green on the twin pine trees.

Next I mixed a dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the bare branches and tree trunks on the foreground pines.

I lightened the dark colour with a little water and put in the rocks on the far shore and I added alizarin crimson to the dark colour and painted in the foreground rock.

Using various yellows I put in the dead grasses.

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. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Confirmed Shows for 2016 - March

This is a listing of confirmed shows that I will be exhibiting my artwork at this year and into next year. I will update the list as more shows are added.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
24 Feb - 24 Mar 16 The Abstract Show
Opening Reception 28 Feb 16 from 1-4pm.
13 Apr - 05 May 16 Floral and Still Life
Opening Reception 17 Apr 16 from 1-4pm.
15 Jun - 10 Jul 16 Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 19 Jun 16 from 1-4pm.
24 Aug - 11 Sep 16 Black and White Plus 1 Colour
Opening Reception 28 Aug 16 from 1-4pm.
28 Sep -23 Oct 16 Nature's Palette
Opening Reception 02 Oct 16 from 1-4pm.
26 Oct - 13 Nov 16 Outdoor Painters' Show
Opening Reception 30 Oct 16 from 1-4pm.
30 Nov -18 Dec 16 and 04-15 Jan 17 Warm in the Cold
Opening Reception 04 Dec 16 from 1-4pm.

Kawartha Arts Network - Art on Kent, Lindsay, Ont.
KAN
14 Apr - 07 May 16 Petals
Opening Reception 16 Apr 16 from 1-3pm.
09 Jun - 02 Jul 16 Annual All Members' Show
Opening Reception 11 Jun 16 from 1-3pm.
07-30 Jul 16 Transportation
Opening Reception 09 Jul 16 from 1-3pm.
01-24 Sep 16 Mixed Masters
Opening Reception 03 Sep 16 from 1-3pm.
29 Sep - 22 Oct 16 Then and Now Part 2
Opening Reception 01 Oct 16 from 1-3pm.
27 Oct - 19 Nov 16 Feast for the Eyes
Opening Reception 29 Oct 16 from 1-3pm.
24 Nov - 17 Dec 16 and 05-14 Jan 17 Affordableism
Opening Reception 26 Nov 16 from 1-3pm.

The Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough Ont.
08-10 Apr 16 The 16th Annual Peterborough Garden Show

St Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont.
BuckhornArtistsGroup
11-14 Aug 26th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

MacKelvie Gallery, Keene, Ont.
PioneerVillage
01 Sep - 06 Oct Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Keene, Ont.

Fenelon Falls Fair Grounds, Fenelon Falls, Ont.
KawarthaArtsFestival
03-04 Sep 16

Dancing Blueberries, 360 George St. N., Peterborough, Ont.
28 Sep - 03 Nov 16

Extendicare, 860 Alexander Court, Peterborough, Ont.
07 Nov 16 - 02 Jan 17

I look forward to seeing you at some of these shows.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Autumn Snow 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

We have a big drop in temperature from the mild weather of yesterday. The morning started off at 22F (-5.6C) and the wind making it feel like 4F (-15.6C).

Environment Canada has posted winter storm warnings in effect for today and tomorrow with wind gusts reaching 30-50mph (50-80kmph) overnight.

Needless to say my driveway was a sheet of ice and when the oil truck came in to deliver fuel, the truck kept trying to slide down the driveway on its own due to the incline and the ice.

Autumn Snow 1

After the third time, the driver went down the driveway and then backed up to get the back tires on an area of grass near the back of the house.

Today I thought I would work on two pieces at the same time that could be placed together as a diptych.

I started by sketching in the ground line to have one side of both paintings match.

From there I drew in various coniferous and deciduous trees on or above the ground, leaving space for shadows.

Autumn Snow 2

I will post both of these paintings again at a later date, once more work on them has been completed