Lazy River 3 - A Work in Progress

This morning I had to break off just over 1/2" (15mm) of ice from the top of the barrels that contain the bird seed before I could fill all the feeders.

Needless to say, the entire driveway is once again a skating rink and sliding down to the barn to do chores was an interesting experience.

Today I pulled out this painting that I have been working on now and then for a number of years (see posts on 23 December 2011 and 07 May 13).

I started by using a sponge and a mixture of new gamboge and cadmium yellow. Then I added in some leaves to the tops of the background trees and a few into the maple tree in among the foreground pines.

Using a dark mix of French ultramarine blue and raw sienna I added more needles onto the foreground pine trees.

With straight cadmium yellow I added some grasses and growies at the base of the background and foreground trees.

I will post this painting again once it has been completed.

Toadstools 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

The weatherman is right about predicting bad weather including freezing rain for the day.

There are warnings are in place about receiving up to 3/4" (20mm) of ice accretion which may cause power outages for the region. It is currently 24F (-4.4C) with the wind chill making it feel like 16F (-8.9C).

It started with snow this morning, changed to ice pellets and it will change to freezing rain for the rest of the day and overnight.

Toadstool 1

I decided to work on these three paintings that I started last year (see posts on 20 and 31 October and 31 December 2015 and 09 February 2016).

Working from one painting to the next, I the first thing I did was to remove the miskit using a rubber cement pickup and I have on occasion also used one of the white STAEDTLER Mars erasers.

Toadstool 2

Next I put each of the three paintings side by side and placed a piece of tracing paper over them.

With a pencil I lightly drew into the bottom of each piece the pine needles and curled, weathered birch leaves that with time would produce the rich loam around the base of the trees that Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) favour.

Toadstool 3

By using this method I make all my mistakes and erasures on the tracing paper and do not damage the watercolour paper.

I will post these paintings at a later date when I am pleased that the debris at the base of the toadstools flows from one piece to the next and I transfer the images onto the painting.

Clear Lake II - A Work in Progress

I pulled out this sketch that I started a few years ago while out in the canoe on Clear Lake (see post on 09 June 2013).

I started with the pine tree trunks but just couldn't get into finishing them, so I moved onto adding grasses and growies at the base of the main tree trunk.

Next I started adding a few of the bull rushes that were just off the shore by the main tree trunk.















Next I added a few more of the rushes along the front of the island.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

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

Coon Lake VIII - A Work in Progress

After being out most of the day visiting the different art supply stores in Pickering, Scarborough and Whitby stocking up on canvases, paint and paper for the coming season's art projects, it was time to relax and do a little work on another of my sketches (see post on 29 July 2014) that I had pulled out yesterday.

I started by putting in the water lines at the base of the rocks and a few water ripples.

Next I put in the small pine tree that was trying to grow in between some of the larger rocks.













Then I started to put in some of the rocks and added shading to a couple of them give a little more solidity and ground them into the drawing.

I put in a few grasses in behind the rocks on the right side of the drawing. It was at this point that I decided I had better stop before added lines that I couldn't change.

I will post this painting at a later date once the rest of the rocks and growies have been added.

Coon Lake VII and IX - Two Works in Progress

Today I was with the Lakefield Creative Art Guild and decided to work on one of the sketches I did while on Loon Call Lake last year (see post on 29 July 2014).

First I put in the distant shore and trees.

Next I added the outline of the rocks as a base for the tree and vegetation.

I took my time with the tree to capture the broken limbs and the way the branches were bent from the wind.

I added bushes at the base of the tree and growies around the rocks.

Coon Lake VII

After lunch I decided to start on another sketch of Coon Lake and leave the first one until I decide what else it needs.

I put in the outline of the rocks and a few water ripples below them.

Next I added some bushes, small trees and growies on the rocks.

Coon Lake IX

I will post each of these drawings once more work on them has been completed.

Abandoned House I - A Work in Progress

I did a sketch of this abandoned building while I was travelling on Highway 134 a number of years ago (see post on 19 June 2013).

Beginning with the two large trees on the left side I started to ink in the drawing.

Next I added the pine tree behind the building which gave definition to the back end of the roof.














Then to ground the building I added the tall grasses and growies below the tree trunks and house, leaving the pathway to the door empty for the moment.

I started on the tree on the right side of the drawing before I ran out of time.

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

Evening Marsh 1 - A Work in Progress

I pulled out this painting that I had started working on again earlier this year (see posts on 11 December 2011 and 31 January 2016).

It had originally been called Yellow Sky 3 and after deciding that it would be a nice scene of a wetland area I have changed its name to Evening Marsh 1.

I started by putting in some of the tree trunks with mixtures of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.













There will be a number of the trees that will be dead which is often found in the marsh. 

As I do more work on this painting I will post it at a later date.

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