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.

Power Outage and the Peterborough Garden Show

It has been and interesting couple of days so far with a power outage due to the ice storm and the freezing rain bringing down tree limbs onto the power lines.















I have been without power since yesterday at 10:00am and when I last called for an update I may have my power restored by 11:00pm tomorrow night and hopefully that won't change.

Needless to say I spent the day sitting the KAGS art display at the Peterborough Garden Show in the Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, in Peterborough, Ontario, they at least had their power restored.

Spring Break Up

The freezing rain and ice pellets arrived during the night, knocking out the power for a couple of hours; hopefully it won't happen again during the day.

Getting down to the barn to feed the horses and cats was an interesting event; between getting hit in the face with ice pellets and trying to stay upright on the slippery surface, but I succeeded. The nice thing was going back to the house after the chores were finished I had the wind behind me, pushing me towards the house and a nice hot cup of tea.













It is the middle of April and I keep hoping for spring to arrive, so I thought I would complete this painting showing the ice is starting to break up on Long Lake.

This original 9" x 12" watercolour when framed will be available for $180.00.

Volcano

This morning I helped set up the panels for the Peterborough Garden Show at the Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough, Ontario. The show runs from 12-14 April 2013 and I hope the forecast for bad weather does not prevent you from coming out and seeing this exhibition.

Once I returned home I decided that I would work on this piece that I had started quite a while ago (see post on 26 December 2010).












I wanted to keep the white of the oriental papers as though it was steam rising out of the lava and to keep some of the lighter areas looking as though a steamy mist was just hovering over the moving lava.

Using various mixtures of alizarin crimson, aureolin, new gamboge, cadmium yellow and cadmium red I went into the bottom area of lava and tried to give it a flowing effect and to get rid of some of the white areas in the lava.

Using a mixture of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson, I brushed in some streamers of dark ash rising up from the lava.












Next with, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow and alizarin crimson I added small dots of glowing sparks through the areas of ash.

This original 7" x 12" mixed media, collage when framed will be available for $185.00.

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

OSWOA - Evening Sky 3

Evening is a peaceful time on the lake in the summer, often the breeze dies down and the haunting call of a loon echoes across the water.

It is time to put your feet up and relax after the hustle and bustle of a busy day.














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 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $40.00 and sold unframed.

ACEO - Reeds 4- 6

Today I painted with the Buckhorn Tuesday Painting Group and pulled these three paintings out to work on them and get them completed.

I decided to do a little more work on this one (see posts on 30 October 2012 and 09 November 2012) and brighten up the fluff on the cattails and add a few more lights and darks into the reeds.



Reeds 4

I then worked between the first one and the second painting (see posts on 30 October 2012 and 09 January 2013) to be sure that the edges matched.

Next I added more reeds into the bottom of the painting and put in more highlights and shadows onto some of the more detailed reeds.

Lastly I painted the fluff onto a couple of the cattails.

Reeds 5

Working between the second and third painting I added reeds to look as though they were a continuing extension following the same placement as though a part of the same painting.

Once that had been put into place I then brushed in the rest of the reeds using various mixtures of greens. Lastly adding the cattails and putting the fluff on a couple of them to complete this piece.

Reeds 6

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

The ACEO shown here are all original watercolour paintings using Artist quality Windsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. They are priced at $20.00 each and sold unframed.

I think the three of them together would make an interesting triptych and if I do decide to frame this set, the price would be $225.00.

Great Horned Owl

Today I had the opportunity to work from a stuffed mount of a Great Horned Owl that was brought to a friend's home that would be picked up later that day by a carver who wanted to use it as a model for one of his carvings.












I worked on a number of sketches until I was sure the anatomy was correct.

Once the drawing was blocked in I gradually added details to the line drawing starting with the head.

One of the most important things was to get the correct shape of the beak and how the eyes were positioned with the large area of the mask around them.

The placement of the feathered ears came next.

I wanted to get the head of the bird completed first and more details and some shading was added to give it shape.

Then I worked through the body and the placement of the wings.

Details were added to the feet and then the talons were given shape and darkened. Feathering was added to the legs.

Moving up the body the structure of the inside of the wings was indicated and the tops of the wings were given a little more detail and shading.

I was able to add some roundness to the body before the carver arrived to take the owl away.

This original 9" x 12" graphite pencil drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $75.00.

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