Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Landscape 133

Recently while going through an old box I found a bundle of small pieces of watercolour paper. I had cut the paper to fit into very small photograph frames when I did miniatures for gift shops in a couple of the hospitals in Toronto, Ontario many years ago.

I decided to paint a small snow scene and quickly washed in a sky with French ultramarine blue and using Antwerp blue painted in snow covered hills leaving some areas white for the sunlit snow.

Next I painted in the background evergreen trees using various mixes if French ultramarine blue, raw sienna, new gamboge, burnt sienna and Antwerp blue.

While waiting for the paint to dry I washed a small amount of raw sienna into some of the white areas of snow.

Using a little pure China white I painted in some birch trees.

This original 1-1/2" x 2-1/4” watercolour painting when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $15.00

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

OSWOA - Light Rays 1

Today in our class with Neil Broadfoot we worked on two paintings. The subject matter was calm water and reflections using a limited palette.

In the first painting we used Antwerp blue, brown madder and alizarin crimson.

The bottom of the paper was wet with water to just below the horizon line. Using a dry brush and Antwerp blue the areas of sun touched water was painted in first and then mixtures of the three colours were used in the wet area for the water.

The top half of the paper was then wet above the horizon line and clouds were painted in using a mixture of Antwerp blue and brown madder.














While the paint was still wet the rays of light showing through the clouds was pulled out.

I will post the other painting showing reflections once it is completed.

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 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $30.00 and sold unframed.

Monday, April 15, 2013

ACEO - Hidden 1

The power came back on sometime during the night. Having no power for three days was an interesting experience that I would rather not do again anytime in the near future.

I pulled this piece out that I had started last year and did a little more work on last month (see posting on 29 December 2012 and 24 March 2013).

Using various greens created using mixtures of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and new gamboge.

First the grasses at the bottom of the painting were indicated and some of the background colour was allowed to show through.

The green leaves of the bushes were put over the blue sponge work allowing some of the blue to show through in some areas as shadows.

While this  part of the painting was drying I added some small growies into the grasses with burnt sienna.

Small branches and twigs were painted into the bushes to complete the painting.

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.

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

Sunday, April 14, 2013

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.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

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.

Friday, April 12, 2013

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.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

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.