Hockey Equipment - A Work in Progress

It is -1F (-18C) and snowing; it is wonderful weather for New Year's Eve.

My nephew Manny Legacé is playing in the 2013 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game held at Comerica Park's Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.

The alternate goalie in the game was Chris Osgood who let in 4 of the 5 goals scored against Detroit in regular play.

The only goal Manny let in was scored in the final 2 seconds of the game which put the game into overtime with a three man per team shoot out against the goalies.

Detroit shot first and scored one goal against the Toronto goalie Michael Palmateer. With the pressure on to not let a puck into the net for the win Manny showed his true colours and the final score was 6-5 for Detroit.















I thought it fitting to do a little work on this painting of hockey equipment that I had started last year (see posting on 15 December 2012)  in one of the Still Life classes at KAGS.

I started by using burnt sienna and applied the first layer of paint on all leather pieces of equipment; the shoulder pads, hockey skates, the gloves  and a small amount on the  hickey stick.

While that was drying, I decided I would work on the trophy.  First, I had to do a little drawing to tighten up the hockey player and fix the base of the trophy.

Using aureolin I applied a wash of colour over the hockey player and on the brass plate on the trophy.

I will post this painting at a later date once I do more work on the hockey equipment.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Pink Sky 1 - A Work in Progress

Well after having two days of not quite making it above the freezing mark, with the high being 30F (-1C) we have plunged once more into the deep freeze.

I can hear the boards on the house cracking and popping as the temperature drops and the nails holding them in place shrink with the cold. It is currently -8F (-22C) and the temperature is to continue to drop throughout the day. But at least it is bright and sunny outside.













A winter scene seemed fitting to work on for today. I pulled this one out that I had started back in November with my Beginner Watercolour class at KAGS (see post on 12 December 2013).

I started by adding some various greens to the needles ad adding more detail to the trunks of the trees as well as adding some of the dead and broken branches.

I will post this painting at a later date once it is completed.

Sailboat Sketch 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

I seem to be on a ship trend at the moment and decided I would like to do a few sketches to develop into paintings of larger sailing ships.

Rather than daytime with the blue of the sky and white of the clouds reflected into the water, I wanted to do a sunset concentrating more on the ship in a vertical format.

I put the dark clouds into the sky and behind the sails so I would have a strong contrast of the sunset colours passing through the sails as the focal point.

Sailboat Sketch 2

Another painting I would like to do is a ship sailing on a moonlit night.














Sailboat Sketch 1

The contrast of the white sails frosted by the moonlit standing out against the darkness all around should prove to be an interesting challenge.

I will post each of these sketches again once I have the outline drawing completed and small colour paintings of how the pieces would look.

Sea Battle I - A Work in Progress

The temperature has climbed to 30F (-1C) for the high and much of the ice that has been on the trees since before Christmas is finally disappearing.

This is another sketch of the tall ships, this time going into battle.

I have started to ink in the water and will have to do more drawing on each of the ships before they are ready to be inked.

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

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

Sail Away - A Work in Progress

Today I felt like working on something with a summer theme.

What would be better than out sailing on a lake, in the middle of a hot and humid summer day; beneath a bright blue sky with the sunlight glittering off the tops of the waves?

Rather than do a traditional horizontal painting, I thought a vertical format would make it a little different and create more interest.

I will have to make some changes to this sketch to move the sailboat from being dead center of the painting.

I will post this painting at a later date once the outline drawing is completed.

Ruffed Grouse - A Work in Progress

We have had more snow since yesterday and the temperatures continue to be below freezing so the ice coating on all the trees remains.

I wonder if we will ever get out of the freezing temperatures, but it sure does look pretty outside although we are having a bit of a heat wave with the temperature making it up to 20F (-6.7C) today.

One of my neighbours offered me the loan of his stuffed grouse over the Christmas season so I could make drawings of one of the many game birds that inhabit the area.

First I took a lot of photographs of the bird from almost every angle and light source.

Next I did a number of quick sketches of the grouse in different positions and with the ones I  preferred I started to tighten up the sketches and turn them into outline drawings.

I will post the outline drawing at a later date once I have decided on the one I like best.

Winter Day 1 - A Work in Progress

It is a cold -12F (-24C) but once again another bright and sunny day which even with the cold I prefer to an overcast cloudy and cold day.

Before my daughter arrives for Christmas breakfast and opening presents I wanted to get the last sky and foreground completed for the four seasons on a lake in cottage country painted (for the others see posting on 22-24 December 2013).













My timing was perfect. I had just set this piece aside to dry when Christine arrived.

I will post this painting again as more work on it is completed

I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to All!