Toadstools 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

Today I was sitting at Art on Kent which is one of the art galleries in Lindsay.

What better way to spend my time at the Gallery on Hallowe'en day than to work on paintings of toadstools that I had started with a class earlier this month (see post on 20 October 2015).

Although we had a number of people come through the Gallery I started by adding the placement of the white scales on all of the toadstools.

Toadstool 1

On the second painting I thought the single toadstool could use a little company since Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of various deciduous and coniferous trees and are found mainly in forested areas growing in groups in all stages of development.

Occasionally they form a naturally occurring ring with one or more trees in the center. These rings are considered to be tethered to the tree and this relationship prevents them from growing too far from the tree roots.

These rings have many names including: fairy rings, fairy circles, elf rings, elf circles, pixie rings, sorcerers' rings or witches' rings.

Toadstool 2

The names come from old European folk tales dating back to the 12th century when people once believed that mushrooms growing in a circle came from supernatural origins and marked the places where fairies, elves, pixies, sorcerers and witches would gather and dance.

These gatherings usually happened on moonlit nights and the rings would only become visible to people on the following morning in the light of day.

European superstitions routinely warn against entering a fairy ring as they are generally regarded as dangerous places and should be avoided due to the terrible consequences.

Toadstool 3

And to enter a fairy ring on May Eve or Hallowe'en night was especially hazardous.

While they are most often associated with doom and seen as dangerous places, some legends claim these circles are places of fertility and good fortune. One folk tale states that building a house on a fairy circle will bring prosperity to its owners.

I will post each painting as it is completed.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Sailboats 5 and 6 - Two Works in Progress

After transferring the sketches of Sailboat 5 and 6 into Evening on the Lake (see post on 22 October 2015) I decided to rework the sails on both of the sketches.

With Sailboat 5, I decided to reverse the sketch and have it going in the opposite direction and use it as a match to go with Sailboat 6.

This took a little more work as I had to change the positions of the sails and move them to the opposite side of the mast on the boat.

It took a little while until I was happy with the outline drawing.

Then it was time to transfer the image onto the watercolour paper.

I made a few more changes to the hull of the boat after it had been transferred onto the watercolour paper.

Next I used a liquid masking fluid on the boat to protect the white paper on the hull and sails.

I then set the painting aside to allow the friskit to dry completely before I started work on the next boat.

Sailboat 5

For the second boat I left it going in the same direction as it was in the original sketch.

As I did to the sketch of Sailboat 5, I changed the shape of the mainsail to have it attached to the mast.

When I was finally happy with the completed outline sketch it was once again time to transfer it onto the watercolour paper.

A couple more details were changed after I had transferred the drawing and it was ready for the masking fluid.

After the masking fluid was applied to the sailboat, this painting was set aside to dry.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date once the background sky, land and water have been painted.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to view my blog and I hope you will return to see how these paintings progress.

Sailboat 6

Sailboats 3 and 4 - Two Works in Progress

Today I just didn't feel like heading down into Peterborough to go to the Still Life class at KAGS.

Instead I wanted to work on a few of the sketches I did earlier this year when we went on the Stoney Lake Boat Cruise (see post on 29 August 2015) and develop them into a couple of paintings.














Sailboat 4

The sketches of Sailboat 3 and Sailboat 4 were fairly small and I decided to put both of them on the same piece of watercolour paper.

After transferring the sketches onto watercolor paper I thought that I could reverse the direction of the two boats and change their positions on another piece of watercolour paper and do a second painting.














It didn't take very long to rework the sketch and transfer it to another piece of watercolour paper the same size as the first one.

Using a liquid masking compound I painted the boats on both paintings to protect them when I painted the background and keep the sails white.














Sailboat 3

These two paintings should be interesting to do and I will post both of these paintings once they have been completed.

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

Countryside Art Group Blog - Show Updates

On the first of each month I will update the Countryside Art Group's blog with a listing of shows where the various artists in the Group are exhibiting their work.

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

Sailboat 1 - A Work in Progress

This morning I gave a talk on painting with watercolour to the Art Study Group of the Women's Art Association of Canada - Peterborough Branch.

They were a wonderful Group to speak with and asked a wide variety of questions about watercolour painting, the differences between watercolour and other media.

I took a number of paintings for them to see from in various styles and sizes, from sketches, the transferred drawing and through the various stages of painting to the completed piece of art.

I would like to thank Ms. Jewell Allington on her selection of Blue Maple (see post on 15 August 2010) for her art collection.














When I returned home in the afternoon I wanted to start working on one of the sketches I did earlier this year when we went on the Stoney Lake Boat Cruise (see post on 29 August 2015) and develop it into a painting.

Once I was pleased with the sketch I transferred the boat onto a piece of watercolour paper.

I lightly sketched in a couple of islands that would be found on Stoney Lake and added the main waves by the boat.

Next I used a liquid masking fluid and cover the boat to protect it while I painted in the background.

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

Carousel Horse II - A Work in Progress

I wasn't in the mood to paint today so I decided to just doodle and see if anything productive happened.

It didn't take long and I had a carousel horse in the making.

I moved the position of the legs around until I was pleased with them. They will have to be changed later to get them in the proper proportion.

Next I lightly drew in the forelock, mane and tail just to get a feel for how they would flow.














I added a little detail onto the horse's head and then I blocked in the body and added the saddle, the breechings and started the bridle and breastplate.

Lastly, I lightly indicated the pole that would balance the horse and before I knew it I had to go to the Executive meeting at KAGS.

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

ACEO - Birch Song 5

This is a painting I a while ago and have worked on it when I am at various art shows (see post on 22 August 2014 and 18 August 2015).

With today being cloudy and windy with rain in the forecast I decided to work on this painting.

I could see a number of rock shapes throughout the background of the painting and gave them a little more definition by adding a few darker colours against the high lit sides and adding some evergreen trees in and around them as well as a few small maple trees.

Once the rocks were completed I started adding a little more reflected colour and a few branches to the background birch trees.

On the foreground tree trunks I put in a small amount of shading to the trunks and once the paint had dried I added the markings using a dark grey mixture and the peeling bark using a mixture of browns.

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 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at 20.00 and sold unframed.