The Beauty of Stillness Show

The current show at the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio is called "Beauty in Stillness".










The exhibit runs from 24 January through to 04 March with the opening reception on 28 January from 1-4 p.m.











If you have a chance please come out and enjoy the show.

Dragon Candlestick Holder - A Work in Progress

Today I went to KAGS for the Still Life class where the theme was "All Things Asian".

There was a nice assortment of things to draw or paint including a black embroidered kimono, a gold coloured Buddha, a dragon candlestick, a couple of fans, an abacus, a bowl with chop sticks and a vase filled with peacock tail feathers.

I chose to do the candlestick and after I sketched it in lightly with pencil, I brushed in the background with alizarin crimson.

Before I could go too much further on the painting CHEX News came in to do a segment about the Gallery and its current exhibit "Beauty in Stillness" and I was one of the artists chosen to be interviewed. The program will air tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.

Colour and Composition 3-5 - Three Works in Progress

Today we had a wide variety of weather, starting with a rare winter thunder storm around 4:00am in the morning, which was followed by 1/4" (6mm) of ice accretions, changing to rain and by 2:00pm we had a flash freeze followed by 4" (10cm) of snow.














Colour and Composition 3

Since I wasn't going to go anywhere, I pulled out three paintings from my Colour and Composition class that I took with Neil Broadfoot in 2011 (see posts on 15 December 2011 and 29 January 2012).

After taking some time to look at White Cedars 1 (see post on 15 August 2017) I felt that the background colours would overpower the painting, which is why I decided to lighten each of these three pieces.














Colour and Composition 4

Using water and a soft bristle paint brush I gently lightened the darker areas of paint from each of the paintings.

On each of the three pieces I left different amounts of the green pigment, from removing all of it, leaving a faint trace and leaving a stronger but subtle amount.













Colour and Composition 5 - White Cedars 1

I will post each of these three pieces at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Lily Pond I - A Work in Progress

Today I am at KAGS for a Directors' meeting about shows, classes and fund raising for this year as our rent is being increased.

With the temperature at 28F (-2C) and the wind chill making it feel like 19F (-7C) and cloudy skies, I am hoping that the Meteorologist Alert for freezing rain is going to hold off until I return home after this meeting.
















While I was waiting, I thought I may as well spend my time productively and started working on this sketch that I started quite a while ago (see posts on 18 June 2013 and 25 January 2017).

I started on the trees in the background but before I could get much more finished on piece some of the other members arrived and I put this drawing away.

I will post this drawing at a later date as more work on it is completed.

ACEO - Farm Buildings 5

Today I thought I would like to work on a painting with some farm house and barns and after going through a number of small paintings I came across this piece that I had started a couple of years ago (see posts on 13 June 2016 and 22 January 2017).

I started with various greens made with Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, raw sienna and new gamboge and painted in the trees on the horizon line, the furthest back field, then field by the farm house and then the field by the barn.

With alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue I painted in the barns, leaving the windows and doors untouched.

Next I used burnt sienna for the roof on the farm house.

I used cadmium yellow to put in the open doors and windows in the barn and some of the farm house windows.















I mixed a dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the the fence rails and the windows in the farmhouse that were in darkness.

Lastly, I lightened the dark colour with water and painted the barn roofs and the silo.

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

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 140lb. Fabriano 100% cotton, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Coon Lake III - A Work in Progress

Today, I had a little bit of time to work on a drawing before I had to go out to meet with friends for lunch.

I pulled out this piece that I had started a few years ago while we were canoeing on Coon Lake.

Starting with the rocks in the foreground, I tidied up the outlines to give them more shape.















Next, I started work on the smaller rocks in front of the large rock of the island before running out of time.

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

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

Old Cottage II - A Work in Progress

I pulled this drawing out that I started quite a while ago (see posts on 14 July 2013 and 31 May 2016) while at a paint out with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group.

After looking at the drawing I decided that I didn't want to put in the wheelbarrow leaning against the building and I put in the wooden boards across on that side of the building.

From there I added the grasses and growies at the base of the larger part of the building as well as putting the climber going up the side of the building.
















I put the shadows beneath the eaves on both sections of the building.

Next I darkened in the broken window on the smaller section of the building.

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