Northern Lights - A Work in Progress

Today is another hot 91F (33C), hazy and humid 95F (35C) day and I thought I would do a little more completed on this painting that I have been working on for quite a while (see posts on 09 December 2010, 21 February, 29 May, 10 July and 29 August 2012, 25 May and 25 July 2016).

I started by putting in a base colour of burnt sienna and cobalt blue on the remaining rocks in the painting.













Then using a mix of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson, I worked on the three main trees on the left side of the painting and started by getting the trunk finished on the first one, as well as some of the branches and needles onto the tree.

Next I worked on the dead pine tree and was able to get over half of the trunk completed.















I finished one of the small trees on the far shore of the lake and indicated the trunk of another of the background trees before adding some of the branches and needles to the last pine tree.

Now that Ron is up, I will put this painting away and I will post it at a later date once it has been completed.















It is nice having him home for an extra day and I had gotten him a little toy helicopter to play with in his "spare" time.

Fortunately, there was very little wind and in the afternoon after he had finished everything he wanted to do, he was able to relax and fly it on the front lawn.












Perhaps I will get him a larger one for Christmas or his birthday.

My New Ride

Today we brought home my new ride, a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder that we picked up yesterday on the way to our nephew's wedding.















With this being my replacement vehicle my 2001 Grand Am GT is being permanently retired to the bone yard out back of the barn. Eventually it will be taken apart and the rest will be sent out for scrap.















Ron will now take over the 2012 Chevy Equinox that I used as my vehicle for taking my artwork to shows.















And last but not least, the 2005 Chevy Blazer will be used as the work horse around the farm until it gives up the ghost and will eventually be retired to the bone yard.

Coral Reef 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

Today, I wanted to paint but just wasn't sure which piece to work on and try to finish.

I decided to go through some of my pieces that didn't work out and were kept for playing with colour or cut up to make into small paintings.

I pulled out these two pieces that had started as moss covered, granite rocks, but it didn't quite work out.















Coral Reef 1

After looking at them I thought I could turn them into underwater paintings.

Using French ultramarine blue, cobalt blue and burnt sienna I painted in the water. For the first one I put the darker water at the bottom against the rocks and added some lighter areas toward the top to indicate the waves and light coming in from the sky.















Coral Reef 2

For the second painting I lightened the colour slightly with water to try and create what it looks like from under water when a wave comes over a rock near the surface and the sun shining through the sallower water.

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

Buckhorn Artists' Group Blog - Show Updates

I have updated the Buckhorn Artists' Group blog with a listing of shows some of the various artists in the Group are exhibiting their work in during the month of August.

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

Goblin

Today while I was sitting on one of the concrete blocks inside the barn waiting for the water trough to fill for the horses, Goblin came to the open door and stood there watching me.

I was surprised that he didn't run away as I took my camera out of its case to take this photograph of him. But when I got up to turn the water off, he slowly moved away and went into the west barn.















Food must be hard to come by, or he isn't a very good hunter as he seems to have made the barn his home knowing there is a steady food source.

With him being a fairly young cat, not much more than two years old, I hope to eventually get him to trust me enough to where he will allow me touch him.

Confirmed Shows for 2018 - July

This is a listing of confirmed shows that I will be exhibiting my artwork at this year. I will update the list as more shows are added.

Academy Theatre, 2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, Ont.
Guild Room
24 Mar - 25 Aug 18

The Douro-Dummer Library Art Gallery, 425 Douro Fourth Line Road, Hamlet of Douro, Ont.
04 May - 04 Ju1 18 Countryside Art Group
Opening Reception 11 May 18 from 7-8p.m.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Peterborough, Ont.
KAGS
20 Jun - 15 Jul 18 Interactions
Opening Reception 24 Jun 18 from 1-4p.m.
08 Aug -09 Sep 18 Figuratively Speaking
Opening Reception 12 Aug 18 from 1-4p.m.
26 Sep -21 Oct 18 Driven to Abstracrion
Opening Reception 30 Sep 18 from 1-4p.m.
24 Oct - 11 Nov 18 Outdoor Painters' Show- Nature's Splendour
Opening Reception 28 Oct 18 from 1-4p.m.
28 Nov - 21 Dec 18 and 02-20 Jan 19 On the Move - Various Modes of Transportation
Opening Reception 03 Dec 18 from 1-4p.m.

Knoepfli Inn, 5484 Highway #124 Magnetawan, Ont.
26 Jun - 03 Oct 18 Scenes of Magnetawan

Lang Pioneer Village and Museum, Keene, Ontario
28 Jun - 26 Jul 18 MacKelvie Gallery

Miskwaa Art Studio and Outdoor Gallery, 250 Edwina Drive,Trent Lakes, Ont.
14 July -12 Aug 18

St. Matthews Church, Buckhorn, Ont.
Buckhorn Artists' Group
16-19 Aug 18 28th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show

Fenelon Falls Fair Grounds, Fenelon Falls, Ont.
Kawartha Arts Festival
01-02 Sep 18 Kawartha Arts Festival

Automotive Flea Market and Car Show
Douro Community Centre and Arena - The Harvest Room
2893 Highway 28 and County Road 4, Douro, Ont.
15-16 Sep 18 9a.m.- 4p.m.

I look forward to seeing you at some of these shows.

Baby Barn Swallows

All of my baby barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are now out of the nest and learning to fly and it won't be long before they will be able to feed themselves and not have to rely on their parents.

From the four pair of swallows I had nesting in my barns; we ended up with eleven babies surviving.















I managed to get these photographs of the first two batches that left the nest a couple of days ago.

The other six, I was not able to get photographs of today as they wouldn't allow me to get close enough to take their picture.















But I look forward to be able to get some more photographs of them over the next couple of weeks before they start their long journey south for the winter.