Saturday 27 December 2014

Happy Holidays

I think that I am going through withdrawal again.  I haven't held a paintbrush in over two weeks because of a nasty cold, poor weather and then Christmas.  I did have a great Christmas with family and friends and am healthy again so I am itching to get out painting.

This is a painting of our youngest grandson Max and the gift that I was working on.  I painted this as a demo during the Art Gallery of Burlington Christmas show and sale.  I was working in the hallway and at least a couple of hundred people watched and/or chatted with me at various times.  I wasn't at all happy with it but I lightened and blued the dark green background, warmed up his sweater a bit and softened some edges.  I am very happy with it now and am thinking that it is time that I did more portraits in oils.

We are thinking of heading up to Paudash Lake for New Years and I can't wait to get out painting up there again.

Monday 8 December 2014

I Love my Job

Creativity for me is so unpredictable. Today was 4 C and cloudy and on top of that I was painting an urban scene which is not one of my favourite things to do.  All that should have conspired against me but I ended up having a good day.

This is not one of my best paintings however it is probably the first urban scene that I have ever been close to happy with.  Picone's grocery store in Dundas is getting ready to celebrate its hundredth anniversary and it has been in the same family the whole time.  I have often thought of painting it and I will likely do it again at some point.


This took me three hours and at the end my fingers were so cold and stiff that I could hardly control the brush.  It is usually tough to decide when a painting is finished but winter makes it easier.

Thursday 4 December 2014

I am Delighted

Tuesday was a great day.  It was about -2 C and cloudy.  It was the last Catherine Gibbon class this semester and since Debbie and I live about a hundred metres from the park I invited everyone back for an after class social.  It was delightful doing the critique with wine in hand.


This is my painting.  It is another of the many black willows down in Warren Park.  The light was very flat and I wanted to capture the visually warm feeling on a cold day.  I am not sure how I feel about this painting.  It is one that I will have to look at for a while to decide.

Now for the reason that I am delighted.  I had four paintings hanging in the Ontario Plein Air Society annual show in the Project Gallery in the art district on Queen Street East in Toronto.  Twenty-eight very accomplished artists were showing well over a hundred pieces and I was proud to be included.  Eight or so paintings sold and when I went to pick up my paintings yesterday I was delighted to discover a red dot beside one of mine.


This is "Coming This Way" the painting that sold.  We were camping in Wilberforce and the forecast was for severe thunderstorms and gale force winds.  This was painted in a hurry with an eye to the sky.

Monday 1 December 2014

Gone South

It was about 2 C and very windy today but eight of us braved the elements to paint at Princess Point again.  It was one of those days where the light was constantly changing and the wind was rattling my board around but it was great to be out there with brush in hand,  It always is.

I noticed this bird box framed by the willow and sticking up out of the weeds and grasses last week but it was too exposed and windy to paint them.  It was even colder and windier this week but I was determined to paint them.  I am not sure if I am happy with this or not.  I will have to look at it for a while.

Next week we are supposed to be in downtown Dundas.  I really struggle with buildings and I am rarely successful but I love a challenge.  Especially in locations with lots of pedestrian traffic. Not!