My Buddy

I finally did it! I painted a picture of my dog! The photo is not that great since I made the classic mistake of varnishing the painting before photographing it.

I am very pleased how this painting turned out. Originally it was going to be more detailed with an orange background. However, this painting painted itself and I quickly realized that less was more this time.

Majesty

Majesty was inspired by a photo that I took either on the way to the mountains from Calgary or along the Banff - Jasper Highway.
Each time that I have been to the Rocky Mountains in western Canada, they have created a real sense of awe within me.

Cathedral

Cathedral is a painting of a location along a trail that I walk my dog several times a week. It is my favourite section of trail especially when the sun is low.

This painting did not come easily. It went through many transitions before it finally captured the mood that I was aiming for. I was about to give up and paint over it but thanks to one of my artist friends who encouraged me, challenged me, made many suggestions and taught me a lot along the way, I was able to bring this painting to the place where I am satisfied with the result. Sometimes it takes a community to create a painting. Thanks Mike!

Mount Seymour, BC

Both times that I have been in BC, I hiked Mount Seymour. Both times it was a highlight of my visit. I really enjoy being in the midst of the lofty mountain grandeur. This painting brings back all the memories of having been there: the cold air, the awe, the tired muscles from climbing ....

Winter Blues

Winter Blues is a painting that I started several years ago and never finished. My son actually had the unfinished painting hanging on his wall for a year or so until I decided that it was time to finish it. 
I challenged myself with a limited palette for  this one. I wanted to do a relatively monochromatic painting so to this end I used a blue, a complimentary orange and white. The orange was used mainly to darken and neutralize the blue.
This is a scene that I photographed at Mer Bleue in Ottawa during late afternoon a day or so after we had some freezing rain. With the low sun and the ice on the trees it was a magical moment. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture the glittering ice in my painting but I am still pleased with the lighting and the painting as a whole. I feel that there is still something magical about the scene.

Algonquin Colours

Algonquin Colours was inspired, in more ways than one, by the workshop that I took this past fall at Killbear Provincial Park. First, the style of the painting is what I learned at the workshop. Secondly, I took the photo from which this was painted on my way home from the workshop as we drove through Algonquin Provincial Park. The fall colours that day were spectacular!

BC Reflections

BC Reflections was painted as a commission for my sister and brother-in-law who celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in 2014. They celebrated the occasion on Saturna Island in BC with their children and their spouses. Their children then commissioned me to do this painting which was taken at that time.

Painting Workshop

This past summer I had the opportunity to participate in a four-day outdoor painting workshop at one of  my all time  favourite places - Killbear Provincial Park - on the Georgian Bay. One thing that made this workshop extra special was that I was able to introduce one of my good painting friends to the park.
Each morning we would leave the lodge in which we were staying to spend the day painting on location. In the evenings, after our day of painting, in which we usually completed two paintings, we would have a time of group critique. Our instructors of the week encouraged us to try painting in this 'group of seven / folk art' style of painting. I really enjoyed this since I had been trying to push my boundaries in painting this summer.  Included here are what I consider three of my more successful paintings of the week.
This workshop was a very enjoyable and inspiring experience.

The Wild Side

The Wild Side is an example of a plein air painting that did not work on location but I saw some good elements happening that inspired me to do a painting in the studio.
There were several things that happened with this painting that are so 'not me'. First, I decided that I wanted to go big! All that I had when the urge came upon me to paint this painting was several 16" X 20" canvases so I decided to use two of them side by side. The other thing that I decided was that I wanted to deviate from actual colours and that I wanted a yellow sky. I also experimented with mixing the colours directly on the canvas which I feel gives it more depth. The original plein air painting was done in early June but I ended up with fall colours instead and I like it!!!
So why the deviations? I think that I was influenced by a couple of factors: This painting was done soon after participating in an art show where several people suggested that I do some bigger paintings. Also, at the time I had been looking at other artist's blogs and books which were a great inspiration to me to do something different from my usual.

North Channel - Geogian Bay

These are three paintings done while sailing in the North Channel this past summer. The two 'tree-ones' are watercolour and ink while the one with the boats is an Acrylic. They are all rather small - approx 5" X 7" since I don't want to take large canvases on our 25' - sailboat and I don't have much time in which to paint. The North Channel - Georgian Bay is definitely worthy of painting; I am sure the Group of Seven did some of their paintings in this area.

Water Reflections

A lot of our plein air sites have been by the water this summer. It has been a challenge to make my reflections both realistic and interesting. I have enjoyed this challenge.

Plein Air Paintings

These three plein air paintings are 6" X 12" . I enjoy using this 'long and skinny' format for my paintings. I will eventually redo the top and bottom painting on a 18" X 36" canvas.

Small Paintings

 At times I enjoy doing small 'plein air' paintings since these can be completed in two hours or less. These paintings are usually completed on location. I choose to do these small paintings when I am feeling that I have too many unfinished paintings sitting around or when I arrive on location feeling uninspired or rushed for whatever reason. At least I'm painting and hopefully improving my techniques. This is why it is good to go out with a group of people because it forces you to show up and paint.
The two bottom paintings are scenes from the gardens of two of my friends. The top painting was a spring vista from the yard of a community centre where I paint each Monday with a group of people.

Hogsback Falls, Ottawa

Hogsback Falls was my first 'Plein Air' painting of 2014. 'Plein Air' or 'En Plein Air' painting means that the painting was painted on location rather than in the studio. I also read somewhere recently  that another term used is 'Reportage'. I really enjoy painting on location since I enjoy being outdoors and usually we are out with a group. Not all my plein air paintings work out. There are some that I paint over even before leaving the location and others that I will paint over at a later date and yet others that don't work out entirely but there are some elements that inspire me to start another similar painting in the studio. Sometimes I will finish a painting while out but mostly I take a picture and finish it at home in my studio. For Hogsback Falls I reached the point where I wasn't really happy with what was happening so I 'gave up' and just started painting anything to fill the board ... this is usually where the magic starts happening for me ... when I stop trying so hard. In my last half hour I was able to get the painting to where I actually liked it and was willing to finish it in the studio. My only regret ... that it isn't bigger ... so much power confined to such a small space.

Sea Birds

Sea Birds are probably my last studio water colour paintings that I have painted. The bottom one was done at a workshop and the other three were done at home with photos that I took over the years in Cape Hatteras.
I find now that I have started painting with Acrylic paints that I don't use my watercolours much anymore. However, I do  still use them for some Plein Air painting.

Killarney Boat House

Killarney Boat House was painted from a photo that my sister-in-law took on our sailing holiday in the North Channel. I was drawn to the red house reflected in the water. The reflection and the water took several 'tries' but I finally achieved my desired effect.
I like many things about this paining: the subject, the colours and the shape of the board. I think that all these things work together to make this a successful painting.