BARB HILLIER

Winter Snowshoe

2012-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

Okanagan Park

24 x 24

Acrylic on oak doorskin

Take what might be an otherwise drab winter day and turn it into something! Snowshoeing, wieners roasted over a fire, a little shot of a warming liqueur and some ideas for a painting.

Winter Playground

2012-01-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

Nickelplate series in progress

24 x 24

acrylic on doorskin

A new year and some changes! Here is the first of some some acrylic paintings done on doorskin, a thin veneer of wood meant for building doors but giving a nice natural wood grain texture perfect for my woodsy series of winter paintings. The acrylic is a medium I painted in many years ago and I find less of an issue when painting in confined spaces as the oil even though I use very little solvent still bothers my nose! We spend many winter days skate skiing and snowshoeing up in the Nickelplate area above the Okanagan Valley and am so happy to finally start painting some of the gorgeous scenery.

Going Green

2011-12-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

Ladner Harbour Boats

11 x 14

oil on canvas

My paintings reflect my life in some ways - constantly moving between the desert and the coast. So here we are back on the coast in the little fishing village of Ladner. I ventured out in my car on a cool winter morning, parked in the marina parking lot facing these boats and set up my paint box (pictured below) right on my lap never leaving the warmth and privacy of the vehicle. It was so lovely and relaxing, listening to music and painting away - almost a timeless feel. I used my plein air paper sketch as a guide for this larger canvas piece along with some photo reference, my usual process these days.

And this is my paint box, a summer project starting with a basic box, adding a hinged palette lined with glass and two hinged side pieces for holding brushes or medium and a piece of paper towel for wiping excess paint. Paint tubes and brushes store underneath and two panels can store in the lid. I can paint with the box on my lap or attach it to a tripod. I'm 'going green' by using a glass palette which can be scraped with a blade and excess paint piled in a corner to use as an undercoat for the next painting and by pinning down a small square of paper towel which can hold an astounding amount more paint than a crumpled up piece in one's hand. I usually work with one brush rubbing off excess paint when changing colors and making sure I load up enough new paint on the brush to gently drop in the color without the old color seeping through. This means no solvents necessary and again fewer paper towels. Of course this works for now while painting small, we'll see when I start painting big outside!

Out on the trails

2011-11-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Lone Tree in progress

40 x 30

oil on canvas

The last fews months have been busy with numerous trail runs and races both on the wet west coast and the dry desert in the interior. The above painting would be a familiar sight out on the trails and often when I'm out there I'm wishing I could stop and paint. I've been focussing on plein air painting studies, the last few from the comfort of the front seat of my car but now that the temperatures are dropping it's back to the studio to go big again and a little stylized.

Strange Days

2011-09-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

Storm on the way

18 x 24

oil on canvas

A couple of months ago I was driving up this road to a little bakery where I buy my rice bread and I saw a huge storm moving in from the south so back down I went to get my camera so I could get some resource photos. This painting above was my attempt to capture the mood with the sun still shining in the foreground but far down the valley was a totally different scenario. Today on the coast it was much like that. We had ferocious winds, torrential rain and brilliant sunshine under deep blue skies. Yesterday and the day before it felt like Hawaii. Strange days...

Steveston Grand Prix Plein Air Competition

2011-09-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

3 hour plein air challenge

11 x 14

oil on canvas board

Not much different than an Ironman Triathlon and I'm still wiped out physically and mentally 2 days later! The weeks leading up involved not enough training plein air trips and those times that I did get out I usually forgot something important like canvas or brushes. A list would be needed. Some sessions were just like transition training where I went out just to see how easily I could pack my gear, setup and take down. Carrying wet canvases has always been a challenge. Nutrition, hydration, clothing for all types of weather have to be thought of but finally all my gear was carefully laid out and the process gone thru in my mind and I was ready to go.

The Steveston Grand Prix is organized by Mark Glavina of the Phoenix Gallery in Steveston and he and the many volunteers put on a fabulous event! It is similar to a Quickdraw where there is a time limit to produce a painting, in this case 3 hours, but the difference is that the location is done by draw and when you are assigned a flag you have to stay within a few feet. Below was my spot which offered a nice arrangement of buildings.

One must attempt to transfer what you see in front of you to the canvas as the light and weather changes, the clock ticks away, and people meander by having been encouraged to ask questions sometimes wanting a little mini lesson in painting. I found I thoroughly enjoyed the process, met lots of great people and learned quite a bit along the way. Would I do it again? Absolutely and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to push themselves out of their comfort zone and into the exciting world of creating that painting right in the moment.

Desert full of vineyards

2011-09-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Oliver Ranch Road

16 x 20

oil on canvas

This particular spot is my favourite in the whole Okanagan. A winding road, vineyards on each side, surrounded by mountains and leading down to one of numerous lakes in this very long valley. Irrigation keeps the fields green in what would otherwise be a desert.

A Beak

2011-08-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Okanagan Park

9 x 9

oil on doorskin

Well I had to paint this scene though the composition falls under the 'beak' category that Stapleton Kearns has warned about. Check out his blog here to learn much about the faux pas of the amateur painter. I had to do this one anyway as it is quite a remarkable landmark especially if one is coming into Peachland or Kelowna from the west. Dropping out of the mountains all of a sudden Okanagan Lake is below you and across the lake is the rocky and burned out Okanagan Park, victim of a huge forest fire in 2003. Very stark and devoid of life it is only now starting to show signs of new growth. It's beautiful and still takes my breath away when I see it. This particular day I had taken my little Yorkie and my new paintbox and started the piece plein air finishing in my 'kitchen' studio.

Birds on the Brain

2011-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Osprey in progress

20 x 16

oil on canvas

Bird photography has slowed right down for me. The trees are so thick with foliage that although I can hear them by the hundreds they are rarely seen. So I'm going through my resource pics to find ones that I'd like to paint. This osprey with it's mate lives just a couple of blocks from me and I was lucky to catch several shots of it moving around on the nest. I'm trying to find a balance between realism and abstract keeping the essence without labouring over detail, minimizing brushstrokes but staying true to the image, pushing saturation of hues as always...

Shatford Show

2011-06-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Calm

10 x 8

in progress

This painting does not reflect my life at the moment but rather how each day begins. I try to start the morning with either a plein air outing or some cycling but before long manage to get swamped with technology and administration, yesterday being a new cell phone and taxes, today exploring website options and postcard designs. Later I will visit our local art show at the Shatford Centre where I had my first success at being juried in. In my excitement I forgot on my last post to thank Peggy Stel, Picture This custom Framing in Penticton, who also had work juried in and did a great job framing my piece. Hopefully the show will be online soon but in the meantime check out the winner of best in show, Shannon ford whose wonderful work can be seen at her website here.

Triptych Opening Night and an Award

2011-06-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Tuc-el-Nuit

8 x 10

oil on canvas board

What a week it has been! A daughter graduating from university and an award for my triptych (currently posing as the banner for my blog). My gratitude and thanks to Linda Lovisa of New Moon Gallery for presenting me with an award of distinction at the Triptych Opening Night in Penticton. Go check out Linda's wonderful gallery in Westbank and drop in to the Shatford Centre in Penticton for the show which is on till the the 27th of July. It features the work of many great artists of the Okanagan Valley from Osoyoos to Vernon and beyond. I am back to the plein air painting again and though the above piece is one that I started last summer I have just recently finished it in the studio. It's a jewel of a lake and fortunately has some of the little remaining desert to the east of it with much of the rest of the valley covered in vineyards.

Bike to Work Week

2011-06-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

City That Cycles

Photograph

It's Bike to Work Week here and so I decided to include this photo in the few that I have hanging in Hooked On Books. I couldn't believe the photo op whilst walking the side streets in Paris. The street was deserted and empty but for the lineup of rental bikes parked for the day. Not sure whether they were brought into the downtown from the burbs by workers or whether they were sitting there waiting for tourists to use. The bikes are locked into meters all over the city and one only has to pay a fee, use the bike and then leave in any available meter. A very bike friendly city!

I'm in!

2011-05-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Rainy Day Reds SOLD

12 x 12

oil on canvas

This painting was done on a day like today, drizzling with rain and dark and gloomy. I liked the moody setting though, at eye level on a window sill, and my challenge was to catch the light coming through the grapes as well as bouncing off the highly reflective bowl. Had a lot of fun with this one and it was juried into a Federation of Canadian Artists show - a first for me. Yeah!

Skaha Bluffs

8 x 10

oil on canvas board

This piece was started on a plein air outing and finished in the studio. It was a cool misty morning and the colors were muted but the reflections had me mesmerized. This painting along with a few others are now hanging in a gallery in Oliver, another first for me. These days have been busy with many new adventures. Soon I will have a photography exhibit hanging as well in a local book shop. What amazes me is the amount of administration that goes along with the creative part. I can now see why artists often need someone to help manage the business.

Local heritage sites

2011-04-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Haynes Ranch

18 x 24

oil on canvas

With spring here and some exciting opportunities on the horizon for getting some paintings into galleries I've decided I need to ramp it up a bit, paint more and get back to the landscapes. Last weekend I headed south for some bird photography and ended up at this old ranch, built in 1907 I believe. It sits on a corner that I have cycled by many times but I have never before really noticed the old barns. On this particular day I was walking around the perimeter and got some photos to bring back to paint from. Still too cool for me to sit outside for any length of time but I'll head back when it warms up for some plein air. There are many other beautiful old buildings in the valley that I'd like to paint before they collapse so that it will a project that should keep me going all summer.

Birthday flowers

2011-04-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Pinks and Greens

12 x 12

oil on canvas

The weather has turned cold again so I stayed inside today and painted this birthday bouquet. I'm starting to enjoy painting this subject!

Plumbers and bluebirds

2011-03-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

West Coast Trail

12 x 16

oil on canvas

Odd sounds drive me crazy and fortunately I chased down the latest one and discovered a failing hot water tank which led to the discovery of a failing water pressure valve leading into the house, a disaster in the making! Fortunately for good friends become neighbors, and the other way around of course and a great plumber all is well now. But whilst the work was being done I had my dogs tied to my chair and sat for several hours painting this west coast scene. This trail follows 75 kilometer of the west coast of Vancouver Island and it took us 7 days to hike it. On day 2 of the hike we climbed down the steep cliffs to the tidal flats which were much easier to hike along than the forest above, but had to be timed perfectly with the tides or one could get caught with no way back up as there were only a couple of spots where ropes had been left dangling down. It was many years ago that I was on this trail back when there were few others out there. Now one has to reserve a spot in order to access the park so that the numbers can be kept down.

Another highlight of the week happened during a hike out to a favourite nature reserve. I was climbing a hillside with my camera looking for meadowlarks and all of a sudden was surrounded by dozens of bluebirds swooping around and landing next to me. There were mostly Western Bluebirds but a few Mountain Bluebirds appeared in my photographs. I met a wonderful couple from a nearby town on the way down the hill and as we were standing there talking the bluebirds showed themselves again. The whole experience was magical!

Studio landscapes

2011-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Forest Walk

12 x 16

oil on canvas board

We are still in winter here with the days still too cool and windy for me to head out to paint plein air so I pulled out a photo taken last fall on a drive up through the hills to the west of here. I started to have fun with the colors and design and before long the scene had taken a whole different direction and is not at all like the original. I think this is one of the problems with painting from a photograph. There is not really enough information sometimes to be able to paint from without embellishing somewhat.

Venturing into triptychs

2011-03-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

portion of Valleyview

12 x 12

oil on canvas

I was out for a drive last fall and was coming around a bend looking for good views when all of a sudden there was the scene that I'd been wanting to paint. Rather than using a wide angle lens I took three shots and stitched the photos together so that the painting would appear as if one was standing in one spot and gazing across the scene from south to north and back. One of the challenges of painting this beautiful valley is getting the entire vista all onto one canvas so when our local art group announced a new show called Triptych I decided to give a three panel panorama a go. My goal here was to try to maintain flow across all three as well as trying to give each piece a stand alone strength. The background of my title shows all three pieces together. 12 x 36

Painting from a sketch

2011-02-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Dory

18 x 24

oil on canvas

I usually like to plunge right into a painting hoping it will be a keeper but this was done from a sketch and photo from December and I can say that it was crucial to have the sketch to refer to knowing that the mood and composition will work for me. I do love painting boats and buildings but am starting back to Okanagan landscapes as spring is coming and I'm itching to get back to plein air painting. In the meantime I'm totally obsessed with the bird photography and am up to 70 species on my list. It has opened up a whole world of life I was oblivious to before and in fact walked or ran by each day without knowing it existed. Below is a little Golden-crowned Kinglet that hovers like a hummingbird looking for bugs in the bark, too small for me to have noticed before but living right out my front door.

Oiling Out

2011-02-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

Between Races

2010-09-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ladner Marina Pochade

8 x 10

oil on canvas board

This little piece was a plein air painted a few blocks from my home on the coast. A few buildings were taken out as with landscape pieces I find that I have problems with design if I don't change things around a little. And although I was trying to be on the realistic side regarding hue I'm now thinking I should have used my artistic license and changed the color scheme. I'm loving how much I'm learning by getting outside to paint. In the meantime I've now finished my last big event - riding my bicycle from Vancouver to Whistler and have also found out that I've sold some more paintings so now I'm going to have to put the bike away and get back to some serious painting!

Ironman Week

2010-08-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Village Gateway

12 x 16

oil on canvas board

This lovely little village main street was one of many that we road our bikes through last summer in the Pyrenees. I often wondered where the cars and people were till someone told me that many villagers have moved to the big cities. It's so sad to see such beautiful places abandoned but I guess we have that problem here too. Well the summer is almost over, we've felt the shift in temperature with the evenings cooling off. I've had a great time with lots of family and friends to play with, sold a few paintings, didn't paint enough but will soon and this weekend will finish it off with the Penticton Ironman Canada Triathlon. I've spent much of the summer swimming, biking and running in preparation for it and though I've enjoyed it immensely I'm ready for a break. I'll have one more event to do, a ride from Vancouver to Whistler and then I plan to take advantage of the last warm days to do some plein air painting. I've spent the last week building a pochade box and can't wait to try it out!

Something different

2010-08-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Looking out to Sea NFS
8 x 8
oil on doorskin

My first portrait magically evolved yesterday over top of piece of board that I had been using as a practice area for testing colors. It felt very much like when one finally decides to commit and plunge into a freezing sea, very scary and yet exhilarating at the same time! Done quickly and loosely it was a lot of fun, many of the test colors left to show through. Haven't been painting much lately as I've been spending far too much time floating away the hot summer days on the lake. Today we are suffering from the smoke of over 400 hundred forest fires burning in this province and we can't even see the sun so I'm back to the easel for a while.

Breaking the second brush stroke habit

2010-07-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Skaha Bluff Trail SOLD
8 x 10
oil on canvas panel

This scene is of a conservation area overlooking Skaha Lake and it is absolutely stunning with sage brush, wildflowers and beautiful rock formations. If you get lucky you may see some mountain sheep. Sitting out in the sun in the middle of a 35 degree day made it necessary to just block in some values and hues and head home for the finishing up but this was basically just an exercise in putting down one brushstroke and then reloading the brush and planning before putting down the next. I often find that I dab away and have to wipe off brush strokes that pick up unwanted paint and most often it is the second brushstroke that does it so I am determined to quit that habit. Something else to work on is deciding whether the shadows will be cool or warm and I battled back and forth on this. Another challenge was pushing the distant trees back. So much learning from one little plein air piece.

Plein Air Dangers

2010-06-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

Kaleden SOLD
12 x 16
oil on board

This should have been a plein air painting but as the original suffered a 'wipe down' fate and I still felt the need to paint this scene I did it at home. Much as I love taking my loyal little Yorkie I was worried the whole time he'd end up in a bunch of cactus or worse being bitten by a snake so I wasn't able to concentrate with him under my feet. Today he did everything in his power to get out that gate and into the car but I got away without him. I think the guilt was worse than the worry so next time he comes with me...

rain, rain, go away

2010-06-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

in progress
10 x 8
oil on board

We live in a desert though you wouldn't know with all the greenery carpeting the hills and it's raining relentlessly so I'm working on an image that I caught at a local market last year back when it was sunny. This fellow was under a tent and I had to crop his head for the composition but I really just wanted to catch his enthusiasm with his feet kicking up to the music. Funny how little things make a difference. Had he been just standing no matter how lively the music I would have walked by. I love painting people in motion and will eventually work on dance if I can get some good resource photos.

Eye Candy

2010-06-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Tucelnuit Lake

8 x 10
oil on board

Saturday I rode my bike 60 kilometers down our beautiful Okanagan valley and every direction I looked was so incredibly beautiful, truly a treat for the eyes. I'm often brought to tears while I'm out there drifting silently past vineyards, climbing valleys, descending down mountain sides. The next day I gathered up my paints and along with my plein air partner Iggy the Yorkie off I went to capture some of the scenes. The one above was one of the many lakes in the area and the blue of the water was absolutely electric. I didn't quite catch it but am close I think. Today I finished it up at home but poor Iggy slept all day on my supply bag waiting to head out.

By the Sea

2010-05-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cannery Study
8 x 8
oil on doorskin

I'm on the west coast right now and managed to take advantage of a few hours of dry weather to go to Steveston , an old fishing village, and join a few plein air painters. Above is an old cannery converted into a park with working canneries nearby. Lovely to be by the sea and of course had to indulge in some fish and chips. Now it is back to the usual drizzle mixed with downpours and it's almost too dark to paint.

Plein Air Adventures continued

2010-05-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sand Cliffs
12 x 16
oil on wrapped canvas

Last Sunday after cheering on friends at a local triathlon I ventured off into the back country searching for a location where I could pull off the road and easily set up all my plein air painting gear. I finally found a spot that would work perfectly, got all organized, paint brush in hand, canvas on the easel and then I realized I had not brought paint. I am going to have to make a list as it seems this whole thing is as complicated as camping and I know I always needed a list for those excursions. The next day I headed off again, this time with my little 4 pound Yorkie who managed to squeak through the gate and into the car. Never wanting to miss a road trip he can often be found curled up on a suitcase or bag by the door knowing that they are destined for the car and he does not want to be left behind. He turned out to be good company and so will be one more item to add to the list.
My highlight of the week was receiving in the mail a painting from Kim Rempel which I won in a draw in honor of her reaching 100 followers! Go see her fabulous paintings at eatdrinkpaint.blogspot.com.

A very cool plein air experience

2010-05-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

View to Trout Creek
8 x 8
oil on doorskin

Today I headed up the west side of Okanagan Lake and set up in a lovely little rest area with beautiful views of the community just north of here. I was busy getting all my stuff unpacked when I heard some rustling and up from the beach came a pair of ducks right up to my feet. They checked out my easel and then settled down right underneath it only stirring when someone was walking by as if to warn me. My little buddies stayed till I was finished and then flew off across the lake I had just painted. What a perfect outing!

Below is the second painting that I did down at Vaseux on Sunday.

McIntyre Bluff
8 x 8
oil on doorskin

Plein Air #2

2010-05-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Vaseux Lake
6 x 8
oil on doorskin

This is my second go at plein air and what made this kind of fun was spotting another artist scouting around for a good vantage point. I later followed her route up a back road and found several lookouts above this lake where I set up for my next painting. I often cycle by this lake wishing I could pull over and paint so today I finally was able to spend the morning soaking up the sun and listening to the meadowlarks. I am definitely hooked on plein air!

Reflections

2010-05-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ladner Harbour
18 x 24
oil on wrapped canvas

This little scene is only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver and is actually only a block away from downtown Ladner yet it feels so peaceful and quiet. I drove by on my way to get groceries last week and the reflections were so incredible I had to stop to get a photo and couldn't wait to paint it. The little tent on the dock is storage for kayaks which can be rented and paddled up the many little channels off the Fraser River. The stubby little pilings on the right have great tufts of grass growing on them and the forest behind is a nature park.

My Lucky Week

2010-05-01T20:28:00.001-07:00

Foraging

16 x 20
oil on wrapped canvas

This week started off a little rough. Cold, wind and rain were putting a damper on my Ironman training, keeping me out of my garden and deterring me from any plein air attempts. Not to be discouraged I looked forward to the workshop I'd be going to in a few days. And then imagine my surprise when the news arrived that I'd won a painting! What a shocker - I never win anything. Time to buy some lottery tickets I think! Anyway Kim Rempel in celebrating reaching 100 followers drew a name to receive a beautiful painting! Check it out and her other paintings at Eatdrinkpaint.blogspot.com. Her work is fabulous. Thanks Kim so much!
And as for the workshop it was put on by Bonny Roberts, a great BC artist. We were able to take 5 paintings that we were stuck on to be critiqued and hopefully resolved. Fix It Finish It was the name of the workshop and the above horse which I posted last year as 'in progress' is finally now finished. Thanks Bonny for putting on a great workshop.

so much for plein air

2010-04-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Teatime

10 x 8
oil on wrapped canvas

I scoped out my next plein air site, a nice harbor scene and taking just my camera to get a few photos to plan the composition I hopped out of the car, braved the west coast wind and rain to get a few pics and within minutes decided I'd wait for warmer weather, or hold off till I'm back in our desert interior. So instead I decided to try a still life with a twist - just had to put myself in it. My daughter and I love to go for a proper tea and here we are at Victoria's Butchart Gardens enjoying our treats and the scenery out the window.

Now I understand why one should paint plein air

2010-04-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Skaha View
8 x 8
oil on doorskin

Last week I discovered a French plein air easel on sale at my local art shop and since I've been reading about the necessity of getting outside and painting from real life and frustrated with my attempts at landscapes I decided to treat myself to a late birthday present and purchased it. Like a kid with a new toy I made a list, packed my paints, bought a little folding chair and off I went in search of a private location to set up and try plein air painting for the first time. Very shy abouting painting publicly I drove up into the hills overlooking one of our large lakes and rounded the last corner into a parking lot full of cars! Climbing season has begun! I decided to head up the trail anyway and went off a little ways till I had a good view of the lake. Feeling excited but very awkward and full of anticipation I quickly set up, squeezed out paint onto my palette, grabbed a brush and took a big breath and started to paint. Immediately realized I'd forgotten my glasses, had no where to put down my brushes and the wind was not only whipping my hair around my face which didn't matter anyway as I couldn't see but it was also trying to blow my paper palette away. No worries, this was only a trial and after a half hour of loose easy brush strokes I packed up and headed home. The connection I felt with nature being out there with the wind in the trees, the birds singing and the feeling of peace and timelessness has made me want to go back and I look forward to the next adventure. Hopefully I'll be a little more organized next time.

Painting what I think I see...

2010-04-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Gloria's Bouquet
12 x 12
oil on wrapped canvas

Two subjects I think I know well but cannot seem to paint easily are flowers and landscapes. What ends up on the canvas is nothing like what sits before me and I have finally discovered that I have to focus very hard with my eyes on all the shapes, hues and values instead of letting my hand paint what my brain thinks the subject should look like. Now that spring is here I should get lots of practice. This beautiful bouquet was a gift to a very special friend who gave me a push to get back to the easel and I will be forever grateful for her support.

Olympic Withdrawal

2010-04-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Reflections
30 x 40
oil on canvas

Long after the Olympics are over I am still suffering withdrawal, cold and fatigue forgotten, regrets on not spending more time downtown, wishing it was an annual event here and yes I would do it all over again. I know I said I wouldn't but I have said that about Ironman too and here I am signed up to do it again in August. So with two weeks away from the easel I could feel a painting coming on and it was going to be a big one. Another Vancouver scene. The last two days spent painting and I thought it was done but as is often the case as soon as I get it on the computer I can see all kinds of touch ups needed. The challenge in this one besides the people and reflections was the varying nature of Vancouver's downtown buildings with rounded sides and odd shapes and positions. I tried to worry not so much about perspective but more about getting some interesting patterns with the hope that in the end it reads okay.

Paralympics Experience

2010-03-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Lantern Forest Walk
24 x 18
oil on wrapped canvas

Heading back downtown for my Paralympic volunteer duties I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the crazy three weeks when Vancouver was one giant party. The painting above is a scene on Granville Street where a bamboo forest was built decorated with lanterns designed by children and lit by LED lights. People loved to stomp on the platforms making it sound like a rain forest and with the sunlight filtering through it certainly felt like a magical place. There is still a festive feel to the downtown but not on such a big scale. Most venues are closed and mine had it's final day with the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies. After spending four hours checking tickets outside I was able to get in to thaw out and see a little of the show. There was a different feel to this event, a little less formal but just as much energy and excitement and it was great to see so many youth involved whether it was with a choir or a dance group. So now I am home and will try to paint a few more Vancouver scenes while they are still fresh in my mind.

Olympic Volunteer Experience

2010-03-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Vancouver Benches
24 x 18
oil on wrapped canvas

I have lived in Vancouver most of my life and have never seen anything like the last three weeks of Olympic partying. I commuted most days downtown to my volunteer job at BC Place where the opening, closing and medal ceremonies were held and before long was starting to go early and stay late just to experience the amazing energy of the friendly crowds and the crazy fun entertainment. My volunteer experience itself was brutal and one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life. The first ten hour day started with an unexpected all day posting outside in inadequate clothing and I was left feeling dismayed and humiliated when I found out I was not allowed into the very venue at which I was working. I was given a half cup of chili and that was it for food for the entire ten hour shift. By the time I arrived home I'd been standing on cold concrete in winter weather for twelve hours, couldn't get warm and it took several hours to fall into a fitful sleep. Most of my shifts were like this so I began to pack extra clothes and my own food and I had to sleep and rest on most my time off. I was yelled at on a daily basis, an easy mark in my 'blue jacket' for those frustrated with the Olympics and the inconveniences they were experiencing or for those who found the venues difficult to get around. I was often posted as an Access Control or at the security checks where I had to deal with angry work force, arrogant media or impatient ticket holders. I suffered from the rain and cold all the while working alongside paid security people who were given winter clothes and shelter under a heated tent. One night the security team kept bringing me in under the heater as they could see I was turning blue. I got sick of course, lost six pounds and am still trying to recover. Were there any good moments, something that made it all worthwhile? Well I wouldn't go that far but I did get to see the opening and closing ceremonies, met my favorite singer Sarah McLachlan, made some good friends and had some pretty funny moments that still make me laugh. Would I do it all again? Not a chance. I am so happy to be home and painting again!

50's lake boats

2010-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

Lake Boats
9 x 12
oil on wrapped canvas

I am enjoying the winter sports right now leaving little time to paint. Often I can be found up the mountain skate skiing one of the many trails but yesterday I ran a ten kilometer ( 6 mile) snowshoe race and so today am looking for any excuse to sit! Perfect for a small painting where I don't have to get up and stand back to look at it. This one is done from another of my great Uncle's photos from the 50's. I was fascinated with the colors and shapes and enjoyed focusing on these aspects and not worrying too much about detail. A nice way to get back to painting after being away for a few days.

A Pilot's Day Is Done

2010-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

To Sea
18 x24
oil on wrapped canvas

"To Sea" my husband might say when I ask what his assignment is and then I know he will be taking a ship from somewhere near Vancouver out past Victoria and as the ship continues out to sea a pilot boat will come alongside to pick him up. He often takes his camera with him and was able to capture this scene so I couldn't resist painting it. Here is a fellow pilot having come down the side of a tanker by stairway, a ladder and finally stepping on to the deck of the pilot boat all the while trying to keep his balance, a challenge on stormy days. What fascinated me about this was how the man on the ship looked like he was suspended in the air with all the light reflecting off the side of the ship. I liked this effect so decided to keep it but found it challenging trying to make it look like it was receding. The reflections on the pilot boat were fun though. As usual my lesson learned here was to draw properly from the beginning as I spent quite a bit of time making corrections.

Back in the Saddle

2010-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Flower
12 x 12
oil on wrapped canvas

Too long a break over Christmas and the result was three wiped canvases. In a slump I decided to read instead and picked up Robert Genn's "Twice Weekly Letters", a treasure of inspiration. One passage in particular struck a cord and reminded me that success was usually hard won with persistence and so I tackled for a fourth time this flower painting. I tried very hard to look and paint what I saw instead of what I thought it should look like and the result I am happy with. Flowers aren't easy for me and I did spend a little too long and picked too much but learned a lot on this project. Happily painting again!

Mediterranean Dreamin...

2009-12-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Collioure Hotel
14 x 18
oil on wrapped canvas

I started out with a winter BC landscape and lo and behold what appeared was a home away from home on the Mediterranean Sea. This was such a lovely hotel that we stayed at during our June bicycle trip that we decided to stop and stay for a few days. Guess I'm pining for warmer weather...

Iggy Pop

2009-12-10T14:09:00.001-08:00

Bow Tied
8 x 6
oil on wrapped canvas

My kids are grown up but I still have a little 4 lb baby, or should I say 'whirling dervish' named Iggy. He can literally swirl his head around and toss a ball, watching to see which direction it goes so he can then chase it! He'll resort to this if I'm busy reading a book and paying him no attention. The blue eyes of course are the reflection of the camera flash but I kind of liked the effect so put it in. Another candidate for my cards.

Enjoying the season

2009-12-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Good friends
8 x 6
oil on wrapped canvas

Winter is here and I've managed to get in a little skate skiing and snowshoeing but now it's -30 up the mountain and I'm going to wait till it warms up a bit. In the meantime I'm starting to think about Christmas cards. I thought this year I should paint my own instead of buying them so am hauling out my decorations to see if anything inspires me.

Weekly Painting

2009-11-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Bella Coola
18 x 24
oil on wrapped canvas

I've decided to try for a painting a week as I'm getting into doing these bigger pieces. I have tried for one a day but found the 6 x 6 format too small for what I want to do and the pressure to paint daily not realistic for my lifestyle. Having spent the morning with a wonderful group of ladies and one husband mountain biking the hills to the west of us and most other mornings out doing something physical I'm not left with much time to paint. I can't seem to paint after the light fades - I do too with lttle energy left. So this painting above took a few days and is of a small BC coastal fish packing plant. I took the resource photo in the 70's and this plant may not even be there anymore. Haven't quite finished but I find it helps to take a photo and see it from a different perspective.

Misbehaving Grapes

2009-11-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hanging On SOLD
10 x 8
oil on wrapped canvas

These grapes were not co-operating at all when it came to being arranged in a pleasing composition so I gave up and painted their escape attempt. Next week I'm starting another large piece so for now just catching up on household chores and keeping the painting small and fun.

Letting go...

2009-11-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

Red and Green SOLD
10 x 10
oil on wrapped canvas

I struggled all day yesterday with an old painting that had not been well planned in terms of composition or colors. Hours of trying to make corrections and wasting huge amounts of paint it was finally declared a failure and will be sent off with the garbage to the landfill tomorrow. I never reuse old canvases as I feel the past will slowly make it's way to the surface and rear it's ugly head! I had to go back to something fun with some promise of success since I haven't painted for a week. Not sure why red grapes can be so purple and still be called red and the green ones are not so blue in the painting. It's something to do with my camera I think and I keep forgetting to adjust the hues before I post. Oh well. Happy painting everyone.

Going Big

2009-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

All Aboard
18 x 24
oil on wrapped canvas

Well I've decided to plunge right into a big piece and after 3 days of working on it and starting to pick at little details I decided it was time to step back, take a photo and get it on the blog. The advantage of doing this is now I can see some things that were missed - like the name of the train station! Oh well - that can be put in anytime. The biggest challenge for me on this project was avoiding making the figures look pasted on. I think I still have some work to do in this regard but for now I need to step away.

Summer Wine Tasting

2009-10-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

SOLD
The Barrel Room
12 x 12
oil on wrapped canvas

We didn't go wine tasting much this summer but did visit one of our favorite vineyards for dinner one evening. On the way in to the dining room we passed a number of old barrels that had been put to use as planters and I was captivated by the simple beauty of the building structure, the barrels and the view of the vineyard beyond.

Different Strokes Challenge

2009-10-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Macys
9 x 9
oil on doorskin

Here is my attempt at Karin Jurick's current Different Strokes Challenge. I began by doing a 5 value study with white and black gesso to try to develop an interesting design and once I started putting on color it was easier to keep the values that I wanted and stick to the original plan with only a few minor adjustments. I decided to add a little fun by starting with paints that I never or rarely use and of course by the end I had to sneak in a few favorites.

Summer Fun Remembered on Cold Fall Days

2009-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Bus Boys
9 x 12
oil on wrapped canvas

I've been waiting to paint this one and since the cool autumn days have arrived it's time to remember a little of the summer past. These boys were hollering and yahooing from the bus as they were transported back from their tubing trip down the lazy several kilometer long canal that runs the length of our little city from the lake on our north end to the lake on our south end. The trip takes about 4 hours unless you jump out half way and it's amazing to see the hundreds of floaties going by, many with their supplies of refreshments tied up alongside on their own rafts. There are running and biking trails that follow the route and it's a great way to spend an afternoon. I tried to stay loose on this putting down a thin transparent ultramarine blue wash over a dried acrylic orange base. While the wash was wet I worked in the colors. The boys were not easy to paint in having some body parts outside the bus and some in but I enjoyed the challenge.

Focusing on color

2009-10-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

SOLD
Grapes and Wine
8 x 8
oil on wrapped canvas

This piece was a little project that I did to see if I could start with a specific color and subject and paint what would essentially be a commissioned work. Well was I going to learn a few things and the very big lesson was that I am not ready to do a commissioned piece and may never be. As paint goes on I get carried away and before I know it a very different animal has evolved but that is the joy of creativity. Had a lot of fun with this one and hey - it looks good over my couch.

Character Study

2009-09-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sneaking a Peak
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

I caught this scene in Poland last year and was attempting to portray the secret glance this young man stole whilst sitting with his girl. I found the 6 x 6 format too small to get the hand that was hiding his eyes and the girls legs need to be a touch longer but had to quit before it was finished as my alla prima approach was foiled by a two day distraction. My lesson learned - draw carefully and allow time to finish in one day. I'm really enjoying painting figures and may get brave and move on to portraits.

Too Pretty to Eat

2009-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Olives and Cheese
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

Late in the afternoon I try to have some down time and will often pour a glass of wine, put out a plate of olives and cheese, grab a book or magazine and head out to the front porch. It's my daily treat to myself, a break between the day's chores and the evening shopping and dinner making. Lately I've come across some amazing olive mixes and one day just the sight of the brilliant colors and varied shapes and sizes was enough to make me reluctant to dig in and ruin the display. I had to paint it and so here it is. Lots of fun doing this one and keeping it under 2 hours forced me to be fast and loose.

Another Cafe

2009-09-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sharing a Cup
8 x 24
oil on wrapped canvas

After having a rather unproductive but fun summer I've plunged right back in with another people scene. I've read recently that French Cafes have been somewhat overdone but I am enjoying painting them and will do a few more I think. This was a scene in Annecy where most cafes are long and narrow lining the numerous canals giving the town it's nickname "Little Venice" An incredibly beautiful place it was the location for this years Tour De France individual time trial and a starting point for our bicycle tour of the Alps. Although I feel the painting needs more work it's time to put it aside for a while.

Lazy hazy summer days

2009-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the Parade
8 x 8
oil on wrapped canvas

I saw this scene at our local market and loved the way the pooch sat patiently on the bench. The personalities seemed to come out in each of the figures as I painted them and no matter how I tried to change the dog owner I couldn't seem to make him happier...Maybe he'd rather be walking. It's so much fun to go to the markets to see the parade of dogs and to buy local organic produce. I love summer and it so close to being over I can almost smell the fall air. I'm swimming almost daily in the lake for fear it will be the last one.

Smokey Days

2009-08-06T13:29:00.001-07:00

Collioure Creameries
10 x 10
oil on wrapped canvas

We are having a bad summer here with the forest fires and one of my challenges is wiping the ash off my paintings when I get up in the morning along with the usual dog hair or two! This is another scene from the Mediterranean which gave me a chance to use lots of bright pure color and to also try to loosen up as it would otherwise take forever with all the detail in the scene. Am starting to get a feel for how I want to paint - loose, what I want to paint - people, and what support is going to work best for me. This was done on a wrapped canvas which means it doesn't have to be framed since I have painted right over the sides, it's a 10 x 10 which is the smallest size I think I want to paint on and the under painting was done in a mid value orange acrylic rather than black which I found kept my paintings too dark.

The Man

2009-07-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Waiting
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

The days are hot now that summer is here and more of my spare time is spent outdoors swimming, cycling or running with not much time left to paint. I am getting out with my camera to the markets and after our trip to France I have a years worth of resource photos but I'm having trouble getting something on the canvas. I find quite often turning to an assignment helps keep me at it so checked in on Karin Jurick's latest posting. This DSFDF Challenge at first seemed daunting but I'm finding it to be increasingly easier to take the subject and focus on value and color, my two favorite components and so then the play began. I think this will be one of the last small paintings I do as I find the 6 x 6 format just a little too restricting and I haven't figured out how to frame them so they stand out well.

Getting Unstuck

2009-07-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Coffee Break
20 x 16
oil on canvas

This was one big project for me and having happily and with ease finished three quarters of it I found I was totally stuck the foreground which should have been relatively easy. No chance to hide or cover up as it is right there in your face. I even put it up on Gimp and created layers so I could change hue, value, intensity in order to resolve the issue. Although my Gimp painting looked okay no way could I transfer that to the real thing. Finally in desperation I threw some different combinations down and there we have the final product - for now anyway. Time to put this one away.

A good way to live

2009-07-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Seaside Cafe
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

Though I'm really a nester and a homebody I can see how travel influences your life and one of the things I've come home with is the appreciation of the slower and more relaxing French lifestyle. Long lunches, afternoon siesta's where the stores are closed and in the evening a glass of wine in a cafe overlooking the sea. This was a scene in Collioure on the Mediterranean where we were relaxing after our week long cycling trip.

Back to the Easel

2009-07-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Afloat
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

Am finally back to painting after being away for almost a month and it was very scary picking up the brushes again and having to reintroduce myself to my paints. A perfect start was the latest DSFDF subject by Karin Jurick which didn't inspire me a bit since I've now got hundreds of resource photos from our latest trip to France. Couldn't help putting a Mediterranean look to this scene. As usual once I started painting the fun began and I realized it doesn't really matter what the subject is. More importantly it is about color, value, line, intensity, shapes, composition and playing with all of these! I got so carried away and put so much paint down it wasn't sticking and I decided it was time to put this one aside and move on but I did really enjoy it - thanks again Karin for the challenge.

gathering resource material

2009-06-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

No painting for a bit as I'm in France on a bicycling adventure and am finding lot's of great scenes to paint - can't wait to get started - but first I have to finish my ride from the Atlantic to the Pyrenees - am halfway in Saint Girons. Typical of my luck in Paris there were many street cafes but no one sitting outside as it was pouring rain! Lot's of great villages enroute if I could slow my bike down to take a shot - some of our descents are death defying - of course we are not riding around the mountains but over the cols. Back to the easel in a week!

Multitasking - efficiency or procrastination?

2009-05-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Entertain Me
10 x 10
oil on canvas

This morning I found I was continually brushing my fingers on the painting messing up the foreground so finally I decided I'd have to go down to the garage, find a piece of wood and build a support to rest my hand on. On the way I came across some some towels bound for the laundry so I picked them up and headed for the laundry room. Of course I had to pass thru the kitchen to get there and I realized I hadn't had breakfast yet so I put scones in the oven to heat up and while I waited I surveyed the stack of last nights dishes. I caved in and filled the sink to wash them up, ate my breakfast and then tried to remember why I was downstairs - oh yah - the stick! This is the way my day goes and why I'm not very productive...
However I did get the painting done to the point of it being time to put it aside for a while. This is a scene from my hometown market which started up last weekend. Finally summer is here!

Hard faces or Faces are hard

2009-05-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sweet Retreat
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

I'm having a tough time painting faces and I think it's because too much change in value, hue, intensity and the edges become hard. I'm feeling badly about the women looking a little on the tough side. These ladies were having a little time out while shopping the winding streets of a small town in France. People there carry a strange assortment of bags to haul home the groceries as they are way ahead of us in being 'green' and will not offer plastic bags at the grocery stores. I found my backpack worked well but the woman in pink leans towards economy opting for an orange garbage bag.

Looking forward to summer markets

2009-05-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Little Shopper
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

This was a scene near the Community Cafe that I didn't realize I had captured on my camera till I zoomed in and played with contrasts and saturation using Gimp (similar to Photoshop but free). I didn't spend long on this study especially when I found one of my dogs hairs permanently embedded on the board! But it was enough to give me a sense of the fun that can be had this summer when I have a chance to go to the market and the beach and collect resource photos! If only the weather would improve - we are still seeing snow.

DSFDF Study

2009-05-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cabmania
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

When I saw the latest DSFDF challenge I was fascinated by the crush of taxis in the scene. Some day I'll have to go to New York City to see it for myself. I'll try this one again I think but with the buildings as well. I didn't want it to be too complicated first time around.

Riding or Painting

2009-05-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Community Cafe
16 x 20
oil on canvas

Do I ride or do I paint - this is my dilemma these days. In a month my husband and I are riding the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and as the days go by the battle between my two passions is escalating to the point where I'm chronically guilty for choosing one over the other - oh did I mention I have two dogs and two children as well! Well actually the two children are adults and the above painting was inspired two weeks ago when I helped my daughter move to her newest home in a quaint old area of Victoria, BC. It reminds me of where I grew up in the 60's - very hippy-ish. The cafe is apparently community owned and not sure how that works but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to grab my camera to capture the image and paint it. As it is a larger piece it has taken me all week and though I'm not finished it's time to let it hang on the wall for a while. I had a lot of fun with the reflections competing with the images coming thru the windows. Anyway I seem to be happy painting bicycles - maybe that helps me deal with not being out on one.

2009-04-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Grape Reflections

6 x 6

oil on doorskin

I've been wanting to paint grapes to go along with the vineyard theme that I thought I'd focus on this summer and as usual I can't make it simple and want to be different so I laid the grapes down on a mirror, spilled some wine over them and presented myself with the additional challenge of multi reflections. Had the usual battle with the brain insisting on knowing how a grape should look versus what I was actually seeing in the composition. Once I went with trusting what I saw the paint went down faster and the shapes started to make sense.

2009-04-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Riverwalk

20 x 16

oil on canvas

This is a painting I started last summer. I was fascinated by starkness and the stately structure of the branches of these trees and was trying to re-create the drama. I had started by putting down layer on layer of bright color for an underpainting but was soon starting to flounder and was not sure where to go next. I have this inner battle whereby my love of abstract bright color is smothered by the sensible part of my brain which tries to sway me more towards the realistic. I think it's a left brain right brain dilemma. My daughter saved me when she came along and declared she loved it just the way it was so now it hangs on her living room wall.

2009-04-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Legs

8 x 8

oil on canvas

I live in Canada's only desert which has become somewhat of a mini Napa Valley and the wine industry is booming here. One of the signs of a good wine are the 'legs' that run down the glass after swirling. I found this project a little frustrating changing colors many times till the paint wouldn't stick anymore and I'd have to wipe off areas. Next time I'll spend more time thinking about my color choices before I start to paint.

2009-04-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Little House in Kits

8 x 10

oil on masonite

I'll admit it - I'm cheap... comes from growing up in the tiny 2 bedroom home above with 6 people and no money. I cherished every little thing I owned and wasted nothing. I'd put out tiny little dabs of paint and by the time I mixed the color I wanted the brush would be dry and I'd have to start again squeezing more little dabs out of my tubes. Afraid to ruin an expensive canvas it would sit white and glaring, taunting and daring me to start. When I recently started to paint again I discovered many professional artists were using doorskin which is a thin wood veneer found in 4ft x 8ft sheets at the local lumber yard. Prime it, gesso it and cut to it any size. I found the freedom to paint with abandon, fearlessly experimenting and so what if the painting wasn't a success. My 6 inch x 6 inch pieces cost less than 25 cents each. The painting above is one of the few I did on Masonite before I found the doorskin. Used a different technique on this one. Did the values in acrylic and then glazed with oil.

2009-04-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Loyal Companion

8 x 6

oil on doorskin

Okay - I spent more time trying to photograph this than it took to paint...Of course I could have spent more time painting it but I'm trying a new approach on these challenges of Karin Jurick's whereby I'm developing and executing a plan, learning what works and what doesn't and then moving on. I really enjoyed the flow of fabric, curves of the body and the connection between the woman and the dog and by not pressuring myself to come up with a good product I enjoyed the process more.

2009-04-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Village Stroll

16 x 16

oil on canvas

This is a little streetscene painted from a photo I took while on holiday in France last fall. I discovered I had a great deal of reference material when I blew up my photos and could see all kinds of action in the background that wasn't apparent from a little 4 x 6 image. It was nice to work on a bigger piece but this project has taken me over a week and finally after picking away this afternoon I could hear the Painting Police shouting firmly "Move away from the easel ! Now!" So - out to the garden I go...

2009-04-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I was amazed to find I was nominated for a Lemonade Award by Liz Holm. Thanks so much Liz - I am so honored and overwhelmed. I used to be an ironman triathlete with a desire to paint and now I'm an artist with an exercise addiction so the last few days have been spent out on my bicycle in the beautiful spring weather instead of painting or blogging so now that I'm thoroughly stiff and sore I'll finish my current painting - get it posted and then work on nominating 7 more artists. To be continued....

2009-03-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Beach Family

8 x 12

oil on dooskin

Karin Juricks bi-weekly challenge was a whopper this time and intimidating as she drew me out of my comfort zone into her arena. I moved the boy as I wanted the kids between the parents as they both are looking like sentries guarding the brood. I find I still battle between trying to be realistic and wanting to be painterly. I need to loosen up some more but am happy with this one as I learned so much. Thanks Karin.

2009-03-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Apple

6 x 6

oil on doorskin

I didn't have anything in mind so did an apple just to get the paints out and in doing so made several mistakes and should know better. Planning pays off - should have had more than one item in there and not centered and should have decided on the colors first. My lack of a game plan resulted in the foreground and background being redone many times but regardless it's still a good exercise to go thru and I'm farther ahead than if I'd done nothing.

2009-03-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Over The Edge

12 x 16

oil on doorskin

I have joined a local photography club as I wanted to learn how to make better use of my camera for collecting resource material and the club has turned out to be too much fun, the meetings dynamic with many experts attending and the 'walks' a great way to let loose and look for unusual angles and subject material. Here a fellow photographer and myself peer below a dock looking for interesting ice formations. We are caught in the act by another one of our group whose fabulous photos can be seen on the Penticton Photography Club Flicker group along with the photo that this painting was done from. Thanks Drew.

Sushi

2009-03-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sushi

6 x 6

oil on doorskin
SOLD

What I love about these biweekly challenges from Karin Jurick is that I would never have otherwise considered painting this but found that I really enjoyed playing with the colors. I did a lot of experimenting with this one and in the end was happy with the results.

2009-03-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Foraging - in progress

16 x 20

oil on doorskin

Still lots to do on this project but time to put it aside for a while and then it will be more clear which direction to go. It's rare that I feel a painting is finished but I know that when I'm spinning my wheels it's time to take a break. My first attempt at wildlife this being a wild horse and one of many encountered on the drive the local ski hill. Every time I've gone by this delapitated cabin I've wanted to paint it and then wouldn't you know a friend got a photo of this horse grazing in front and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I still seem to be caught between an inclination to paint realistically and a desire to be more painterly. I will try this one again with a looser approach.

2009-03-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Wig Shop

5x6

oil on doorskin

Here is my final version of Karin Jurick's latest challenge - haven't managed to capture it properly yet with my camera and will try to get a brighter version without relflected light, something I've had trouble with since I started this blog. As for the painting it gave me great confidence to overcome my apprehension of painting faces and as I starting having fun with this I was thanking Karin for pushing me way out of my comfort zone. Decided at the same time to try something different and tone down the color but will go back to what i love which is bright beautiful bold color.

2009-02-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

in progress

5x6

oil on doorskin

Wow! What a challenge this one is from Karin Jurick - see 'Differentstokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com. Sat on it for a week till I decided I couldn't procrastinate any longer so I got down to work and formulated a plan. First of all there was a lot of information in this photograph of the display window of a wig shop - how to simplify? I decided to try black and white with 5 values and am now going to wait for a week till the paint is somewhat dry, to get around the fat over lean rule, and then glaze in a little transparent color to warm it up a bit. I think the biggest problem so far has been trying to photograph the painting without accentuating light reflections and glaring errors!

2009-02-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ice Caves

enhanced photo

I've been distracted lately by the accounting side of my life as it's year end for many and my adventuring into photography for the purpose of collecting resource material is also consuming much of my time so am getting a little playful with the photos to satisfy my creative side. Back to painting next week hopefully.

2009-01-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today's Paper

16 x 12

oil on canvas board

With this project I tried to use just a few colors and focus on the composition. Discovered how difficult it is to draw a bicycle that not only involves circles turned into ellipses but as well the effects of a vanishing point on the ellipses! Will try this one again and this time on doorskin as I find it way more enjoyable to use and less absorbant than cheap canvas on some sort of cardboard.

2009-01-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Victorian

7 x 5

oil on doorskin

I am really enjoying Karin Jurick's bi-weekly challenge. This is painted using as reference her photo posted to the blog 'Differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com'. I enjoyed the shapes and added some color but still had difficulty making it look painterly. Again not a subject I would choose but the fun started about halfway thru and I found i enjoyed painting it.

2009-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Reading Break
6 x 6
oil on doorskin

A good friend of mine came to visit in the summer and gave me a firm lecture on my having taken enough years to get organised and motivated and I was to start painting, no more excuses. She then went out to sit among the sunflowers and read so I captured the moment on film and vowed to paint it. This is the first of some quick studies.

2009-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Different Strokes Challenge

6 x6

oil on door skin

This was my first attempt at the Different Strokes From Different Folks blog biweekly challenge and I have to say this isn't a subject I would normally think of painting but I really started to enjoy it once I looked for simple color patterns. I was definitely pushed on this one and am looking forward to future challenges.

2009-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Poppies

6 x 6

oil on door skin

So I started was I thought would be an easy project - what could be easier than flowers. My first mistake was approaching it like a paint by number filling in the individual areas with appropriate color and my second mistake was using smaller brushes for a smaller support. When I finally got frustrated over how long it was taking and I picked up bigger brushes and started applying largers strokes of luscious color then the fun began. Alas it was time to wrap it up and some day I'll try this one again hopefully with much more abandon and looseness.

2009-01-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Rice Buyer

6 x 6

oil on door skin

I am now venturing out of my comfort zone not that there is one yet but painting people has been a rather daunting concept for me. I found the small format difficult to get the expression that I want but as these are daily excercises I have decided to wrap this one up and move on.