Mediterranean Dreamin...

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

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

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

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

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...

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

All Aboard SOLD
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

Cabmania SOLD
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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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....

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Today's Paper SOLD

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rice Merchant

6 x 6

oil on doorskin

My rice merchant was captured on film many years ago while travelling in Asia and I'm so excited to finally be able to sit and paint him. The rice is collected from the terraces and spread on the mats so the grains can be collected and sold.

Kits House

12 x 16

oil on doorskin

This is the house we lived in for many years in Kitsilano and a subject I am using for trying different techniques while searching for my own style.

Doldrums

12 x 16

oil on doorskin

On my way to work one day I passed this sorry looking fish boat up on drums - very colorful drums and I knew I had to paint it. This was many years ago but it is the start of my effort to create one larger painting a week along with a small painting a day.