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.