Tugs at the Sicamous

Tugs at the Sicamous   SOLD

12 x 24 

Acrylic

Here is a different perspective on a much painted and photographed Sicamous Stern Wheeler in Penticton, BC.  From across the channel at the dam one can see a nice arrangement some tugs and the paddle wheeler in behind.

Day 29 of 30

Sunset on the Dock

8 x 8

Acrylic

I have painted this previously but am drawn to the shapes and contrasts.

Day 19 of 30

Yellow Boat study

8 x 8

Acrylic

Another boat from Collioure, largely unfinished as I put a two hour max on the project to keep it fresh and spontaneous.  I may work on some of these at a later date. 

Day 17 of 30

Boats at Collioure

8 x 8

Acrylic

The colors of the Mediterranean are so intense and saturated, fun to paint but hard to get that kind of light translated using pigment and paper.  Next time maybe darker with the darks.

Day 13 of 30

Steveston Nocturne

8 x 8

Acrylic

Thought I'd try a night scene.  This is a beautiful fishing village and one of my favourite places to go for a sunset.  

Day 11 of 30

Boat Abstract

8 x 8

Acrylic

A fun little departure from my usual attempts at realism this time I just had fun with shapes and colors.

Day 8 of 30

Moro Bay

8 x 8

Acrylic

On our trip south in the fall we discovered a gem of a place called Moro Bay.  It is a very magical diverse area with so much to offer, beaches, wildlife, birds, marshes, parks, fishing village, artsy community and a good climate.  I could easily live here and definitely want to go back to do some more exploring.  Enjoyed painting this in the good company of my plein air painting pals indoors as the weather here is not so good as Moro Bay.

Details and simplifying

Day 25 Marina

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

Well there is a lot going on in this marina.   A lot of information and that requires some simplification and weeding out  - kind of like life...

One week to go and will I make it - not so sure right now but doing my best.  Good luck to everyone!

Abstract Nature of Marine Industry

Day 8 Ship's Bow

6 x 6 

Acrylic on Canvas

Most marine painters seem to choose a photographic approach to painting boats and ships used in the marine industry.  I'm fascinated by the multitude of abstract designs everywhere one looks.  This was a fairly simple block in of shapes providing ample opportunity to play with warm and cool colors and should have been fun and easy but I found it very challenging feeling my way through the whole painting process.

Sunset on the Dock

Day 7 On the Dock

6 x 6 

acrylic on canvas

One evening in the fall I arrived on the dock to pick up my husband and the sun setting right behind the bow of the ship produced the most amazing colors and fabulous shadows - hard to duplicate.

Marine Theme

Day 6 Marine  SOLD

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

I'm switching gears for the next few days and going with some marine paintings.  My husband is great at carrying his camera and snapping a few pics while coming from and going to work and I sometimes get a few when I drive for him.  This is from one of his photos and I loved the abstract design.  The piling in the foreground has a sign on it and though it's inclusion may not read well I'm drawn to the bright yellow so in it goes.

A New Year Challenge

Lake Como in progress

18 x 36

oil on canvas

Leslie Saeta has generously started a New Year 30 Day Challenge and much as I tried to come up with excuses not to join it I finally realized this is probably just what I need.  Check it out.  I think there may be still time to join up!

The Lake Como painting above was a larger piece that I started before Christmas and isn't finished yet but I think I'll hang it for a while and maybe the issues areas will resolve themselves, ha ha.  If they haven't by the end of January I'll work on it later in the spring.  My how life gets busy...

More plein air studies

Ladner Fish Boat

8 x 10

plein air study

There is something I find very satisfying about spending the first few hours of the day out in the landscape painting the scene in front of me.   Again in the comfort of my car as this was a dreary cold wet morning.  

Going Green

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!   

Painting from a sketch

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.

Steveston Britannia Cannery

Boat Study

8 x 10

oil

Since I'm enjoying rather rainy damp weather here on the coast I thought I'd do a small study of a retired boat and cannery turned into a historical park.   A possible candidate for a larger piece.  I enjoyed doing this quick little painting but discovered that the canvas sketch pad that I was using is student grade and the oil and medium has soaked through.  Another lesson on why it pays to use the best quality materials possible without exceptions.

Dangling off a bridge

Harbour study

8 x 10

oil on canvas board

I drove back and forth over the bridge and finally parked the car, jumped over the railing and sat on a chunk of concrete hanging out over the little inlet.  My goal was to pay attention to the values and simplify as it was quite a busy scene in front of me.  It was so restful though to sit there with my pochade box on my lap listening to the birds and the occasional dog walker passing by.  I've often seen fishermen standing on this bridge, what a wonderful place to spend some time.  No fishing this time I guess because I had it all to myself!

By the Sea

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.

Reflections

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.

50's lake boats

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.