More value studying

Day 17 flower

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

This started off being another value study in greys but I just couldn't do it to a flower so had to add a little color.  I started off mixing grey from French Ultramarine blue and Burnt Sienna to have a warm background and then went to cool greys with French Ultramarine blue, Permanent Rose and Phthalo Green but didn't like them so added a little azo yellow to warm them up and then somehow went into pastel colors.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

Working on values

Day 16 cars in greys

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

Looking for unique subject matter I came across a photo I had taken a couple of years ago at a friends house.  He has a sizeable collection of old British cars.  They sit in an old foundation and are quite the sight all lined up in a myriad of colors.  Todays challenge was to create a value painting in greys and further along in the month I will do a color painting of the same.

Birds Eye View

Day 15 Birds Eye

6 x 6

Acrylic on Canvas

The hobby of birding has opened up a whole new world of discoveries.  Who knew that these otherwise dull little sparrows had such beautifully decorated faces complete with eye liner and whiskers!  That is my reflection in his eye along with a tree that is beside me caught with the help of a zoom lens.

Reifel Bird Reserve

Day 14 Cranes

6 x 6 

Acrylic on Canvas

These cranes are Sandhills currently residing at Reifel Bird Reserve in Ladner and are so much fun to go visit.  They are very tame and will saunter right by forcing those who are a little uncomfortable with the proximity right off the path.  I've got lots of resource photos on these guys and am looking forward to doing some more.

Bird Theme

Day 13 Heron SOLD

6 x 6

Acrylic on Canvas

Similar to yesterday's surprise sighting I managed to catch this heron close up with my camera as I was out walking my dogs several years ago and have been wanting to paint him ever since.  This 30 day challenge is a good motivator to get some sketches done of the many resource photos waiting to be painted.  

What a Day

Camouflage

6 x 6

Acrylic on Canvas

The day started off with me and my trail running group tackling very snowy conditions in the hills above Okanagan Lake,  a great workout, beautiful as always and in good company.  Then my husband and I decided to try our luck searching out owls lower down by the lake.  I thought we were once again skunked when glancing to my left I found myself staring at a long eared owl equally surprised and staring right back.  He was only a few feet away at eye level so I got a fabulous photo and came home to paint him for todays daily painting.  We also came across a northern pygmy owl so close I could reach out and touch him but he was sleeping and kept his head tucked away so not a great photo.   An afternoon painting and now a movie.  Life is good sometimes. 

Jail for the wealthy

Day 11 Jail

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

San Marino, a tiny republic state within Italy has three towers in it's hilltop city of the same name and the above painting is of a jail for the wealthy in one of the towers.  For a sum of money one can enjoy the view for your final days on earth although you have to put up with a wet floor when it rains!

What I've learned so far...

Day 10 Castle Tower

6 x 6

Acrylic on Canvas

One third of the way through Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge (see sidebar) and I'm still hanging in there.   A few things that are becoming clear:

I'm an oil painter - acrylics are only for speed and ease of correction but will not be my medium of choice.

I can easily stay on track with a simple daily plan and minimal distractions.  This involves choosing the subject to be painted the night before and getting the preparations done so that in the morning I can immediately get to work.

I'm going to have more than minimal distractions - that's life.

I like to paint bigger, much bigger.

I'm not a daily painter  - there is way to much else to do in life and I want to do it all!

A beautiful city in Italy

Day 9 Urban Colors

6 x 6

Acrylic on Canvas

Bassano del Grappa is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen and everywhere you look is a gorgeous scene begging to be painted.  I've got plans for some larger paintings but in the meantime here is a little corner down a lane that caught my eye.  

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.

Strange little birds

Day 5 Chukar

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

One of our Christmas activities this year was birding with the family and on our first day out after fruitless searches for anything with wings we finally hit the jackpot, a large family of Chukars.  These very strange looking and very shy birds were foraging in the fields below the cliffs at Vaseaux Lake and kindly gave us a few poses before scurrying off.  

Snowed In

Day 4 The Meadow

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

No plein air today - it's snowing so hard it's there is nothing much else to be seen!  This little scene is painted from a photo taken two days ago from my cell phone while up the mountain skiing.  A fellow skier was gliding by and remarked that they ( the cell phone) shouldn't be allowed.  Little did he know that I wasn't taking a call but getting a great resource photo.  But as I found out a few weeks ago while participating in a search and rescue mission the cell phone can be an essential tool out there and I won't go out again without one. 

The Ranch

Day 3 Winter Horses

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

On my way up the mountain yesterday I passed herds of cattle out in the snow feeding on hay bales and coming up to the ranch I managed to get a quick shot of the horses out having their lunch as well.  I can see this 30 day challenge is going to require some organizational skills and time management.  I'm getting a little more behind each day and still find far too much time is wasted fiddling with details and taking and correcting bad photos.  This is all good though as I should most certainly improve in those areas if nothing else! 

Photographing really the challenge?

Day 2 Winter

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

So this sketch was a joy to do - felt free and fun and although from a photo it has I think it successfully portrays my feelings of a gorgeous sunny day high in the alpines.  A day like I had today up Nickleplate with my skate skiis on.

The problem was trying to photograph the painting outside with the pesky wind blowing it away whilst my camera was talking back to me.  Image too dark! Oh, forgot to remove the lense cap.  Red dot flashing and REC as well.  Had to go inside and dig out my manual.  Hmm - seems I was trying to take a video...I used to be pretty good with technology but I struggle to get the exposure and the white balance right.  Details aside I'm happy with the design and composition.

Winter colors

Day 1 winter study

6 x 6

acrylic on canvas

Today is the start of Leslie Saeta's 30 day challenge ( see sidebar at right ) and though it is the beginning of a new year I am still sidetracked with the leftovers of a what has been a really good Christmas Holiday so todays painting is a quick plein air study.  My theme for the week is snow as we have an abundant supply these days.  I'm cheating a bit with the plein air part as I'm sitting in the warmth and comfort of my car.  If the wind stops blowing maybe I'll get out for a real taste of outdoor winter painting.

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...

Whistler in September

Ladner Marsh

24 x 20

oil on canvas

I am so excited to be able to spend a week in Whistler next year having lived there years ago and rarely getting a chance to go back for visits.  The best part though is that I will be attending a workshop put on by the Federation of Canadian Artists and led by some really great painters.  Check out the website for details.

The above scene is a marshy nature reserve and is right across the street from our "city" home.  A great place to go birding or just for a walk to watch the sun go down.

Sorry France, I've fallen in love with Italy!

White Lake Trails

16 x 12

oil on canvas

I ran this trail yesterday, 13 kilometres of jaw dropping beauty and the above painting will be in a show at Leir House in Penticton starting Saturday.  As for Italy we had three weeks there in September travelling mostly by bicycle on my beloved Orbea Diva.  Injuries from my crash in June didn't hold me back much and I managed to climb many of the famous Giro d'Italia climbs including the Stelvio, Mortirolo and the Gavia.  We had three days in the Italian Alps and then three days in the Dolomites followed by a week and a half on the Adriatic coast.  After riding extensively in France through the Alps and the Pyrenees I have to say this was the best trip yet.  If you like cycling and want to read more there are two write ups of our trip on the Granfondoplus.com website, go to the travel section or search for Hillier Italy.  And if you live in the Okanagan come by and see the show, details on the poster below.