Beautiful Fall Colours

Delta Farmlands

14 x 11

Acrylic

One of my favourite walks is along the dyke in Delta and though usually I'm looking out across the marshes to the Strait of Georgia on this day I was fascinated by the beauty of the farm fields in their fall colours with the coast mountains as a back drop.  This painting started off as a study for a larger piece but I think sometimes the studies done in a loose and stress free style often evolve better than a tightly crafted well planned piece. 

French villages

Village Water Tap

18 x 14 

oil on canvas

Rained out on our plein air outing but managed to come close to finishing this French scene today in the comfort of home.  Though I'd rather be out since it should be warm and summery I do have a huge backup of French and Italian resource photos from our cycling trips.  This village tap was a common and welcome sight on our travels through the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites enabling us to keep our bottles full.

Paint out day at Skaha Lake

Gray Day in the Falls SOLD

12 x 16

oil on canvas board

June 1st was a paint out day organized by Glenn Clark and the Penticton Art Gallery and all local artists were invited to join in with the only rule being that Skaha Lake had to be in the painting.  This is an annual fundraiser for the local gallery so the artist is expected to donate the painting or one chosen by the gallery.  I decided to join a few artists that I know and really enjoyed the challenge of picking a scene to paint, dealing with the weather and of course enjoying the many conversations with curious onlookers.  The view that I chose was looking east across the lake at Okanagan Falls.  Those hills in the background are my favourite for trail running.

Trail Running

The Mice 1

20 x 16

oil on canvas panel

There are no words that can fully describe the joys of trail running.  And the painting opportunities are endless but...  Chances are that I'll never get my painting gear up into these woods and frankly I wouldn't go on my own so my trail running group is having to suffer for a while with my taking photos every now and then with my cell phone.  So back at the studio or my kitchen to be more precise I am not baking goodies but painting The Mice, an endless network of trails, great for mountain biking, running or just hiking.

Benefits of Birding

Spring up at Anarchist Mountain

12 x 16

oil on wrapped canvas

There are few things I enjoy more than to get out into the bush with the family for a birding expedition. Exploring up old logging roads absorbing the sights and sounds and relishing in the signs of spring.  It is also a great opportunity to collect resource material for those days when the weather doesn't allow me to get outside and paint.  Oh and some day I'll pull all of those bird photos out and paint my favourites. 

Maui Plein Air

Palms study

10 x 10

oil on doorskin

Much has happened since the January 30 day challenge.  Not long after we were headed for Maui and after many fruitless searches for art supplies I gave up and took a break from painting.  However I was very lucky to be in Lahaina for the Maui Plein Air Invitational and was able to watch 25 very accomplished artists from across the United States paint outdoors all week long.  Every where I went I was coming across an easel set up and a painter catching the moment, sometimes several painters.  Much was learned about many aspects of the process and I really enjoyed chatting with those that would take the time and with other art lovers.  Any chance to purchase a favourite piece was minimal as even though I was lined up for the opening all my favourites had sold signs before I got to them.  One artist I was particularly impressed with and whose work I liked very much was Colin Page from Maine.  He showed up at the first paint out almost 2 hours into the 3 hour time limit with borrowed paints and a cardboard palette.  It seems his supplies didn't arrive but no worries he sat down on the sand to start painting the model but his palette was soon picked up by a wave.  Moving further up the beach and now with a borrowed easel he dealt with wind, spilled turps, inquisitive school children and us onlookers all the while cheerfully chatting away and actually stopping to answer questions.  And knocked off a great painting!  A truly great role model and one who I would consider taking a workshop from.  All the painters seemed to have their own style and approach and all worked in oils with the exception of a pastel artist or two.  I did find out too late that the local hardware store carries artists supplies so will remember that on our next trip there. 

Collages are up!

30 day Challenge Collage

Check out today's post on Leslie Saeta's blog for a fascinating collection of collages from the participants of the 30 day challenge.   It was a fabulous experience and should it become an annual event I will be joining it again and highly recommending it!  

Thank you Leslie Saeta!

Day 30 path to success

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

Day 30 and despite some huge challenges managed to squeak in the last painting.  There was maybe a bit too much going on in this scene for a small format but I liked the path idea which is what this last month has been and whether it was a path to success or not we shall see but one thing for certain I learned a lot.  Ironically instead of procrastinating and avoiding the canvas which is one of my worst habits I found the daily exercise to be my escape to a quiet and playful two to four hours per day and it was the rest of my life I was avoiding.  I learned to love painting again.  

Another point of view

Day 29 Bridge

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

This bridge would indeed provide another point of view but what I'm really thinking about is the photograph of this sketch showed many things that my eye was passing over and not seeing that need to be worked on.  Oh well, it's just a sketch and I need to move on.  One more day and at this point it's 50/50 whether I'll make it.

Benefits of birding

Day 28 Sunset on the strait

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

Some people like to meditate or take yoga to find some peace and connection with themselves.  I like to go birding as it also gives me a huge connection to the world around me.  It also provides me with some amazing vistas at times of the day when I would otherwise be shopping or prepping dinner.  This scene was captured whilst out in Boundary Bay at sunset watching the owls find their dinner.  

The colored version

Day 27 Cars in color

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

Here is a repeat of an earlier painting this month the original being in black and white and this one I did in color - not sure which one I like the best but both were fun to do.

Parks wild and otherwise

Day 26 Park

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

Moving quietly up the snow covered ravine this morning our 5 man trail running group searched the ridge line for movement and finally spotted several coyotes which had been serenading us all the way up.  It was eerie and beautiful at the same time and one of the reasons why I obsess with getting out of the city and up into the hills.  The above painting is not up in the forest but down at the lakeside.   You can see the sand cliffs and then in behind are the hills in which I was running this morning.

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!

Notan

Day 24 Winery

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

My mantra is becoming " there is no value darker within the lights than within the shadow and no value  lighter within the shadow than within the light".  Not sure who this quote came from.  Of course one has to consider the actual color of the subject but it has been show that even a black subject in direct light will be lighter than any area in the shade   - oops I guess the shutters on the second story need to be adjusted a value or two lighter where the sun is hitting them.  I've gone to using 'notan' to sort this out first putting in only two values and then trying to keep everything else within those two ranges.

Head West

Day 23 Coastal Bay

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

The coast of British Columbia is spectacularly wild and beautiful and I am looking forward to painting more west coast scenes.  Enjoyed doing this little study very much.

Farm houses

Day 22 farmhouse

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

Another farm house in quite a different climate.  Langley is generally lush and green all year  and this farmhouse is photographed by many.  It's a place I must go to paint plein air but in the meantime a borrowed photo was used as resource.  Don't think I can do justice to the photo but the simplicity of the scene made it a joy to paint.  

Keeping life in balance

Day 21 Barns

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

Today was epic from the start.  An intense somewhat anaerobic hour and a half solo skateski out into the boonies the whole while taking in the beautiful scenery and taking notes on ideas for future landscape paintings, back home to finish off todays and start tomorrows painting and then up into the hills with my petzel light and a good friend for a night time trail run in the snow and back to make dinner and finally put my feet up.  Good thing it's January and I have time for all of this.  Wouldn't happen spring to fall with all the other activities going on...

Back in the groove

Day 20 grapes

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

After yesterdays frustration and for the first time feeling the pressure of this 30 in 30 challenge I was full of trepidation on todays start.  So back to basics and a favourite subject, grapes.  Why grapes?  A myriad of colors, opaque and translucent and an infinite choice of composition.  Fast, loose and fun -  well it did get a little annoying when my highlights kept drying darker than the darks.  One of the reasons I'll be switching back to oils when all this is done.

Waving the White Flag

Day 19 Poppies

6 x 6 

Acrylic on canvas

Well things went sideways today, my poppies got so tight and finicky looking,  didn't like the design or the hues and so reworked and reworked and in frustration finally just started slopping on the paint!  Lo and behold now I am starting to enjoy myself and I'm liking the looser look.  However dropping the final piece on the floor and smearing the white final touches right across the piece nearly put me into a frenzy.  Enough, just photograph and move on.  Many lessons learned today including when to wave the white flag! 

Spammed

Day 18 flower

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

Seems I'm getting spammed from Korea so I've had to turn back on the word id in the comments window.  Another flower which is a subject I find hard to paint.  My approach is too tight and I must learn to loosen up on these beauties.