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 10 of 30

Lean-To

8 x 8

Acrylic

One day last summer my plein air group were painting trees in a local park and as I wandered around looking for something to catch my eye I came across this scene.  A beautiful little pasture on the other side of the park, something I would never have discovered without the motivation and companionship that being a member of a group of like minded individuals brings.  I always look forward to the outings whether they are fruitful or not.  Next time I paint this I'll include the horses that were grazing there.

Day 9 of 30

Dunes of Pismo

8 x 8 

Acrylic

This was a fun little piece to paint.  There is so much color in the dunes and scrub but a lot of grey as well, evidence of a harsh shore life.

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.

Day 7 of 30

Storefront

8 x 8

Acrylic

A funky little storefront in the cute little town of Hedley, BC.  

Day 6 of 30

Above Lafare

8 x 8

Acrylic

Just beyond those hills is the village of Gigondas home of some very famous and delicious wines.  We climbed high above Lafare for some of the best views in the Provence region of France, a painting in every direction.

Day 5 of 30

Quail Study

8 x 8

Acrylic

A favourite subject and so pretty, the California Quail are plentiful in the Okanagan. 

Day 4 of 30

Horses on Pismo study

8 x 8

Acrylic

Very rough and unfinished but meant only to be a study.  Guess I chose a difficult subject for a 2 hour practice session but I really enjoyed the process.  In the fall we explored the coast of Oregon and California and I immediately fell in love with both Pismo Beach and Moro Bay.  There is just something about the freedom to have ones dog or horse on the beach as well as bikes, cars, you name it.  I even had a semi truck drive by me one day.  So long as everyone behaves of course.  These riders were out enjoying the last rays of the sun on a beautiful day.

Day 3 of 30

Orchid Study

8 x 8

Acrylic

Well I learned two new things with today's subject - I am no better at painting orchids than trying to keep them alive and I'll finally put this idea out my project book and secondly trying to blend in acrylics is frustrating and I need to save this kind of application for oils.  It would have been better just to layer.  But this is one of the benefits of the challenge is to take projects off the back burner and either work on them or move on.

Day 2 of 30

Fig Study

8 x 8

Acrylic

Today's project involved again a process of determining values and choosing color temperatures, very basic methods and yet so elusive sometimes.  My subject was the fig tree outside the door to our room at the incredible Le Grand Jardin in Lafare, France where we spent much of July. 

Day 1 of 30

Hay Bale study

8 x 8

Acrylic

Day 1 of the January 30 in 30 and I chose a simple study of a hale bale using a black and white notan approach followed by some coloring.  A good way to start the year.  See the sidebar for info on the challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta.

January 30 in 30 Painting Challenge

Quail   SOLD

8 x 8

Acrylic

Next week brings in a new year and with that the annual 30 in 30 Painting Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta!  This is a fabulous project to get the brush moving and creativity flowing.  I've planned ahead a little preparing 8 x 8's this time as I'm finding the 6 x 6's a little too small.  It is interesting though how two extra inches adds considerably more of a challenge to paint in my self imposed limit of 2 hours.  I highly recommend  this project and you can find information about it here.

Food Fraud

Free Range

8 x 8

Acrylic

I am feeling a little worried about the state of our food supply after having searched for products that are healthy and made locally, a challenge these days as most of our food comes from elsewhere.  Our government cannot possibly keep up with testing and much of the imported food has been found to be contaminated in one way or another, the importers not concerned as the fines minimal and of no consequence.  On top of that the labelling is woefully inadequate and downright misleading and in fact is a lie in many cases.  Made in Canada or Product of Canada means absolutely nothing.  Read your labels, avoid food products and buy local.  The chicken above was a lucky bird having a huge field to explore and find food.  Not sure whether it is destined for someone's dinner but very beautiful and a joy to paint.

Paint what you know or where you go?

Pismo Sand Dunes

12 x 9

Acrylic 

We have spent several months in the last year or so down in Arizona and California and though there is an amazing diversity of landscape I'm often hesitant to paint something unfamiliar to me.  Maybe it's a little more challenging to paint the unknown.  However growing up on the east coast and west coast I am definitely drawn to the sea and the harsh shorelines.  This is a little study done of the wind whipped trees and shrubs and the struggle to survive above the tideline.  In the evening we would sit up in the dunes to watch the sun set over the Pacific, a perfect end to a beautiful day of beach walking, bird watching and exploring the landscape.

Fresh and Organic

Saturday Market   SOLD

11 x 14

oil on canvas

There is no better way to eat than fresh and organic right from the garden and full of nutrients.  It's been a fabulous summer and I am sad to see the days of the Saturday Market in downtown Penticton come to a close till next year.  I will miss these brightly coloured stalls but was able to get a chance to take my paints and join a few other plein air painters and capture some scenes.  This vendor is Food of the Sun from nearby Cawston, BC.

Smoke in the Valley

The Pond

12 x 16

Oil on Canvas

One day in August I and a student from Vancouver went in search of a scene that wasn't obscured by smoke from the nearby forest fires.  Vistas were obviously out but fortunately there was a pond near our parking spot with a little dock and that was all we needed to have a wonderful morning of painting, birds singing and people strolling by taking a peak at our work.  It turned out to be one of my favorite outings in the summer.

Oh What to Paint

Apricot Tree

9 x 12

oil on canvas

On one of our plein air group paint outs I was having trouble settling down and choosing a scene to paint.  Suddenly spotted this tree below us and onto the canvas it flowed.  Enjoyed this one very much. 

French Countryside

La Cote-St-Andre SOLD

9 x 12

acrylic on canvas

Here we are back in France again and what a joy it has been to take walks in the countryside, slowly taking in the views and seeing a possible painting every where I look.  This is a scene on a climb above the little village we are staying in.  La Cote-St-Andre is gorgeous, full of beautiful architecture and quaint shops but the best thing is the Michelin rated restaurant at our Hotel France.  The chef has been preparing the most incredible dinners all week and the best part is they are gluten free.

Zion by Bike

Zion South

16 x 12

oil on canvas paper

Recently returned from a trip south and just had to paint my experience in Zion National Park.  As of April 1 it is closed to cars and the only way in are bus shuttle, cycling or by foot.  We decided to cycle with some friends and what a spectacular ride it was up the canyon.  Much more peaceful than our visit a few weeks previously when the route was crowded with vehicles parked or trying to squeeze by each other.  The colors here are very intense and the lighting very mystical.

Year of the Horse

Running Wild  SOLD

14 x 23

Acrylic on Doorskin

We see this herd every now and then up in the hills to the west usually when we are out running the trails.  My first painting done when I was a small child was of a riding stable with horses being walked and tack being cleaned and since then I have had a love for anything horsey.  I think this is a good year to focus on them.