Red Canoe..

 

Red Canoe    11" x 14"    O/P

This painting was painted on a  Masonite panel that had been coated with gesso and a red-orange stain. (acrylic)
My medium was a minimum amount of odourless mineral spirits and liquin. In the later stages of the painting the liquin was used sparingly. With less liquin in the paint, I was able to get more texture in the paint strokes, especially as  I worked toward the foreground.

The palette for this painting amounted to a limited palette and consisted of , ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, bright red, alizarin crimson, cad yellow medium, yellow ocher and titanium white. On the side, I also used some chromium oxide green.

The main brush for this painting was a "round" brush and a rigger for the smaller details.

Thanks for checking it out !

'til next...

Rainy Day Painting...

 

Willard's Barn    10" x 12"    O/P

 

Another 'rainy day' painting. Meaning that this piece was painted in a studio setting using photo reference, on a rainy day. The photo reference was a picture of a fall scene. I really dislike painting pieces that are 'not in season'. I guess the exercise was to make a summer painting out of a autumn picture.

 

The support for this painting was a Masonite panel that had been pre stained with a medium red acrylic paint and left to dry overnight.

 

I used a limited palette of ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, alizarin crimson, cad red light,  cad yellow med. , yellow ochre, chromium oxide green and titanium white.

 

My medium for this piece was liquin and very little odourless mineral spirits.

 

Round brushes were used through out.

 

It was an interesting painting to execute in that I did not feel locked into the autumn colours of the original photograph. Lots of freedom  !

 

'til next...

 



My first Plein Air Festival...

 

The View From Victoria Park     11" x 14"    Oil / panel

This past week end, from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2, the Belleville Downtown Improvement Area, the Quinte Arts Council and the Ontario Plein Air Society held the first Belleville Plein Air Festival. Organizers suggest that this will become an Annual Event !
This Plein Air event was open to all artists working in two dimensional media. It was a judged and juried Exhibition .
At last count, fifty-five Plein Air artists took part painting in various sections of the city,  the Moira River, the central section of the city, the old east hill and the Belleville shoreline on the Bay of Quinte. were the areas to be painted in
A meet and greet with live entertainment was held on Friday evening . A great opportunity to meet the other artists.

Belleville was the town of my birth but I have not lived there for more years than I care to remember.. It was interesting to return and note the growth and changes. The motto back in the day was, 'The Friendly City' and I can vouch that it still is..

It was three days of  plein air painting.  It was also a great opportunity to meet with interested locals who passed by and visited , asking questions and passing pleasantries while we painted.

The second day started off as a rainy day but soon cleared to a full sunny day and it was painting as usual. I managed to produce three paintings during two and a half days before  a selection of two paintings were submitted for the show on the last day.

All the paintings were mounted and then judged by five judges, first, second and third as well as Artists' choice.
When the winners were announced, I was surprised to hear my name as the winner of the first position !
It was a  strong competition with many fine pieces of excellent work..

The exhibition continues until the end of June, 2013

The Belleville Plein Air Festival was a beautiful experience and I look forward to next year.

Stone Home, Barriefield

 



 

Stone Home, Barriefield    8" x 10"   O/P

 

Barriefield, today is a Heritage Site, protected by the Government. It contains many old homes and relates back to a much earlier time in our history, the city of Kingston and (old) Fort Henry. It is situated to the north of Fort Henry, at the mouth of the Rideau canal.

 

I used a limited palette of  cad. red (light), , alizarin, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, cad. yellow (med) , and yes, yellow ochre (helps with the greens)

 

The support for this painting was a Masonite panel, with a pre- stained middle red surface.

 

I feel that the summer greens are starting to show in the spring colours.

 

 

'til next...

Summer is on the way..

 

After The Maple Sugar Season   8" x 10"   o/p

 

This is a beautiful time of the year.  The snow and slush of the maple forest floor have disappeared or dried up. The new foliage on the trees is a light yellow green, a fresh spring colour. Other colours are appearing as well as the much hated mosquitos and black flies, the bane of  Plein Air artists.

 

The surface of this painting panel  was pre stained with a light, soft beige pink colour. I credit the softer, "happier colours" of the finished painting to this stain. This stain or beige-pink colour may be seen along the top of the distant blue-green trees .

 

Painting this time of the year is invigorating, with a "good to be alive" feeling .

 

'til next...

Spring Lilacs

 

 

Backyard Lilacs   16" x 20"   O/C

 

At this time each spring , the lilacs are in full bloom. It has become a ritual to paint a bouquet of lilacs at this time each year. This year will be the same ! ! 

 

The canvas that I painted on had a acrylic under painting of  alizarin crimson and gray, rather loosely rubbed together with a rag to cover the canvas. I used my limited palette for this painting but added chromium oxide green and raw sienna.

 

I do not usually do a still life of this nature so it is my pleasure to carry on with this spring ritual

 

..'til next

Paris, France



 

On The  River Seine     11" x 14"    O/P

 

This painting was from a photo reference that I shot last year while visiting my grandaughter in Paris.  It has been in the back of my mind to someday paint it. Today was that day !

 

The painting was painted on a pre gessoed panel that had a coat of red acrylic paint applied to its' surface.

The palette used was, ultramarine blue, Prussian blue, cobalt blue,  cad red light, alizarin, cad yellow med. yellow ochre, yellow - green, grey and titanium white.

 

The medium was odourless mineral spirits and the -brushes brush was a "round"  brush.

 

'til next...