Autumn Dance

Autumn Dance

30 x30"

oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2011 

I began this one last November and then life got crazy so it was put away. I pulled it out in January and spent more time working on it. It's almost done- in fact I thought it was, but now that I see it on the computer screen there may be a few spots I want to tweak. I wanted to paint this old tree with a lot of expression. I wanted it to look like it was dancing; celebrating really. The tree I used as reference is on my street. We live in a very old part of town- my house will be 100 in a few years- so the trees lining the street are old and glorious. This particular tree is huge, the bark is old and weathered and deeply grooved. This tree has seen a lot in it's day. There was another larger tree beside it on the other side of my neighbor's driveway. For some reason the City decided both trees were diseased and planned to remove them. They took the larger tree down... and it was perfectly fine. Despite this fact, they still wanted to take the other tree down. I think it all had more to do with liabilities and insurance- if anything ever happened in a storm and part of the tree came down it would do some damage. Anyway, a neighborhood protest saved the second tree and it remains on our street as a piece of history.

I had fun with a bit of photo cropping and found little paintings within the painting. Here are some detail shots:

As I look at this piece I don't think it has the feel of looking up the tree that I initially had hoped for. I'm trying to decide if I am okay with that or not. I think the lesson learned is that a rectangular canvas might help me better create that type of effect as I have done in the past with "Looking Up" and "Backlit Birch". 

This is a photo I took of the remaining tree last year when I was shooting some reference pictures. My 6 year old son is showing the width of the trunk. Amazing. 

Bright Summer Light

 

Bright Summer Light

22x28"

acrylic on canvas

sold

 

Well, here it is. It took me longer than expected, but I think it is now done... unless I get looking at it too closely again! I'm sure I could keep working on it, but for now it is time to stop, put it away and move on. It didn't end up being as much like "Looking Up" as I originally thought. It is more an examination of this section of this particular pine tree which had a bunch of dead, broken branches coming off it's amazingly textured trunk and the strong shadows they cast. I remember when I took the photo I thought how glorious this old tree looked standing there so proud, lit up by the bright summer light. I hope I conveyed some of that here in this painting. 

Thanks for stopping by to check it out.

My Snow Angels

 

Unfortunately I haven't got a new painting to post even though I went to the studio four afternoons last week (yay!). I am working on a large (for me) canvas so it isn't something that I can wrap up in a session or two. It is 22x28 and is a section of a pine tree... along the same vein as "Looking Up". When last I left the studio I was feeling pretty good about how it was shaping up, so hopefully I will be able to show it to you later this week. In the meantime here are some pictures I just took this evening in our backyard. It is a glorious winter night with snow flying, a small wind blowing, and a temperature that is bare-able (-11 Celsius). We had had to go on "a great shovel hunt" because the kids' shovels were not put back after playing on Friday and in the last 36 hours we have had a huge dump of snow. Figures. The yard was covered in a deep blanket of whiteness and the boys had a blast stirring it all up looking for the shovels. Status: Found! On the prairies we are pretty used to these cold, snowy winters so blizzards don't usually phase us too much like they can in other areas of the country. We carry on with caution and help each other when our cars get stuck in snow drifts. We make chocolate chip cookies, drink hot chocolate, snuggle up with a good book... and these days... play Wii for waaaaaaayyyyy too long! However, I do see more fresh air, rosy cheeks and tobogganing in our future! 

Looking Up

24x36

acrylic on canvas

sold

I wasn't sure what to post next... something else that is going to be in the show? A drawing? An older painting? Well, I decided I would show you the painting I just finished on Friday... mostly because I am excited about it. It is the follow-up to the painting I posted on October 7 called "Against The Sky". It is much larger and was lots of fun to paint. Unfortunately I think it shows a little dark in this image. I really wanted it to have the feeling of looking up at a tall Birch with shorter trees in the distance. I thought about calling it "Die Another Day" because it has all of these dead branches as you move up the trunk and then lots of lush green leaves reaching for life and sun. Hmmm, now I am thinking I should use that title. I don't know if this will be in the show, mainly because the pieces have already been established with the curator. If I don't use it I have decided that it may be the beginning of a new series and maybe could be the start of my next show... wherever and whenever that may be. I have already decided the title of this show could be "Tree Tops". Oh so many ideas, so little time! I am also busting to try portraits and figures... I have really never tried painting them (other than in first year painting class at university about 20 years ago). I am also busting to try pastels again, and toy with collage, and attempt oil painting, and tackle about a million other ideas swirling around in my head. I can really sympathize with Deborah Ross when she says she can get sidetracked with new ideas so easily!