Through The Grasslands

Through The Grasslands

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2015

The Mother's Day Tea is in a couple of days and we are madly getting the studio ready for company. I have been juggling my time between painting some new pieces for this event and painting for the show at Hues Art Supply in June. "Through The Grasslands" will be at the studio on Sunday, so please come check it out in person along with some of these other paintings I have recently posted...

Canola

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Dreaming Of Spruce River

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Bold Sunset

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Reimagined Sky

© Nicki Ault, 2015

April II

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Spring On The Prairies

© Nicki Ault, 2015

The Birch

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Rain

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Walk In The Meadow

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Tiny Prairie

Tiny Prairie

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2015
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/tiny-prairie/364138

I continue to find myself killing a lot of time at the studio. You know what it's like when you can't get down to work... tidying work surfaces, sorting through old canvases, checking Facebook, chatting with studio mates, looking through photos, sighing... a lot. Although I have been struggling with inspiration, I recently rediscovered some photos I took at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands in the spring a few years ago. There is something about a few of them that have my juices flowing, so I may focus on fields over the next few weeks. Here is a small one I did this past week after an inordinate amount of time procrastinating. As I said to Bridget... once the painting gets underway it is usually a lot of fun, but up until then it can be traumatic!

The Buffer Zone

The Buffer Zone- Looking North to the South Saskatchewan

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2012

available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

The "buffer zone" is the strip of land between the river and the Natural Grasslands in the Silverspring neighborhood of Saskatoon. This undeveloped area allows animals a path to travel to and from the water... because when deer are chillin' in the Grasslands they get a bit parched now and again.

Bright Prairie

Bright Prairie

30 x 40"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2012
sold

I just remembered that I hadn't posted this painting- it was displayed in the show at Calories restaurant last month. I have to say, the sky really busted my chops! It changed many, many times before I felt it actually was part of the painting and not an entity of it's own. The photo reference I used was one I took at the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands in the Silverspring area of Saskatoon. I took a bit of artistic license and edited out the roofs that could also be seen in the distant treeline. Today this scene would have to be painted with heavy, wet, slushy snow!