A Bit O' News

So there has been a bit of excitement behind the scenes of this blog... I was approached, through email, by a lovely woman in the U.K. who wanted more info. about my work. In the end she wanted to purchase two small paintings (which I have posted before) that she found in my Slide Show; "Over The Point" (top) and "Shady River" (bottom). Clearly this was extremely exciting for me and certainly unanticipated. She was very patient as I scrambled to get myself set up on PayPal and, being the incredibly non-techy person that I am, I can't believe I figured it out (with only one email to my uber-techy Brother-In-Law!). I'm now good-to-go if this situation should present itself again. I mailed the package today and my little paintings are on their way to find a new home on the walls of a little 300 year old  English cottage! Too cool!

Life Drawing Session

Cheryl

10 minute pose

vine charcoal on newsprint

Cheryl 2

10 minute pose

pencil on newsprint

It has been raining so much this week you would think it would have to end at some point. Today we were supposed to take part in the community garage/yard sale, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. I woke up and remembered that one of the artists from the studio had invited me to join her other art group for a life drawing session. My guys were just going to be lounging at home this morning, so I scrambled and got myself there for 9:00 (I woke up at 8:10!). I felt very nervous and extremely rusty, but it honestly felt fantastic to have my charcoal out again. I really didn't know what to expect of the set-up, so all I brought was my pad of newsprint and charcoal/graphite. We did some 30 second and one minute poses to start. My gesture skills slowly began to warm up, but are far from where I used to be years ago. The above are 10 minute studies.

Cheryl resting

20 minute pose

graphite on newsprint

Cheryl standing

20 minute pose

graphite on newsprint

Cheryl- portrait sketch

pencil on newsprint

The remaining sketches I am showing you each took about 20 minutes although I think the last one was possibly closer to 30 minutes. I used a basic HB pencil on this one- straight from my son's school supplies, so it is quite light. Sorry for the quality of the images... you can tell they are right out of the sketch pad. Let's just call them authentic!

Apparently this group is trying to meet the last Saturday of every month to do life drawing/painting sessions. I hope to attend again. I really struggled with proportions today and I need to keep up these exercises so I can continue to grow. As always, I was humbled by how much I need to learn. Cheryl was a talented model and gave us beautiful poses for the quick gesture studies at the start of the session. She had very graceful lines to her body and she was so confident!

It's a Beginning...

Little Boy

10x8

oil on canvas paper

Okay, so this is my second attempt at a portrait. A couple of months ago I joined an online challenge called Following the Masters and worked from a portrait of the Madonna by Raphael (you can see my entry here). This portrait I am showing today was not for any online challenge, but just an exercise for myself using a photo I had of this cute little boy. At any rate, I am relatively happy with the result because there is actually a resemblance! The problem is I have somehow aged him by a few years! I don't exactly know what I did to make him look older than he is, but never-the-less I have done something. So at this point the only people that would ever commission me to paint their portrait would be teenagers because they always want to come across older than they really are! People 25 and older are going to steer clear away from me unless I improve! All silliness aside,  I'm pleased that my brush strokes stayed looser in this painting as compared to the Madonna painting. Also, I think the end result is pretty good considering I did virtually no under-painting or any pencil sketch on the canvas paper before I began. Having said all of that, I know I have a long way to go! I have tons to learn about using colour in portraits and using brushstrokes to convey the image in an interesting and dynamic way. There is something not right with the eyes... possibly not quite the same size or shape? As well, in the photo the head was cropped at the top, so I followed that (I really didn't misjudge the placement of the head on the page!) I'd love to hear some feedback... so please, if you have time, leave a comment or email me. The link to my email can be found on my profile page.  

I admit that when I was at the studio last week I allowed myself to get sidetracked by this portrait. I hit a snag with my large canvas in that I am overwhelmed by it! Rather than muscling through the tough stage I just turned my back on it and started something new! What can I say? I can procrastinate with the best of them! In my defense, though, I nearly gave up on the portrait several times... but didn't, so I guess I have some kind of staying power. As I moved around the 10x8 paper working on various parts of the face I remember some self-talk kind of like this: "Man, noses are hard!", "Jeez, eyes are impossible!", "No, it's the lips... lips are hard!", "You are brutal at chins", "Ears. Are. Hard." And so it went until I had hit upon every single possible part of the face thus coming to the conclusion that portraits are hard! But...  

...it was fun!

Blossoms By The River

Blossoms By The River

10x10"

acrylic on canvas
private collection

The forecast predicted a beautiful day for today, so last night when I went to bed I decided I would head out and paint as soon as I woke up. I felt the need to work on something smaller that I could complete and post. This piece still may be tweaked at the studio, but at least it is something to show. I have been trying to get work done on my large canvas, but it has been slow going. I am hoping to get to the studio a few afternoons this week and push the progress along, but today was definitely a plein air day. We have finally had a bit of heat after quite a number of rainy days and as a result the trees are blooming in full force and the grass is becoming more and more green. It was a glorious morning- birds chirping, people jogging and cycling and me out there pushing paint around. It was so relaxing and, as always, the time went by too quickly. As I worked on this piece it dawned on me that I have rarely used the colour pink. Humph... could be because there is not that much pink in the boreal forest which has been the subject of a lot of my work. And I do find it to be a bit of an intimidating colour. Odd, right? Anyhoo, I had my eye on the clock because I needed to get home before noon. Why, you ask? Well, for very good reason....

detail

I had to check the status of my bid on an Edward B. Gordon original!!! Yup- you heard me! For those few of you that have been reading my blog since (almost) the beginning you will recall this post where I described the event of my first attempt at a bid on one of Edward's paintings. I was rather tentative to get in on the bidding process again, but just recently I decided to take a deep breath and test the waters. Sadly I lost several auctions due to swoopers (people who bid at the last possible second and steal the "highest bid" spot from you). And there were a couple of auctions where I was flat out of the running straight away. But I was determined to continue to try- otherwise I would never end up with one of Mr.Gordon's daily paintings and the thought struck me...  what if he stopped producing them before I had a chance to obtain one? There are no indications that he is getting tired of the exercise, and it has become very successful for him, but still, the "what if" was in the back of my mind. So I have been bidding here and there, desperately hoping that no high rollers show up. Much to my complete shock it turns out today was the day! I won the auction! I actually won!!! So I am now the proud owner of "Savignyplatz 15:30". I love all of Edward's work, but I seem to be drawn to his rendering of the female figure and now I will have one to admire and learn from in person. Yay!

It was a good good day.

Embrace Life - It's Mother's Day

The boys woke up at 7:00 this morning and rushed in to give me their home-made gifts (my favorite kind) while I was laying in bed - Tommy made a card in Kindergarten with a sweet poem and his hand-print and Sammy also made a card in which he wrote an amazing message. A little excerpt is: "I love you mom. Thank you for razing me." That made me smile and cry all at once. He also made me a bracelet which I wore all day. You know, sometimes I can't believe I am a mom. There was a time when I didn't think that dream would ever come true and now I am eight years into it! The days are going too fast. I've asked the boys to stop growing, but they aren't listening!

We had plans to meet family for a picnic/ wiener roast down at a park near the river. It was loads of fun and the kids brought their bikes so they could ride the trails to and from the playground. The weather even co-operated, although the wind was picking up as we were leaving. Not only were we celebrating Mother's Day, but it was my Dad's birthday. As I have mentioned before, I like scrapbooking family photos, so my present to Dad was a page I made highlighting a photo of him in his workshop working on a "project" with my kids. They love going in Grandpa's workshop and take this privilege quite seriously. I put this page in a shadow box frame so he could hang it in his office. The memories they share in this workroom will last a lifetime... and I think it is pretty cool my dad has smelly markers among all of his tools!

I've spent some of the day feeling quite emotional. A thought crossed my mind as I considered the date, May 9. We have now passed the six month mark of surviving our accident. It is getting further away from my thoughts, but every now and then I have these flashbacks and I find myself staring into space shuddering at the thought of a different outcome. And today I have been thinking how lucky I am to have my children safe and sound with me; giving me hand-made cards with stick-man drawings and spelling mistakes. Unfortunately not all mothers are having a good day today and I am pretty teary knowing that. My mom sent me this video- it is beautiful and powerful... please watch it- it is short and so worth it. And please, always wear your seat belt and make sure your little ones are buckled up correctly.

I hope to have some art to show you this week. I only got to the studio for a total of about four hours last week which makes for pretty slow going on a large canvas!

Rick the Model

Rick

graphite on paper

The other day I ran down to the art supply store to get a tube of paint and a few canvases (I have my first official commission for 3 - 7x7 paintings!). Depending where I park I have to walk past one of our city's commercial galleries, Rouge Gallery, to get to the store and on this day that is exactly what happened. I decided to stop in really quick even though I was dressed in my painting clothes and definitely not looking like I had money to spend on any of the art in the place. As it turned out I am so glad I did because the featured show was by an artist named Rick Pilling. Eleven years ago when I began taking the odd drawing class he was one of our models! At the time he was a Fine Art student and began to pose for studio classes, likely to make a bit of extra income, but also to understand what it required to be a model... and yes, he was nude which made this all very admirable in my eyes. He did a great job for us and really seemed like a great guy. Since then he has obtained both a Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts and his work has taken off. I am thrilled for him and the success he has found. Please click on his name above to see his work at the Rouge Gallery. Take note that in his portfolio there is a beautiful portrait of Degen Lindner who is also represented by Rouge Gallery and who has been a mentor to me. 

I found this unfinished sketch of him from a night class when he was our model... a decade ago!

As a side note, my dear Sammy turned eight today! I can't believe it. In another eight years he will be driving!

Atmospheric Pressure- A New Challenge

Atmospheric Pressure (unfinished)

10x8

oil on canvas paper
sold

I painted this cloudy atmosphere while under the pressure of time constraints... hence the title.

I found this new blog called Twenty Minute Challenge and thought the concept offered a great exercise. The idea is to get all set up and then begin painting for twenty minutes and no longer. You must stop at that point whether you are done or not. Well, when I was at the studio on Monday I really wasn't in the right mood to tackle the large canvas (40x30") I prepared last week. That became clear as I puttered around the studio tweaking things, tidying my space, painting edges of canvases and visiting... pure stalling techniques- possibly picked up from exposure to my children at their bedtime! At about 2:40 p.m. I remembered about this challenge and decided to do it. I would be picking the kids up from school soon, so I had no choice but to work quickly and not (dishonestly) go over the 20 minute limit. : o) 

I got set up: paints ready, paper taped to board, palette set to go, and with my eye on the clock, off I went! Twenty minutes goes fast! It certainly kept me loose and moving at all times. I can see how doing this exercise on a regular basis could really keep me focused on the essentials of my subject and help to keep me from getting hung up on details. This isn't finished, but that's okay. This exercise was all about the painting and not about the end result. Very liberating.

Three Dreams Gone

Three Dreams Gone

10x10

acrylic on canvas
(Note: This painting doesn't exist anymore! I painted over it!)

I started this at the studio on Friday and finished it today. I used a photo and a bit of memory to do this one. Memory of the day I painted a similar piece last summer and a photo to incorporate three little dead trees that I found near the water's edge on Fairy Island at Emma Lake. I don't mind this one but I think the way the original idea was painted was much more expressive and loose. Here you can see the one I am talking about called "They'll Never Meet". Maybe these paintings are a good illustration of the spontaneous feel you can get from plein air painting as compared to the more thought out approach that occurs in the controlled environment of the studio. Or else I was just in a different mood! 

I also got the groundwork done on a big canvas last Friday, but managed to distract myself enough today that I didn't try to tackle it. Maybe tomorrow... 

Spring Day On Janzen Road

Spring Day on Janzen Road

10x10 

acrylic on canvas
sold

Well, this is the other piece I did while out in the country last weekend. It was a clear spring day with these soft, wispy clouds scattered through the sky. (Hey Deb, if you are reading this... I was thinking of you while I painted this and the story about the art teacher who told you there was no such thing as wispy clouds!) A fox ran through the field as I was setting up and there must have been a pond somewhere behind me on the other side of the road because the geese or ducks were making all kinds of noise. I sat in the shade of the truck, no music (giggle), and pushed paint around for about 90 minutes. Things didn't gel as well as they did the first day I went out, but it was still such a peaceful and relaxing afternoon so I am certainly not complaining. 

I brought this painting home with the field section incomplete and, quite frankly, looking very wishy-washy. It was pale yellow and uninteresting with a few golden stripey marks suggesting grass. Lame. I stared at it in the studio and got some input from another artist. She really liked the brush strokes in the other prairie painting and wondered if I could make something like that work in this one. At the same time, though, I needed the brush strokes to make sense with what I had happening in the sky. We pulled out a couple of books on Van Gogh to see how he handle his fields and yowzie, was that a humbling lesson! He was one wild and crazy guy! He really just went for it, didn't he? That thick, rich oil paint; the movement and expression in each and every mark he made; the mastery of colour. We "ooohed" and "aaahed" with the turning of every page. Then I glanced over at my "effort" and had to chuckle. However, looking at his work gave me that small push I needed to take a chance and try something with my piece that I never would have thought of... I ended up putting some lavenders and soft blues in the field as a compliment to all of the shades of yellows. They are subtle, but they are there (and more noticeable in person). And I added more movement to the field as well as incorporated a version of that texture found in "Out on Valley Road". I then needed to beef up the wispy clouds after the field became a bit more committed to the cause! I should have taken a before picture and I might have if I knew just how much it was going to change.

Anyhoo, it was an exercise and I learned some stuff, plus I had a great painting afternoon with no embarrassing mishaps! Doesn't get much better. 

Out On Valley Road

Out on Valley Road

10x10"

acrylic on canvas 
private collection

I'm back and I had a great weekend! Just what the doctor ordered. I left Friday afternoon and headed out to the country for my scrapbooking retreat. It was strange driving off by myself because the other two years I have gone I had my pal Nancy with me. It was a gorgeous day and I thoroughly enjoyed the prairie landscape as I drove out. Many people think this part of Canada is so boring because it is such a flat area, but if you actually stop and use your eyes you will see that the shapes and colours in the fields are quite beautiful. And every time you drive into the country the land looks different. It's never the same. In a few months time there will be spectacular bright yellow fields of canola and mustard, or maybe you will see the soft periwinkle of flax blanketing the landscape. And then there are the skies- especially the stormy ones. They can go on forever. Sunrises and sunsets that could bring tears to your eyes. Yup, I'm a prairie girl! 

I took my paints with me and since I woke up early on Saturday morning I decided that I may as well start the day with a plein air excursion. I headed out and made a few turns on the nearby grid roads until I came across a field with a pool of water that had accumulated in a low spot. We had just had a lot of rain so water was everywhere. It really was so pretty- pale yellow fields cut short from the season before; some areas almost looked bleached, and then these pools of water reflecting the blue, blue sky. I parked, got set up, and turned on the music... Michael Buble... then painted for about an hour or so just sitting in the back of the truck, hatch up and enjoying the solitude. All thoughts left my brain except those relating to the landscape, the palette and the canvas in front of me..... until the music started to sound a bit wonky! I kept wondering what was wrong with this relatively new CD. Then a light bulb moment struck! The battery was dying in the truck! It was being drained by the music and because the hatch was up of course the lights were on inside the truck, also draining the battery! When I realized what was happening I think I actually said out loud, "Well this isn't good." The painting zone I was in came crashing to a halt as I tried to figure out what I was going to do out on this grid road. Not one person had gone by the entire time I was painting and I had no phone numbers of any of the people at the scrappin' retreat. I finally came to the realization that I was going to have to start walking, but the grid roads would have taken a long time. I figured if I cut across a field I would be able to make more of a straight line out of my trek... except that I couldn't exactly see the buildings of the retreat. Nothin' like an early morning gamble, so I left the certainty of the road and ventured out into the field. It took me about 15 minutes before I could see the buildings and knew I was on the right track. I had a few cows look at me funny- couldn't blame them really. It took me about 15 more minutes to reach the retreat and then I had to deal with the embarrassment of asking someone to drive me to my truck and give me a boost. I didn't tell anyone about this when I got home, but I guess some of my friends will know now! I don't think my husband looks at this blog so I don't have to worry about him giving me a hard time!

Anyway, the above is what I produced while the music was playing and while I was in the zone. It is a pretty limited palette for me and joins the very few paintings I have ever done without using any green at all. I like the simplicity of it and the blue pool in the field. It might be a sketch for a larger piece someday.