Monday, May 26, 2014

The Sunset

The Sunset
8 x 10"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2014
sold 

I was honoured when the principal from my kids' school approached me to create a painting for a friend based on a photo of a sunset the friend adores. After studying the photo I decided it was a job I could take on because it felt familiar, in fact, it brought to mind some of the paintings I have done in the past of silhouetted trees against colourful skies. I've said it before and I will say it again, it's not an easy subject. I am pleased with how it turned out- especially the treeline- it has me thinking about all kinds of possibilities now that I am on an experimental abstract kick.

The Sunset- detail
© Nicki Ault, 2014

The Sunset- detail
© Nicki Ault, 2014

Some of the details could make for interesting paintings on their own. 

Friday, May 23, 2014

Sometimes I Despair

Sometimes I Despair
20 x 16
acrylic on board
© Nicki Ault, 2014

Yup, it's the truth. Sometimes I despair. Everyone does. As R.E.M. says, "Everybody hurts sometimes". This painting came easier than the one I showed you yesterday. The memory of certain emotions are closer to the surface than others. Although I actually find the end result of this abstract quite appealing, it is perhaps a bit somber and, certainly for me, it does touch a dark place.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Opening

 
Opening
16 x 20 
acrylic on board
© Nicki Ault, 2014

Yesterday I spent the entire day experimenting at the studio. I have been wanting to play with my paints for a long time now, but there have been other priorities. There was also the small detail of a major case of the blues. I'll be honest- the wind was knocked out of my sails and it wasn't pretty. It was tough to get out of bed most days from about December to March. Why? I don't know- it was everything and it was nothing. Winter on the prairies, it's a love-hate relationship. I turned a bit of a corner last month and this month has been even better. I now feel like tapping into some of those emotions to see what might come out.

I went in with no expectations. No plans. No subjects. No reference materials. Just me and my paints. It was good. This painting morphed big-time throughout the day. I switched back and forth between two paintings, but spent more time on this one. It had a definite floral feel at the start, but I didn't want it to look like anything so I began eliminating, painting over and editing. The goal was for it to not look like anything, but when viewing it with fresh eyes on the camera screen, I realized it did look like something. It reminded me of my friend Kim Rempel's abstracts!!! What?! I must have been channeling my inner Rempel because her influence is all over this baby! Over the last year I have been telling her that she has been an inspiration to me because of her no-holds-barred experimental nature. Little did I know the extent of the inspiration.

The title "Opening" comes from the notion that I am trying to open my mind to new ways of painting- both by experimenting with abandon and also by gearing up to try painting more classically (hence the Bargues). I'm all over the place, but you only live once and now that I actually feel like I am among the living I am opening myself up to the possibilities.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Borrowed Sky

Borrowed Sky
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2014

I have been working on a small commission and decided to do a small study of it for my own purposes. I've done similar silhouetted sunset scenes before, and I enjoy doing them but the photo I was given to work from is very intensely chromatic. I borrowed a detail of the photo to play with colours and shapes- it is not an easy subject. I will show you the commissioned piece later this week when it is done.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Pink Clouds, Georgian Bay

Pink Clouds, Georgian Bay
6x6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2014
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/pink-clouds-georgian-bay/231813
sold 
  
Well this was hard to photograph! No matter the lighting circumstance I try, I cannot get it right. This is as close as I can get, but it is not a good pic. Many apologies. 
  
These are the pink clouds that greeted us as we arrived in Georgian Bay... I was talking about them in my last post. I took a bit of artistic license with the colour/darkness of the sky and the effect- if you could see it in person- is dramatic. I will try the pink clouds again with a sky more as it was that day. The very first painting I painted on the trip was, in fact, the pink clouds. It was late at night, but after we got settled and ate, I really wanted to start working. I did a little painting from the images in my mind of the sky we saw as we drove to the cottage. You can see it here... "A Grand Welcome".

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Breakwater, Georgian Bay

Breakwater, Georgian Bay
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2014

Last fall, when I went on my painting trip to Georgian Bay with two friends, as we drove to our home-base we were met with a spectacular sky and a glowing late afternoon sun. When the sun peaked through the clouds it lit up the hills and rocks with a luminous golden colour. We stopped at a park right by the water to take some photos and this is where I saw the breakwater all a-glow. A short time later when we were close to the cottage, the light had changed and the clouds shone pink in the setting sun. It was quite the welcome to a week-long adventure in painting.

Our Georgian Bay show is just over three months away, so I will be taking some time over the next little while to make sure I am happy with the paintings I will exhibit. I might do a bit of experimenting on a small scale and then try to get one or two more large works done. What a relief that I actually feel like painting!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Storm

The Storm
6 x 6"
oil on board

I don't know if I have ever done it before, but I used a stock photo as inspiration for this painting. I feel like I have watched this exact storm while driving to the lake. After the winter we had I would welcome a prairie storm that involved rain and warmer temps rather than snow and a deep freeze. To me a glowing canola field under a stormy, black sky is quintessential Saskatchewan.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Over The Prairies

Over The Prairies
6 x 6"
oil on board

I can't remember the last time I painted a 6x6! Have I even done one this year? My dry spell is slowly waning and it feels good. I spent about six hours at the studio on Wednesday which has been a rare occurrence these days. I hope to change that over the next couple of months before the kids are out of school for the summer. I am also working on a large painting for the Georgian Bay show- it is a version of "Moody on Flat Rock Beach" which sold earlier this year. I am actually painting over the 36 x 48" canvas that I began at Hues Art Supply the day I was there painting before my artist reception. I was not happy with the composition I laid out that day. I turned it upside-down and decided to give it a new life. I hope to leave some of the marks from the previous underpainting showing through the rocky beach.

I cannot tell you how good it feels to be painting again... and to actually feel like painting. I am beginning to feel like my old self and it is a huge relief. I feel rusty, but motivated and anxious for serious inspiration to hit.   

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Time To Shop!

Waves of Flax and Canola
8 x 8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Bell Gallery

It has come around again- it is time for us all to show love and appreciation for one of the most important people in our lives... our Moms. I know I feel like I have the best mom ever... I try every day to be as good and kind and loving to my children as she has been to my sisters and me. Somedays I do well, others are more of a struggle, but the goal is always there. Recently I came face to face with the thought of something bad happening to her and I could hardly bear it. I am fortunate to have my mom living here in the same city and to be able to call her up (or text her- she recently learned how) any time I want. That scary thought got me thinking of friends who have had to watch their moms struggle in some way or perhaps lose that struggle. It is still unimaginable to me and I feel deeply for those who have walked that path.

original 8x8 oil paintings at 
Lifestyles by Darrell Bell Gallery


On a lighter note, we need to give all kinds of props and shout outs to our moms! As Mother's Day approaches I thought I would highlight some of the paintings I have at Lifestyles by Darrell Bell Gallery in Saskatoon. An original painting makes a one-of-a-kind gift and may just be what your mom would appreciate. Or perhaps you are a mom yourself and you can drop some hints for the one you want! Of course Darrell has many other lovely and special gift ideas, so keep his art and design gift shop in mind when you are out shopping.


Here is a sampling of the paintings I have available at Lifestyles:

Homeland
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
Can We Climb It, Waskesiu
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
 Early Morning Sun and Shadows
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
sold
 
Prairie Dugout
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
sold
Canola at Neuanlage
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
sold
 
Tinged in Pink 
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
sold
 Serene Emma
8x8"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
available exclusively at Lifestyles by Darrell Ball Gallery
 

Monday, May 5, 2014

A Little News - The Black Spruce Gallery

Wild Grasses
16 x 16"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2014
sold
 
Breaking Free
16 x 16"
oil on cradled panel
© Nicki Ault, 2012
sold

I am quite excited to have been asked by the owner of The Black Spruce Gallery to show and sell some of my work for the next season (about 6 months). They are located north of Prince Albert right on Highway 2 before the turn to Christopher Lake. I just delivered this group of paintings to her, so they are officially en route! 

Willow Tangle
30 x 30"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2014
sold

These above three will be in a spring show which will kick off the season and the bottom two will be on hand for those looking for lake-related paintings.

View From The Canoe, Sulphide Lake
24 x 30"
acrylic on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2014

The Wall, Waskesiu
30 x 30"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2013
sold