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!

Bold Sunset

Bold Sunset

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2015
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/bold-sunset/363484 
sold

This was a bit of an attempt at abstraction with a sunset being the inspiration.Very fun. It came to be when my studio mate, Bridget, and I had our painting session at the studio a couple of Saturdays ago. We had a bit of wine, listened to music and painted. We actually both got so much accomplished that we are trying to figure out when to do it again!

Dreaming Of Spruce River

Dreaming Of Spruce River

48 x 36"

acrylic on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2015
sold

For this one, I revisited an old plein air painting and took inspiration from that. "Dreaming Of Spruce River" is the same but different, and also much larger. I've been puttering around with it for awhile at the studio and finally just decided to call it a day.

The subject is a beautiful, murky, quiet, winding river in northern Saskatchewan. This particular location on Spruce River happens to be a picnic rest stop just inside the old park gates at Waskesiu. It is here that the river curves out of the forest and touches the edge of a small meadow, then retreats back into the shelter of the trees. It is a place that is easy to dream about, especially in the winter.

Soft Clouds At Sunset

Soft Clouds At Sunset

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available exclusively at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

Here is the final of the five paintings I delivered to Lifestyles a week ago. It might be my personal favourite.

Quiet Dugout

Quiet Dugout

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available exclusively at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

It was recently mentioned to me that the Lifestyles art and craft boutique is lucky to have my artwork. While that is a kind and generous compliment, I have to say that I feel like I am the lucky one. I am extraordinarily grateful that somehow my artwork caught Darrell Bell's eye. He invited me to be part of his exciting new venture in December 2012 when he expanded and added a beautiful store to his already successful gallery business. I can only hope that my artwork continues to be worthy of his walls.

Out On The Grid

Out On The Grid

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available exclusively at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

When I painted the 6x6 called Country Road, I also painted this slightly different view of the same scene for Lifestyles. I'm looking forward to exploring out on the grid roads as the weather improves this spring. I just know there is more inspiration waiting for me.

Mossbed

Mossbed

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available exclusively at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

I just delivered five new paintings to Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery here in Saskatoon. This is one of them. Something a little different.

Prairie Puddle

Prairie Puddle

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available exclusively at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery
sold

Just delivered to Lifestyles and ready to go to a new home.

On The Way Home, Lynx Lake

On The Way Home, Lynx Lake

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/on-the-way-home-lynx-lake/349170

I love my reference picture of this scene so much that it is the screen saver on my computer. It is an image of the last leg of our journey home from our base camp on the "Canoeing and Painting In The Wild" adventure in 2013. I love the depth of colour in the foreground. I also love the ripples moving away from the canoe which I was paddling (not rowing... don't say "rowing" when you are canoeing) with my partner, Erica. Gosh we had fun- what an extraordinary time we had. However, if I were to do it again, I would likely forgo the seven litres of wine we brought between the two of us. It seemed like a good idea until we had to portage twice!

Rain

Rain

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2015
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/rain/348414
sold

I remember driving home from the lake last summer with rain coming down in columns all around me. I was in awe; it wasn't raining right where I was on the road, but it seemed that everywhere I looked there were long columns of rain coming from the clouds. I had never seen anything like it. Often on the prairies when it rains you see big, flat sheets of rain, but in this case there had to be ten or more long, skinny pillars of rain sporadically placed around the horizon, near and far. It is difficult to explain what I saw except to say that the drive home looked like this painting only tenfold. Spectacular.

A Prairie Scene

A Prairie Scene

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2015

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/a-prairie-scene/347808
sold

I spent the day at the studio on Tuesday. I had the place to myself so I was able to enjoy my eclectic playlist while I worked. I painted two 6x6's and one 8x8 for Lifestyles. If only it could always be that productive!

"A Prairie Scene" underway at the studio

A Wall Of Bargues

photo © Nicki Ault, 2015

It cost a pretty penny, but it was well worth it- I got my Bargue drawings framed. They are settled in my front entrance and I look at them every day. I had to honour the amount of time each piece took and so I put them under glass.

I haven't spent money on framing in a really long time. I guess that is because I have been painting on relatively large canvases and when I put work in a show I don't worry about framing them. If they were under a certain dimension and going in a show, I would frame them because I think it makes smaller pieces look more substantial and finished. I have had an ongoing debate with a couple of people regarding whether or not to frame work for shows. The few I know who are die-hards about getting framing done maintain that their work sells better this way and their clientele appreciate purchasing artwork that is ready to hang on the wall. I am not convinced. Maybe I am just too cheap to find out! Framing is expensive and if the artwork is framed then it, too, must reflect that cost making it more expensive. Also, years ago when a framed painting (done on paper) sold at my first art show, I remember the collector wishing it were framed differently. That experience got me thinking that perhaps framing was too personal a choice for me to be trying to make for another person.

What do you think?