Throwback Thursday

By The Lake

20 x 16"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2010

sold

I painted this near the beach at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. There is a lot of brushwork and texture in this piece. Here is the original post from 2010, a post that includes the story of my adventure as I painted en plein air that particular day.

The fun news, and the reason I chose to post it on today's Throwback Thursday, is that it just sold! Even more fun than that is who it sold to... my Grade Five math teacher! We had a great visit at the studio last week and she took to it immediately. I saw it at her home on the weekend and it looks great over her fireplace.

I am so happy it will be enjoyed every day.

Throwback Thursday

#30 - Showtime

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2011

sold

Five years ago I did a little project where I painted thirty paintings in thirty days, then took them to an art show and sale. All of the paintings were 6x6 inches. This was painting number thirty in that series. I recall it was not always easy to find time to paint every single day, but I did it even if it meant starting at ten in the evening or getting up really early to make sure it got done. The following year I did the project again and below is the last painting in that series.

#30 - Northern Curtain Call

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2012

sold

It is very interesting for me to look back at the two projects. I can see a marked growth between the two years and the years since then. That is all I can hope for. Gotta keep moving forward.

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I know this is supposed to be a throwback post, but look what I got today! So cool. I'll proudly display it on this blog and when I do future shows.

A Little Stress, A Big Relief

News! On the weekend I took about fourteen of my oil paintings to the Saskatchewan Craft Council where two established local visual artists adjudicated my work. I set up my "display" and then left the room while they deliberated. I walked over to the nearby Starbucks to pass the time and to be honest with you I was so stressed I don't actually recall the walk. I went back with my coffee straight away and waited to be called back into the room to hear the verdict. They took half the time they said they would and when they called me back in they immediately congratulated me. I passed! I am now officially a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council!

The Kingsmere

The Kingsmere

36 x 30"

acrylic and oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2016

available

I am happy to finally show this painting after a last minute tweak that made a huge difference to one area of the river. When I initially began laying out the composition I used really washy layers of acrylics which I left to show through the thicker, top layers of oils. I like the effect and the contrast of those warmer reds, pinks and oranges that pop up next to the cooler greens and blues. 

Next I am on to an even larger canvas which will hold a spectacular mossy scene from Sulphide Lake in the La Ronge area. It is going to be a doozy! It will test me. I am not convinced I can pull it off. But I will try.

Moss Study

Moss Study

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2016

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/moss-study/463726 
sold

I am psyching myself up to start another big canvas, this time the subject will be the stunning moss and rocky hillside my paddling partner, Erica, and I found on Sulphide Lake in 2013. We were on a four day canoe trip with CanoeSki Discovery Company; the adventure was called "Canoeing and Painting In The Wild".

Have you ever been strolling, wandering, paddling, rowing, hiking, biking or jogging along and suddenly WHAM! nature hits you right between the eyes with something so glorious, so unbelievably breathtaking that you can do little more than stare with your mouth wide open, eyes brimming with tears? I hope you have had that experience. It is like a miracle. That is how I felt when I saw this moss-laden rocky hill. I was overcome with such gratitude to find myself there in that very moment to witness this bit of nature in the light of that morning. The moss was utterly illuminated. It was spectacular. And Erica was the right person with whom to experience it. When we had to paddle away I almost felt a sense of loss. To this day I am in awe of what we saw.

Working Hard or Hardly Working

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

I seem to be having a bit of a difficult time getting into a schedule at the studio, but this past week I spent some quality time there, if not quantity. Some great progress was made and I am anxious to get back and continue working on my canvas of the Kingsmere River. Hopefully this weekend. You can see my chaotic table set up with paint, brushes, palette and photo reference and little 6x6 study on the easel. The computer was there acting as a slight distraction when the WiFi was actually working (darn Facebook), but mostly adding inspiration to my work by playing a great list of music. I hold out hope that March will be my month to work hard because so far this year I feel like I have been hardly working.

Throwback Thursday

Bare In Front Of You

20 x 20

acrylic and oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2012

NFS

This is the last ever painting I painted at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. It was the culmination of a week of abstract painting in a workshop led by Alicia Popoff. I think I was just beginning to hit my stride and feel safe enough to really get down to the business of experimenting when the week was over. It was a real luxury to be able to take that time and I miss it dearly. I took a week long class there every summer from 2007 until 2012 when it closed. Before that I had also attended in 2000 and 2001. There has been nothing I have found in Saskatchewan that offers what it was able to offer. The campus has been closed for three years and it looks like another summer will pass by without it welcoming students, scientists, artists, musicians, dancers and writers among others.

This painting hangs on the wall behind me as I type this. I had to keep it. It reminds me of a special time and it reminds me that I need to stretch beyond what I normally do.

Kingsmere River, P.A.N.P.

Kingsmere River

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2016

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/kingsmere-river-panp/462304

A view down the Kingsmere while hiking the trail alongside this part of the river. The relatively large sandy cliff in the distance was a great find- I immediately knew I wanted to paint it.

I admit I was initially a bit nervous about bears this far from the Waskesiu town site, but it was surprisingly busy with hikers, campers and fishermen the day we were there. No bears, no wolves... just a nutty little squirrel scampering around as we walked.