New Work at Darrell Bell Gallery

 image © Nicki Ault, 2018

Ten days ago I delivered some new work to Darrell Bell Gallery in anticipation of a big gallery refresh! On Friday, March 2nd they are opening a new show in the main gallery on the fourth floor and I can hardly wait to see it!!! It looks extremely intriguing and the five exhibiting artists are uber talented!

At the same time, the main floor (street level) gallery has been totally rehung with new and exciting work by many of the gallery artists... including several large works and a big, twenty-five piece grid by moi! I will also be delivering about eight new 8x8's on Thursday to replace some older work on the grid; these new ones are all about mood and light!

I think March is going to be a really good month!

Moon After Soccer

Moon After Soccer

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

A beautiful, calm night at a park lined with trees and soft moon light.

Glorious Ending

Glorious Ending

10 x 10"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Assiniboia Gallery

Here is another painting that sold awhile ago and I am just getting on the blog now. I am waaaay behind, but it is actually a good time to try to catch up as I am working on some large projects and it may be awhile before I can get some of them finished and posted.

This particular painting was created from some reference photos I took last summer during what might very well be the most dramatic and spectacular sunset I have ever witnessed- and I have seen some pretty kick-ass sunsets in my day! I am very grateful that it sold quickly after I delivered it to the Assiniboia Gallery.

I am really excited to explore these images further and I will go big and bold!

Dandelions In The Ditch

Dandelions In The Ditch

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

Now that I have a new-found love of painting country roads, I can hardly wait to explore more of them this year and get some excellent reference photos. Maybe I will even do some plein air painting out on the grids!

Boat Waves at Dusk

Boat Waves at Dusk

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

Thoughts of summer abound after a very long and unrelenting cold snap this winter. I dream of sand between my toes, the call of the Loon, melting ice cream, boat waves coming to shore and colourful sunsets.

Like Sunshine On Earth

Like Sunshine On Earth

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I painted this canola field last summer right after I took the photo and then posted it soon after it was painted. It was very well received which was exciting, in fact, it sold immediately and I marked it as such. Except I made a rookie error: I marked it as such before any payment was received and told others inquiring about it that it was sold. Guess what happened? It fell through.

And so I learned a valuable lesson when you are operating on the business side of art business: it isn't sold until it is, well, sold. Or so they say in show biz, "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings".

Going forward, all my work is available or on hold until transactions are complete. I am very glad I learned this lesson on a $100.00 piece rather than a $2000.00 piece.

So here it is again... a bright little piece for a chilly winter's day.. and available.

Indigo Sky

Indigo Sky

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I actually painted this in November right before Open Studio. It dried with an uneven sheen so I had to rework it and ultimately forgot to post it. Besides this painting, I still have a backlog of work, mostly 8x8's, that were painted in 2017 that I must post. I will try to do that over the next month; some pieces have sold already and some are still available. In the meantime, I will be working on new larger work at the studio.

A Win at The Mann!

Rustle

40x30"

acrylic and oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

available

I made the announcement on Facebook and Instagram, but I realized I forgot to share the news here on my blog. My painting, "Rustle", won the Hues Art Supply Award at the Mann Art Gallery 42nd Annual Winter Festival Art Show and Sale!!! It was a great surprise and not only did I win the honour, but I also left with a cash prize!

 "Rustle" in its surroundings

photo © Nicki Ault, 2018

The opening reception was a fun night with a large crowd, great art, yummy food and live music. Apparently this year had the most submissions of any of the forty-two years so far: 243 pieces of art! I am quite thrilled that guest curator, Carole Epp, selected "Rustle" for an award.

my painting "Last Phase, Saskatchewan Afternoon"

curated with other submissions

photo © Nicki Ault, 2018

I was my own date for the night, but I knew lots of people when I got there. The drive to the show was peaceful and I was gifted with a breathtaking sunset. At one point, with the sun very low in the sky on the west side of the van, the snow on the east side was glowing the most warm and beautiful peach colour! I stopped a couple of times for photos and tried to memorize the rest. I was nervous about the dark highway drive back to Saskatoon, but the roads were dry and clear, plus after winning an award I wasn't tired at all. I think I sang all the way home!

Uncertain Sky - Makeover Monday!

Uncertain Sky

(after)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold

I painted the original (below) about a year ago and, curiously, the title is how I am now feeling about the makeover: uncertain. I am not sure it is better, but I do like some elements more than before. The colours are not as murky and the water has more life. I really like how soft and hazy the upper clouds are in the redo, but I may prefer the colour of the yellow in the original. 

The painting has remained a bit quirky so if nothing else, I am pleased about that.

Uncertain Sky

(before)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

Sky Drama

Sky Drama

20 x 20"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

This one was a bit of an uphill battle; it changed many times and I even considered changing it right down to the last moment, however, Bridget and I put it under the track lighting in the gallery space of the studio and right away, we both agreed it was done.

I gave it a coat of varnish to help the colours sing and delivered it with a handful of other paintings to Darrell Bell Gallery late yesterday afternoon.

September Mood at McPhee

September Mood at McPhee

18 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

Oh boy, I am happy with this one!

If you ever drive to Waskesiu Lake, I think (and hope) you know exactly where this scene can be found. In the end it is more moody than I planned, but every time I would try to lighten it up it would feel wrong.

This definitely feels right. I hope you like it!

Sky Fire II - Makeover Monday!

Sky Fire II

(after)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

I painted the original version of "Sky Fire II" a year ago. It looked like a forest fire then and it still does now, even though it is actually a sunset. When I decided to make it over, I was very tempted to revamp it to look more like a sunset, but in the end I decided to stay true to the feel of the original in that regard.

The makeover is much more refined; so much better, from the softer clouds to the light reflected on the water and filtering through the trees on the grass. Also, two trees now are rooted to the ground rather than floating miraculously above. Can you see them? How did I miss that detail? I actually can't believe I considered the original finished. I'd be curious to know what you think.

Sky Fire II

(before)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

Mann Art Gallery Winter Festival Show and Sale 2018

Rustle

40 x 30"

acrylic and oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

available

Last Phase, Saskatchewan Afternoon

20 x 20"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

It's that time of year again - the annual nail-biter: the Mann Art Gallery Winter Festival Show and Sale! I almost didn't send anything this year, but at the last minute a few others from the studio decided to submit work, so I made a quick decision to enter these two paintings. I really love both of them, so I thought, "Why not?"

The Opening Reception and Awards Presentation is Friday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. It is always fun to drive to Prince Albert for the party, but my best art pal and studio mate is on holidays, so won't be able to attend. I'm not really that motivated to go as a result, but I will muster up the energy, find a different date and hopefully find something that still fits after a long chilly, chip-eating winter. I believe pajama bottoms and a big, stretched-out cowl necked sweater would be frowned upon at this event.

Ultramarine Dugout at Warman - Painting Makeover

Ultramarine Dugout at Warman

(after)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold

These "painting makeovers" have been a huge learning exercise for me. I honestly feel that over the last year alone I have grown so much in my understanding of my materials, and more specifically, my understanding of value and colour. I have so much more to learn, but I am encouraged by the fact that I am aware of my own growth.

I actually don't have too many more paintings on hand that I feel are worthy of a makeover, but I do have a stack of work worthy of a wood chipper or table saw, whichever I have access to first. Those babies are going down and NEVER seeing the light of day! They are canvases, boards and paper pieces that I hate so much I have no desire to invest anymore time on them at all. Except, that is, the time it will take to destroy them. They actually repulse me! Ha!

Ultramarine Dugout at Warman

(before)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

I do have some, though, that I like enough to try to improve. So there will be a few more makeovers. There are a handful that I did early last year which now seem to stop just short of my current standards. I love the fact that even within a year's time I would do things differently on some pieces. I love that my "eye" has more experience. In some cases it's because they now seem unfinished, in other cases they just seem dull and lifeless (an issue that is more apparent in person and hard to show in a photograph). Above is one that had both problems. I feel like now the "after" version packs the punch that I hoped for originally. The deep blue water of the dugout finally has the vibe I was going for in the first place. The shape of the foreground grasses is better and I am happy that I decided to make an entry point to the left of the bottom centre, breaking up the line of the grasses. I also love the subtle changes to the clouds.

I am curious to hear your thoughts. If you have an opinion one way or the other; drop me a comment here, on Facebook or on Instagram- I'd love to hear from you!

Soft Rain

Soft Rain

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

This little study was the inspiration for "Distant Rain" which is available at the Assiniboia Gallery. On my easel at the studio right now is a 20x20 from the same rain storm, but it has a very different feel. Hopefully another session this weekend will get it where I want it to be and I will post it for you next week.

Autumn Exhibition

Autumn Exhibition

40 x 30"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold

This is a new colour palette for my leafy series, and it did not start out this way. This one really morphed on me. It's not really close to what the initial plan was when I started out. In the end, after some pretty drastic changes, it arrived at a place that makes me happy. It is much more green than it was ever intended to be, but once I came to terms with the fact that the blues and purples in the original design were not working, the commitment to the green solved all the problems.

Did you know painting is about problem solving?

'Tis true. Obviously it is about a whole lot more, but problem solving is right up there.

Unsettled Sky

Unsettled Sky

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

As this one developed I felt more and more excited. At the opening for the Holiday Salon at Darrell Bell Gallery in December, I was chatting with a well known artist and art instructor who pointed at it on the wall and said to me, "More of that". 

Why does that kind of validation feel so dang good?