Prairie Chaos - Makeover Monday!

Prairie Chaos

(after)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

This is a painting makeover that I did awhile ago and forgot to publish. The original, from 2015, was somewhat experimental, but after some time it began to feel a bit raw or unfinished which spurred on the remake. I tried to keep the loose and chaotic energy, but pulled together the colours and values a bit more.

Prairie Chaos

(before)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Faux Island at Paignton and Makeover Monday!

Faux Island at Paignton

(after)

12 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold

Last November, as I was organizing and hanging paintings in my studio space for Open Studio, I came to a realization... I had gone through a "blue" period! Until then I was completely oblivious to how much blue existed in my recent work, but it became rather apparent as I tried to hang the paintings as a group. I ended up bringing some art from home to break up the sea of ultramarine! 

That discovery led me to revisit this painting. I quite liked the "before". I had actually painted the day as it was, I remember it clearly. I had taken my sons out to the beach at the Narrows in Waskesiu to try out the new dingy one of them received for Christmas. It was a very blue day; the water, the sky, even the air felt blue, but I became curious about taking a different approach to the sky. I ended up creating a dusky atmosphere and I toned down the aqua hues in the distant water. This late-day light meant I added some warmer tones to the trees and horizon line. Small changes, but effective. 

Happily this revised painting sold last week as a gift to commemorate a special birthday!

Faux Island at Paignton

(before)

12 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

Among The Wolf Willow and Makeover Monday!

Among The Wolf Willow
(after)

36 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Assiniboia Gallery

The original (below) always troubled me. It was never a painting I felt excited about or really felt finished with. I tried to convince myself I liked it, yet I kept it turned towards the wall at the studio. That should have been the first clue that I didn't like it, but it took me three years. Finally I decided I either had to deal with it or it had to go to the chipper.

Realizing I had nothing to lose, I asked Bridget (my studio mate) to talk through the issues with me and after that critique I felt excited by the challenge of finally trying to make the painting work. 

I now LOVE the fresh, soft delight that it is. The "after" painting (above) really makes me happy. It is lovely in person and I feel so good about it that not only do I want it facing right-side-out from the wall, I want lots of people to be able to see it! It is now available and hanging at the Assiniboia Gallery as part of the feature they are doing of my work for the month of March.
 

Among The Wolf Willow

(before)

© Nicki Ault, 2016

Saskatchewan: The Height of Summer and Makeover Monday!

Saskatchewan: The Height of Summer

(after)

12 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Assiniboia Gallery

I have two paintings at the studio from late 2017 that I have been rethinking. Both of them happen to be on reeeaaally rectangular canvases (12x36). I prefer painting on a square format so these were bought as a challenge to myself. Recently, after much consideration, I decided to drop the horizon to create a sense of a bigger sky above. I also changed the field colour from a bright green-yellow to a more earthy yellow. I then did a few things to give more dimension to the clouds.

It now feels like what I was originally going for.

Saskatchewan: The Height of Summer

(before)

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

Next week I may have the second painting revamped for you.

Homeland - Makeover Monday!

Homeland

(after)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

Here's an oldie (2014 - below) that I reworked in 2018 (above) and never got around to posting. The new version is on the grid at Darrell Bell Gallery. Some areas changed entirely and others stayed almost completely the same.

Homeland

(before)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2014

Prospect Point - Painting Makeover

Prospect Point

(after)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold

The original was painted in 2015 (below); I liked so much about it- especially the clouds, and yet something always bothered me. I remember trying to make the water glow with the pale reflection of the sky. The water was calm that day but at the same time did not really reflect what was above. Over the years it never stopped bothering me, so I finally decided to make a few changes and add a bit of a reflection for the point of land. I think now it feels more like water and not a frozen-over lake. I also softened the edge of the shoreline which helps it read better; it no longer looks like the trees are sitting on top of the water.

  Prospect Point 

(before)

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Peach Clouds and Blue Fog at Sunset - Makeover Monday!

Peach Clouds and Blue Fog at Sunset
(after)

10 x 10"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold at Assiniboia Gallery

This is a painting makeover of a piece (below) that went to Assiniboia Gallery last fall, but I never got around to posting online. I was never totally confident in the painting and perhaps never should have let it leave my studio, so this spring when I delivered a few paintings to the gallery I actually brought it home and ended up reworking it for my solo show "Mood". I absolutely LOVE it now! And it totally fits the theme of the show which opens this Thursday, June 7th. Lesson learned - trust my gut. It is often right.

Peach Clouds and Blue Fog at Sunset
(before)

10 x 10"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

Severe Weather Warning - Painting Makeover!

Severe Weather Warning

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

I was unsure about this makeover. I quite like the original, but after a little chat and small critique with my studio mate, I decided the yellow canola field was just a bit much. Also, I realized that there was a scratch on the surface above the right hand horizon line, so something had to be done.

It's good. I like it either way, but maybe more now. I like the addition of the little clouds at the bottom of the stormy sky. Really, just the bottom half of the painting changed.

Severe Weather Warning

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault. 2016

A Drive In The Country - Makeover Monday!

A Drive In The Country

(after)

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

Okay.

I am super shocked I called the original painting from 2015 "done". I vaguely recall my intention while painting the original; I was likely trying to stay "loose" which I have basically been told all of my artistic life. For some reason that has become the standard around these parts. As if "loose" in itself is enough.

Guess what? It's not.

You can paint loose, but have no understanding of chroma, value, hue, composition, patterning, edges, rhythm, light, proportion, design, etc. I don't claim to have the breadth of knowledge that many, many, many artists out there in the vast art world have, but there is one thing that I have figured out in this small part of the world... loose does not a good painting make.

A Drive In The Country

(before)

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

So if you are like me, someone who loves a little detail, who loves painting somewhat realistically and who loves to refine their work to an extent, and you are being told ALL THE TIME to stay "loose", well, take it with a grain of salt. Being loose has its place, but it is not the whole place. Rather, I submit to you that your goal be to keep learning, keep reading, keep experimenting and if you take workshops, learn from a variety of people. Do not turn your nose up at instructors who are classically trained. While their way may not be how you necessarily want to paint, they know their stuff and there is a wealth of historical knowledge they can offer you. Also, look at a lot of art. Figure out what is happening in the artwork you love. Really examine it. And do the same with artwork you don't like. What is happening that repels you? Make notes even!

Keep on keeping on and as you evolve (which is hopefully an ongoing journey), the knowledge you've been absorbing will begin appearing in your work in really good ways.

Most of all, paint like yourself, not like someone else, because if you don't, who will?

Marshland - Makeover Monday!

Marshland

(after)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

Another remake of a painting from Darrell Bell Gallery. Small yet big changes- the most notable being the clouds in the sky. Also, the distant water behind the grasses is more settled and reads better now, I think.

Marshland

(before)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2014

I actually really liked the original, which is why I cared to take the time to give it a refresh.

Winter on Meewasin - Makeover Monday!

Winter on Meewasin

(after)

8 x 8" 
oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

I still love this painting. It is among the first that I ever delivered to Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery when they opened just before Christmas in 2012. It remained after the store closed and the street level gallery opened. I had painted another version which sold ages ago, but this one has been a bit of a fixture and was beginning to look bedraggled (see below). I decided to give it new life with a minor makeover and it will be back in the gallery on Wednesday.

I especially love the colours of this piece. I love the foggy mood and the shapes of snow on the scruffy embankment. It is true that winter scenes are a bit of a tough sell, but they can be so exciting, it is difficult to not want to paint them. The Meewasin Trail that spans both sides of the river in Saskatoon is a real urban treasure and it is beautiful no matter the time of year. 

Winter on Meewasin

(before)

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2012

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!

A New Day

A New Day

(after)

16 x 16"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available

A New Day

(before)

16 x 16"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Happily, the "after" on this painting makeover seems way more bright, fresh and finished compared to the original. I am waaaay more on board with the middle-ground and much more happy with how the horizon and sky feel pushed back. The various greens and sunny yellows really give a sense of cheer and hope for a new day, so now the title makes more sense. As much as I loved the expressive nature of the "before", I think it seems much more resolved as a painting now, and I managed to keep some of the fun marks in the foreground anyway. Much better, me thinks.

Striped Sky, Sulphide Lake - Monday Makeoever

Striped Sky, Sulphide Lake

(after)

16 x 16"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I continue to be somewhat fascinated as I do these "painting makeovers". What I have noticed with the few that I have been re-making recently is that the originals seem under-developed to me now. It is like I stopped before they were really done. And this one was only a year old. Have I grown that much in a year? Or did I go through a lazy phase? It's a curious thing.

Striped Sky, Sulphide Lake

(before)

16 x 16"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016