Thursday, January 30, 2014

ARABELLA Canadian Landscape Awards Celebration


  I'm happy to announce, that I tied for the Peoples Choice award in the Arabella Landscape Contest. I was with great company...congrats to all the winners. I know how difficult the judging must have been.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

More Banff Residency Paintings

Here are the remainder of my residency paintings. Some of the images are off as I didn't have the luxury of photographing them in my studio. The lights seem a little washed out.










Winter Gold, 24 x 48 inches













 Mountain Shadows, 12 x 12













Winter Wander, 12 x 12











Winter On The Hill, 12 x 24













Echos Mystery, 30 x 60

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Artist In Residency Photos

Here two more paintings from my artist in Residency at the Banff Springs Hotel. ( I would add them all but I'm having trouble with my ipad ,so I'll wait until I get home and use my computer).

Winter Chaos, 30 x 30 is my favourite so far. Lots of underlying texture and more abstracted.





















Bow Bright, 24 x 48

Friday, January 24, 2014

Productive at The Banff Springs
















Normally I'm a fast painter, but this artist in residency is intense. The beginning of the week has been a slow period for the Banff Springs Hotel allowing me some serious and continuous painting time. I don't have time to ponder and be distracted with my usual day to day stuff in my studio. I feel I'm more concentrated even while talking and and answering questions from the public.

I have been treated like the queen of the castle. They put me a huge suit, private bedroom and a balcony! I'm able to enjoy the delicious food from any of the  restaurants  and free access to the spa as we'll! I'm not too spoiled.

My first day of painting, a couple from Montreal, loved the painting I was working on and bought it
before I had even finished it! They were leaving that day and couldn't stay to see it finished. It made me a little nervous completing it, so I didn't do too much more to it. This is the painting:



Saturday, January 18, 2014

This and That











acrylic 18 x 36 'Along Canmore Trail'

Well, I have finally cleaned up my studio of work left undone. I either painted over or completed all unfinished canvases, and now have no distractions and can move forward. I'm on my way to Banff for a week residency in conjunction with 'Snow Days'. I'll be painting in the lobby of the Banff Springs Hotel ( poor me).  More winter scenes to come.

acrylic 24 x 30 Highway Glimmer


Thursday, January 16, 2014

High Key Fish Creek

















acrylic, 36 x 48 inches
This really wasn't how I intended the painting to turnout. I have included some process images and the references photos.













It was at this point that something didn't sit right with me and I couldn't pinpoint it, other than the fact that it didn't feel like 'Me'. Too much brushwork and not enough palette knife, maybe. In any case I wanted to change it up.








This wasn't right either. It was too busy and I felt each side was competing against each other. I decided to tone down the left side. And thus begun my negative painting.

 my reference photos below before and after enhancement




Monday, January 13, 2014

Experimenting Winter Scenes

















acrylic, 24 x 24 and 20 x 24

I'm doing a week residency at the Banff Springs Hotel from Jan 19th to 26th in conjunction with 'Snow Days', and Mountain Galleries. In anticipation, I'm working on some snow scenes. I'm trying to be looser and not so postcard perfect. The first painting I did 'Edge Of Blue' was very successful...these two maybe not so much. I wasn't sure if I was going to post them, but my gallery manager said I was too hard on my self...so I'll keep plugging away.

Finishing Up Loose Ends
















acrylic 16 x 20

I started to get a back-load of unfinished canvases, including two studies I did for a larger painting ( Highway Magic ). A little backwards I know, but this morning I have finished them. I had started the studies with a loose palette knife and lots of greys ( shown below)...and finished with dry brushing and glazing.

small acrylic 9 x 12


Friday, January 10, 2014

New Browser
















OK, I think I'm up and running . Downloaded Firefox until IE11 fixes its issues.  Here is my latest painting 'Edge Of Blue'. It came together really fast and I'm very happy with it.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Blog is not working


I'm not sure why but my windows explore11 doesn't seem compatible with my blog and I can't post anything...so I will try my iPad. Nope...I can write but can't insert my photo. I guess this blog will be on hiatus until I can figure this out

Monday, January 6, 2014

Gem Along Johntsons Creek











Much happier today. This painting came together very quickly. I did fuss a little at the end...but not too much. acrylic, 18 x 36 inches. This is referenced from my hike to Johnston canyon. I went the other way ( no people),  and followed the creek for some amazing shots.  Original and cropped photo below.


Few and Far Between















"Between", acrylic 22 x 28
Yesterday, I worked on a painting using bits and pieces from several references and found myself unsure in my direction. It's no wonder I struggled, and the resulting work was too 'postcardy' for me. I overworked it ( again) and focused on too much detail. I very seldom paint at night...but found my self doing just that. I'm not sure if my reworked piece is much better but I'm more satisfied. I have started another and am determined to be be looser!

Friday, January 3, 2014

2014 Beginnings





















 It feels like it's been forever since I've been in my studio. This cold really knocked me down...but I'm happy to say, I'm almost 100% and ready to tackle my studio. I really have to think about my entries to Stampede, since I only have a few days left. Last year I submitted a couple of waterfalls, so this year I'm thinking about my mountains and/or streams...with a bear thrown in.

I started a mountain scene and abandoned it, as I felt I was getting too tight and detailed...so instead of plugging away and finishing it...I wanted to start a fresh one and try to become looser. ( I'm realizing that I'm tighter when I haven't painted for awhile ). My second one is more successful and I'm happy with it. acrylic 30 x 30. I have included my unfinished one below.