Live Model Painting part two

Calgary Figure Drawing group hosted a 3 hour long live model session. What a treat to have only one pose all night! I definitely will attend this one on Thursdays regularly. Check out their Facebook group page if you are interested. Link. I did a reference sketch first in case I needed to do some touch ups in my studio. Now that I see it online, I realize I was a little tighter than I would have liked.

Don't worry, I'm not going to show every little sketch and painting I do. This will be it for awhile. It's just exciting to venture into this new subject matter and try out various techniques. I hope to develop a quality body of figurative work over the next year or so.

I still love my landscapes though and will be switching back and forth.

Below is a detail of the painting ( click to see larger )

Live Model Painting

Tuesday night was live model drop in Drawing/painting at Swintons. It was very busy with 21 artists. I managed a lot of sketches but was more excited to paint. But, the only long pose was the last one and it was only 25 minutes. I'm normally a fast painter but I was even more so that night. I was quite happy with the results and only did some minor tweaking when I got in my studio which was difficult without the model and light source. Here is my 25 minute painting( 25 x 22 inches) and a couple of my favorite sketches, and a detail close up.( click on it to see larger view )

Johnstons Canyon

acrylic 30 x 30.
I went on a week glamping trip with three painting buddies a few months ago, to do some plein air painting and hiking. My knees were bad so I didn't do much hiking and it was raining so I didn't do much plein air. But we did paint in and around our cabin. However, these two paintings are not them. I started these shortly after in my studio and just got around to finishing them. Both from the same reference. A little tighter than I would have like and very hard to see the texture through the photographs.

Figure Sketching

It's time to get back into some figuring drawing with a live model. When to the Calgary School of Art ( Cactus Art) last night for their first drop in session of the season. Only two of us plus the model...kind of nice having all that space. So heads up all you interested figure drawers, every Monday night from 6-9 at the Calgary School of Art, here is the link

I'm a little rusty at this but I plan to go regular to hone in my skills. Tonight ( Tuesdays) is Swintons drop in and Thursday is Calgary Figure Drawing  see link

These are all quick sketches with graphite, conte, and watercolor marker. The watercolor marker I had never used before and really enjoyed using it with a wet brush. eventually with longer poses I hope to use paint. Again quick sketches, so please excuse the wobbly anatomy as many of the proportions are off.

Abstract Figure

Acrylic on Paper, 30 x 22 inches.

I just finished an abstracted figurative workshop with the amazing Brian Smith ( web site ). Brian is a very considerate and knowledgeable instructor, and his teaching skills are superb! I would highly recommend him.

I needed a little break from my landscapes and have been wanting to explore some figurative work for quite some time. I found this workshop very refreshing and confirmed my desire to venture deeper into this genre. I loved working with a live model! So much to learn and so excited to get started. I just have to figure out how to manage my time and my creative brain: maybe one week landscape...one week figure. Discipline, Organization and Passion!

Here are the results of a few of the exercises from the workshop. I won't go into any details of the exercises...you'll just have to take one of his classes to find out.

 

Cool Fish Creek

acrylic 18 x 36

Here is another from the 'brush series' at Fish Creek. Using the same photo reference ( as seen in the previous post), I wanted to explore a more cooler setting and a different orientation.

Glitter On The Creek

acrylic 30 x 30,
 How very satisfying this was to paint. Without being too literal, you can still get the sense of the scene AND I got to play. Not sure I'm completely done with this but happy so far. I have posted my reference photo ( enhanced and cropped) along with yesterdays WIP and this morning's effort.

Soul Searching

acrylic 16 x 20 inches

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about where and how I want to go forward in my career.

I feel I am at a crossroads and need to expand as an artist, to be more creative, explore new directions, and to have more control over where I show and what I paint.

Although I need to make a living, it’s not all about the money.  It’s important for me to be excited when I paint, to portray that passion and keep it fresh.

It is more fulfilling when my landscapes are less literal, concentrating more on the process to create mood and emotion. 

Earlier in my career I painted a lot of urban and figurative work and would like to revisit that genre, while still being true to my style. I have some ideas and I’m quite excited, although apprehensive to try them. But I WILL conquer my fear, break out of my box, to grow and move forward. I have so much I want to learn.

With travelling, company and health issues ( having to re-evaluate how I paint), I haven’t painted much in the last 2 months and literally avoided my studio. I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I'm now ready to tackle the next phase, however subtle that may be.

Having said all that...here are three paintings I had started previously and finished today. ( still a little tight , but I'm easing my way back in)

acrylic 14 x 11

acrylic 20 x 20

 

Alcohol Ink Experiments

After 10 days of Stampede ( thank you to everyone who came to see the show), it was actually a welcome relief to just play. Alcohol inks are something I've been interested in for awhile and I had the pleasure of taking a small work shop with some artists friends today. I see many possibilities and uses for this medium and experimenting abstractly was so much fun that I can't wait to try some new ideas I have. Here are three of the little cards I played with. Sorry for the poor image quality.

Stampede New Paintings

The Calgary Stampede is in full swing and I'm enjoying the experience. It's great to converse with the public about my art, as I'm pretty isolated in my studio. The feedback has been incredibly positive and I'm very humbled and grateful! I'm also very thankful Mountain Galleries is there to help me.The days are long however and I have a lot of time to paint. Here are 7 little paintings I have completed so far at my 'little studio' in my booth. I apologize for the quality of the images as they were taken with my phone.

Rocky Mountain Autumn

"Rocky Mountain Autumn', acrylic 24 x 36
Seeing as I have a lot of winter scenes, I had to paint an autumn scene to add to my repertoire of paintings for The Stampede Western Art Show. Along with my imagination, and a couple photos, I mainly used a  photo of a previous painting for reference.

Bear Bottoms

'Bear Bottoms', acrylic 36 x 48 inches. Many thanks again to Wendy Chambers for allowing me to use her photos as reference for my paintings! Wendy works for the Northern Lights Wildlife Society, which is dedicated to give injured and/or orphaned wildlife a second chance at survival, and relies solely on the generous donations of others. For more information on this organization please visit their very interesting and informative website, website

Moody Sisters

The 'Three Sisters' are the iconic mountains of Canmore Alberta and probably one of the most photographed. I had never painted them. So this morning effort is 'Moody Sisters', acrylic 18 x 36. I struggled whether to make it a warm or cool painting and adding more misty clouds or not. After applying warms glazes and then cool and back and forth again and adding clouds and taking them away,some pretty neat marks,texture and depth were emerging. Very hard to see all the nuances in the photo though.....come to Stampede to see it!

The Bearoness

This is the largest bear I have ever done. 'The Bearoness',acrylic 48 x 38. I painted her based on a smaller previous painting. Looks can be so deceiving, and I wouldn't want to get too close. I had the pleasure of video taping a beautiful young black bear ambling along the side of the road eating dandelions.
video

Wild Beauty

It's been a couple of years since I have painted horses, and I painted horses a lot when I first moved to Calgary. It's Stampede time and I'm frantically trying to get ready. 'Wild Beauty', 48 x 36 inches.This wild stallion is from the Alberta foothills and many thanks to Linda Vick for letting me use her photo.

Johnston Canyon

I went to Johnston Canyon with three fellow artist friends for a few days of Plein Air painting. We stayed in a cabin at the lodge near the falls. My knee problems prevented me from venturing to the upper falls but I did manage the lower falls and did a bit of hiking around Moraine Lake. I took tons of reference photos!

The weather took a turn for the worse and painting on location, for me, was out of the question. Although I did paint out side the cabin under the deck....does that count as Plein Air? I managed to start three paintings from the photos I took the day before. I touched them up in the studio. Still not sure I'm done with them yet. acrylic 18 x 24

Bears at the Castle

Looks like all the visitors I've talked to in the art room at the Castle ( Banff Springs Hotel), have seen bears. Some have seem them three or four times. So be careful out there while in the park. It's only fitting I should paint a couple. 'Bearfaced, acrylic 18 x 24 and 'Boo Grizzly', 30 x 30.

Boo Bear is a resident of Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge in Golden BC where Boo has being happily living since he was a cub. "This is the largest enclosed and protected grizzly bear habitat in the world. The 20-acre refuge is the home of our resident grizzly bear, Boo. Within this natural mountainside habitat, Boo hunts, plays, forages, and explores just like his wild cousins.

The refuge is open daily during the summer and provides guests the opportunity to observe an adult grizzly bear going about his daily routine. Everyone who comes to visit Boo is fascinated by his strength, agility, intelligence, and personality.' More about Boo here

 

I would like to thank the staff for allowing me to paint Boo. Photo Credit goes to Wendy Chambers her website

Day One in The Castle

A very successful day one, as Artist in Residence in The Banff Springs Hotel. I had a hotel guest sign up to be mentored my me for a few hours. She had some painting experience but considered herself a beginner. It was her birthday as well! I decided to have her paint along side me, as I guided her, using the same reference. Step by step we went through my process and I added a few touches to her canvas as we went along. She was extremely happy, said she learned a ton, and got to take home a painting signed by both her and myself. Happy Birthday Darcey!

Art Room In The Castle

Hobbling around getting ready for my Artists in Residency at the beautiful Banff Springs. Not sure how much hiking or standing I'll be able to do with my knees acting up, so I may have to bring watercolors and pastels, but I'm pretty excited. Mountain Galleries has acquired, courtesy of the hotel, a new 'art room' to enhance the residency program. This studio space is large enough for three artists to work, it's well lit, in a great location, has a great view, and lots of walls for displaying art. Any artist from the Mountain Galleries roster, was able  book a week or two and it's pretty much full all summer long. Checkout some of the fabulous artists participating this summer! Artist In Residency List. Guests of the hotel, can also enjoy this experience and are invited to book a half day to work under the mentorship of a professional artist, with art supplies provided. I will upload pictures next week while I'm Queen of The Castle.

'Only When I Dream', acrylic 24 x 48, will be one of the many paintings displayed in the art room. I look forward to seeing you if you happen to be in the area May 18-23rd. My reception will take place May 23rd from 2-5, so come join me for a glass of bubbly and some snacks.

Incandescent

This one sat in the corner, half done, for several weeks as I contemplated how I was going to proceed. Such a busy subject, but I really loved the light bouncing off the stream peeking through the brush and tree branches. Wonderful contrast, shapes and light, as the sun was starting to set. You can't see in the photo of the painting, but I used a lot of tar gel in the background to give the illusion of tiny branches and such, but maybe little too busy. I had to pare down the background trees and fade out some branches while still capturing the over all mood. 'Incandescent', acrylic 40 x 40
below are my reference photos, the original and enhanced cropped one.