The Calm After

Another from the Purcell's. More texture on this one. I had a previously toned and textured canvas to paint on. Acrylic 24 x 36 and detail of such.

Purcell's First Blanket

 

acrylic 24 x 48

It was a really treat witnessing the first snowfall of the season on top of the largest alpine meadow in Canada from the Purcell Mountain Lodge. Most of the snow had melted down below, but stayed on the peaks. It was gorgeous! I tried to capture the illuminating glow as the rain/snow abated and the sun peeked through. I will try a few attempts at this.

Purcell Brush

acrylic 12 x 24

Here is another painting I started at the Purcell's but finished in my studio. Hmmm...just realized my trees are the same distance apart...I need more variety. Should be an easy fix. Below is my reference photo.

 

 

Purcell Mountain Lodge Painting Trip

Such a wonderful week! We had it all, sunshine, rain, fog, snow, and rainbows. And of course great food and awesome company! I could write a book, but I'm tired, so for now I'll just post some of the paintings I did at the Purcell Mountain lodge. ( If you are my Facebook friend...I have posted some photos    link )

acrylic 20 x 20 inches

acrylic 20 x 20 inches

 

 

acrylic 10 x 20

 

acrylic 8 x 16

acrylic 12 x 12

 

acrylic 12 x 12

 

Passionate Shannon

Large 30 x 60.
Based on Shannon Falls, near Squamish BC.

My Poodle Has Wings

Acrylic 30 x 36 inches.

Recently I was talking to a friend, and she really liked my paintings with splashes of red. 'But we don't have red trees in Alberta', I replied. 'So', she said, 'If I wanted to paint my poodle with wings, I could...it's an artist prerogative."

So this is for my friend, a pretty accurate scene from Moraine Lake...except for the red bush.

Summit Dreams

Acrylic 36 x 48

Thought I'd try a little more color to my mountain peak series.

Towards Moraine

acrylic, 40 x40

Well, it's the back end of Summer. Our company has gone home to England and our holidays are over. I feel like it's been ages since I've painted ( other than a few hours here and there ). I feel strangely lost and need to get back into a studio routine.

I started this painting after once again being inspired from a recent trip to lake Louise and Moraine. I wanted to paint Moraine with a different perspective so I got down low on the logs with the stream flowing through and the mountains in the back. I loved the photo but the painting didn't seem to work. 'If you think something is not right...then it probably isn't'. I toyed with the idea of leaving it, thinking that someone would like it....but someone was not good enough...I had to like it.

It needed a major change. Two things came to mind from a Brian Ayteo workshop I had attended. 1) 'If you think it...do it'. I couldn't let the fear of ruining it enter my head. 2) He told me I was at stage in my work where I could rely less and less on a photo.

So I took the bull by the horns and went to work with my large palette knife. It became less about the place and more about the creative process. Even though this particular scene doesn't exist, I still think it is recognizable as the mountains above Moraine lake.