Passage

'Passage',acrylic 12 x16 inches

Finally,after a few failed works, one I'm fairly happy with.It still needs some refining,but I achieved the mood I wanted and worked hard on some soft edges.Still, the paint is too thin. I can definitely see the Dan and Danny McCaw's influence. I really love their work.Link

The photo I used as reference is by Kristi who has a wonderful blog about restaurant foods. Link
She is graciously letting me reference any of her hundreds of photos! Thanks Kristi, it's very difficult  to capture these type of shots  without the knowledge or permission from the customers.

A Revelation

acrylic 9x 12
I know it's not quite finished ( I see some things that need fixing), but I literally painted this in less than an hour, and I got so excited! This was a canvas with failed photo transfer on it, and decided to paint over it and experiment. The surface is much smoother and using interactives, I was able to blend and achieve more of the effects I wanted. So...to achieve the look and feel I need with my acrylics using my palette knife, I need a  smooth surface! Duh! Not much of a revelation, I know, but it's as if a light bulb went off and now I'm itching to do more street scenes.

I'm going To Whistler and Vancouver in a week and hoping to take some great photo shots.if it's raining...even better! Jim Vest from Mountain Galleries just had a show in Whistler and I was very inspired by his street scenes. Take a look.Link

Chillaxing By The Shed Study

quick 9x12 study
I'm not sure how successful this is yet, but I've been working on this idea for sometime. Every time I take a trip to Leighton Centre I come across this shed and horses...I always stop to take pictures. I have a vision in my head that I really want to convey. It's moody, loose with soft edges and areas applied with thick paint. Very hard to do with acrylics, but I'll keep plugging away.

Daises With Glass Vase Revisited

I made some major adjustments so I thought I'd repost it. I like it much better now...and at least the vase isn't so lopsided!

Daises With Glass Vase

acrylic 16 x 16 inches

I'm going to take a few weeks or so to experiment with some different subject matter and techniques. I need a change.  So, I expect I will have a lot of failures along the way.

I will be intermittently going back to my landscapes and my trusty palette knife, so I don't get too discouraged and also keep my gallery happy.

I know I will get frustrated but in the long run it will be good for me and my work. I will be doing still life's, figures and urban street scenes.

For this particular piece, I drew inspiration from Ingrid Christensen her blog  and a flower arrangement from Jeremy Lipking. I didn't do either one justice. I do like the feel of this but I think I could have pushed the color more and used thicker paint...my vase is also lopsided. Not bad I think for my first attempt.

Mike Svob Workshop

The FCA Calgary Chapter ( Federation Of Canadian Artists) hosted a Mike Svob  3 day workshop. Even though his style is very different than mine, I really learned a lot. There is always something to learn from any workshop...even if it's only one thing it's more than you knew before. It's also very humbling.

Mike is a very knowledgeable instructor and more than willing to share information. Each morning he did a demo using a different technique each day. We  painted in the afternoon, except the first day the demo lasted well into the afternoon as he attempted to answer an extraordinary amount of questions. Very interesting.

 The above painting was my attempt at trying it his way... it was unsuccessful, and I ending up using my palette knife

Mike and his first demo painting using the black gesso technique.

With his second demo painting using oil and a more direct method blocking in his larger shapes first.

The last day demo, again using oil on a black gesso covered board.

My attempted at using the black gesso board.

Donna MacDonald trying out Mike's style

Kathleen Theriault

This is the painting I purchased from Mike to add to my meager collection which I am slowly trying to build.

The most valuable lesson Mike was trying to convey and stressed, was the importance of thumb nails and value. I'm being vague, I know, but you would have to take his workshop to really understand  the why and how.

It was a great experience and I really enjoyed meeting new people and having a chance to socialize with my fellow artists.

You can see more of Mike's vibrant work here website

Snow shadow

small acrylic 12 x12 inches.
The last of my winter shadow paintings.

Winter At The Priddis Greens

acrylic 18 x 24
Another scene from the Priddis Greens Golf course and area.

Afternoon in Priddis

acrylic 20 x 26.

A gorgeous afternoon near Priddis ( off  22x toward Bragg Creek) at the private golf course. How nice, even in the winter that they clear all the cart paths around the course. I took some wonderful reference photos and it was so peaceful. I'll have to go back in the summer and check it out. It surely will be busier and I may need permission ( maybe I can rent a cart).

This painting came together quickly as I painted over an old painting full of texture, and loosely brushed in my darks and lights ( no drawing). As I proceeded, I tried to be careful not to overwork it.I'm not sure you can see from the photo, but it has a nice freshness to it. I may tweak it here and there but it's pretty much finished.

Yikes! I only have a couple of more old canvases to paint over. ( And these ones are only a year or two old). I guess I'll have to add the texture myself, before and during, relying on my trusty palette knife.

My reference photo.

The Banks Of Elbow

acrylic, 18 x 36

This is referenced from one of the photos I took while out with the family to Elbow Falls near Bragg Creek. A perfect day with sunshine and melting snow along the banks. I pumped up the color quite a bit and I'm really liking it. It came together quickly.

Below is the original photo and then cropped and slightly photoshoped.

Winter Shadows

acrylic 20 x 30,
I really love shadows in the snow and with all this beautiful sunny warm weather it's perfect to venture out with camera in hand. Tomorrow is another nice day, so I must get out before all the snow melts!

A Misty Tangle

Acrylic, 24 x 24
This is loosely based on a different angle of Tangle Falls, Jasper National Park. I have more waterfalls to do but I'm going to take a break.

 I was out to Elbow Falls and area on Saturday ...the weather was fabulous and I loved all the shadows from the trees in the snow. Min Ma ( he doesn't have a website but he you can google him) has done a lot of paintings depicting trees and shadows and I just have to try my hand at it.

Glow From The Top

acrylic 12 x12
I was quite pleased with the looseness of this one. Totally done with a palette knife except for a little dry brushing at the very end  ( mainly on the trees to blend and soften the edges ) . This little bit of dry brushing also brings out the texture.

A Splash With Red

Acrylic, 16 x 12 inches

The photo reference had a lot of branches and broken tree trunks crossing the water with no foliage. I found it a little too busy and I must admit I find doing these kind of branches and trees difficult, especially  with a palette knife, so decided on one tree with a plash of color. I think it works quite well.

Tangled Mist

acrylic , 4 ft x 5 ft

Just a few details to work out and live with it for awhile, but I thought I'd show my process. This is Tangle falls in Jasper National Park, just past the Columbia Ice fields from highway 93 on the way to Jasper. I think this is the area they want to commercialize...make a walkway and charge people to see it...such a shame.

Falling Behind

acrylic 36 x 24 inches

I painted over another older painting I had done in early 2009.( see below) It had such luscious texture. I can't remember offhand the original waterfalls the first painting was referenced from but I've changed it so much you wouldn't recognize it anyway.  It didn't photograph very well though.

below is a close up detail showing the texture..please full view by clicking on it.

Gentle Cascade

acrylic 15 x 30 inches

The second in my series of waterfalls...slowly working my way to larger canvases. I'm deviating so much from my reference photos that I need to come up with some inventive titles.

Falling Through

acrylic 12 x 24 inches

This painting came together quite nicely...and quick too! ( 2 hours ). After watching some of Johannes Vloothuis free online tutorials on waterfall painting, I decided I would do another waterfall series. Somehow I don't tire of waterfalls and my gallery loves them, so it's a win win situation for me.

This was referenced from two photo's but not using them a a crutch. Speaking of Johannes, a while back I watched many of his tutorials on painting landscapes from photographs...I learned a lot of useful tips and information. He is sponsored by wet canvas and is still offering free live online workshops.
You can also purchase his taped courses online at a nominal cost. I really recommend him to all skill levels as there is always something to learn or be refreshed. Johannes's website

Garden Sculptures

For a little fun and something different,I took a 'garden sculpture' workshop from my talented friend Jane Romanishko. Instant gratification to take a finished piece home in one day! Paverpol is a new product (five years in Canada) invented 10 years ago in the Netherlands and the possibilities are endless! Checkout Paverpol website. Its was nice to meet other artists ( mostly painters) and a fun day was had by all...can't wait to do another one.

Winters Gift

acrylic 12 x12 inches
I wish I could say this just fell off my paintbrush it was so easy! As small as it is, it took me longer to paint this as it does for a 36x 36...to bad I couldn't charge the same price . I'm not sure I'll ever figure out why. Is it being in the 'zone'?

Field of Daises

acrylic 16 x 20 inches

I am submitting a few painting to the Federation Of Canadian Artists ( Calgary Chapter), and one of the paintings had to be in keeping with the "Spring" theme. I have painted similar daisies before and found them to be quite challenging...they still are. I tried to keep the texture and define the petals and stems without becoming too tight and detailed

Hmmm, which to choose?

acrylic, 11 x 14 inches,

I pass this scene often on my way to Leighton Centre.It's off of 266 ave when the snow is melting on the side of the road. I am only allowed to submit 3 paintings for the Juried Members Show ( all of which may or may not be accepted). I have already decided on 2 but can't decide between this one and the following.

acrylic 18 x24 inches

This is Barbara Leighton's parrot, Rojo. I thought I'd try something a little different and I'm not too sure it works, but maybe it's because I'm not used to it. It has a lot of texture from tissue paper and gel. The challenge was to tone down the green in the bird and to give a mystical  mood. ( originally I had a photo transfer of Barbara's ghost like face coming through the bird cage but it was way too creepy, lol. 

Anyway, I'm already submitting 2 landscapes so I'm leaning towards  Rojo. What do you think?

Winter Gold

 

acrylic 20 x 20

Just a few details to finish...but I'm really liking the feel of this one. I think I have captured the light quite well.

Grotto canyon Trail

acrylic, 20 x 20 inches.

I'm back in the studio after a family trip to Edmonton and coming back with a cold, which I nursed for 3 days. I still have a nasty cough, but the paints beckon..I have deadlines and commitments to meet. As well as my gallery, FCA, and Leighton Centre, I have also have set a goal for myself of 10 paintings a month.Not such a hard task now, but it will be when I start my larger canvases.

This painting is referenced from the Grotto Canyon Trail near Canmore Alberta.