Purcell Triptych

 

My first triptych. Each is 16 x 48 inches ( together 4ft x  4ft).  I wanted to make sure each piece could stand alone. I didn't know how to stitch them together in one image using Photoshop. I googled and found a free site...only problem is the image file isn't very large and has rounded corners...but you get the idea.

Many thanks to Peter Stuhlmann for stitching my images together...please checkout his unique,abstracted and innovative work...link

After The Dusting

  

acrylic 10 x 30 inches
Another version, but I like this one much better. The orientation of the canvas is much longer and better suited for what I had in mind. I'm still not satisfied with my drawing, nor the mood I felt when I was there, so I will revisit this again. Below is the original photo and the cropped photo

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.

Athabasca Symphony

Another from the Athabasca Falls series 30 x 60 inches

Athabasca Converge

Here is another effort from the Athabasca series I am doing. Acrylic 36 x 48. Although I have painted these falls many times, I never tire of them. And, after spending a lot of time there recently, it has inspired me to do more. I still find it interesting  to view my older works and compare the differences and analyze how much my work has grown or changed.

Two Views of Edith Cavell

I'm having a wonderful time so far here at JPL in Jasper! Good eating, exploring and of course painting. I have to admit though, this 'artist in residency' for the week, is a little exhausting. I'm painting for longer periods than what I'm used to, and at a faster pace, not to mention interacting with the guests. It's a good learning experience and I'm very thankful I have the opportunity through Mountain Galleries and Fairmont to enjoy these perks. Here are two paintings of MT Edith Cavell. 36 x 48, and 30 x 30.

Sea To Sky

We had a fabulous time in Vancouver/Whistler! I was to do a painting demo for Mountain Galleries in Whistler during their Sunday market, so my husband and I decided to make it a mini holiday. We spent a night in Vancouver and took the Rocky Mountaineer in the morning to Whistler. The views were spectacular ( facebook Pictures ). My friend Doria showed me a few Whistler lakes and some favorite bear sighting spots ( to no avail). I took the gondola up Whistler mountain and then the express to the peak. Truly magnificent. The next morning during the market I managed to do three demo paintings from my experience on top the mountain, while it was fresh in my mind. We had a fabulous meal and were off the next day for a wonderfully relaxing train ride back. The sights again were awe inspiring and I created many paintings in my head as my mind wandered, and absorbed the experience. I was truly spoiled and loving every minute of it.

I also found out my painting 'Where Magic Happens' won the 'Outstanding Acrylic' award for June, in the Bold Brush painting contest. Boldbrush winners

Stampede Art Auction

Stampede Auction night for the artists is always a little nerve wracking. This year was my first year to do the 'Quick Draw', and I managed to complete my painting within the allotted 1 hour. I did a couple of trial runs at home and these two are the result...both 12 x 24. The art auction piece was pretty much the same...if not better.

The paintings I had in the art auction, I'm pleased to say, both sold for more than I was asking, which was pretty good considering the majority of the paintings did not reach the asking price.

 

 

Kananaskis Surprise

acrylic large 36 x 60 inches

This And That

 

acrylic 30 x 36 inches

acrylic 20 x 28 inches


Just tiding up the studio a bit, and finished two paintings I had started  awhile back. getting ready to start Canada day with a bang!

Rocky Mountain Magic

Acrylic 36 inches x 48 inches,

Another from the mountain magic series, from the Canmore to Banff range...varying views from  a moving vehicle along the highway. Amazing how it changes from moment to moment...day to day.

Magic Moment

large 36 x 48 inches

Another Canmore mountain scene.

Magic Up Above

Large acrylic 40 x 40 inches.

This painting is referenced from photos I took while driving through Canmore along the highway. I was in the passenger side and no, my husband would not stop, lol.

I also did a video clip using still I shot throughout the painting, and posted it to you-tube. It's a little amateurish but it was fun to do and hopefully I will get better at it. video

This is the original photo before I enhanced it.

Step Above and some Brianisms

acrylic 24 x 48 inches

At the Brian Atyeo workshop, he came up with some pretty good 'Brianisms'. Some are funny but they all carry truth. These are only a few.

1) 'This painting is better than it looks'
2) 'If you can't meet your expectations, then lower them'
3) 'Light doesn't know edges'
4)  'activate early marks'
5) 'Sometimes it's not putting in the darks, it's putting in a light to activate a dark'
6) 'Hang your composition over a large dominant shape'
7) 'Explore what you don't know'
8) 'Don't go into a brush stroke with a little paint and expect a big change'
9) 'We see tone (value) first ,then color.'
10) 'When you make a change in a painting, make sure it has an effect'
11)'Constantly learning what you don't know is the best part of my day'
12) 'Put a lot on take a lot off...paint that is'
13) 'The reset button-that's why God made gesso'
14) 'When you ask yourself a question, pay close attention to the answer'
15) 'Your job as an artist isn't to know, it's to find out'
16) 'If you think it, paint it, trust it, don't fear it.
17) 'Trust the mark and modify it if necessary-it's not the initial mark but the residual mark that counts'
18) It's not as important to know what a stroke will do but to find out what it can do.
19) 'Don't get caught up in the small stuff'
20) ''If I predetermine the outcome it negates the creative process'
21) 'Good art happens for a reason'

Jazz Clip

I finished a painting I started at the Brian Atyeo workshop. This is acrylic,15 x 30 inches and untitled at the moment.

I also did another clip of Brian's Jazz demo with Louis Armstrong singing 'What a wonderful world'...I didn't want to waste his beautiful song so I filled the rest with some pictures of our group dinner and various other shots I took around the area.

It was a wonderful week and chalk full of information and energy. Brian is a wonderful teacher has a great ability to know exactly what each individual needs. Each day he did a morning demo and although I tried a few of his techniques, I decided it best for me to paint the way I paint. Even though I was frustrated at times, I'm glad he pushed me. I came away a better painter...in my opinion.

I hope you enjoy this little clip

Brian Atyeo Clip

acrylic 15 x 30 inches
I don't have much time to write, but I wanted to share Brian Ayteo's second day painting demonstration.(an amateur clip of stills I shot).

Also my warm up... a painting done the evening before the workshop started, at River Rock Studio outside Cochrane Alberta.

 

Where Magic Happens

acrylic, 24 x 30, "Where Magic Happens",

I just arrived back from a five day intensive advanced acrylic session with the talented Brian Ayteo. I'm exhausted and my brain is full, so here is just a peek of what I've been up to.  ( the beginning of my new series ). Once I have wound down, I will be using this blog to post many of my exciting experiences...so stay tuned!

Hidden Falls Commission

 

I'd been dreading starting this commission,even though I've done nothing but think about it for the past month. But actually,it came together quite nicely and quickly too. I had painted a vertical waterfall painting and the client loved it,especially the colors...but she wanted it horizontal. Tricky. I hope she likes it.