May 14
Morning Shadows 24″ x 18″
This painting takes me back to a cool fall morning when my son and I went for an early walk. He was looking for snails and frogs, and I was looking for painting inspiration. I came home with lots of ideas and (thankfully) he left the wildlife in the park.
Mar 15
Sky – Study 1 8″ x 10″
Last week a friend and I were chatting about the importance of experimenting with our art and technique. Of course it’s much easier to keep painting things that have worked in the past – which is what I tend do do. So I decided that maybe it was time to leave my comfort zone.
There are a lot of things I don’t know how to paint but I usually just dive in, with varying results. But I am intimidated by painting skies. I avoid them whenever possible. They make me freeze up and I don’t know how to do them. So this is the first of a couple of sky paintings. I hope I learn something.
Mar 4
Sunny Break 24″ x 18″
Yes, it’s another tree. I love painting trees, but I am quickly running out of names for these paintings. My titles tend to be descriptive, so how many ways can I possibly describe a yellow maple in the fall? Or an orange oak? I am open to suggestions.
Sunny Break – detail
I’ve zoomed in on a detail here to show the brushwork more clearly. I kind of like the composition I accidentally made with my cropping.
I want to thank everyone at Hycroft for having my work up this month, and to everyone who attended the opening on Sunday. Great to meet so many nice people!
Paintings at Hycroft
Oct 4
For me, the act of painting is rewarding in itself and I need no additional incentive. I can happily lock myself away and spend hours working alone. However I have found an additional, unexpected reward that comes from painting. It gives me the opportunity to connect with interesting and talented people who I wouldn’t otherwise meet. It’s exciting when someone likes a painting enough to let me know, and even better if they decide to take one home.
Speaking of talented people, I recently delivered a painting to Jennifer Hill. We connected online a while back, after she saw some of my paintings in a coffee shop. It was great to finally meet her. I am now a regular visitor to her blog, foodess.com. If you want to find delicious recipes and amazing photos you have to take a look (and prepare to get hungry).
Sep 17
Tangled Trees 8 x 10
When a painting isn’t going well it can be extremely frustrating. More frustrating than missing the bus or listening to the kids fight or misplacing my phone. I get slightly obsessed with fixing the problem, and sometimes resort to painting out entire sections and redoing them. I guess I can chalk it up to learning and it is probably good for me.
Should I admit when a painting has been difficult? If I admit that I am not satisfied with my work, does that mean that others might try to pick out the problems? With respect to the painting above, I will say nothing and you can make up your own mind.
Jul 31
Winter Tracks 8″ x 10″
Recently, someone who has never seen my work asked me what style my paintings are. I should know how to answer that, but I was at a loss. I don’t know the answer. I know what I paint and why I paint it, but I don’t know what my style is called. It occurred to me that I should have a short prepared statement that I can rattle off when needed, so I am giving it some thought. These are the first words that come to mind: design, pattern, bold colour, light vs. shadow, simplified. I will keep thinking. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Jun 14
September Maple 18 x 14
This painting has been done for a couple of weeks, however computer problems have kept me out of touch for a while.
It is an interesting experience to have your computer die. After the first feelings of frustration and panic, I realized that eliminating all of the fiddling around I do on the computer would free up a bit more painting time. I have not yet recovered my data, which means that I do not have access to my source files – several years worth of photos that I use for ideas and inspiration. So I found myself digging through my desk and found a very old file of printed photos that had once interested me. They have given me some new ideas and shifted my direction slightly. I am also anxious to get out and take some new photos – inspiration is everywhere!
(By the way, when I talk of reference photos, they are all my own pics, taken by me).
Apr 28
Winter Bales 18" x 14"
After finishing my Fine Arts degree, I stopped painting for several years. The job I took to pay the bills had nothing to do with art. I kept on drawing in my spare time, but without the direction and studio space provided by art class, I did not paint. I can’t remember what inspired me to pick up a brush again, but I do remember what I painted. It was an awful picture of hay bales that I did on cardstock. It was my first attempt at working with acrylics, and it did not turn out well. As bad as the painting was, it obviously sparked my interest in painting again. After practicing for a few years, I now love acrylics and I am much happier with my latest attempt at hay bales.
Apr 3
Vineyard at Mont Redon 11"x14" - painted in 2012
I painted this from an old photo that I took while traveling in France. It is the second time I’ve painted it. I wanted to try it again because my first attempt was many years ago (10 to be exact), and I think that my style has evolved since then. I deliberately did not look at the first painting before doing this one. However, I couldn’t help but compare them after I’d finished.
I can see that I have become less adventurous with my colour – or to put a positive spin on it, more accurate with my colour. I also see that I am more precise with shapes and forms. What I used to imply loosely, I now work to make more solid. I am not sure that this is a good thing. My older painting is shown below. (I apologize for the glare in this photo. It seems I have become more careful about photographing my work as well).
Vineyard at Mont Redon 16"x20" - painted in 2002
Buy Vineyard at Mont Redon (2012 version)
Mar 18
Old Grainery 8" x 10"
I recently met a new client who lives just a few blocks from me. She was interested in buying 2 paintings to give as 18th birthday gifts. For the first one, she chose Maple Trees, Jericho Park. For the second one, she expressed interest in my tiny painting of a grainery (shown here), but requested it at a larger size. Using the tiny one as a study, I created the new painting as an 8”x10”. These paintings will be traveling to the recipients in England. I know that some artists have trouble letting their work go, but I am very happy to pass my work along to others who appreciate it and find meaning in it. And I am very excited that it will be used to celebrate such a special occasion.
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