painting | Maxine Wolodko Artwork

May 30

Down by the Tracks

This is another little picture from my hometown. It provided me with a great opportunity to practice painting snow. If you think that snow is white, you should try painting it sometime. I saw endless colours there, but chose several shades of blue and beige to render it. I don’t feel 100% happy with the result, but I do love the contrast between the cool blues and the bright red rail car.

I also had lots of fun painting the Canada logo – can you tell that my other job is Graphic Design…

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May 15

Crockett House, Mayerthorpe

This house is a landmark in Mayerthorpe, and many of my Mayerthorpe friends and family will recognize it. It is called Crockett House was built in 1935 by Leo Crockett Sr. It sits prominently on Main Street at the top of the hill, just as you approach downtown.

In this painting I was surprised by how much fun it was to paint the various colours of light and shadow that fell on the street.

You can read a bit more about the house here.

Dec 6

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Tiny Paintings

I recently was asked to do some little paintings to be used as client Christmas gifts for a design company. (Okay, so the design company is owned by my husband – I guess I should mention that). Anyway, I was so excited to try working on these tiny paintings and immediately saw the potential for holiday gift ideas.

We found some cute 2” x 2” canvases at the art store that came with a mini display easel. I decided to do 3 or 4 at a time (of the same image) – an efficient use of time and paint. Although the images repeat, each painting is original and different. I have just started on my fifth set, and I think I am hooked! I love that in 2 hours, I can finish 3 paintings.

Nov 22

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Mud and Sunshine

Mud and Sunshine 18" x 14"

I live in a city where it rains a lot. In spite of the amount of rain, we don’t have any mud. I’m not talking about the puddles or wet bits of dirt at the side of the street. Or even the squishy paths in the park. I mean real mud. Where I grew up, several miles from the nearest paved road, we had mud. Deep enough to for a car to get stuck in or for a child (me) to get their boots stuck in while walking to the school bus. (So stuck that their mom had to walk out into the muddy lane to rescue them).

Maybe it’s these (fond?) memories that attracted me to this muddy field, south of the city. The beautiful sun surprised me on a day that was supposed to be socked-in with rain. The sunshine only lasted an hour or so before the dark clouds rolled in again. It was long enough for me and the kids to have some fun, trudging around in the mud.

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Oct 26

Garlic Study

Garlic - Study 1

It ‘s hard to find painting time these days. Preparations for Thanksgiving, birthday parties and Halloween have all eaten into my painting time. I have finally finished my little garlic study. It has turned out a little moodier than I had planned, but overall, I am happy with it. I did struggle a bit – trying to decide how much of the underlying colour to keep and how white to make the garlic. Surprisingly, the area I had the most fun painting is the small area of plaid cloth in the foreground. I might have to try more of that.

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Oct 11

Summer Produce

Summer Produce 11" x 14"

As I write this post it is chilly and has been drizzling all afternoon. It is getting dark, and it’s only 6:15. This painting takes me back to a hot August day when we drove to the farm. As you can see, we brought home a little bit of everything. The most exciting find on that day was the garlic – both for the taste and the look of it. It is so much fun to paint. At first glance, it is white. But if you look more closely, it has all kinds of beautiful undertones: purple, pink, blue and yellow. I am tempted to try another study of this garlic so I can play with the intensity of these colours. But on this cold, rainy night, I am happy to be having it on my pizza.

Sep 29

Small Town Highrise

This is the grain elevator in my hometown of Mayerthorpe, Alberta. It’s the second time I’ve painted it. The first one I painted recently found a home with a long-time friend— you can see it here. This elevator was built in 1929 and is now a historical sight.

P.S. I just had to include a link to these great cardstock elevator sculptures (including Mayerthorpe)—check out this blog Vanishing Sentinels.