Here comes fall (but not yet).
Stanley Park Maple 24″x18″
I may be painting fall, but I’m not done with summer yet. We are off to Summerland next week, to enjoy the last part of August. Looking forward to a change of scenery.
Posts tagged ‘tree’
Aug 17
Mar 15
Scary Sky
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
Another Tree?
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
Jan 16
Come for coffee at Corner Cup
Green to Yellow 24″ x 18″
It is time for another show at Corner Cup, my local community coffee shop (4th and Blenheim, Vancouver). This painting and several others will be on display for the next month or so. If you stop by to see the artwork, chances are you might see me or a member of my family sitting and snacking – we spend far too much time there.
Dec 6
A season behind
Under the Oak Tree
18″ x 24″
I know it’s cold and grey and almost winter, but I am just now getting excited about all of my fall photos and painting ideas. Here is the first one, a bit bigger than I usually paint.
I expect to be getting into winter paintings by the time spring rolls around.
Sep 17
Frustration
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.
May 26
Spanish Banks Fall
Spanish Banks Fall 18″x14″
I am always happy to paint a tree. If I am at a loss for something to paint, or if I am undecided, a tree can be an excellent subject. They are available in an endless variety of sizes, colours, shapes and positions. I am lucky to live in a city that has so many beautiful trees. This huge maple is one that I pass by frequently in Jericho Park and I’ve painted it before as a tiny painting.
Low Tide
Low Tide 8" x 8"
I recently did a painting similar to this one at a smaller size (see it here). That painting was posted on Etsy, which gave rise to a message from a new client with a request to do a customized painting, as a gift for her mother.
The image reminded my client, Carrie, of the landscape where she grew up. She asked me if I would consider adding a hawk to the image, and explained the meaning behind it:
my grandma died when my mom was 5 or so. Whenever she sees a hawk, she feels like it is her mom keeping an eye on her and letting her know everything is o.k. Consequently, I now think of my mom when I see a hawk.
Knowing that this painting had a personal meaning to someone else made it extra special to work on. I hope Carrie and her mom enjoy this painting as much I enjoyed working on it.
Two Tiny Paintings
Snowed In - 3" x 3"
Walk in the Park - 3" x 3"
With all this cold rainy weather there’s not much to do but stay in and paint. Fine by me. These two tiny paintings are for sale on my Etsy page.
New Little Paintings and Anonymous Art
I will soon be delivering these tiny paintings to Oh Brothers. They are 3” x 3”. I love working on these little canvases and hope to finish a bunch more before Christmas (might be perfect for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list…).
In other news, I just finished another painting, but I can’t post it here yet. I have submitted it to the Anonymous Show put on by the North Vancouver Arts Council. The show will consist of over 600 unsigned 8” x 8” paintings, all priced at $100. The sale and opening is on Nov. 24, 7-9:30pm. All the info is here.
