Fishing Anyone?

'Fishing Anyone?' - oil on panel
12 x 16 inch - $400

Another painting from the plein air painting weekend workshop a few weeks ago.  It's been in my studio on the shelf since then, waiting for a little time to consider what it might need to bring it to completion. It didn't take much.  Originally the darks/lights in the water reflections were a little jarring, so I worked on transitioning them a little smoother.  A bit of concentration on edges seemed to take care of it.  I was careful not to barge in like a bull in a china shop; because I really didn't want to destroy the spontaneous brushwork I had achieved which seems to be a hallmark of when I work outdoors. I used this limited palette: cerelean, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, indian yellow, cadmium yellow pale, white, and a tiny touch of cadmium red light. I was painting on a cadmium orange ground on the gessoed panel.

gallery sale and Fine Art America site

Wine Tour - 36x36 oil on canvas - SOLD

Happy news! This painting sold at Wellington's SIDE STREET GALLERY recently!!  uber happy; that's me!    I completed it after an autumn wine tour of Prince Edward County, and it was quite a departure for me at the time. I painted it about 2 years ago. Working in a semi-abstract way and letting my memories and intuition guide me I felt good about it, but wasn't sure how it'd be received.  I guess all us artists think like that when we venture into new territory.  I figured the best location to exhibit it would be within Prince Edward County as that was the inspiration for it...I guess i was right! woohoo, it's a good feeling when that happens.
Anyway yesterday it was time for my annual visit to Wellington. I picked up some work and brought in 3 new pieces for Paulette; I was happy she really liked the new ones too, so fingers crossed they do well for her.

An artist friend told me about the website Fine Art America. He says he does quite well selling his work from there. It is a website for artists and photographers that want to reach a larger audience for their artwork. FAA also makes money on selling artwork prints and other products by their member artists. I joined for free. I have 25 images on there(that's how much space you get for free; it costs $30 annually if you want to post more images). I figure I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes. Go here to see my stuff.

extended hours plus painting cozy subjects

work in progress - oil on canvas

Great to get back into the studio this week and mess it up!  I'm working on a commission for an old friend at the same time as finding my way with this 'interior' piece.  I've been enjoying it immensely.  Mixing lots of paint and applying it mostly with palette knife and rags, brushes, or just about anything that might create some 'music'. Earlier works of mine were painted very smoothly, but increasingly I am attracted to the vitality created with interesting paint application. I experiment with this in my abstract work too. There's something sort of cozy, about painting interiors as subject.  Many a happy hour has been spent sipping tea,reading/ looking out the kitchen window from this chair; I can see my perennial bed from it nicely too. Garden planning starts from this chair in early February. heh.

I've extended my Gallery at the Porch Door's open hours! Usually I close the gallery at the end of the summer but this summer was rather disrupted with house showings, so I've decided it's worthwhile to keep it open a little longer this year.  Visit the gallery Wed-Fri 1-5pm throughout Sept and October!  (email or phone outside of those times and I'll happily open at anytime preferable to you)
  
I'll be showing some works in the James Brett hair salon(764 Gardiners Rd location) along with artist Heather Lovat-Fraser for September.   
In October and November I'm having a solo exhibition at Kingston General Hospital; 10 large size works!  It's going to be a busy fall!  
I'm unsure yet if I'll be teaching this fall.  I've put a notice on my website under the heading 'Studio Classes' suggesting people contact me if they want a class or workshop instead of me scheduling. We'll see what happens.

flower market district

Chelsea Flower Market - oil on panel
12 x 16

I'm calling this one done. Well not exactly...I'm actually calling it 'Chelsea Flower Market', heh. While painting, as it developed, it reminded me of the flower shop district in New York.  My friend and I wandered through it on our way to the Chelsea Market one morning while visiting the big apple back in March. Quite a hubbub it was, flowers everywhere; vendors and clients milling about taking care of the day's flower orders.   
This is one of those paintings that I let myself play with. I got bogged down halfway through and had to let it percolate for a long while.  The addition of dark shapes in the background got me going again when I was stuck. (thanks Wendy!) I didn't know quite what I wanted or where I was going with it, but I was okay about it. Overthinking can spoil the exploration process.

 

plein air weekend painting workshop

Water's Edge - oil on panel

What a hoot! It's been ages since I went outdoor painting.  BUT this weekend i busted out the bug juice and sunscreen and joined in Phil Chadwick's 'plein air painting experience' weekend workshop.  What fun!  We were a small group, but enthusiastic... keen to 'give' er all we got'.  It felt good to get out there with the birds singing and the water lapping at our feet.  Phil is a scientist and a weather forecaster, as well as an artist, and he gives a good workshop.  Funny stories and entertaining punchlines add to the flavor of his art sharing process.  

Phil painting

I tried to step outside of my comfort zone, experimenting with the process of 'one stroke and leave it alone'.  Quite a challenge for a 'soft blending' girl like me, but by the end of the weekend, I was pretty happy with my efforts on this painting of the water's edge near an old boat-shed on Charleston Lake.
VERY tired when I got home; but satisfied  too. These lovely painting spots really whet my enthusiasm to get out there in nature and give it a go a bit more often.  Totally enjoyed this little painting experience, perfect little present to myself!

Home again and painting, jiggety jig

Just back from a trip to Victoria for 9 days, and feeling rested and ready to paint again.  Thank goodness.  My arm and hand and fingers that were giving me aches and pains the month before we left have settled down again.  This morning I spent a few hours getting a satisfactory start on a large 'interior' painting of my favorite reading spot in the kitchen.  Maybe I'm feeling a little nostalgic about our eventual plan to move from this house, so  feeling like i want to paint what I love about the place.  It's still a work in progress but you can see how it's developing on the easel.  I've mixed up huge amounts of paint and laid the majority of it in by palette knife so far, a good way to get the paint on when working large.
On the other wall of my studio hangs a new 24x18" abstract painting.  I've titled it Solar because that's what was on my mind while I was working on it.  Near the window you can see another, smaller work in progress, it's a flower market painting that I glazed and added dark background shapes to.  I will be adding a few details and accents to it after it's fully dry.
 Sat & Sunday this weekend I'm attending an outdoor painting workshop with Phil Chadwick.  We'll be meeting in the village of Delta Saturday morning and somewhere else on Sunday morning to paint all day outdoors.  I'm really looking forward to it, it's been quite a while since I've been painting en plein air and the weather looks promising too which is great.
The photo on the bottom is a glimpse down into 'Fisherman's Wharf' which is located in the Victoria inner harbour.  A village of floating houseboats and restaurants, where you can eat your fish taco while watching the seals and otters swimming by.  Fun!

Fisherman's Wharf, Victoria, BC