Cant forget the Met

atrium with sculptures & facade
of Bank of America building

Just back from a short trip to New York...oh my word!  LOVED the Metropolitan museum of art!  Spent the whole day there!!  

Went to see the 'Madame Cezanne' exhibition, so beautiful; an in depth examination of the watercolours, sketches and canvas's by Cezanne of his dear wife Hortense, throughout the years.  

Madamme Cezanne

I've just finished reading a book about the lives of the French impressionists, so it was very timely indeed visiting many works by them(the museum  has a vast collection.) Most of the works are way larger than 30 inches...funny..when I paint I always think 30 inches is a fairly big painting... but it's really not...perhaps I think this because my studio's not large.

pictures dont do justice,
this painting must be 16 feet tall

The American artists galleries at the Met were absolutely spectacular. OMG...just gobsmacked by the scale and command of the Sargeant works!  Seeing them online or in a book is nothing compared to the power of them in real life. The command of his brushwork evident in all. Such powerful balance.  That's what really struck me.  Painting delicate translucent looking skin, ethereal fabrics, freshly picked blooms, but balancing it all with commanding gesture, sweeping space, strong form. Such virtuosity.  I wonder what his personality was like...if he was a good time guy, or if he was a bit of a pill? It's fun to guess.  I get the feeling he might have been a rather exacting guy.

return of the long lost gallery rental

'Drifting' - oil on canvas - 24 x 36

Today the nicest lady called me up and explained that she had been renting one of my paintings when the Agnes Etherington Art Rental and Sales Gallery closed down last summer.  There hadn't been any provision for paintings that were currently out on rental when the gallery closed (as we artists were led to believe) and I have been trying to find out where these paintings were for the past few months but to no avail.  Turns out this nice lady was trying also to give it back, but didn't know where to turn since the gallery closed down.  It's heart-warming to know that good people were trying to get it back to me, and today she tracked me down, and delivered it to my door.  Bless her.   'Drifting' is home.  I'm happy to have it back.  When I look at it I remember the  meditation and the work that went into it, it's kind of like seeing an old friend  after a long while.

I'm off to New York city this week with my friend AEmilia.  We are going to some galleries and to do a little retail therapy, maybe see a show too.  I'm looking forward to the change of pace.

Saturday Valentine

work in progress -oil on canvas
24 x 36 inches

Love and flowers. It's Valentines day! Dave and I shovelled snow together. heh. yep so romantic. 
I've been working on this large-ish roses bouquet painting.  I'm kind of liking the ambiguity in the unresolved parts, so I'm leaving it alone for now. I'm at the point when I cant really see it anymore anyway.  I just noticed the photo is showing some glare. I will have to get a better picture for my files, but this will do for this post. 
While I've been painting today I started listening to the audio book by Oscar Wilde, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'.  I've not listened to much by Oscar Wilde before. I can see why he's considered a 'classics' writer.  Very overflowing literary style, but the kind of sentences that make you want to stop the tape and conjure up the 'image' described in words before you go on to listen to the next bit.  So far I'm enjoying it...it's about an artist and his portrait painting.  I really love books about artists.  I'm also reading a book from the library titled: "I've Always Loved You" by Robin Oliveira,  hint:  it's also about artists! surprise!  My friend Barbara Muir put me on to that one because she wrote about it in her blog. Thank you Barbara!

dancing light

work in progress
oil on canvas - 30 x 30inch

In an effort to capture the winter light effects I dabbed postage stamp sized areas of lighter tone on top of the basic shapes i had created in the composition. It was a joy and a meditation mixing the neutral tints, then applying them next to one another.  It's a good method for adding life to an otherwise flat shape. A tool employed by many of the impressionists as we all know, but useful non the less.  When it dries I will apply a glaze or scumble over some of the yellow green foliage to knock it back a little, as right now I'm finding it screaming at me.  Some lighter more muted tones over top of the dried glaze as well as on the flowers will (I hope) resolve it.

kick start

start on the left, work in progress on right

I've been wanting to get back to painting some of my bike path theme again.  Last October I spent a couple of hours in city park photographing the light through the trees and passers by on bicycle and  foot. Of course it was all a rather undercover affair, didn't want anyone thinking I was photographing them...but it's quite easy these days, with camera phones. Half the time the people that you might be photographing are themselves absorbed in their own media devices, like the number of people I observed that day walking through the park oblivious to nature around them.  I've been thinking about these resource photos over the past few months, but couldn't decide on exactly how to get started.  

Fairfield Porter - The Dog at the Door

This week I've spent some idle hours enjoying the works of Fairfield Porter(American artist 1907-1975).  I love the simple treatment of shapes in his work, and his uncanny ability to capture the colour of light and shade in these simple shapes.  His landscapes, figures and still life all share a peaceful quality among the interesting compositions. I think it was looking at his work that inspired me this morning to make a start on a new painting.

Flowers in the Rain

Flowers in the Rain - oil on panel - 9x12

Holed up in the studio this afternoon listening to an audio book and attempting to paint the atmosphere of a rainy day. Oh rain would be so nice right about now! heh heh.  
I have simplified many of the shapes and reworked the background over and over until feeling satisfied with the overall neutrality of it. Kinda fun.  
Dave and I had a great game of crokinole this evening, and schlepped back a couple of martinis each!!! he beat the pants off me, he always does, but I never give up trying. Good fun on a snowy snowy Saturday evening.

bouncing around

Lake Study - oil on panel - 9 x 12

"The wonderful thing about Tigger"...so begins the children's song.  *Tigger*.  That's sometimes who I feel like!  I bounce around a lot, from subject matter to subject matter, one day it's this and another day it's that.  At least I know that the reason for it , is that it's all in an effort to be at the easel with  a degree of passion.  
At the end of this week,  after working loose and free on larger canvas's all week, today I'm doing small panel studies, adding and altering in a dialogue, of coming to the point. When it's satisfying, the dialogue of painting can be like a good chat with a friend; when  in the doing of it something begins to sparkle that you hadn't considered before. It's always sort of fun to see where things might lead and be open to unplanned directions.
This panel kind of reminds me of a song that we once sang around the campfire at girl guide camp...I forget the name of it, but some of the words went "blue lake and rocky shore, i will return once more". ...o yes and there was something about a beaver in there as well...very Canadian. ha ha.

Snowed in and painting

Well there isn't much else to be done but paint this week...one storm after the next has kept me snowed in. I went to the grocery store on Sunday, and ran into a friend, who said "I almost stopped in on you this week, but I couldn't get in your driveway;you were all snowed in".  Yup.  I did get out there and give it my best moves... 3 times in fact, but still only managed to clear footpaths to the doors. I wasn't worried. If I really had needed to get out I could have put the truck into 4wheel and driven through the snow. But it was a good excuse...to keep on a roll in my studio.  The larger canvas's are getting a workout as I'm trying loose and free and floral.  Kinda fun, and the theme of flowers is keeping the winter blahs at bay. Here's a lineup of some works in progress on the wall today.

Winter Light

Winter Light - Amaryllis
oil on canvas - 24 x 36 inch

Winter light is what I notice at this time of year. Each day it lengthens, stretches out daylight to longer days. It's cool light reflecting the snow and sky; ah... but in the morning, it unfolds warmly through my kitchen window languishing across whatever's in it's path. I, of course put things in it's path...to watch it's effect. In January it was an amaryllis, now a pot of tulips. I love the shadows cast by them, I almost love them more than the plants ...I like to observe the colours of light that blend to create them.  In painting them I am discovering a gazillion ways to mix neutrals, how to lay them in thinly, scrape them, let them drip, thicken them with medium, spread them on with spatulas, move them around with rags and fingers(in latex gloves of course!). Such fun. slippy, creamy, runny mudpies of neutrals. Winter Light has become a theme on my canvas's this month.

And here's McDuff, finally done! He took a glaze and some over-painting to complete him, so he's been waiting on the shelf for quite a while to dry in between stages. 

Spring flowers in winter

Spring flowers at Stoneheath

Dave's father passed away in his sleep this morning. He had been sick for quite a long time, so not a surprise and actually a relief that it was peaceful for him.  So nice that many of the family could be together and comfort one another. The cycle of life turns. 

Yesterday when I was out at the shops I treated myself to a pot of tulips.  Still green buds, they hold lots of promise of what's to come. Maybe I'll get around to painting them when they open a bit more. You can see that tulips also feature on one of the textile cushions I've been creating.  I'm enjoying making them. I will carry them in my gallery and also at Koru art annex in the spring.

Stay warm out there!  The weather forcast is BIG SNOW for most of the eastern part of the continent tomorrow.

One Day March workshops

 

small paintings- all works in progress on the shelf in my studio

I've just scheduled three new painting workshops for March:  Focus on Colour.  Each workshop will be one full day of painting at my home studio, and the workshops are for different mediums.  March 10 is an oil painting workshop.  March 11 will be for acrylic painters, and March 12 will be for water colour painters.  The plan is to explore colour relations and colour mixing to achieve exciting and harmonious colour choices in painting.  My studio isn't huge; only 5 places in each workshop, but I find it's perfect for group learning and one on one attention. If you want more information about it, or would like to register, please go here to read more about it.

Last night Dave rigged up a little cabinet for me in my studio to hold supplies; so happy! Thanks Dave. I'm not a super clean freak or anything, but when the studio gets so cluttered, supplies taking up premium surface space, I find it difficult to keep the creative 'flow' going.  at least that's my story and i'm sticking to it. heh  This cabinet holds the jars of acrylic paint I mixed with textile fabric medium for painting on fabric.  Above are some jars and tubes of acrylics.  My oil paints and watercolours fit easily in my big map drawer which also easily stores sketch equipment, and other tools...so now I have a place for most stuff. yay!  I love seeing other artists studios, where they work and create.  Here's a link on pinterest I fould Cool Artists Studios  that's a bit of fun.  

#3in5artchallenge on facebook

Today I was nominated for the #3in5artchallenge  on facebook, by my artist blogger & friend, Barbara Muir.  Thank you Barbara  for the nomination!  The idea is to spread 'art love' a little.  Each artist nominated is challenged to post 3 works each day for 5 days.  
The 3 paintings I am posting today are my 1st day challenge, and they are from my Pastoral collection, painted a couple of years ago. these 3 are from studies of twilight falling on the land near where I live.  All are oil on canvas, and all gone to new homes now.  
One sort of interesting thing to notice while doing a challenge's like this is seeing the growth in artist's style of painting over the passage of time. 

 The artist who I nominated for the 1st day of the challenge is Victoria's happy artist Linny D. Vine.  I met Linny on a trip to Victoria a number of years ago, she is really lovely.

Monday morning start

amaryllis work in progress - oil on canvas- 24x36

I've been thinking about painting (putting off) my Amaryllis for about 2 weeks, and so was pleasantly surprised to find myself at the easel attempting it this morning.  I want to find a harmony between the relationship of the flower's sillouette, the winter light coming through the window, and a satisfying design.   I am interested in the stature of the flower.  I perceive an apparent grace, somewhere a soft trumpeting of hope in the winter sunshine.  That's my idea anyway.
For my process, I am working on a vibrant pink ground.  My palette has white, indian yellow, vermillion, cad red, ultra blue, burnt umber on it. So far I've squeezed out 3 gobs of white and worked my way through most of it! I'm tinting it with various palette colours and mixing light neutrals. I think the light and medium toned neutrals will be the main structure for this painting.

Hydrangeas 2

Hydrangeas 2 - oil on canvas - 30 x 30

Had only time for a short studio session this afternoon, but got going on the one I started the other day.  Here's where it's at now.

abstracted still life floral

still life set up

It's funny where inspiration comes from. Last week I had set up some hydrangea still life to paint but couldn't really get into it. I love the flowers, but I felt bored with the same old same old approach I was using. 
 This morning I spent 20 minutes enjoying myself looking at the beautiful paintings of Edward Vuillard; that master of design, one of the Nabis movement of painters. He was a decorative painter, but contemporary in his time...I especially love the arrangement of light effects in his work.  

Vuillard

After a while looking at the one posted here, I felt inspired to try the hydrangea still life again, though on a larger canvas and change it up with my method of approach. Working from my 'stage' I am painting over an older work, using it as a ground for the new...I'm working with rags and paint spreaders, hardly a brush in sight for the lay in of tones...kind of liking the first stage...curious to see if I can find a happy balance between what I see and what I want to see.

McDuff

A friend of mine lost her sweet yellow lab to cancer last year. McDuff was a faithful friend; he had such a gentle disposition.  That's what I want to get across in my portrait of him.  The photo I am mostly working from shows him fresh from a dip in the lake, and his fur is wet, so kind of looks spiky, but I think I will try and soften the spiky fur as I go along. It's funny how the treatment of edges can psychologically influence our reading of the nature of something.  Spiky = tough guy, punk rocker,   Difused/blurred = warm and fuzzy/friendly.

It felt good to actually crack out the paints this afternoon and get started on this, as I've been procrastinating something awful these days!  
Ahh...that's January for me.  It's always like that.

'Nasturtiums' lumbar cushion

'Something Fishy' 16x16 cushion

I have been sidestepping my fine arts painting for other creative endeavors...knitting socks (I'm on my 2nd pair already, woohoo!) and fooling around with some textile medium, creating lively designs for cushions and possibly other functional items.  Quite fun.  Here's two of them.

non representational

Untitled - oil on canvas - 26x20

So on second thought I've decided to retract a post I made earlier today, about the Paris massacre and my feelings about the way it's being covered in the media. I'd rather keep this blog for art.
Non representational was the only way to go in the studio today.
 
 

blue hydrangea

Blue Hydrangea - oil on panel -6x8"

Setting up still life in my studio, flowers seem to add a little joy to this freezing week. I love blue hydrangeas, i can only get pink and white ones around my place, the soil isn't acidic enough for blue. I suppose I could put additives in the soil to get blue, but it seems a sort of phony way to treat a natural thing. 

be curious

Orchard - oil on canvas - 24 x 20 inch

"If you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do".  Walt Disney said that. He's right. Curiosity leads to things. 
With the holidays over and the first week of the new year seeming like a vast plain of possibilities, I headed for my studio yesterday for the first time in two weeks.  Beginning again, when there's been a significant pause in flow was challenging. Half baked projects I'd been working on before the holidays offered little or no inspiration. 
An old canvas glared at me. I didn't like it's tone.  
Before I knew it that canvas was on the easle...and curiosity was the leader, which felt right for the first week of the new year.  No obligations, no rules, the road un-travelled.

yours truly by Dan Hughes

Portrait by Daniel Hughes - 12 x 12 " oil on canvas

Way back in the spring of 2014, I arranged to have a commissioned portrait of myself done by Kingston artist Daniel Hughes.  I had enjoyed taking a portrait workshop of his a couple of years before.  He demonstrated for the group; it was fascinating watching the portrait gradually emerge. There was no drawing, just touches of tone and colour, sensitively conjuring a form and a likeness.  My 3 portrait sittings for this portrait were a real pleasure. Dan very openly shared about his process while he worked; we enjoyed chatting about art and painting in general.

Dave using his new tool to polish stones

For Christmas I wrapped up the commissioned portrait and put it under the tree for Dave. In truth it was as much a present for me as it was for Dave!  heh heh. Good thing Dave liked it too. He certainly hadn't expected it!

Nova Scotia granite

Another thing Dave received was an Ameritool Polisher.  Dave enjoys cutting and polishing stones.  Thursday(new years day) we were in Nova Scotia; we took a lovely drive in the sunshine out around St. Margarets Bay to Peggy's Cove. He collected some pebbles by the sea. Today he's busy in the workshop shaping and polishing them.  My favourite so far is the oval one on the bottom.