Sunday, April 18, 2010

Winter Light


12" x 18" Watercolour 140lb Arches
I have been working out some larger paintings in watercolour. I have a few winter scenes in mind. Easy to keep thinking about it as we are getting a light snowfall today!
I have wanted to do this view for awhile. It is a cluster of trees out behind my horses' run.
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Monday, March 22, 2010

A Pair

5" x 7" oil on canvas
A pair of pears, with energy! I put the two on a shiney plate with the light behind them for a little drama. The colour took me a little time to work out how I wanted to do it. I was looking for a way for the pears to 'hold' the light.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010

A bite size pear

3" x 4" oil on canvas
This is a teeny painting I just completed for the upcoming "Little Picture Show" at the Raven Gallery in Tatamagouche, NS. It opens April 2, 2010. I was in pear mode and want to do a few pieces for this show. I like the simplicity of it. I think it would be interesting as a larger painting. Maybe I should try it--and use really big brushes to keep myself from getting too detailed!
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

One Pear

Oil on Canvas 6" x 6"
One pear, only one, not a pair. Standing alone! Okay it is too early to be witty. I had an earlier version of this composition, and really like it. However the earlier painting got damaged, so I decided to redo it. It is different, new pear and less red on it. But still an unusal composition I like. I also quite restricted the number of colours I put on my palette.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Turnip!

Oil 6" x 6"
Another for my boiled dinner series...I decided to play with complementary opposites and just make the chunks of turnip into an abstract kind of painting. I mean what can you do with turnip pieces? It was fun painting and figuring out the light effects and colour changes. By the way, I arranged the pieces on a piece of reflective silver board with a purple matboard behind it so it is all purple around it.
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Monday, March 15, 2010

Onion Line Dancing


Oil on canvas 6" x 6"
I am working at keeping loose with this series, well, loose for me. It adds a lively motion...suggesting dancing maybe!

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

Dancing Onions

Dancing Onions 6" x 6" oil on canvas
Sometimes I wonder if I should title them, it takes away from the viewer coming to their own conclusions. But, well in this case, they looked like they were dancing! I love the stems on the home grown onions especially when I pull them off the braid. I take my basket into the basement through the winter and 'pick' onions.
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Monday, March 1, 2010

Winter Cabbage

Oil 6" x 6"
Ah, winter cabbage. How else would we localvores (those who eat locally) survive? I was thinking of a boiled dinner series-at least the veggies. A way to celebrate those humble vegetables. We had one the other night with friends after a sauna. Yum. A funny thing to paint actually, but I loved the lines of the curly leaves.
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Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Tomato Affair

The Tomato Affair Oil (6" x 6")
Okay, indulge me here. There is the tomato couple, and the new hot tomato comes into the scene, see how he/she is pretending indifference-but beckoning with the leaf? The interest shown by the other tomato? It was a challenging composition to work with-the actual set up-but fun to play with. The story line came after I was done!
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Friday, February 26, 2010

The Tomato Team


The Tomato Team (oil 6" x 6")
Back to some oil paintings again! It has been a few months. I will be focusing on some of the small ones for the market--and it limbers me up. They are fun to do... work too as they can be a challenge. I am not showing the ones I wipe off. I think I spend a third of the time just getting the composition! After using watercolours, my but these babies take a long time to dry!
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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Country Girls


3 1/2 x 4 1/2 " watercolour
As opposed to city chickens...and all the controversy. We have had chickens now about 13 years and can't imagine life without them. They are better than TV! Oh, and the eggs are good too!
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Friday, February 12, 2010

MacKay Farm Study


3 1/2 " by 4 1/2" watercolour
Everytime I drive by this farm on the hill the shape catches me. This very cold day with the bright sun and strong shadow made it perfect. This is a study for a larger painting. I have done it once, but it didn't quite do what I wanted. So I do it again. I am reluctant to post it! For a painting I get stuck in my head, with watercolour, I sometimes do the painting up to five times before I am ready to leave it!
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Winter Shadows


watercolour 14 1/2 x10 1/2 "
The late afternoon shadows are so marvellous. So much subtle and vivid colours. Out skiing behind our house is our own trail overlooking the valley. I can feel the crispness of the day and the bite of my skis in the snow.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Winter Squash


Some friends gave me this squash in the fall, at the Market. To paint. Well it was a bit of a challenge and took a few tries! It is a 7"x 5" watercolour. They said it grew in their neighbours compost and would I like to paint it. I liked that. I believe art is also embedded in community, or should be. Like we have the butcher, bank, drugstore, library, artist....Posted by Picasa