Pumpkin
It’s October, which means that pumpkin spice is everywhere – even here! You can find this 11″ x 14″ Pumpkin for auction on Daily Paintworks. Auction open for 7 days.
Posts from the ‘Past Paintings’ Category
Oct 1
May 14
Nothing new.
So I haven’t been doing much painting lately. Time is short as we are packing up for a potential move. As I was pulling things out from the back of my closet, I found boxes of old watercolours. Since there’s nothing new to post, here are a few oldies. This feels a bit like cheating, but it’s all I’ve got.
Jul 31
What’s My Style?
Winter Tracks 8″ x 10″
Recently, someone who has never seen my work asked me what style my paintings are. I should know how to answer that, but I was at a loss. I don’t know the answer. I know what I paint and why I paint it, but I don’t know what my style is called. It occurred to me that I should have a short prepared statement that I can rattle off when needed, so I am giving it some thought. These are the first words that come to mind: design, pattern, bold colour, light vs. shadow, simplified. I will keep thinking. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
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.
Apr 3
The Vineyard (again)
Vineyard at Mont Redon 11"x14" - painted in 2012
I painted this from an old photo that I took while traveling in France. It is the second time I’ve painted it. I wanted to try it again because my first attempt was many years ago (10 to be exact), and I think that my style has evolved since then. I deliberately did not look at the first painting before doing this one. However, I couldn’t help but compare them after I’d finished.
I can see that I have become less adventurous with my colour – or to put a positive spin on it, more accurate with my colour. I also see that I am more precise with shapes and forms. What I used to imply loosely, I now work to make more solid. I am not sure that this is a good thing. My older painting is shown below. (I apologize for the glare in this photo. It seems I have become more careful about photographing my work as well).
Vineyard at Mont Redon 16"x20" - painted in 2002
Buy Vineyard at Mont Redon (2012 version)
Sep 13
Knowing When to Stop
Retired in Nova Scotia 18" x "24
Sometimes I have trouble knowing when a painting is finished. When the painting is nearing completion, I have this need to tinker – brightening here, darkening there, adding more detail, fine-tuning the colour, and on and on it goes. The trick is knowing when to stop, before the painting becomes overworked. So, I am taking a break from this one. I think it might be done, but I’m not sure. I have to look at it for a while.
By the way, I’ve painted this boat before (several years ago). You can see the first version on my home page or here.
Where to Find It
I just wanted to update you on where you can find my artwork in Vancouver.
Corner Cup, Kitsilano
I just finished hanging my work at Corner Cup, 3301 West 4th Avenue. It’s a cozy neighbourhood coffee shop a few blocks from my house. The owner, Bruno, has done a great job of creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with delicious coffee and snacks. If you’re going to stop by, let me know – I’d love to buy you a coffee.
Laura K Jewitt in Point Grey
I have recently dropped off 3 new paintings at Laura K. Jewitt Design, a jewelry shop at 4469 West 10th Avenue. Thank you Laura for selling my Boathouse painting last month!
And last (but certainly not least), you can find a few of my paintings at Oh Brothers, 2575 West Broadway. They have a great selection of hand crafted items by Canadian Artists.
Now that all of my work is out in the neighbourhood, I better go make some more.
Sep 11
Autumn Poplars and photo reference
This is my second post comparing a painting to the photo I painted it from.
This one was done a few years ago. It is interesting to me to look at older work, because it always seems like it was done by someone else. I do remember working on this painting, but I can’t remember how or why I decided to use that vibrant purple, both in the foreground and background. But I’m glad I did, because I think it works. If I did this same painting today, I would probably make different colour choices. It worries me that I’m not as adventurous with colour as I used to be. I know that my style will evolve and change (hopefully in a good way), but I have to remind myself to be open to the happy accidents that can happen, and not to be afraid to experiment.
Westham Island Herb Farm
I want to share with you one of my favourite places to escape the city. Westham Island Herb Farm is located just outside of Delta, BC. We usually go at least a couple of times in the summer and would not miss the Pumpkin Patch in October. The kids love to see the chickens and pet the donkeys. I love walking through the garden to see what’s ready, and stopping at the cute little general store for some honey and jelly. In addition to the fresh produce, I always come back with lots of painting ideas. The painting in my previous post was inspired by our strawberry run to the farm in June. I have included here three more paintings from the farm (and more to come, I’m sure).
Photo Reference
Elevator in Mayerthorpe with the photo reference
I work almost entirely from photographs. As much as I would love to be outside doing plein air painting, my current life situation (with two small children and a part-time job) doesn’t allow much time for it. So instead, I often travel through my days with a camera close at hand, in case I see anything that might spark a painting idea. I thought it might be interesting to do a series of posts where I show a painting along-side the photo that was used as a reference.
This first one is the grain elevator from my hometown. For me, seeing this image conjures up the comforting memory of the train whistle in the night or early morning. This painting was done a few years ago, and as I look at it I have trouble remembering why I did certain things. You can see that I moved things around quite a bit, which was done to improve the composition. Moving the elevator to the right places it closer to the center and gives it more importance. I removed the pole on the right because I didn’t want the sky to be divided up. Overall, I simplified everything in the photo, which is very typical of the way I paint. My goal is not to copy the photo but to do whatever works to make a better painting – a continual learning process.
