Jun 15
Great Blue Heron 14″ x 11″
I never get tired of seeing all of the Blue Herons in Jericho Park in Vancouver. There are so many – nesting in the trees, feeding at the ponds and flying over. Further down along Spanish Banks, dozens wade into low-tide looking for a meal. Lots of painting opportunities.
Loon 8″ x 8″
I had fun painting this loon. Lots to work on with all of the patterns and reflections. Not sure it’s a total success, but definitely good practice.
Apr 15
Red-winged blackbirds 14″ x 11″
It took me a long time to finish this painting. I had trouble with the background. There were too many little shapes and colours and it was too complicated. This is the simplified version, so you can imagine how busy it was before. Not my favourite painting.
Red-winged Blackbird 8″ x 8″
I did something different with the background here. I’m not sure if I like it, or if it looks like some crazy 70’s wallpaper.
Isabelle 16″ x 20″
Feels like spring here in Vancouver, so we will soon be doing lots of this. Throwing something into the pond means you will soon be surrounded by ducks.
Apr 12
The West Pond 24″x18″
Once again, I’m painting Jericho Park. I never get tired of it.
I have moved recently and will soon have a dedicated painting space. I hesitate to say studio, because it might be more of a nook or corner. For now I am painting in the kitchen, but I can’t complain because this is my view:
As I was working on these, I couldn’t help but think of this sketch from Portlandia: Put A Bird On It!
Oct 6
The Icy Spring 11"x14"
I photographed this Alberta landscape a couple of years ago on a cold, sunny spring day. The colour of these red graineries seems to hold the promise of warmer days. I love the way the red siding contrasts with the crisp, dry field and the icy pond.
It seems that I have mainly used the three primary colours here. I could pretend that it was deliberate, but I only realized it as I was finishing up.
Jun 21
Bridge in Jericho Park 14" x 18"
I am starting to lose track of the number of paintings I’ve done of Jericho Park. You must be getting an idea of just how much time I spend there. I love this little bridge and I’ve painted it before. It is surrounded by huge trees, making it great practice for painting dappled light and shadows.
Apr 10
Cattails in Jericho Park 18" x 14"
This is the third painting in a series inspired by Jericho Park. The pond and surrounding cattails are a beautiful part of the park and a lot of fun to paint. I did, however, have some trouble with this painting. The problem I was having was that the cattails are quite complex (there’s a lot going on in those tangled up leaves), and the background is also quite complex (lots of high-contrast reflections on the pond). I wanted the cattails to be the main focus of this painting, but because the reflections on the water are so interesting, I think your eye travels there instead. I added some red to the dark cattails, hoping that they would pop to the front. I’m not sure if I have succeeded here, but it’s definitely given me something to think about.
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