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Posts tagged ‘Vancouver’

Whytecliff Island

Whytecliff Island 18″ x 14″

Here is another view of the island off Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver.

Fall in Vancouver

Changing Seasons 8" x 8"

Changing Seasons 8″ x 8″

It has been a very grey, rainy fall here in Vancouver. Maybe this painting will help to brighten things up a bit.

Available on Etsy.

Highbury Street

Highbury Street  24"x18"

Highbury Street 24″x18″

Autumn is my favourite painting season. My attempts at capturing the golden light, long shadows and intense colours are not always successful, but I have a lot of fun trying.

The season always feels too short for me to take it all in and explore as much as I’d like. For me, the magic of painting is that it allows me to fully immerse myself in a place, to explore the colours, textures and mood for as long as I want. Hopefully, in the end, I have a piece of art that captures the character of that place or moment. (Sometimes it actually works).

 

Perspective

Boardwalk, Granville Island  18" x 24"

Boardwalk, Granville Island 18″ x 24″

Drawing things in perspective is not one of my strengths. Half way through this painting, I realized that I had it very wrong. I made some corrections (not easy when the painting is too far along), but I’m still not sure I’ve got it right.

This path runs around Granville Island, on the North side of False Creek. A beautiful walk when it’s sunny.

Hastings Mill Store

Hastings Mill Store  18"x24"

Hastings Mill Store 18″x24″

This is the Hastings Mill Store – known as Vancouver’s oldest building. You can read all about it’s history here. The park where it is located is my favourite picnic spot in the city. It sits up on a cliff overlooking English Bay, with a beautiful view of downtown and the North Shore mountains.

Here comes fall (but not yet).

Stanley Park Maple  24"x18"

Stanley Park Maple 24″x18″

I may be painting fall, but I’m not done with summer yet. We are off to Summerland next week, to enjoy the last part of August. Looking forward to a change of scenery.

Summer slow down

Wisteria & Shadows  18"x14"

Wisteria & Shadows 18″x14″

It has been a while since I have posted any new work. That is because there hasn’t been any. I have been thinking and planning and dreaming about what I would like to paint, but I don’t seem to find time to do it. I really cannot complain though because my free time has been spent with my family, hanging out at the beach, park or pool. Anyone who lives in Vancouver knows that when the sun comes out you have to soak it up. It could unexpectedly transform into grey drizzle at any moment.

The down side is that I do lose my painting momentum. This painting took so long to complete, that I lost my enthusiasm half way through. I am happy to be moving on to something else and have decided to do some tiny paintings – that I can actually finish. I was in such a hurry to be done with the painting above, that I didn’t even sign it. Oops!

Maple Trees, Jericho Park

Maple Trees, Jericho Park 8″ x 10″

I love painting trees. That is not to say that it’s easy. I chose to paint this complicated tangle of branches for practice.

I would like to do another painting of these trees in the fall, when the leaves are bright red.

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Lupines, Jericho Park

Lupines, Jericho Park 10" x 8"

I had a bit of trouble with this painting but after sitting with it for a week, I don’t mind it so much. I often struggle with paintings where both the foreground and background are full of complicated shapes. I had to keep reminding myself to simplify and not to paint every leaf and blade of grass.

These lupines grow in a wild field in Jericho Park. In June, it is a lovely sea of purple and you can hear a steady buzz of happy bees.

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The Red Steps

The Red Steps Acrylic Painting

The Red Steps - 14" x 11"

My children and I walked by this house many times in the summer, on the way to a near-by playground. Actually, it is part of a row of townhouses. I imagine it must be fairly old, but I always admire how well-kept it is. The shutters, the siding, the flower pots, the garden and, of course, the red steps all looking their best in the hot afternoon sun.

Too often I see character houses such as these with development signs out front, soon to be demolished. If you see a strange woman rushing around the neighbourhood taking photos of old houses, it’s probably just me.

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