Sittin' On The Rock Of The Bay

For friends Dave and Karen who love pelicans.

This was a welcome breather from a large canvas (72" x 48") that I've been working on for the last few weeks.  Hopefully I'll finish and post it soon.  Sometimes it is good to just step back and work on something else for awhile, so that fresh eyes can appraise and decide changes to help make a piece work.  I finally finished Rose's painting...Free The Spirit, (and framed it), which features a flock of pelicans taking off.  I've uploaded an updated photograph on that previous post.

oil on board  7" x 10"

Double Parked

Painted from a photo I took in Rome, this is one of those love/hate challenges in that there is SO much information, that initially you want to simplify, but get caught up in all the delicious little details.  I really enjoyed fiddling with this, in spite of the fact that I had an entirely different vision at the start of the piece.  I just felt it needed details to end up with something that I would be happy with. It definitely was a lot of work, with a couple of lessons learned. 

oil on board  12" x 9"

Afternoon In Venice

I photographed this group just a few hundred feet away from the gelato stand in the previous painting..  Some of my best reference photos are of ordinary people just going about their day, especially when something like a beautiful park bench or brick wall is part of the composition.  That is what I love about Europe, old world everything, with a relaxed pace in most parts of where we visited in Italy.

oil on board 12" x 9"

Kiya

A painting for Zee of her beloved little pooch Kiya.

Oil on board  8" x 10 1/2"

Decisions Decisions

Gelato is a part of everyday life in Italy, and it is so good.  This young couple were trying to decide on which of the many flavors that lay before them in this Venice plaza.  Usually gelato is found in small street side stores where it is made on the premises.  The green one on the left was most likely pistachio...now that totally worked for me. 

oil on board 9" x 12"

Walking In The Rain

Walking in the light rain is what we did a fair bit of while visiting Venice, but it didn't seem to matter much.  The atmosphere and vitality of the area kept our spirits and sense of adventure very high.  We had just come back from Murano where we had visited several glass blowing shops with their adjoining stores.  Wow what incredible artisans they have there.  One of my favorite pieces was a roughly two foot sculpture of the main figure in "The Scream".  You can see all the Murano glass on display in the background.
 
I loved the opportunities to take candid photographs of people just going about their business.  With thousands of tourists visiting Venice every day, there were no shortage of subjects.

oil on board  12" x 9"

Visiting in Venice

This is my first of hopefully many paintings from a trip we recently took to Italy.   What a beautiful country with so many inspiring places.  I now recognize some of the subject matter for a number of artists whose work I admire.  When traveling there, bring your best camera with plenty of memory cards and fill your boots.  Sadly I only took about 900 photos.  Sounds like a lot, but I wish I'd taken 2000 or more.  Just didn't always have the opportunity with all the tours we took etc.  Nonetheless, it was a great time and we will go back sometime.

oil on board  9" x 12"

Free The Spirit

I've always loved pelicans, especially when they are air born, and decided to do this piece for Rose.  (It's her birthday).  This is a painting she plans to hang in her office at work, where "Free the spirit" is their motto.  What could be more uplifting than these majestic birds taking flight in unison.

oil on canvas 48" x 36"

Walking The Walk

Finally finished a painting... a commission piece which was a real challenge in that the reference photo was an old black and white with limited background information.  All in all I enjoyed the whole process in spite of the numerous changes and redos.  I know struggling can sometimes be a blessing in disguise, in that you are forced to think, and experiment more than what lies in the old comfort zone.  When I originally saw the photo of this well dressed young man striding confidently down the avenue, I was inspired.  His look just made me think style and GQ.
oil on board 12" x 18"

A Lovely Couple

This painting is for my daughter's June social, and will hopefully raise a few dollars for their upcoming wedding in October.  Tickets are sold at these events for various prizes, and the night itself is usually a lot of fun.  I love paintings of fish, and they're a lot of fun to do, especially Koi with their vibrant colours and interesting shapes.  Melissa and Tom got engaged last August on an island while camping and fishing, so there is a little bit of a connection with the subject matter here.

oil on canvas  36" x 24"

Terry Miura Challenge

I was very interested to see that Terry Miura had created a challenge, and very motivated to participate upon seeing the reference photo. Terry is a wonderful artist who generously provides extremely helpful tips on his Studio Notes blog. He asked that we simplify as much as possible, which we all know is easier said than done. He makes it look so effortless.

oil on panel 10" x 8"

Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan is my friend Bubba Tays' nephew. We went to watch him play in the 17 and under tourney last year where as a 15 year old, he was definitely one of Atlantic Canada's best players as they got slaughtered by the powerful US team. Here he is trying to evade one their players (Seth Jones). I took about a hundred photos and found about two that were paintable. This is pretty loose for me, and I really enjoyed the way it went down. If you are a hockey fan, watch for this kid. He will make it to the NHL, and with any luck, we may see him playing with the Jets.
oil on board 10" x 8"

In Front of Grand Central

I finally tried one of Lee Brown's wonderful challenge photos thanks to a prompt from Dana Cooper. This was a fellow reading in front of Grand Central Station in NYC. One of these days I'd love to visit New York.
oil on canvas board 10' X 8"

Deciding On A New Coat

On a rainy afternoon at the Helper, Utah workshop, under Doug Braithwaite's suggestion, we all set up in the studio area to create and paint our own still lifes. There were all sorts of props and stimulating articles to choose from, and I decided on this longhorn skull which I attached to a dressmaker's mannequin. Don't ask me why. The dramatic lighting was very interesting and we all soon got busy on our own projects. Of course the time flew by, and I never did finish the piece until last night. I've looked at this painting for several months and really couldn't decide what to do with it. Sometimes you just have to wait, or talk to someone like Dominique Eichi to get the ideas flowing again. Thanks Dominique. Because I didn't photograph the setup at the time, it was from memory that I completed this piece. I must admit, that I was struck by some of the colour/shadow nuances that we don't pick up on when painting from photos. Even the photo I took of the finished painting does not reflect these.

Note to self...DO MORE PAINTINGS FROM LIFE!!!
Another note to self...DO MORE PAINTINGS!!!

"Ninety percent of life is just showing up." Woody Allen"

oil on board 9" x 12"

Street Cars

Finally finished this commission piece after starting it sometime in November, (feels like June...ha). The reference photo taken by the soon to be recipient, was shot during the afternoon on a cloudy day. I cropped the photo, and then found the low light somewhat uninspiring, so in the interest of driving myself crazy, the lighting was changed to evening. Not the easiest task to invent light and shadows, at least for me, but what the heck, whatever it takes to try and create something pleasing to the eye. It was mucho frustrating and then a lot of fun at the same time. I am happy with the result, and I truly hope that Mrs. E. is as well.
oil on canvas 36" x 24"

Pool School

Yes I'm still alive, just not communicating...not intentionally, but business travels, summer and a deep painting/blog/facebook rut are the reasons. Hopefully I'm back with this latest offering which I started a couple of months ago. I'm happy that I left it for awhile, in that some improvements were made such as punching up some dead areas with floating leaves adding a little colour and interest. This canvas is going up in our home with the koi piece on my blog header going to live at my daughter Melissa's house. I'm only about a year and a half late on delivering her birthday present. She has always loved that painting so what else was I to do? I'm still tinkering with this piece, but I don't suspect any major changes to it. I just wanted to post something...anything!
oil on canvas 72" x 36"

Peter Brown

I would like to thank Adebanji for his generous permission to reference an amazing photo that he took of his friend and mentor, English artist extraordinaire Peter Brown. You can see the photo on Adebanji's blog. I was not familiar with Mr. Brown's work until reading about him in Adebanji's blog, and now I find myself studying and admiring his amazing paintings. The beautiful clean strokes are nothing short of genius in their precision, economy and brilliant colour. What can I say...huge new fan here. So here he is doing what he makes look so effortless. We can only wish.
oil on board 12" x 9"

Mr. Johnson

My good friend Don's father passed on May 9th, and as a memory for his beloved wife, I wanted to paint his portrait. He was a very interesting, warm and caring man, so it was a pleasure for me to try and capture his spirit for this wonderful lady .
oil on board 12" x 16"

Steel Blues

I've been wanting to paint this guy for quite awhile, and decided to include him in Edward Burton's moleskin as my final painting for the project...sniff! It sure was a lot of fun, and produced some great art from some wonderful artists.
I photographed him about three years ago in Vancouver as he played inside the Granville Island market. He was a most interesting looking, and talented musician as he played on his metal resonator guitar, and graciously allowed me to take his picture.
oil on paper 8" x 12"

On Vacation

What a great way to spend a quiet Sunday...PAINTING...something I haven't being doing much of lately. This is for Sheila Tajima, for her moleskin book. She requested everyone paint something that they love. Well I love, love, love figure paintings and of course trying to paint them myself. I wasn't sure what to do for her at first, then found this cool photo that I took of a group of Japanese tourists. Thought Sheila might get a kick out this.
oil on paper 7 1/2" x 7 1/2"

Ten Minute Orange Studies

These oranges are the result of a challenge posted by that very skilled artist Carol Marine. The goal was to paint eight little studies using only ten minutes for each piece. I was hoping the results would be a lot looser, but you can't change the stripes on the old zebra over night. This was a great exercise, and I hope I learned something from it. Well I know I didn't have enough paint mixed, and did not have the paint thinned to flow more easily...two important factors I believe. That's what you get for not painting for over a month.

oil on canvasboard 2 x 8" x 8"

Salmon Run

This painting is for my daughter Jessica, and was promised for last year...ish, so I am thrilled that it is now completed. We'll see if she checks out my blog and realizes that it's finally done. Now she can feel like she's living at an aquarium as it hangs in her living room...ha!

Inspiration for the painting was from a photo taken by a brilliant photographer named Randy Olson, for his piece in National Geographic Magazine entitled Kamchatka Salmon. I've made a few minor changes, and will not sell or reproduce this painting. Fingers crossed that he's okay with this.

Because of it's larger size, I wasn't sure how I was going to tackle this piece, and as it progressed, it became more and more detailed. I liked the contrast of somewhat tight and then more loosely painted fish.

oil on canvas 60" x 40"

Light Lunch

I finally got a bit of time to finish Dana Cooper's moleskin painting. It's Remembrance Day in Canada, and here in Manitoba it's a day off which I am very thankful for, in that we have time to reflect upon, and remember our soldiers who have, and so bravely now serve our country. Dana's son as I recall is in their armed forces, so I did think about her and her family's contribution as I worked on this piece. The freedom to enjoy a beautiful, peaceful summer afternoon is one of the things our countries have always fought for, so it is my honor to try and depict this privilege which we enjoy on this amazing continent. To all of our servicemen and women, thank you.
oil on paper 16" x 5 1/2"

Crazy About Shoes

This painting is for Irit Bourla, who is crazy about shoes. Check out all the other moleskin entries here.
oil on paper 11 1/2" x 8'

Is This Your Dog

My contribution to Dominique Eichi's moleskin book was a lot of fun to do, even though it's late. Thanks again for organizing the whole moleskin project Dominique, I've really enjoyed the art being produced, and the friendships we have strengthened.
oil on paper 11 1/2" x 8"

Tracy Grant

This was the landscape that I was supposed to be painting instead of a dusty old Corona bottle. What WAS I thinking? In her moleskin, I wanted to surprise Michelle Burnett by doing a portrait of one of her painting buddies, Tracy, and feature some of the beautiful country around Helper, Utah. What a coincidence to be attending a workshop with Michelle's lovely friend, who was a lot of fun to be around. The world can be such a small place.
oil on paper 16" x 5"

Airport Sketches

A couple of sleepy travelers caught in these quick sketches.

A Bridge Not Too Far

I have been missing painting lately, and was finally able to do this plein air piece close by my house...hence the very clever title...ha! Yesterday must have been a hundred degrees here, (thirty five Celsius)...even us metric guys go Fahrenheit when it's that hot. The Red River is quite muddy, but has some interesting colour in the bright sunshine, and I just wanted to paint something, even though it was baking out there. So here it is, my first plein air back home. Kinda felt like Utah with the sun and heat.
oil on board 10" x 8"

A Busy Rest

The Flying Moleskins has been a lot of fun to say the least, and I particularly enjoyed finishing this piece for my blog buddy Camille Olsen. It was almost done about four weeks ago, but lacked some finishing touches that eluded me until last night. I've been away, and busy lately, not having any time to paint, so completing this felt great. I punched up the darks in the gal up front effectively bringing her forward and increasing her importance in the painting. (She kinda looks like Rose). Then I tried to create more interest in the shadows in front of her. I took this photo in Germany last May, and included a streetscape in Camille's book on her request.
oil on paper 10" x 8"

Room...With A View

This was my first attempt at plein air painting, but ninety percent of it was completed in my studio. Using a technique I'd never tried prior to this, I floundered and made some huge drawing errors which I was able to correct at home using a reference photo. The whole experience was quite overwhelming, but a lot of fun nonetheless. I found it interesting how so much information was lost in a photo, and ended up having to wing it. For example, the shaded areas were very flat with little or no value and colour information, but fortunately I had some value clues even though the underpainting was weak. Not all is lost if even a small part of the painting is done from life. In finishing this piece at home, it became a lot more detailed than I originally had intended.
oil on board 10" x 8"

Stacked Rocks

This is my last landscape from Helper, and not really being into them prior to the workshop, I feel that I want to pursue painting the world now that the plein air bug has bitten me. Figures are still my passion, but broadening ones horizons is always a worthwhile pursuit. This piece was finished fairly quickly in my studio. When the darks and values are laid in accurately, adding colour and highlights not only make more sense, but they go down so much easier with more strength and conviction. Using this technique I hope and feel that improvement will come with each successive painting.
oil on board 8" x 10"

Rock Face

This location just outside of Helper, Utah was amazing with it's dramatic beauty and inspiring vistas in every direction. Usually after watching one of Doug's fabulous demos, we would scatter and find something to paint. It was seldom that any two of us chose the same spot, as there were so many interesting ones to choose from.. Utah has to be one of the most beautiful states in the union. This was my second attempt at rocks en plein air, and it felt great after the detailed value sketch was completed. The colours and paint just seemed to start flowing.
oil on board 12" x 9"

Dry and Deserted

I'm sure this is not what anyone was expecting to see for my first workshop post given the absolutely gorgeous landscapes that we had around us in Helper Utah. It was about 7 PM and Doug had us out doing some more plein air painting. What can I say, the man is a task master...ha! Anyway, it was another perfect evening and we were overlooking a golf course with mountains and rocks all around us, but I was sun burned and tired, (it had been 92F that day), and looking off into the distance just felt like it was going to be work. Tracy had a chair she wasn't using and I found this castoff Corona bottle just laying there calling to me. Well not really, I usually only hear them when they actually contain beer. Doug always made his rounds while we were painting, offering encouragement, valuable suggestions and the odd brushstroke here and there, if the person wanted it. On his first visit to me he looked at this and chuckled, and thought it not too bad, so on his endorsement with a few finishing touches at home, I give you Dry and Deserted. Now because most of this was done from life, I was easily able to mix fairly accurate colours to finish this painting using the photo I took as a reference.
oil on board 8" x 5 1/2"

Doug Braithwaite Workshop

I've been away for the last couple of weeks, with the first week spent attending a truly wonderful workshop in Helper, Utah led by Doug Braithwaite, a fabulous artist, teacher and great guy. His clean, beautiful art works were what drew me to his workshop in the first place, and I tell you, I wasn't disappointed. Doug has a straight forward method of painting that is so smooth and seemingly effortless that one cannot help but try and incorporate some or all of what he demonstrates. Every stroke and every colour just seem to make sense. There were so many areas of art that he touched on, that I don't really know where to start.

Eight of us arrived at Helper, and stayed together in an old, newly renovated hotel/ art studio owned and operated by David Dornan and his wife Marilou Kundmueller. The atmosphere was all about art, the camaraderie was super, and the art direction and inspiration invaluable.
Doug initially spoke to us about establishing value drawings before laying in any colour, determining values and matching colours as we were seeing them. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have an accurate value drawing before adding any colour. He showed us how to prepare panels, how to mix paint and how to apply it, how shadows changed with reflected light from the sky and ground. We used a limited palette and were forced to mix our own colours, something I am now committed to. We mixed our colours with a pallet knife, not a brush as I am so fond of doing. Mixing with a brush is a sure recipe for creating muddy colours and inconsistencies. I used three times the amount of paint that I usually do, and tried to mix more than enough to do the job at hand. I can be so stingy squeezing paint, and it just isn't smart. Doug told us he reckons that only about forty percent of the paint he uses makes it onto his paintings. Utrecht Art Suppliues love him for this...ha, and I am now striving to carve this same endearing relationship with them myself.

Doug did several amazing demos, and I've posted the above photo of him next to one, including the original subject. You can see how dramatically different the photo is from the finished painting. This is where working from photos exclusively has a serious limiting effect on producing realistic colour/values. I am now a plein air convert and loving it as I try to find my way to creating more vibrant work. Using an 8" x 10" board to record colour and value is so important when going back to the studio with photo references. Now this is all stuff I'd heard or read about previously, but just didn't get.

Doug...love'ya man...and I really, REALLY mean it this time. You are the best.

I'll post something of mine later. None are really finished, and my glorious holiday is sadly over with some intense work staring me in the face starting tomorrow.

Check out Helper Workshops and get yourself down there if you are serious about your art. And by the way, two of the young guns attending the workshop are fine arts majors currently attending unniversity in Utah. I will be returning to learn from the other masters...(Doug's own art profs)...David Dornan and Paul Davis. David gave us an extraordinary demo in his studio one afternoon that absolutely broadened the horizons in my world, including glazing and process techniques that I never could have imagined. And Paul showed me more in fifteen minutes about drawing...well I need to get back and spend time with both of these very fine and extremely talented gentlemen.

A big thanks to everyone down there...I had a ball. It was so cool meeting so many artists and making some great new friends. I drove down, and Rose met me in Salt Lake City the following Saturday. We toured through Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park and saw some of the most awe inspiring places on the planet. The U.S.of A is certainly a wonderful country with a lot of wonderful people.

A Change In Plans

Angela Elledge is a teacher, a dog lover and a traveler among other things. She requested "places" in her moleskin with or without the accessories, so I tried a German street complete with outdoor patio, an unusual dog, a couple of kids (far enough away to be seen but not heard...ha), and tried to include Angela herself. I really couldn't find much reference material on her blog, so I thought what a great opportunity to challenge myself, and rotate her head in my head, and see what happens. Well it's not easy, and it's not a great likeness, but it was fun, and one could argue that there is a passing resemblance. Sorry Angela, I tried. I'm probably the second last person on earth that's not on facebook, and I almost joined figuring a few shots could be found of you there.
oil on paper 10" x 8"