Life's a beach

Really enjoyed this one. "Life's a Beach" available through me directly or Saatchi online.
12"x16" / acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / $360

Yellow tulips

Sunday post: Sundays I take the day off and post a work previously done, from my website.

This morning I thought I'd post this painting I did a few years ago of tulips from my garden. I LOVE tulips. Every couple of years I like to plant a new bunch - they really make me happy! So I have a variety: bright clumps, big old-fashioned bowl types (like these ones), tulips with pointed tips, and one of my favourites - peony tulips. The ones I painted here have a delicate honey scent. Mmmm.....

Horses on a misty day

This was a piece I painted last week but didn't get around to posting because of the Santa series. But what do you know - it's overcast today as well. This is the first time I've ever drawn and painted a horse. In all these years! Surprising, really. How did I get away with that?

oil on panel / 6" x 8" / $65

Little rays of hope

I went through two tries of painting hickory nuts. Once on their own, the second being a few tossed in a bowl. I had to wipe them both off, the second one after I'd almost completed it. Clearly it wasn't happening. By this point I was frustrated beyond measure. Then I spied these little globe mums (or whatever they are) sitting in my studio, still hanging on, offering a quiet ray of hope. I grabbed it.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65 / n/a

Little buddies

It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. A time to celebrate our harvest. It's a perfect fall day - a nice 13˚C (55.5˚F). Crisp & sunny. Pumpkins, grapes, corn and pies are at all the markets. Wonderful! Today I picked up 3 tiny gourds to paint. Unfortunately I was working without my awesome shadow box (see September 28th post). Perhaps Monday I'll paint the third gourd into the mix and see the difference working under proper lighting gives!

6" x 6" / acrylic on canvas

Tree with clouds

Today I took a break from Hogwarts. I went out and painted plein air and returned to the location where I had painted Twisted apple and worked on it some more. I was still feeling frustrated and at the end of the afternoon asked fellow painter, Laurie Wonfor Nolan (whose work I ADORE!) for help. She gave me a few suggestions and I intend to try them this week. Will post again when it is finally completed, if I haven't shredded it in despair ; ) Then, after struggling for a couple of hours, I took out one of my 6" x 6" canvasses and did this sketch in the blink of an eye (okay - not literally). Funny how that works.

6" x 6" / acrylic on canvas 

At the pier

Today I had the pleasure of painting with a fellow artist friend Katalin, in Port Dalhousie. We walked down the pier, parked ourselves and began to paint. I had dressed warmly but let me tell ya - the wind coming off the water was pretty frigid. Our fingers were getting stiff, but it was fun. The water and the concrete was a challenge - I kept thinking "What would Edward do?" lol

6" x 6" / acrylic on canvas

Grapefruit on red cloth

Today was my first day using my shadow box! It is excellent to be able to see such pure colours, highlights, shadows, etc... I am also very excited to be registered in Carol Marine's painting class in October! Five days of intensive painting and learning. She teaches in oils so I will be making a switch for that week - and perhaps I will carry on with it...we'll see. Anyway, here are some grapefruit sections to enjoy on a dull day!

6" x 6" / acrylic on canvas / $65

White pine trunk

Okay - so this is what I don't love about posting daily paintings. What do you do if you're not fond of it or if you still need more time to develop it? You get to post it! yay! Well, when I began this blog I wanted this to be an honest process, a real working journal. So this is what happens. At first I HATED this piece. And I definitely want to work on it more, but it is starting to grow on me the littlest of bits.

acrylic on canvas / work in progress

Sunflowers, revised

A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece I was working on of sunflowers. Today I got back to work on it since I hadn't had time to finish it in the field. I am re-posting what the piece looked like before (a cropped version) and what it looks like today. Much happier with the developments.

acrylic on canvas / currently not for sale

Frosted woods

Frosted woods is dear to me. I was tromping through the woods on a frosty, late December afternoon. The sun was going down. I was cold. I came across a tangle of vines, brambles and branches. Much of the wood and stalks were quite lavender, blue and crimson. It felt like a scene from an abandoned, enchanted, wintery land or a movie set or something. Anyway, I set my stuff up and began to paint. As most often happens in cold-weather painting, my fingers got stiff, my feet got cold, my nose began to run...but I felt locked in and excited with what was happening. Some days are like that : )

7.5" x 9" / acrylic on canvas

Field of wildflowers

Today another painting from the same location as yesterday. This is to the right of the pear tree - a field full of clover, Queen Ann's lace, goldenrod and a bluish flower I always see and never know the name off. In the distance is a farm house. A peaceful setting to paint.

6" x 6" / acrylic on canvas / $65 / SOLD