Croton-tastic

This is the tropical houseplant you see at so many grocery stores and greenhouses around here. They're very striking. I think we take them for granted. And it was my saviour. First I tried painting a coffee cup, then a bowl of marbles, then a flower...and they all completely flopped. When I was wandering around trying to decide whether I should just skip it for the day I spied this plant tucked away in the corner, the light hitting it just so.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Bowmen Swamp, November

So occasionally the paintings just flow and you wish you could bottle it, you know? I need to tweak this a bit but I really like it. I'm going to try working it up in a large format oil. The funny thing about this day was that the day before it was 17˚. I was driving with the windows open. The next day when we painted it was a high of 1˚. And we had snow flurries. But they were beautiful. And I was bundled up well + in good company. And I got good soup : ) Aside from this I painted two other sketches which I'll share this weekend. Happy-almost-weekend to all of you my friends ♥

12"12" / acrylic on canvas

Tender bloom - SOLD

When I saw this rose pressed against our kitchen window pane I felt I had to immortalize it in paint. This delicate, tiny November bloom. But tenacious. Make analogies as you see fit. I'm particularly proud of this one. I figure I can say that since I also tell you when I'm pulling my hair out and think I can't paint a lick ; )

6"x8" / oil on canvas / SOLD

Untitled

The reference photo for this painting was from a family photo shoot I did a couple of years back (as was the last picture). I've been looking at kids faces trying to bone up on the structure of them for the illustrations I'm working on for my book. I have 25 to do and feel a bit daunted by it all - figures are not my forté. It's a definite challenge but something I really want to complete.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Untitiled

Thanks to those who wrote with advice for my illustrations. I really appreciate your input! When I get further along I will share more drawings. Okay, so now another portrait.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Characters developed

all illustrations ©Kim Rempel

A question for the illustrators out there: what do you use to help you draw bodies in action? Do you take photos of children in poses, do you use the poseable wooden mannequins from art supply stores or are youamazing and can just do it out of your head? At long last I have settled on what the children will look like for my book. Here they are. What a relief to finally "meet" them. I just need to draw a father and then my characters are complete and I can begin the actual illustrations. Yay!

Untitled

I've been working the past couple of days on faces in developing characters for my picture book so I thought I'd bone up on some portrait painting. As you know I really don't paint people often so it's fun subject to tackle. This is from a photo I took at a wedding. I loved how she stopped for a moment and stared up at the camera, like "You done? I've got things to do!"

6"x6" / original oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

A really good day

It was a cold day but I bundled up (long johns, fleece, toque, gloves) and had a fabulous day painting. I adore this swamp - so much rhythm. I've got more work to do on this but I'm happy with its direction so far.

We were invited to lunch at this charming home... 

and were even treated to a pot of hot, tasty soup. Look at that stove! 

On my way - SOLD

~A flower in its opening stages...the full bloom is coming~

I realize it's been a while since I posted. I've been working away at illustrating a children's book I wrote and it is a lot of planning/researching and sketching. I've only just scratched the surface it seems. So many things to consider in terms of how it will be handled. But I'm excited to finally complete this project. 

6x6 / original oil on canvas / SOLD

work in progress

This is the one I began here. I'm still working on simplifying and the colour palette. Not quite sure where I'm taking this one. Next time I post it will probably have an entirely new colour scheme : )

Feast your eyes: Painters Eleven by Iris Nowell

Painters Eleven, The Wild Ones of Canadian Art by Iris Nowell 

Nature Evolving, oil and Lucite 44 on canvas, Jock Macdonald

Dawning Morrow, oil on canvas board, Jock Macdonald

Symphony, oil on canvas, Alexandra Luke

It's been a while since I posted, due in equal parts to a) taking stock of my direction/re-focusing b) being under the weather, and c) chillin' out. Next week it will be back to business but in the meantime I thought I'd share a wonderful book that arrived yesterday: Painters Eleven: The Wild Ones of Canadian Art by Iris Nowell. 346 pages packed with vibrant, sophisticated, joyful images! Wow! Just what I needed. I've been working at semi-abstracting the landscape over the past year and the middle two images just clicked when I saw them. I very clearly see landscape influence there! I'm not well-versed regarding the Painters Eleven so I am looking forward to reading the biographies and will share more as I know more. For now, feast your eyes!

Exploring

So again...just trying something different. Trying to crack away the shell and be completely intuitive. I was looking at the same hills I was standing at for yesterdays work. Just went with a different approach. I used three colours: carbon black, titanium white and quinacridone gold. I took today off and the only painting I did was the garage doors. Couldn't get overly creative there ; )

Breaking from a block

Yesterday I wrote on my Facebook page "What do you do when you're feeling frustrated and like you've forgotten how to paint?!" I got a lot of wonderful responses. Today I tried to implement them. Sugar? Check. Chocolate was my particular poison. Change of scenery? Check. Outside. Rolling hills. Handle things in a different way? Check. Tried working with a stick, sitting in the field. Music? Check. I synched my iPod with music I love (I usually listen to CBC all day) I needed to clear my head. Another suggestion was to take a day off. That will be tomorrow as I need to get some housework done anyway. Great suggestions all!

So I did two paintings today. This one is 12x12. I will post the other one I did tomorrow. I just let go and tried to forget about everything technical. 

Work in progress

This is the painting I began last week. Progress...but still so much to do.

Petals

This is a painting I've just finished up. I started it last spring but it was never quite working so I put it away. It's taken a few turns but I'm ready to stop now. I think it's done.
acrylic on stretched canvas / 8"x10" / $165

Plein air on a farm

Warning: This is a six picture post - I was really taken with the place ; ) Fresh autumn air + a farm and paints = a perfect day. This was the tree that stopped me in my tracks. So much flow.

The initial stages...

View to my right...

 ...and behind me.

My painting at the end of the day. Obviously there's much to develop & refine but it was a great couple of hours and it felt so good to be out there surrounded by bright colours, crisp air and a light wind whipping around! More to come! Acrylic on stretched canvas, 14"x18"

A beginning

Today was a boring but necessary afternoon in the studio. I had a bunch of paintings whose edges needed painting...yawn. So I thought I'd post the initial drawing for a painting I did last week when I was painting outside - I did this after "Roots". This is 12"x12" but I'm going to work it up to a larger scale after this study.

Roots

Here's what it looks like today. I am still debating whether to darken the top strip - really darken. I'm going to have to think on that...
This is acrylic on stretched canvas, 12"x12"

Leaves, Roots and Black Gesso

The leaves are changing and it is starting to look gorgeous! This is a bit of the colour I saw today. Fabulous, yes? Wow, does nature ever give us a show. THANK YOU trees!

So walking through the woods, I came across an embankment and the twisted, exposed roots from the trees grabbed my attention. I've always found the shapes they create so intriguing. I had a canvas that I had prepped with black gesso and began my work on that. It's the first time I've used black gesso. Kind of cool but I found I really had to be thoughtful about my darks. I definitely didn't want to rely on the black as my dark because I think it can look dead. So I mixed up some deep dark paint to work with.

Here is a detail. I will be developing/finishing the rest tomorrow. And I can't wait to dive back in! I love it when you get the feeling that you just want to to paint non-stop.

Tangle

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I'm finished! I really enjoyed developing this piece. And it's my favourite subject to paint.

20"x24" / acrylic on canvas / $585

Rhythm Wood

This was a plein air painting I did after the pond study I posted yesterday. After the pond I turned to my right and was attracted to the light and shadow play in the forest. There was a really exciting rhythm happening.

acrylic on canvas / 8"x10"

Pond surface study

This week I did some plein air painting. The weather is just about as glorious as it gets. This was a study I did on a section of a pond in Ancaster. There was so much going on and I was trying to capture it and semi-abstract it, without getting fussy. Quite tough actually! I may use this for a basis of larger painting. 

acrylic on canvas / 8x10 

Continuation

Here's what I worked on today. I added finer branches of various tones and began working on the colours in the background shapes. It's starting to take shape!

Progress so far

 These are the next steps on the tree I began at the conservation park Saturday. My goal this next year is to continue working at abstracting the landscape. Well, semi-abstracting. I still intend to develop the background shapes/colours and values. This is acrylic.

Grimsby's Night (and Day) of Art

Saturday was Grimsby's Night (and Day) of Art. The Niagara Region was chosen as the Cultural Capital of Canada for 2012. Because of that designation communities across the region have had events to celebrate all facets of the arts. Pretty cool stuff! One of my children and I were positioned at a conservation park. He played celtic fiddle tunes and exhibited his sketches and I worked on a painting. In the evening there was a party at the local art gallery that included live music, contemporary dance and art. A really lovely night.

today's effort

Apologies if you're getting tired of seeing these progress shots. Hope to finish it soon! I've been really armiring the work of Hashim Akib lately. I think this is where some of my strokes are coming from ; ) Check him out. He's fantastic.

This week has been crazy but I plan on settling in to a regular painting schedule next week. Wait. Didn't I say that last week? Happy weekend everyone : )

(detail)

Still working on those trees...

I came across an interesting thing a while back. I was reading my friend Nicki Ault's blog and she spoke about how she sometimes began in acrylic and then painted over top in oil. I never knew you could do this! I began thinking it might just be what the doctor ordered for my trees! To me it was looking too pointilism-ish and I wanted to soften yet retain strong shards of colour. So I began working over top in oil. On the left is the oil and to the right is the original underlaying acrylic. As always, I'll keep you posted!