"A Sunny Trio"

These tulips were painted on a cold day and added sunshine and fun into my day. I was having trouble with this one and my painting friends Deb and Linda gave me some helpful suggestions. I am happy with the end result and grateful for my art friends!

"A Sunny Trio"

Oil on board 8" x 6"

$50 unframed

"Center Street Bridge"

I was at the first day of a two day Federation of Canadian Artist oil painting workshop with the very affable Sarah Kidner. I learnt a lot about her interest in street scenes and how you can pare down a very busy photo. Each participant worked from a black and white photocopy of their own photograph and did a three value thumbnail (very small simplistic drawing in black, gray and white). We then did a small colour thumbnail or painting to decide on our colours using only 3 colours. We moved onto the actual canvas and spent the rest of our day on our own paintings as well as watching her demo. Sarah moved from student to student to help direct, answer questions and clarify. It was a wonderful day with very talented and "wanting to learn" artists. Here is my final painting:

"Center Street Bridge"

9" x 12" oil on linen panel

Happy Birthday Curtis

Curtis (our son) is celebrating his birthday today this year in Peru...I am looking forward to having some new pictures to paint! I made this cupcake to celebrate him.

"Birthday Cupcake"

4" x 4" ink on tile

"Leila 2" A Pet Portrait

This is the second time I have painted the really expressive Leila. She sadly has passed on but her family still treasures the loving memories made with her. Click here to see Leila 1.

"Leila 2"

Oil on board 8" x 8" framed in a black shadow box

$100

April 21 painting challenge - "Summer Bounty"

I had been working on this painting before I went to Las Vegas with my sister Shannon, Mom, and daughter (Kristen). Really tired today and a lot to do so I am happy to sign this one and call it done. The reference for this painting is a flower pot that was on my friend Sue's back deck in Chase, B.C. The brass pot reflected all kinds of colours off the house, deck furniture and the flowers were absolutely full. Sue's gardens and flowers are always an inspiration!

"Summer's Bounty"

20" x 16" oil on canvas board

$175 unframed

Happy Birthday Shannon!

I had tried to preset this blog entry to go live on Shannon's birthday as we were in Las Vegas. The posting did not go live, so here it is (a little late).

"Chi Chi"

Ink on 3" x 3" tile

... a birthday gift

This was a fun and interesting way to paint a pet portrait of Chi Chi for my sister Shannon. I have painted Chi Chi twice before, but this little one is intended for my sister's new craft room, her new happy place.

Encaustic Workshop with Ken Bourassa

Wow, I surpassed all expectations for today's painting challenge! I spent a very productive day at an encaustic (painting with beeswax and hardener) workshop with master encaustic painter Ken Bourassa. I had so many ideas and had to work quickly and through lunch to get some of them down. This medium is very different to work with as the paint hardens on the brush right away. It has to be heated and ironed to seal it which of course can melt the wax right down to the board (I'm good at that). The first painting actually has paint, material, paper and gold flecks embedded into it.

"Autumn Changes"
12" x 8" Encaustic on board

There is actually more tree than this picture shows. When I get a chance I will take another photo. There is also gold fleck on the tree and sun that doesn't show up.

"Come Along For The Ride"
Encaustic 8" x 12" on board

This one inspired me as our friends Laurianne and Chris just signed up for the 2 day MS bike ride. They invited their friends to join them. I put the biker high on the hill to represent the distance they have to do.

"Flooded Bike Path"

12" x 8" Encaustic on board

My brain was working in very different directions today. When Calgary was flooded last year we went on a bike ride only to find the bike path completely washed away...I guess that view has stayed with me.

"Experiment Not Finished"

8" x 12" Encaustic on board

This one is not finished and has a variety of layers that the camera does not capture. I plan on carving more into it when I have time...just ran out of day.

"Which Button?"

12" x 8" Encaustic on board

I love this one! It has 5 homemade beads going down on the top right and 3 going up from the bottom left. These bead were made in honor of the 10 years (last September) my ladies hiking group have been hiking together. Sue and I had made dog tags and beads for each year each hiker had been able to go on our yearly hike to use as a pull tab on their back pack. The beautiful and fun colours made me think of them! :)

"Single"

Today's painting challenge:

"Single"

3" x 3" Ink on tile

I was working on a larger painting that won't get finished today, so I decided to play on a tile to create today's painting challenge. I love the bright and mixing colours.

April 10 Daily Painting Challenge

Today's painting challenge was done on a 3" x 3" tile. It made me think of the tide creeping back over the soon to be covered landscape. I loved all the bright colours and shapes with little bits that looked like seaweed.

"The Tide Is Creeping In"

3" x 3" Ink on tile

"April Flower"

April Painting Challenge #8
Today's painting challenge was at the first class of a painting course and the end result was much learning and wiping the painting off! So...back to play time. It was finally sunny and warm today which is why I thought of doing an imagined April flower. This is a mixed media painting (ink, acrylic and pen) on a tile. I look forward to putting a clear glaze on it to make the colours really sparkle!

"April Flower"

Mixed media on tile

Click on painting for a larger view

"Surf''s Up"

April daily challenge #9

"Surf''s Up"

Ink on Tile 3" x 6"

This one was representative of my emotions today...in waves, but the sun is still shining. Gotta love playing painting!

Study In Blue

April 7 Painting Challenge

"Study in Blue"

9" x 12" Not for Sale (for my own reference only)

This painting was done in a Rick Berg 3 hour workshop today. It was a study of blue objects and their shadows. It was interesting to paint all the "shadow family" and then the "light family" as Rick describes them. We saw examples, watched him paint and then worked our own from a lit still life set up.

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"Growing Together"

Today's Daily Painting Challenge is "Growing Together". I read a great quote last night that sums this painting up..."It's a happy talent to know how to play" - Emerson

"Growing Together"

6" x 3" Ink on Tile
Click on painting for a larger view

April 5 daily painting challenge "Beat Stress". I painted this with the idea of the darkness of stress, winter breaking up and biking season beginning. My husband Gord went on his first ride this morning with a couple of friends. It is still not warm enough for me and way to much gravel, water, ice and snow around. I may try a shorter ride downtown tomorrow as the weather is finally warming up :). The sides of this small canvas are painted a bright cheery yellow.

"Beat Stress"

3" x 3" mixed media on canvas

click on painting for a larger view

April 4 Daily Painting Challenge

This is the painting for day 4 of this month's challenge. I worked with a colour that is tough for me...pink! The sun was shining on these silk flowers in my art studio as if to say "paint me", so I did. I added some calligraphy marks which is something I don't normally do.

"April Roses"

10" x 8" oil on board

$75

"How To Fit Bicycles Into Our Daily Lives" April 4 painting

This is more what my daily painting will be size wise...tiny, 3" x 3". Something fun or tongue in cheek instead of struggling with a larger subject. The idea came from my friend Linda who was being challenged with her Arizona group to paint daily...size not specified. So far I am 3/3 and hope to keep it up on workdays as well as weekends.

"How To Fit Bicycles Into Our Daily Lives"

3" x 3" acrylic on canvas

The thought for this one came as I was once again shoveling snow this morning! The side views of the canvas:

"Stitched Together"

This is the second day of my personal challenge of a painting a day for April. I painted an under painting in bright pink yesterday thinking that I might want to use it one day. Pink is not a colour I generally use. Today's painting was a heart full tribute to friends that have traveled together. I made it look like a quilt that has been loved, used and a bit worn out but like a favourite blanket, can still wrap you in love.

"Stitched Together"

12" x 9" Acrylic on canvas panel

click on painting for a larger view

"Stillness"

 This painting is the first of a challenge I have given myself for the month of April - paint a painting every day! My friend Linda gave me the idea as she has challenged herself with a painting a day for this month. It will be fun to see how we do, especially on work days. Today I painted this based on a photo my friend Joan took in Sydney, B.C. of a blue heron waiting patiently. It is great to have friends encouraging my art journey.

"Stillness"

16" x 12" Oil on board

$150 unframed