Bebo Grove #2, Fish Creek Park, Calgary

"After The Flood", Fish Creek Park, Calgary

8" x 10" Plein Air, Oil on board

This is the second outdoor painting I did with Deb. There were quite a few trees down due to the Calgary flood.The challenge here was to use fun colours instead of the painting a reality view. I really enjoyed painting this one and it was fun making it evolve. I had bright orange and yellow on the path to the water but it ended up to garish.

Below is the under painting, quite a difference from the finished painting. You can just feel the fun I had with colour!

Here is my painting partner Deb almost finished her first painting.

"Reflection" plein air oil painting

I joined the "Swinton's Meet Up" group last week and painted plein air with 2 other artists. I think the dark and stormy clouds kept others away.

The photo above is of my easel and the painting in progress. It had been threatening to rain (hence dull colours above) then it cleared up and felt especially bright, so I changed my painting's light and colours. The actual painting's colours are more natural.

"Reflection"

8" x 8" plein air oil on board $65 unframed

#20002615

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've traveled from B.C. to Calgary today so thought I would post a painting that I did during a plein air class at Carburn Park in Calgary last May. The top photo is what I was looking at. My finished painting is underneath. It is really hard to narrow your focus down when there is so much to see and it is all similar in colour so I concentrated on the shapes I saw. You can see a fellow artist busy with a different view.

"Carburn Park Reflections" 

Oil 10" x 8"

$100 framed as shown

"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

Bebo Grove #1, Fish Creek Park, Calgary

Bebo Grove #1 plein air

8" x 10" oil on board

My friend Deb finally got me out painting again.  I haven't been painting as my world seemed to be on fast forward going many different directions and none of them of my choosing.

 We met at Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Park and walked until Deb spotted this area. This was painted from a dry rock creek bed with water on both sides.It worked beautifully as interested parties could look at us from afar but had to get their feet wet to come up close. It was such a beautiful morning, being outdoors with a friend painting had my heart and head in such a wonderful space.

The colours were vivid from the purple shadows in the water and on the rocks to the lime green of the bushes.

 

This is my set up and the beautiful view.

We were absolutely delighted to watch these fishermen fly fish their way up to and past us. We were all having fun! Looks like a good reference for another painting! 

Carburn Park, Calgary

Carburn Park, Calgary

8" x 10" Oil on Board, Plein Air

click on painting for larger view

This painting and experience warmed my heart. I went painting one evening after work with 2 of my Creative Path group, Deb and Joan. I hadn't seen them all summer and it was wonderful (as always) to spend time with them especially painting. This painting was fluid and I did not struggle with what I wanted to paint. I loved the looseness of it as that is also how I felt, unencumbered and in the moment!

Waiting For Spring - oil painting

Waiting for Spring

10.5" x 13" Oil on birch board

This little ceramic frog in the melting snow is from a gift calendar (April 2012) my friend Sue made for me of her artful photographs. I had so much fun painting this little guy as he seemed a little hopeful and tired at the same time, a true "end of winter" feeling. We often get a big snowfall in Calgary after our tulips have graced our gardens.

Fish Creek Park - 26 C

Fish Creek Park -26 C - SOLD

Oil on canvas 16" x 20" in a barn board frame

This painting was based on a photograph my friend Sue took on a very cold winter day last year. I loved the colours, the beautiful blue sky reflected in the snow, the crispnessness that can be felt in her photo as well as the location! The buyer recognized it as Fish Creek Park and wanted art representing Calgary for his new condo. My thanks to Sue and Vishnu!

Cold Walk Through Fish Creek Park, Calgary

One of my very favorite Christmas gifts was from my friend Sue. She made a calendar for me with her artful photographs. She has always been generous and allowed me to paint her photographs, changing them at my whim...now I have 13 more pictures to choose from (including the front cover)!!!

This picture is in her calendar and is called "Cold Walk Through Fish Creek Park". She took the picture last year when it was -26C and everything was frozen, still and crisp (including herself). I painted part of that picture and whipped out my "artistic licence" and changed the composition a bit. The beautiful blues on the trees were in the calendar picture, not sure if Sue pulled out her licence, but I was certainly attracted to it. Gotta love it when inspiration is wrapped as a loving gift!!

"Cold Walk Through Fish Creek"

Oil on hard board

10 1/2" x 12 3/4"
OX110102

Gratitude!

I would like to thank everyone that has encouraged, helped, laughed and cheered me on in this art journey I am on. This blog has received over 1500 views so far, way more than I ever dreamed of. I started it to keep me painting, learning, expressing and experiencing the world around me as I see it.

To those that have commented (especially Marie Flynn), I take to heart your words of encouragement and suggestions. I still have difficulty knowing if my responses are posted or not (or even how to check).

To those wonderful friends (especially Sue and Karen) that take beautiful pictures and allow me to paint my own interpretation of their artful photographs, again I am grateful.

My Creative Path friends that have travelled most of my painting journey with me, I am very grateful for your honest suggestions, laughter, like mindedness and friendship!

My family are my greatest cheerleaders and critics, and I am happy to receive both.

Not least by any measure, a very big thank you to those that have bought my art and share my blog. It instils that others believe in this journey AND keeps me in art supplies!!

This post is of one of the paintings that gets viewed most, a Calgary sky view.

Plein Air at Glenmore Reservoir, Calgary

What a beautiful day! I painted this acrylic at the Glenmore Sailing Club. As I was painting in a tucked away spot in the shade, I could hear the inspiring sounds of sails flapping and children laughing during their summer sailing camp. The afternoon quickly zoomed by as did my subjects!

A photographer from the City of Calgary asked to take a photograph of my unfinished picture with the children sailing in the background to use for their promotional material. It would be fun to see it used somewhere although I don't think I would like my unfinished picture!

Plein Air Acrylic 8"x10" on birch board, unframed

click on picture for a larger view