Wired

"Wired"

20" x 16" Oil on canvas

$300 unframed

#20029716

 I laboured over this painting before my art class with Doug Swinton. It was very "stripey" as I tried to follow my photograph with all the shadow lines from bushes to the left of the painting. Doug took one look, picked up my largest brush and smooshed it all together! So much for thinking I was almost done. After my initial dismay and Doug's explanation and brushwork, I really saw the benefit and liked this so much more (exactly why I go to his class). I had to work on it quite a bit more to actually call it mine.

The Hunt

"The Hunt"

12" x 9" Oil on board

$150 unframed

#20011516

I have been enjoying painting and learning to paint snow scenes. It is probably because we had so little this winter, I was not sick of it. After schmooshing my detailed snow away, Doug helped me with the foot prints and added the twigs coming out of the snow. It is amazing how much those little touches finish a piece.

"Snow Ghosts"

"Snow Ghosts"

12" x 12" Oil on board

$175 unframed  #20007516

I painted this in Doug Swinton's class from a photograph. I cropped the photo then Doug showed me how to paint on the photo so I could have the bright snow where I wanted as well as change the foreground with paint until I had what I wanted. The other questions I had to answer about it is: 1. motive/interest: snow covered trees  2. dominant spacial: front  3. center of interest: 2nd tree in on the left  4. dominant value: dark  5. dominant direction of light: from left, shadows go right and 6. dominant temperature: cool

Sometimes working with Doug makes my brain hurt...all those questions, and that was before I could pick up a brush, whew! I read once that a painting is at least 1000 decisions (I wonder when they start counting).