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! 

Zhaoming Wu Workshop - Portrait

Oil on canvas board

16" x 20"

an unfinished portrait

This is the portrait that I did in a FCA Zhaoming Wu workshop held in Calgary, Alberta. Zhaoming is a master painter and it was an absolute thrill that I was not only able to watch him paint live, but also receive instruction during this 3 day workshop.

He painted the live model portrait in the morning, explaining his steps and then the artists painted in the afternoon. There were 2 models and the artists were in a semi circle painting so each view was different. It is incredibly hard for the model to be still and try and stay in the same position, that is why the look on her face is somber.

I found it really challenging to paint the portrait with her head view changing after each break. Even a few inches made a difference in whether you could see her far cheek and how much of her nose compared to cheek etc. that could be seen. Zhaoming helped me with her nose and that put it together so much nicer...a few strokes was all he needed to add where I probably would of still been trying. I was happy and exhausted at the end of the day! 

Celebrating July 1 - Happy Canada Day!

These two paintings are of summer in the Okanagan in B.C. Canada. They make me think and feel the Canadian summer celebration with water, sun and fun - July 1st - Happy Canada Day!

 

The Last Buoy

Water colour 16" x 20" NFS

 

This painting is of my wonderful friend Ev, a gift for a previous birthday. Waterskiing is a passion of hers and watching her waterski is breathtaking.

 

 

 

"Stormy Okanagan Lake"  $350

12" x 16" Encaustic painting on board

click on painting to see a larger view
 

This is a repost of a wonderful area to play on land and in water. I grew up in Kelowna B.C. and boating was a family pastime. The Okanagan Lake can become stormy very quickly and the waves get very large which made for a lot of fun playing in the water, but down right scary in the boat. We would try to get near the shore quickly as the waves would come over the front of the boat and up the windshield. The hills are very dry in the summer and I always loved the "dry & wet" contrast of that beautiful area.

 

Sicamous, B.C. Art Show and Sale

 

Sicamous Art Show and Sale Opening Reception is tonight and the show is on until from Friday June 28 until July 2. I was helping with the setting up and was completely enamored with all of the different art - paintings, jewelry and hand crafts. If you are in Sicamous B.C. for the long weekend, drop by the Red Barn and check out the art sale and show. There is no entrance fee and your creative side will thank you! I have these 3 paintings in the art show plus one more that I just realized I don't have a photograph of! I also have painted wine glasses, cards and original small paintings for sale.

Zhaoming Wu workshop

Tami worked hard over a 3 year period to get a workshop for the FCA by Zhaoming Wu. A demo evening and 2 workshops (Mon-Thursday and Fri-Sunday) were completed to the absolute delight of the attendees. The workshop was on figures with live models.

Zhaoming did a demo in the morning, then the artists all worked from the live model in the afternoons. The idea was not to complete a finished painting, but rather to work in the steps, style and under the direction of Zhaoming. I could of just watched him paint as it was magic to see a figure develop on his canvas. Alas, the same magic did not appear on mine, but I certainly learned a lot. We did two figure studies and one portrait over the three days, again not to completion. I think some of the artists worked on finishing theirs at home from photographs taken. I have not worked on mine, so remember that this is not finished....

12" x 16"

oil on panel

 

This model was thin and tall. I found it challenging to continue painting after she had taken a break as her face and clothing would be in a slightly different position, very different from painting landscape or from a photo!. I was pleased with how far I got on the this painting.

Rocky Mountain Bloom

This painting just flowed. I was following some workshop advice - paint what you love! This painting is of wild flowers with the beautiful Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, a hiking dream. It is the first time I have painted on a linen board panel, a very rough texture.

"Rocky Mountain Bloom"

8" x 8"

Oil on Linen Panel

Whidbey Island Workshop - Day 3

This was our final workshop day and had to head to the ferry then the airport to go home. Dreama Tolle Perry talked about the "business" of art and how she manages her own art business. It was very interesting in how she grew and what she did as well as talk about self promotion which is hard for most artists. After that we worked on a small painting 8" x 8". Dreama handed out about 5 different pictures (the yellow icing cupcake picture was painted upside down). We started on our painting and blocked it in then she had us move to the next easel and continue painting on that one with whatever paints the artist had on her palette. We moved to 6 easels with an unknown time frame at each.

It was interesting moving on to the next easel and look at what others had painted, deciding what you liked, what you didn't and what you were going to paint on it. For tight painters it was mortifying to follow a loose painter and vice versa. Here is my cupcake painting that I arrived back to. We were allowed 5 paint strokes then had to quit. I am still hoping to work on it at home and make it mine. I really enjoyed this challenge and learnt a lot from it.

Dreama just put her photos of the weekend on her website. My blue vase painting is in the second row on the left and the bottom photo is of Deb and I painting at our easels.

dreamatolleperry.com

 

Whidbey Island Workshop - Day 2

12" x 12"

Oil on canvas board

 

This is the painting I did on day 2 in Dreama Tolle Perry's workshop. We all painted this from a photocopy of a picture from Dreama. The groans were very audible as this was a very complicated picture. Dreama again showed us how she minimized the photo, did the under painting and then how to get started.  The 12"x12" was different, but it certainly worked for this picture as there was so much in it. Most people left out the folded up umbrella, but I put it in mine.

 

It was fun to work with these colours and just dove in. I was really hoping to do a building or something other than flowers so I was pleased and intimidated as well. Dreama walked from easel to easel helping us with the "wonky" chairs (which were very difficult for most people).

 

Again Deb and I stayed until our paintings were complete. I was very happy with the day and my painting.

Whidbey Island, WA Workshop

My friend Deb and I flew out to Seattle on Thursday morning, toured around, went to a couple of art stores, had a delicious lunch then made our way across the ferry to Whidbey Island. There were hilarious adventures in getting lost, found, lost, found, lost and found just trying to get away from the airport as well as meeting Mad Madge in the ferry line up! We stayed in a wonderful cabin on Goss Lake, enjoying the canoe and hot tub.

We were both there to learn and enjoy Dreama Tolle Perry's 3 day oil painting workshop. The picture below is of my name tag....perfect! Each tag was different and we read them out when we introduced ourselves at the beginning of the 3 day workshop.

Dreama talked to our group and then started a demo working from a picture. She painted a brilliantly coloured under painting and then we painted ours (from the same picture). We went back and forth about 3 times watching Dreama demo then working on our own painting. Deb and I wanted to finish ours so we stayed and closed the place up for the night.

 

12" x 12" Oil on linen board

 

I enjoyed the whole experience of painting this. I had never painted a 12" x 12" format before and really like the size. I finally found a way to enjoy the Caribbean Blue oil paint and freely created. I was using the colours Dreama recommended for the workshop.

 

 

A birthday present for Curtis

 

"Memory of Thailand"

Oil on canvas 16" x 20"

 

This painting is based on a photo that Curtis took on his travels in Thailand. I also painted a couple other paintings that I used his photos as a reference and offered those paintings to him to pick one as a birthday gift. He hasn't decided but I think this is the one.

 

It looked stunning in a large black frame.

 The other choices were "Panama Rest" previously on this blog and a painting of the San Francisco bridge that I haven't posted yet.