Plein Air at Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis

I took a one day plein air class with Peter Potapoff at Forgetmenot Pond in Kananaskis. It was a sunny but blustery windy day. We painted beside a stream and tried to paint something close and small (compared to the huge vista and views). It was really interesting and challenging in how quickly the acrylic paint dried on the board, palette and even brush in the sunny and windy outdoors.

As a visual learner Peter was kind enough to show me what he was explaining to meon my painting. I haven't decided if I am going to add more blue (from the sky) in the water reflections, but am considering it done right now. I will have to live with it for awhile. Standing outside painting with a drying palette filled with paint (ok for indoors), water bucket on the ground and hair blowing in my face was certainly a different painting challenge.

I learned a lot about what supplies to bring (and what to leave home!) and now have started a birthday/Christmas list. Peter is passionate about painting outdoors and shares his knowledge generously. He has classes through Calgary School of Art if anyone is interested.

Acrylic on Birch Board

10.5" x 13" framed in a metal (silver) frame

click on picture for larger image

This is our group with Peter on the left. You can see how windy it is by the wind pushing against my pants! I don't know how the guys did it, but I couldn't keep a hat on my head!

View of Sicamous, B.C. from Mara Lake

This oil painting was done on holidays with our view of Sicamous. The colours in the lake contrasting with the white buildings (White Sands condos) on the shore front is what attracted me. This is a favorite spot that I always bring my paints to, but usually do not paint as there is to much to do. 

For something new, I added the twitter and facebook share buttons so hopefully someone will find it useful to share art on this blog that they may find interesting. I am still learning what I can do on this blog. 

View of Sicamous across Mara Lake

Oil on birch board, unframed 11"x14"

click on painting for a larger view

Snickers, a dog portrait

This beautiful elderly lab is my brother's best friend. He has been with Ken from a pup and is definitely a one man dog. My friend Karen Hiebert took Snicker's picture (and many more reference photo's) on her new camera on the sly for me. I painted this picture in oil on birch board, framed it in Calgary and dropped the picture at his cabin when he was out for the day. I wish I could of seen his reaction as he did not know I was painting it for him. Snickers is near the end of his life and I wanted to capture his presence and his aging features.

Snickers Oil on birch board 12x16 Not For Sale

Click on picture for a close up view

Below is the photograph taken by my friend Karen Hiebert.



Sunflower still life

This painting was done in oil on birch board in Robert E. Wood's class. It is based on a large painting he brought in to show us that he painted. This one is 12" x 16" and is painted with brushes and a palette knife. This is the first time I have painted with a palette knife and really enjoyed creating the textures. I was inspired enough to start on a large 23 1/2 x 31"  painting of the same picture. Not only is a palette knife new but the larger size is. I will post it later on when it has dried.

This painting was really fun and freeing to do and has a real variety of colours in it! I certainly used a lot of paint!

 12" x 16" oil on birch board

unframed
click on painting for a more detailed view

Portrait of Chi Chi

This loving pet belongs to my sister Shannon. Chi Chi is 2 years old and is just getting to know her new loving owners, Shannon and Jim. I was surprised at my sister's choice of dogs, but Chi Chi is so happy, friendly, playful and loving that she really grows on you quickly. In my oil class with Robert E. Wood, he suggested the orange grass and I loved the idea and the end product. Chi Chi's face was a real challenge, to suggest such rolls and folds on a flat surface was really interesting. Her eyes are big and expressive. This is her "Are you coming to play? I'm ready!!" look.

Chi Chi Oil on birch board

11 x 14 framed    Not For Sale

Kananaskis

I loved how this picture turned out! The colour, shapes and shadows all feel right! The colours were on my photo and my goal was to match them.

Kananaskis

Oil on birch board

12" x 16" framed

click on picture to see larger view

Third MRU 100 Centennial panel completed

This is my third and final panel for the Mount Royal University Centennial Mosaic. This panel was for the Institute of Nonprofit Studies. I really did not know anything about the program until I read about it on the MRU website. It was hard to come up with an idea, so I used a picture on their website as a template.

 The colours were very different for me and the shapes on the panel must be kept. To view it and the rest of the mural (and original panels) click http://www.mtroyal.ca/100/mural100.htm then click on any of the small panels to see the individual panel and information. It is really interesting to see what the original panel looks like and how they incorporated the colours and shapes with their idea. The whole mosaic will be unveiled in September and all the panels will make a final picture. I can hardly wait!!

"The INS as an academic centre can be thought of as the connecting hub of a forward moving wheel. The Institute for Nonprofit Studies fits within a broad institutional structure but it operates by moving things forward and exists at the point where the "rubber hits the road"."

Another dog portrait

This friendly face is Muggins. His picture was so cute and expressive, not to mention the dress up clothes that I just had to try and paint him. I painted the whole birch board with a mixed orange under painting and then painted him on top. I have now tried a water colour (Buddy), an acrylic (Bronte) and Muggins is in oil. I am happy with the results and think I captured cute Muggins.

Oil on birch board

10 1/2" x 13" unframed
click on painting to see a larger view
SOLD

Salmon River Run

This picture was a real challenge for me as I had no idea on how to tackle it!! I love the final painting though. Standing away from it, you can tell it is Salmon in water with rocks, but up close it is very abstract. Last year the salmon run was a record breaking year in B.C. It was really amazing to see. These two salmon were resting in very shallow water. I would love to tackle this one in a larger format.

Oil painting on birch panel

10 1/2" x 13" unframed
click on painting to see a larger view

Oil painting as an MRU Grad gift

This is a painting I did from a photo Curtis (our son) took early in the morning of the plane he was about to fly. The sky colours were amazing and reflected perfectly on the white plane. I painted this in oil as a grad gift for Curtis as he graduates from Mount Royal University with a Commercial Aviation diploma. We are very proud of him!

 The painting currently hangs in the Mount Royal University library as part of the 100 year anniversary for MRU. I surprised him with the gift by showing it to him hanging in the library.

Oil painting 16 x 20 MRU Grumman Cougar plane