Antarctic series #3 - Departing British Base Rothera

"Departing British Base Rothera"

Oil on canvas   16" x 20"

#20029516 $300 unframed

The reference photo is a view from the plane just leaving the base in Antarctica taken by our son while working as a pilot for Kenn Borek Air. I loved the colour and shapes as well as the feel of the isolation and lack of human intervention.

Antarctic Series #1 - Antarctic Fall

This is the first painting I did in a series from photo references our son Curtis took while he was working as a pilot in Antarctica over 2 seasons. I tried to capture the majestic size and shape of the mountains and icebergs in this series. I found them very awe inspiring and was so grateful to have his reference photos.

"Antarctic Fall"

16" x 20" Oil on canvas

$300 unframed 

#20023516

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).

Hidden In The Spring Grass

"Hidden In The Spring Grass"

Oil on board 10" x 10"

$135 framed   #20005516

I spotted these beauties on my Monday morning walk with the hockey ladies. These crocuses were bursting through the dried ground, I had to move the dried grass covering to get a good look. Everything else was so dried and muted and these were so beautiful and fresh, what an inspiring find!

This painting was juried into the FCA Calgary Chapter "Absolutely Art 2016" show this Saturday at Haysboro Community Centre from 10am - 4pm. I have 3 other paintings in this show. Hope to see you there!

2016 Self Portrait - "My Painting Face"

Well I got a lot of flack about this one, mainly from family. I worked on it again this morning but in a wonderful sun lit room and the feeling is not as ominous. Yesterday was unusually overcast and gray.

I started painting at 6:15 a.m. when my hubbie got up to get ready for work. I thought I would try and paint early as I was finding my days were filled with other things and painting just didn't get high on the list. 

A scary view at 6:15 a.m.! With a mirror on my easel, my critical brain kept reacting to what I was seeing but I just kept painting anyways. When my stomach rumbled it was time to be done. The printing on the side reads "I put on my painting face...It can take the internal and external criticism."

My 2015 self portrait is here and 2014 selfie.

"My Painting Face"

10" x 8" Oil on canvas panel

#20029416  Not For Sale

Antacrtic Series #2 - "Patagonia"

I painted the first of this series earlier on, you can see it here. The reference for this one was a photo taken by our son on his journey to Antarctica. This is a view from his plane of the Patagonia mountain range. Cerro Torre is the peak on the left with Mt. Fitz Roy on the right. This was a very challenging view as it did not have a foreground, middle ground and back ground. One of Doug Swinton's suggestions was changing the colour of the sky to make it recede into the background and that solved the visual perspective problem. This was challenging as I had never painted anything quite like this top of the mountain view. I really love how this turned out!

"Patagonia"

Oil on canvas 16" x 20"

#20010316

5. Nature's Path

"Nature's Path"

20" x 16"

Oil on canvas framed

#20025216

$350

This was a challenge for me as I wanted the flowers and grass to be loose but not look like I had 2 separate paintings with the mountains behind. With Doug Swinton's help I feel like everything is well balanced and interesting. I am really happy with this one!

"Girls Who Do Lunch" - Liana Bennett FCA workshop

"Girls Who Do Lunch"

20" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas

#20021316  $300 unframed

Can't you just feel the fun in this one?! Again "Abstracting The Figure" was the workshop so I wasn't going for a realistic rendering but rather the figures gesture and attitude. Love, love, love this one. I hope to do more in a similar style.

Liana Bennett FCA workshop - "The Last Show"

I have read artists "story lines" for their art and always wonder how they come up with such descriptive ideas behind their art. I usually paint what inspires me. At Liana's "Abstracting The Figure" workshop, I had the experience of a full story in a painting develop before me. We were to paint a blank canvas using words, colours, designs, really anything that inspired us.

I started with a very colourful background (no surprise there) and printed the word "GRATITUDE" in capital letters across it, knowing full well it would probably be covered up. It looked like a funky graffiti wall. We were told to carve out a figure and the story began. The figure started to look like someone in period costume and it made me think of my Aunt Lynn that recently passed away. She was very involved in theater and as I saw this progress everything fit, the last dress up, last story delivered, last performance and with gratitude!





"The Last Show"
Acrylic on canvas board 20" x 16"
#20020316