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.

Farmer's Castle

This painting is based on a photo and the experience of biking through back roads in Spain in May. The countryside was quiet, peaceful and absolutely stunning!

Farmer's Castle

8 x 10 Oil on panel

$100 unframed

# 20023716

Sun Glow - pastel painting

"Sun Glow"

12 " x 11 pastel on yellow archival mat board

$200 double matted in silver metal frame #20015716

Part of my summer goal was to enter into every category that I could in the Armstrong Spullumcheen Ribbon Show in Armstrong, B.C.. There are a possible 8 categories and pastel is one of them. Betty lent me her pastels and after perusing articles on painting with pastel and photos of the Spanish country side from a recent trip I set to work while painting at the Red Barn with the Brush and Palette Club. I was happy with this bright and cheery painting. The show continues until August 6.

Ruby Red

"Ruby Red"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

$80 unframed

#20013716

I saw this car at a car show and was attracted to the colour and highlights first, then the great shape. I don't even know what kind or year it is. By the polished look and shape, someone loves it a lot.

Plein Air painting at Salmon Arm, B.C. "W.O.W." event

I decided to go and paint in Salmon Arm B.C. and then take in the W.O.W. (Wednesday On The Wharf) weekly free evening live music. I painted the view (top photo) 8"x10" and then thought I still had time to try another view in a larger format (12"x16"). What I did not account for is the very interested visitors that were gathering for the show as well as walking along the long dock. A very nice gentlemen took the photo of me and my painting in progress AND showed me how to take better photos on my phone.   I knew I felt relaxed and was enjoying myself when 2 ducks decided to have their afternoon nap at my feet! What a great afternoon and evening. The band "West My Friend" was fabulous and entertaining.

Armstrong Spallumcheen Art Gallery Ribbon Show

One of my summer goals was to enter into every category (except "kids") in the Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum & Arts Society "Ribbon Show". I did pretty good, only missing one. I guess that will be my goal for next summer and now I will have the full year to work on it. Marg and Caroline joined me on opening night and we really had a lot of fun. This show fills both galleries and is really a hidden gem. If you get a chance to go through Armstrong, B.C. before August 6, this show is a must! Thanks for taking the photos Marg!

Armstrong Spallumcheen Art Gallery Ribbon Show entries

1. Portrait - My Painting Face - Second Place
2. Watercolour - Roads Well Travelled - Third Place
3. Acrylic - Single
4. Pastel - Sun Glow
5. Alternate Medium - Cord Holder - Toilet Paper Roll with ink and felt pen (Zentangle) - Second Place
6. Oil - Glacier County 2 - Second Place
7. Mixed Media - Continents Unite - Acrylic, Ink, Glass, Epoxy - Second Place

Plein Air Painting on another rainy day

Yesterday was a rainy day so I decided to stay close to home and went up to Hyde Mountain Golf Course and look for a non-lake view. I loved the colours in the mountain so painted from the edge of the parking lot.

Hyde Mountain Golf Course View from parking lot

10" x 8" plein air oil on canvas panel

The rain came pouring down so I packed up and decided to do some errands and have a look at the Sicamous Public Beach. With rain coming in from the far right, the beach was nearly deserted. I had the joy of happy sounds from a couple of families enjoying the beach to themselves. I painted my favourite tree that is still in high lake water (behind the floating dock). 

View from Sicamous Public Beach

8" x 10" plein air oil on canvas panel

Painting With Coffee

This was a fun day with the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous. Dianna Bowles did a demo of how to mix and paint with coffee. For once dipping my painting brush in my coffee cup paid off! These were painted in a water colour style but you could only touch an area 3 times before the coffee paint lifted off. I loved how shiny the dark coffee colour is almost a 3 dimensional effect.

This was my resource photo, taken off a calendar my friend Sue made for me from her artful photos (Thanks again Sue!).

As I still had time left, I decided I would paint whatever was on the page of an art magazine when I opened it up. I wish I had taken a photo of the resource so I could give credit to the original artist and show their work.

TRAIL MIX - Salmon Arm Art Gallery

I was lucky enough to be one of the artists juried in to this amazing show "Artists and Guides Explore The Shuswap". Selected artists went with a guide and photographer to a designated park or hiking area. Shirley was our guide and knew the Skimikin area in and out through her equestrian interests. She led CIan (photographer) and I up to Cougar Bluff where I painted two paintings. Shirley worked on clearing the trail and Clay took photos of the whole event and views while I painted. We ate lunch and hiked back down. Clay carried my large wet panel (16"x20") and I had all my oil painting supplies in a large backpack. 

"Next Generation" 10" x 8" En Plein Air Oil

"Cougar Bluff View" 16" x 20" En Plein Air Oil

After we said our good byes I stayed at Skimikin Lake and painted 3 more paintings until the light was flat (you can tell by the sky colour dimming) and I was losing interesting colours (and was in an exhilarating and exhausted state). I have never painted that much or that long en plein aire (outdoors on location) or indoors! The changing light was hard to give the paintings a cohesive feel and I wasn't used to painting orange lit hills.The five paintings are displayed with our write up and Clay's visual photographs of our day. The show is at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery www.salmonarmartscentre.ca and runs from July 1 to August 27.

 "Ready And Waiting" 10" x 8" En Plein Air Oil

"Skimikin Lake View" 10" x 8: En Plein Air Oil     "Dusk Lighting the Hills" 10" x 8"En Plein Air Oil

I am sooooooo excited after attending the "Meet The Artist, Guide and Photographer" for the Salmon Arm Art Gallery Trail Mix! Above are three pictures from the opening...the first is the "Trail Mix - Artist & Guides Explore the Shuswap" book for sale and the show brochure. The second picture is a photo of me beside my "en plein air" paintings (on site) and the last one is of photos taken by Ian of our shared day - hiking, clearing bush (Shirley, our guide kept busy) and Ian taking photos of the day.

Plein Air Painting on a rainy day

This was my view from the beautiful covered deck at Hyde Mountain Golf Course in Sicamous B.C. Kim gave me free rein to paint where ever and however long I wanted to. I had no competition for the deck so hid under the canopy and happily painted. It was raining hard and the clouds were moving quickly, you can see the difference in the two pictures. By the time I got to the closest hill the colour green was finally emerging. 

"Rainy Day plein air from Hyde Mountain Golf Course"

8" x 10" oil on canvas board