Epoch - Grape Escape Series - #9

"Epoch"

#9 in Grape Escape Series

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

#20114017

I painted this painting as a demo on how to "start" a plein air oil painting. This was not done en plein air (outdoors on location) but I brought my plein air easel and showed how I set up. I was not satisfied with my under painting or "start" when I got home so I wiped half of it out (see below) and started again. I took pictures so I could show the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club how you can wipe out an oil painting unlike acrylic where you paint over.

EVB&P outing for en plein air

 "Hot Blossoms"
8" x 10"   En plein air oil on canvas board
#20003917A

"Hide and Seek"
8" x 10" En plein air oil on canvas board
#2003917B

I painted these two on a beautiful and hot day with the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in/from Jean Ellithorpe's beautiful yard. Jean had chairs and small seating areas all around her stunning property. Artists were working in ink, pencil, water colour and oil and the variety of subjects and styles were very interesting. Although she thought her flowers were past their prime, there were plenty of varieties for everyone to draw or paint. Ornaments in the garden were beautiful, entertaining and a few had me chuckling. The ducks were having their fun in the lake and I loved trying to paint them while they bobbed up and down.

Artisan Coffee - Art talk August 22

This was painted with coffee for an art talk with the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club at the Sicamous Public Library on August 22 from 1 pm to 2 pm. This talk will showcase the various art done within this club. My portion of the talk will be on painting with coffee and oil painting. If you are in the area and interested, please join us. Paintings will be on display in the library until the talk for everyone to enjoy and have an idea what will be on the itinerary.

Paddling The Shuswap

This painting was done with the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous. Leanne Spanza taught a workshop for the group awhile back and not all could attend so Betty showed us Leanne's technique and away we went. It was certainly different for me to paint in this style but doing a water scene is always enjoyable in any style. Leanne's technique looks simple enough until you try to do it, enjoyed the learning there.

"Paddling The Shuswap"

16" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

#20119216

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.

Friday at the Sicamous Red Barn

I happily joined the artists from the Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous for their weekly art time. The challenge was to draw a person's face from a magazine UPSIDE DOWN. We were shown the example in "Drawing From the Right Side Of The Brain" art book and then tried it out.

It may seem funny that as an artist, I don't like to draw, I like to paint! This was a wonderful exercise for me as just looking at the lines and shapes of the face upside down seemed to shut my critical brain down and it was just an enjoyable experience. I was really happy and surprised at the result when I finished and turned the picture and my drawing right side up, it was a lot better than I could of done right side up! I did not get the second one finished but the result was still recognizable.

Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club Art Show and Sale

The Sicmous, B.C. summer art show and sale was postponed due to flooding. Instead of the sale and celebrations over the July long weekend, it was held over the August long weekend. Artists were allowed to put in 4 paintings as well as tables with handmade crafts. On this table I had hand painted wine glasses, cards as well as some of my 6"x6" flower series oil painting. Happlily some of each sold, but the attendance was down about 1/3. I had to come back to Calgary to work before the art show was over, but gratefully Mary picked up what did not sell.

The picture on the top left is mine "After The Tourist Season" 16"x 20" Oil on canvas. The art was all local with a variety of oil, acrylic, and watercolour paintings as well as jewelry, glass, intarsia, wood work and wire work. 

Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club

This is a wonderful group of Artist in Sicamous B.C. They meet every Friday at the historical Red Barn. I try to join them every chance I get when I am in Sicamous. This week they were working on water colour. They had sprayed their paper with a gold webbing, let it dry then painted over top of it. I brought supplies to work in oil so could not join them, but delighted in the process and the final outcome. Everyone's looked so different as some painted scenery, others flowers etc. Betty teaches a new process or the group challenges themselves with different instructors, projects and work individually. It is a wonderful community of artists and friends that greet me with open arms and hearty laughter.

Betty had brought this Gladiola from her garden. The colours were very striking so I used it as my still life for the day.

Betty's Gladiola

Oil on board 8" x 6"