Meandering

This is a typical view of hiking near the Canadian Rocky Mountains with the river valleys. We have wonderful hiking within 1 - 2 hour drive from Calgary.

I go on an annual hiking trip with a group of ladies and take all kinds of photos to inspire me later. The ladies generously share their photos as well so it is great to see different
perspectives and what interests them in a landscape scene.







"Meandering"
16" x 20" Oil on canvas
#20011319  For Sale

Painting Sale

Special pricing from Feb 1 until Feb 14 - all paintings still available on website will be 1/2 price plus shipping and $10 for packaging. I am revamping my art studio and website. Please email me at karen.oliver @outlook.com (no spaces). This does NOT include paintings in shows or galleries (first come/first served).

https://www.karenoliversfineart.com/

Sweet Not Sour

"Sweet Not Sour"
12" x 12" on 1 1/2" thick canvas (no frame required) with dark painted sides
#20104118

This painting is from a photo reference I took this summer standing under our cherry tree. I couldn't paint it on location as the sun was dancing through the leaves and therefore on my canvas and palette. The other problem was eating the "model" before it could be painted.

Early Morning Mist

This sweet little painting was inspired by the misty view on Mara Lake when I got up early to go dragon boat paddling. The lake was shimmering in places and still in others. With the smokey skies lifting a little, this view is a slice of heaven for me. If you are in Sicamous B.C.next summer, you will have to come out and give dragon boat paddling a try, breath taking in more ways than one! They welcome guests! This group of paddlers are so much fun, you get a good work out with a lot of laughing (join us after for coffee as well).

"Early Morning Mist"

8" x 10"  Oil on panel

#20005918

Standing Tall - favourite painting for 2017

This is the largest painting I have done and is also my favourite for 2017. It is 40" x 30". I finished this painting mid-December and loved it so much I had it framed. Swinton's Art Supply did a fabulous job considering the canvas support was warped (unknown to me). I recently picked it up and have put it in my front room.

I have been trying to paint on the canvases I have already bought and the shear size of this one scared me. Well I put my "big girl panties" on and went for it. With Doug's suggestions I was happy with the direction it was going and continued on. I was also not used to the large amount of paint I had to mix, especially for the water and sky. This was by far the most expensive painting I have done but very exciting to work this large (it was a like a full body work out)!

Standing Tall

39 1/2" x 29 1/2" Oil on canvas, framed

#20022118

Mountains Revisited

I wish I had taken a photo of this painting in progress when I became "stuck". The painting on the right is in stage 2. The trees in the front were to fussy and the mountain shadow colours were not receding enough in stage 1. Doug corrected the shadow colour and "smooshed" all the trees I had painted in the front with a large brush.

This is the finished painting. I reworked around the painting with Doug's direction and suggestions and am now quite happy with it. The sky is lighter, more definition in the ground plane and of course the tree line reads correctly now.


"Mountains Revisited"
16" x 20" Oil on canvas
#20110117

Enderby Cliffs

This large painting is one of my current favourites. I painted a smaller panel "en plein air" (on location, outdoors) and loved the whole feeling and wanted to capture it in a large format. The sun was getting ready to go down and the lighting on the cliffs behind was magnificent with the brightly lit foreground. I had initially had the value of the mountain to dark and detailed and with the more muted tones and less detail it sat back instead of competing with the foreground (thanks Doug). 

"Enderby Cliffs"

20" x 24"

#20023517        Oil on panel

Where Poppies Bloom

"Where Poppies Bloom"

11" X 14"   Oil on canvas

#20001457

There were beautiful poppies beside the old rail beds that were turned into a cycle/walking route through Spain. I loved the contrast of the new blossoming flowers with the very old stone farm houses and buildings.

Heading In For Lunch

"Heading In For Lunch"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

#20003517
This painting was based on a photo Doug Swinton took. He is very generous with his photo references and often pulls one out that will challenge or would work in that student's style. I really enjoyed painting this one and how it turned out.

Spring Joy

"Spring Joy"

16" x 12"   Oil on canvas board

#20029417

This painting was a joy to paint. The reference photo was from my friend Sue. She may not recognize it as I altered it a lot! The feeling and idea of a fresh spring "newness" was on my mind as I painted this. Fresh beginnings for both nature and to nurture.

Hiking Back To Town

"Hiking Back To Town"

18" X 22" Oil on board

#20017417

The reference for this painting was after a hike through El Charco in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico taken on our way out. The sky was lit up and the house blended right into the coloured grasses, it was spectacular.

Country Lane and Isolated Drive

"Country Lane"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

#20010416A

"Isolated Drive"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

#20010416B

These paintings were both done with a reference photo of Doug Swinton's. I was trying to give them a different feel and changing up the trees. Once again the lesson for me was in value (that is one of the many reasons I took Doug"s class!).

1 Reference Photo, 3 Paintings

These 3 paintings were all done using the same reference taken by Doug Swinton. I was trying different values, shapes and colours to see what effects and how different I can make them. I decided to keep them all with realistic colours. I enlisted my relatives: Evan, Tammy and Darcy to come up with names for about 10 paintings that I had completed (a huge thank you). They came through and I am all caught up with the naming, it is a tougher job than you would think!

"Off Trail"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

##20005417A

"Fall Walk"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

##20005417B

"Ode To Autumn Vision"

 8" x 10" Oil on canvas board

##20005417C

Valley Life

"Valley Life"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

#20027317

This is a painting from a photo I took while hiking up to the Enderby cliffs of the valley and river below. I had trouble trying to lay the river flat, it kept looking like it was turning up on the sides. Doug also had to help me eliminate all the unnecessary detail in the foreground, as always I was getting to literal to my photo. I can hear him now "Big Shapes, Big Shapes"!

1 Reference, 4 Paintings

These paintings were all done in a couple classes and at home with a reference of Doug Swinton's. Again I was trying to get a different feel with different shapes and colours as well as adding or deleting elements. It is kind of fun to compare them when they are one on top of each other like this. Doug challenged me to paint them individually, not looking at the previous one.

"Rural Advantage"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

#20024317A

"Country Living"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

#20024317B

"Golden Fields"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

#20024317C

"Bucolic View"

8" x 10" Oil on canvas panel

#20024317D

Man And Nature Seasoning

"Man And Nature Seasoning"

 Oil on canvas board 20" x 16"

 #20020317

The reference photo was taken during our ladies hiking weekend near Parson's B.C. With the early morning mist just gone, the fall colours were almost neon, they were so beautiful. I took many photos but the one I used was on a calendar that my photographer friend Sue Bingham gifted me. The best part of the gift is I am free to paint any of the photos she puts in the calendar!

Living Skies

Living Skies

12" x 12"

Oil on panel      #20013317

I love the big sky view you find on the Canadian prairies. The houses seem to snuggle comfortably into the ground making the whole view very calm and peaceful. I found I really enjoyed painting in this square format and size.

Ski Memories - a gift for a friend

This is a painting on a canvas my friend gave me after she attended a "paint along". She was not happy with the painting she did and had it unhappily in her office. I painted over it with a scene reminiscent of Rocky Mountain views seen on cross country ski trips when she was a Beaver/Cub/Scout leader. If the light lands on the painting a certain way, you can see some of the acrylic textural paint underneath, a reminder of our shared artistic endeavors. Happy Belated Birthday Karen H.!

"Ski Memories"

16" x 20" Oil on canvas

#20001317

Heading West

This painting is a view of the fertile Canadian prairie with the Rocky Mountains in the background. It was painted from a photo Doug let me use in class.

 "Heading West"

 Oil on canvas board 10" x 8"

#20025217

Sun Seekers - A Valentine's bouquet

A wild bouquet for you on Valentine's Day. This is from a photo reference that Helena took and posted on Facebook. She has kindly allowed me to paint any of hers (how generous is that!) and she takes photos that really peak my interest. I love that the flowers are in different stages of their life and not all cookie cutter.

"Sun Seekers"

12" x 12" Oil on board

#20014217