sunsets

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Queenstown Peaks, New Zealand

Sunday, July 12th, 2020

Queenstown Peaks, New Zealand – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Framed size 27H x 33W inches, white wood frame, crackle finish.

Pacific NW Sunset

Thursday, January 30th, 2020

Pacific NW Sunset, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

I’ve never really been successful with soft pastels. They are ultra-fussy, ultra-messy, particularly once you start adding dark colors, which leaves you feeling ultra-discouraged at the end of the day.

I’m up for the challenge though, with the additional provocation to use black, which I never use, preferring usually to use purple or blue or other color combos instead. Using black is an offense that will be fun to defy, at least that’s the intention. Black will help the other colors sing with contrast, assuming I’m able to prevent too much accidental blending. Workable fixative is very helpful.

The 18 x 24 inch pad of 140 lb cold pressed no-name watercolor paper that I ordered online does not have the tooth or qualities I like as a painting surface, but is working nicely for soft pastels. There are 6 more pages left in the pad for this pastel series.

Nimkish Lake Sunset

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Nimkish Lake Sunset, 12 x 12 inches acrylics on canvas. Frame unnecessary.

Mountain Fantasy 01

Saturday, November 25th, 2017

Mountain Fantasy 01, 6W x 2H inches watercolors

Stellar’s Jays

Monday, April 17th, 2017

Work in progress, Stellar’s Jays at Nimkish Lake, Vancouver Island BC, 18 x 24 inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold press. For years I’ve been visualizing a painting that portrays the Stellar’s Jay in various poses, representing general character. My Dad pointed out that Stellar’s Jays don’t usually group this way, which is an accurate view of the broader behaviour that didn’t even occur to me. Interesting! Phase 02 below and detail image – the yellow is masking medium:

Normally I don’t outline anything when starting a painting, which works fine with acrylics because it’s easy to change things throughout the process, but watercolors don’t allow for much room for error, especially if you don’t have much practice with them. Wingin’ it usually works for me because I don’t mind failure in exchange for experience, but mapping out the shapes and arrangement lightly in pencil really helps, and confidence is fundamental to painting well.

New Mexico Sunset

Saturday, February 7th, 2015

New Mexico Sunset, 11H x 14W inches oil pastels on paper, white mat. An extreme departure in style, but sometimes the impression of the experience calls for it.

500X Gallery: Landscape

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Saint Catherine’s Sunset, Ontario, Canada – 11H x 11W x 3D acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted, showingOctober 1 0 – 31st, 2009 500X Gallery Open Show: Landscape, 500 Exposition Ave. Dallas, TX. Opening Reception Saturday, October 10th, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Oxide Gallery 1st Year Anniversary celebration today, Tuesday October 6th, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Happy Anniversary Oxide Gallery!

I’ll be giving a demo on the use of Masking Fluid in acrylics paintings, so come and reveal one painting by helping to peel off the rubberized mask – I don’t even know what it looks like underneath, so it will be a surprise for all of us. Techniques on applying the fluid will be demonstrated on another painting already in progress. Three pieces accepted in the current show at Oxide Gallery are:

St. Catharine’s Sunset

Friday, February 27th, 2009

St. Catharine’s Sunset Ontario, Canada just north of Niagara Falls, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Frame unnecessary. Hang on a wall or display on a flat surface. Signed on the side so as not to impose on the composition.

There is no one method for starting a painting. When faced with a blank white surface, sometimes our mind can go blank too. When that happens I use a base color that inspires energy. Here, water and paint were dripped down a wet surface of Hansa Yellow Deep. Painting intuitively with a wide raggedy old brush, the fraying bristles are used to advantage, and those marks direct how the painting proceeds.

This painting is dedicated to my Mom, born in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada whose birthday was two days ago.

Going for the magic every hour

Friday, August 15th, 2008

Magic Hour finished (Gitxsan Totem Pole, Thunderbird Park, Victoria, BC Canada), 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, sturdy home-built stretcher frame, wrapped sides painted, narrow trim frame. Here is an earlier post with information about this totem pole.

Great moments in painting are addictive, when so completely immersed in the work that time becomes non-existent… The Zone! I’ve had a good week with this one, partly because of getting past the habit of trying to control the outcome. Things happen in every painting that are not planned, and the endless choices are part of the fun.

Painting is considered to be a two-dimensional undertaking, but it’s so much more. While lost in the work process, all the dimensions of the subject are explored, including the deeper dimensions of ourselves. While painting we discover our convictions and the means to ask how far we are willing to go to stand up for them.

Work every day is about continually reevaluating decisions, taking responsibility for choices made, being honest about mistakes, shortcomings and limitations of media and self, and digging deep to find compromise between technical and intuitive solutions. It’s about control of all those elements, combined with easing up on trying to control too much. All this and more translates onto a flat surface as we hope to give the illusion of depth…if that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is!

Post-dated Note: When choosing this totem pole that is erected in Thunderbird Park at the RBC Museum in Victoria, I didn’t realize that it’s the same one that Emily Carr painted in 1928. More magic! Here is a link to more information about this totem and the Gitxsan Poles moved from Gitanyow (formerly Kitwankool) B.C.

A word here about artists’ representation of First nations or any other cultural/historic works: subjects are painted with the greatest honor and respect, with purpose to study and draw interest to the importance of appreciating our multi-cultural world and the unique characteristics of each and every culture. This is what artists do. Our differences as cultures are connected across time and place, as there are many common traits and themes expressed through Art everywhere.
Robert Genn and readers of The Painters’ Keys have some very interesting comments all around the board about this topic.

Magic Hour, progress

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Magic Hour detail image, top half of 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, sturdy home-built core stretcher frame, wrapped sides painted, work in progress. I decided not to lighten the background after all — am leaving the background as-is with loose brushwork in contrast to the totem pole which will be much clearer. To achieve the weathered look I’m using a dish-washing scratch pad to remove some of the paint.