Vancouver Island
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Sunday, October 15th, 2023
Alder Shadows, Nimkish Lake Sunset, Stellar’s Jay, Bigleaf Maple (Port Renfrew), Creyke Point, and Mount Douglas (Victoria), 4H x 6W inches watercolor pencils on paper
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More Postcards
Friday, October 13th, 2023
Rusty Train Car from logging in Nimkish Lake, Tree Silhouettes in Sidney, Seagulls on a Campbell River beach, and Thunderbird Park Totem in Victoria BC, 4H x 6W inches watercolor pencils on paper
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More Postcards
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023
Dungeness Crab, Qualicum Beach, Queen Anne’s Lace at Bexley Bay, New Growth, and Bumble Bee on Birds-foot Trefoil, today’s additions to the 4H x 6W inches watercolor pencils on paper series.
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Postcards From The Island
Tuesday, October 10th, 2023
While on holiday here in Campbell River BC, I found a set of 24 watercolor pencils in a second-hand shop for only $2, and a pack of 4 x 6″ watercolor paper postcards for only 50 cents. During the next week (only while I’m here) I plan to paint small sketch-series of local sights.
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Scenic 2023
Monday, October 9th, 2023
Elk Falls (version 2), Vancouver Island, BC – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Showing online in Exhibizone’s Scenic 2023 October 09 – December 9, 2023.
Elk Falls Provincial Park
Sunday, September 3rd, 2023
Elk Falls Provincial Park 03, Vancouver Island, BC Canada, version 03, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. White mat and white 27H x 33W” wood frame with crackle finish.
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.