Red and Green

Original Oil on Canvas Panel  6 x 6  
Currently Showing at the Christmas Small Works Show
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

I just love the combination of these two complimentary colours, red and green. I spotted these grapes in the fruit bowl and quickly put them in my favourite green bowl and painted away. My husband was a bit concerned that once again he couldn't eat the fruit he had just brought home, but I managed to complete the painting in time for dessert.

Red and Green

On the Spit

Oil on Canvas Panel  8 x 10  $95

Yesterday my plein air friends and I went to a place called Esquimalt Lagoon. It was a lovely sunny day, which I can tell you have been few and far between. The house is on a spit of land that extends along the oceanfront, forming a lagoon. The water in my painting is almost like a river that runs from the lagoon around the spit and reconnects with the ocean on the far left. My friends were busy painting the natural beach scape, but I was struck by those three telephone poles in beside the house. I loved the tilt of the poles and gently swooping wires. It gave the scene a summer place feel, although no one actually lives in the house.

There is so much wildlife in this lagoon. We saw a sea otter as we arrived, countless blue heron were busy fishing in the shallows, and there was a lot of eagle action overhead. So close we could hear there powerful wings beating the air. We all agreed that there is no better way to spend a sunny morning, than to head out painting together.

 

On the Spit

All Fired Up

Oil on Canvas Panel  6 x 6  $75


After the tight painting 'Apeeling', I had a need to do something light and loose. This little flower looked like it was on fire, the colour was so pure and vivid, so I called it All Fired Up. It's a sunny, feel good little painting.

 

All Fired Up

Apeeling

On the weekend I wrote that I had planned to post this step by step, but then decided not to because I'm thinking of entering this painting in a show, and I thought it would be against the show rules. I reviewed the rules and think it's fine. I was being a bit a too diligent I think. So here's the post.

Here is the value study of my painting 'Apeeling'. I drew it out using a view finder, and measuring the proportions and angles with my paintbrush. Then painted in the abstract shapes and values.

I've started blocking in the big abstract shapes.

This is the modeling phase, where I'm trying to see and create the subtle changes in colour, tone and temperature. Working on creating the volume of the objects, seeing colours reflected into the underside of the chrome bar, and starting to create the reflection of the peel onto the tabletop.

Original Oil on Linen  11 x 14  $650

This is the highlight and accent phase. I added the highlights and applied some impasto paint to further emphasize the apple and peel. I'm trying to decide if I should further define the chrome edge of the table. I tried to downplay it so it wouldn't compete with the apple, but I'm thinking it needs some crisping up. Any comments?

 



 

Apeeling

Tuscan Oranges

Original Acrylic on Exhibition Canvas   20 x 16  SOLD


This is one of the paintings that I submitted for the Summer Small Works Show at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. It's a vibrant, fun, feel good painting, and will make an impact on someone's kitchen or breakfast nook wall.
I have been busy painting a piece for my Retro Series, which I had planned to post today. I've been photographing it in progress, to show a step by step, but decided that I like
it so much, I'm going to save it for an upcoming show, and therefore can't post it. Sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy the painting I posted in lieu.

Tuscan Oranges

Still Life Show - Vancouver BC

From the Garden Acrylic on Exhibition Canvas  24 x 24  $800 + s/h

Au Marché  Acrylic on Exhibition Canvas  24 x 24  $800 + s/h

I'm very pleased to announce that two of my paintings 'From the Garden' and 'Au Marché' have been juried into the Annual Still Life Show at Federation Gallery in Vancouver BC. The exhibition runs until June 27 and you can view the entire show online at
http://artists.ca/show/still_life_show

Check out the site for more information about the Federation of Canadian Artists, a community of artists and art lovers who share a passion for the visual arts through education, exhibition and communication. Also check out two International Shows coming up soon, that you may be interested in entering - POTE 'Painting on the Edge', and AIRS 'Annual International Representational Show'.

Still Life Show - Vancouver BC

Trial Island

Here I am plein air painting off of South Oak Bay about 1 mile from where I live.

Original Oil 8 x 10 SOLD

On the weekend my painting buddy Sharon and I headed out on probably the most beautiful day we've had so far this summer. We absolutely had to stop when we saw this million dollar view of Trial Island with the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, fully visible in the background. The Olympic Mountains are generally cloaked in cloud.

I'm generally pleased with the outcome but I think I got a bit too busy with the foreground. Those pesky details just want to jump off my brush! I'm happy with the aerial perspective though.

Trial Island

Jazz at the Airport

Jammin' Acrylic 30 x 24 SOLD

I've been asked about my jazz paintings currently on exhibit at the Victoria International Airport. So here are three of the images to give you an idea. They are part of a series called
"The Architecture of Jazz". This scene is the entrance to Market Square in Victoria, a popular place for festivals in the Summer.

Musical Spaces 2  Original Acrylic  30 x 24  $700 +s/h

These paintings were done with a palette knife on textured canvas. The canvas was textured first with molding paste, then the paint built up in many layers, creating a lot of depth and texture, to echo the depth and texture of jazz music. This scene depicts a loft space in Old Town with a view of the much loved Johnson Street Bridge, or the Blue Bridge, through the window.

Backstage Bebop   Acrylic on Canvas  30 x 24  $700 + s/h


The concept behind these paintings is that jazz musicians play together as a combo, then depart individually into their own musical space as they launch into improvisation. The musical spaces are represented by the architectural features of doorways, leaning and tilting as they move to the riffs and grooves of the music. Backstage Bebop has a forties feel to it, as so much great jazz music came out of that era. It depicts a lone musician warming up backstage.

Jazz at the Airport

Lone Lemon

Original Oil on Canvas Panel  6 x 6  $85 + s/h

In this painting I continued with my goal of painting what I see. Working on getting the colour and value tones just right. I have found that when painting reflections, whether on water, or on something reflective like this stainless steel bowl, it's best to forget what you're painting and just paint the abstract shapes. 

 

Lone Lemon

Sweet n' Spicey

Original Oil on Panel 6 x 6 - SOLD
Currently Showing at the Christmas Small Works Show
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria


This is the first post workshop painting I've done. It's always interesting to paint following a workshop, because you feel like you have all this new knowledge and no idea how to paint! So I've tried to forget everything I knew before and focus on the new stuff. My goal here was trying to nail the colour and tonal values - painting what I see. I'm pleased with the outcome, especially with the jalapeno pepper on the plate. The colour nuances really worked on that little guy.

Sweet n' Spicey