Hot off the Easel!

Daybreak  Oil  12 x 16

Green Tea & Oranges/Suzanne   Oil  16 x 16

I'm pleased to announce that these two paintings were accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists Juried Spring Exhibition 2019 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 

March 3 - 31.  Our Opening Reception will be on March 7th, 6:00 - 8:30pm. The artists will be attendance, along with live guitar jazz and refreshments. Entrance to the Massey Gallery is free of charge by checking in with the front desk on arrival. If you live in the area I hope you can drop by!  The exhibition poster is below.

Hot off the Easel!

Asian Themed Still Life

Eastern Elegance II  18 x 24  Oil

I love the Asian aesthetic and have painted many paintings with Asian inspired objects. Living on the west coast there is a lot of Asian influence and it's easy to find beautiful props in thrift shops or consignment stores. 

This was the first painting I did in my new studio inside my house, which I was still busy trying to figure out. I now have great lighting in the room, so I can easily paint at night time if I want to. The bulbs I purchased are Satco LED A19, 15.5W, and 5000K which provides full spectrum light. I can easily see the colours on my palette as well as on my canvas. Because I paint from life and try to have only one light source, I set up my still life in a black shadow box, with a spot light trained on the set up. I then taped some wide sheets of Aluminium foil attached to each other as one, from the ceiling, blocking the room lighting from hitting the still life set up. The shiny side is turned away from me, which is working, but I may change this to a dark fabric. I also have black out fabric curtains to avoid sunlight coming in when painting a still life, as I have a south facing studio. It's heaven to not have to set up and break down all the time, and to have all my reference books, magazines, props and painting materials all in one place!! What is the best thing in your studio that you're really happy with? 

Asian Themed Still Life

AGGV Summer Small Works Show

Satsuma IV   Oil   10 x 8   $325

Oolong   Oil   8 x 10   $325

I'm really pleased that my paintings Satsuma IV and Oolong are in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Summer Small Works Show! I recently attended the Artists Reception in the Massey Hall, and must say it is a beautiful show. There are so many gorgeous paintings by well known artists, and all at affordable prices. If you are on the market for a small piece of art, or are looking for a special gift for someone, check it out! Entry to the Small Works Show is free. For information on these paintings contact the Art Gallery Sales and Rentals. 

AGGV Summer Small Works Show

Porcelain and Pears

Porcelain and Pears   Oil   8 x 10  SOLD

This is another piece from my Eastern Aesthetic series of blue and white porcelain. It was a small work that I painted for my Studio Tour.  It was a popular piece over that weekend, and ended up going to new home. The lovely couple who bought it have taken painting classes from me, so I was very happy that it went to a good home with people I know and enjoy. Our paintings are almost like our pets! 

Porcelain and Pears

Asian Still Life with Satsuma Oranges

Satsuma II   Oil  12 x 16   SOLD

Here is another Asian inspired painting from from my blue and white porcelain series. I love painting blue and white porcelain with all the beautiful patterns, and organic shapes. I drew inspiration for this painting and the painting in my last post, from Matisse, who combined many patterns and textiles in his still life paintings. I incorporated a silk paneled tapestry in the background, reinforcing the Asian theme, while relating the background with the foreground. I have a thing for Satsuma oranges, which I've painted many times. For me they speak to the genre of the still life - a simple everyday object given a special beauty through the study of light on form. 

This painting is going to new owner on the weekend, as it was purchased at my recent Oak Bay Artists Studio Tour. Thanks to all of you who came out for the event, and stayed for some great conversations. I so enjoyed meeting you!

Asian Still Life with Satsuma Oranges

Oak Bay Artists Spring Studio Tour

Satsuma III   Oil   16 x 16  $750

Wow, it's been so long since I posted, that I had trouble getting into my blog! I've been having wonderful adventures which have resulted in some series of paintings. My husband and I spent two months travelling to Hong Kong, Australia, and Bali, and had the time of our lives. I've just spent a few months since our return quietly painting away and trying not to be distracted by things like social media and housework. ha ha!  

Above is an Asian inspired Still Life that I'm really pleased with. I've been working on utilizing textiles in the background to reinforce the theme of the painting, to create depth, and to relate the background with the foreground. 

This upcoming weekend is the Oak Bay Artists Spring Studio Tour and I will be opening my home studio to the public, and exhibiting my new series of Still Life and Bali paintings. If you are in the area, I hope you can drop and say hi! Here is a link to a printable online map and brochure for the tour. You will find the PDF at the bottom of the page.

Oak Bay Artists Spring Studio Tour

Federation of Canadian Artists Fall Juried Exhibition

I am so pleased to have received Honourable Mention for my painting Satsuma at the FCA Fall Juried Exhibition!  The quality of paintings was very high and I truly feel hounoured to be recognized for my work. If you are in Victoria do drop by Dales Gallery in Chinatown and enjoy the show!

Satsuma  Oil  16 x 20  $1200 

Please contact Dales Gallery for inquiries

The photograph of this painting did not really turn out well. I tried shooting it a number of times using a grey card and I still ended up with a high tone photo, so that the value nuances are not really evident. I learned a lot painting Satsuma, because I layered not only patterns, but also white porcelain in front of each other. So the painting became all about values in order to create the form of each object and to have them stand apart from each other in space instead of blending.

Federation of Canadian Artists Fall Juried Exhibition

Federation of Canadian Artists Juried Fall Exhibition

I'm very pleased to have been accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists Juried Fall Exhibition at Dales Gallery in Chinatown. The show promises to be excellent, with some of Victoria's best loved artists participating. If you are in the area we'd love to see you. Please drop by and say hello at our Opening Reception tomorrow, Saturday November 2nd from 1 - 3pm, where the artists will be in attendance. Below is my piece accepted into the show - Satsuma.

Satsuma  Oil  16 x 20  $1200

Please contact the Gallery if you are interested in this painting.

Federation of Canadian Artists Juried Fall Exhibition

Eastern Elegance II

Eastern Elegance II  Oil on Linen  11 x 14  $650

I'm pleased to tell you that my painting "Eastern Elegance II", has been juried into the Federation of Canadian Artists' Spring Exhibition, here in Victoria. If you are in the area the show is on at Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Rd, until March 28th. There are many talented, well known Victoria artists appearing in the show, and I'm honoured to be a part of it.

I had a great deal of difficulty photographing this piece. It's still not quite what it looks like in real life. The white pot is bleached out with the shadow contrast not really evident. I was getting a lot of glare because of the dark background and finally shot indoors in natural light. If you have any tips for photographing oils with dark passages, please let me know. 

I've just added some pieces to my new website as well as a few testimonials from some of my collectors. I invite you take a moment to view it, and highly recommend FASO to anyone looking for a new website provider. They provide a personalized, highly professional site with enormous options, and excellent support.

Coming up April 14 & 15, is the Oak Bay Artists Spring Studio Tour, with a group preview show to advertise the tour at the Community Arts Council Gallery at Cedar Hill Recreation Center, coming up April 1st. So there's lots happening in the next short while for all you art enthusiasts!

Eastern Elegance II

Silk and Persimmons

Silk and Persimmons  Oil on Linen  11 x 14

This was an experiment with a high horizon line, playing with the rich colours and folds of the silk fabric. I really enjoyed painting the persimmons as well. All the warm nuances and shadows. I'm not sure if I'm completely finished on this one. I may add some glazes in the fabric.

Silk and Persimmons