Naptime

Original Oil on Linen 11 x 14 $275

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It feels like quite a while since I posted. I've been preparing submissions for a variety of shows and events running through the summer, and am still preparing for the Oak Bay Artists' Studio Tour coming up on April 16th and 17th. It's been a very busy time, but I managed to get back to the easel and paint these cute little boats. The Gulf Islands are full of images like this, so I've photographed many boats turned upside down. They always look to me like they've come up on land to take a nap.

Naptime

Ford Cove - Hornby Island

Acrylic on Canvas  24 x 36  SOLD

 This is another scene from Hornby Island, but not from this past summer. This scene was painted from a photograph during a summer vacation full of rain. It had been raining all week, and finally it started to slow and I decided to go down to Ford Cove and visit the Art Gallery there. As I drove into the cove, the black clouds broke and the sun burst through. The contrast in the light was almost like a photo negative. Amazing! I'm tempted to try this one again in oils.

Ford Cove - Hornby Island

The Boat Garage

Original Oil on Canvas  8 x 8 $150 Free shipping CAN & US
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Here's another scene from Hornby Island, although this time it's a house for boats instead of people. I've been rereading selected segments of Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, and trying to apply his techniques to my painting style. Changing your approach to painting is one of the hardest things to do, but I've been focusing on this while painting this series of beach houses. I have found that with each painting the application of his suggestions has become easier. I started by choosing just one suggestion, worked on that, then the next time I worked on the same thing, but added another suggestion to the mix. Here are the points I've been focusing on. 

• Note the artistic intention - what is drawing you to this image? Decide what to feature and how best to do that.
• Squint your eyes and block in tonal values of light and dark with poster-like flatness, covering all of the canvas.
• Introduce modeling into all the flat values.
• Look for and feel the landscape sense - the artistic expression, the rhythmic reach of the trees.

I feel that I've learned so much from purposely considering each of these steps,  while painting these small beach scenes and I'm totally excited about it. Although these are steps that I use to some extent regularly when I paint, by really giving them consideration, it clarified my values and  improved the expression of my brushstrokes.  If you can get a copy of his book (lots of used ones online), I would highly recommend it.

 

The Boat Garage

Waiting to Dock

Original Oil - Plein Air   8 x 10   $100+ s/h


This is another plein air painting from our recent trip to Vancouver. It's a view from Spanish Banks across toward the North Shore and Stanley Park. The bay is always dotted with freighters waiting for port entry. Spanish Banks has very warm waters for this neck of the woods, due to a big sand bar that keeps the water shallow for huge distances. You can spot people way out there and realize they are only up to their knees in water. I've always loved this view of beaching and boating with the mountains capped in snow. I found this painting difficult to do because I was sitting in the middle of blinding sunshine on the beach, without an umbrella but I really wanted to capture this scene, so I just kept going and I'm glad I did.

Waiting to Dock

Island Living

Acrylic on Exhibition Canvas 20 x 16 SOLD

Here is a summer beach scene from Saltspring Island, one of several gorgeous Gulf Islands, between here and Vancouver. This is one of our favourite places for a quick getaway. Many of the beaches have rock shoals, as seen here, and feature beautiful Arbutus trees. Here's someone's little skiff, just waiting to go for a row and a cottage nestled in the trees in the distance. Of course I had to paint it! I'm pleased with the sparkling light that I managed to capture.

Island Living