Scillia

I am so enjoying the spring flowers! The cup gave me a little trouble on the left side in terms of the lost/found edge, but I persevered and added a light reflection which seemed to improve the depth illusion.

Pulmonaria

I had only one day off before going back to the hospital so I decided to putz around in the garden since it was such a gorgeous day. As I was doing a little weeding and planning and picking up sticks and small branches from the poplars the little multicoloured pulmonaria asked to be painted. They are so lovely with their pink, blue, and purple flowers all on the same plant. I came inside with a small bunch and did a very quick study in my studio on some formcore I had prepared with canvas primed and glued on.

The Visitation

Every so often it seems like a painting asks to be painted, this is the case with this small piece. Although it is abstract in appearance it feels to me to be concrete in the abstract values, strength and stability. I hope it projects a positive and supportive message, as that is its purpose.

Early Spring

This painting was done on the property of my friends Nick and Biela Muhlen. It is a pond which Biela had Nick dig for her so she might have a frog pond. I used the palette knife to sculpt the tree forms and lay in small branches. It was a fairly cool day that started out sunny and very quickly became overcast and cold. Marina and I had to paint like the wind to get the major shapes and colours down and even then I had to finish the piece off in the studio as it turned to cold to stay out.

Too Many Kumquats

This very small painting is on a scrap of unprimed birch panel. My husband Phil, my most helpful critic said of this piece, " I quite like the way you painted the teapot and the little teacups, but there are way too many kumquats in the composition. " Not surprisingly, my friend Marina, made the same observation......too many kumquats. Since today is April Fools I thought it appropriate to post a painting which is not too serious!

Pink Tulips

I painted this picture from the study "Red Tulips" which was painted a few weeks ago at Marina's. I worked on improving the design and making more interesting brush work. There are still a few details to be worked out but I hope to be finished this piece today. I want to make the leaves on the left more interesting and varied and am wondering if I need to add a bit more weight to the left to balance the composition. This is the reworked painting, I added light green to the leaves on the left side and extended some of the leaves to the left edge.

Snowdrops

I have wanted to produce an all red painting for a long time. It came to me when I saw the first snowdrops in my garden that they would be a great foil for all of the red that I wanted to use in the composition. It surprised me how easily this piece came together, I think having a strong idea in the beginning laid the groundwork for the later steps. It was a joy to paint.

Brushes and Palatte Knives

On Monday I went to visit my friend Marina who had just returned from Mexico from a painting workshop by Frank Gardiner. She shared her experiences from painting in the semi-arid ranch of Frank's to visiting the beautiful city of San Miguel de Allende. We then set to painting a pot holding some of her painting implements for the rest of the afternoon.

Oriental Teapot and Apples

I was pretty happy with the painting of this piece, except I noticed a very hard edge on the main apple after I had taken the photo. I need to go back into the piece and soften this edge, I also might extend the value range by deepening the cast shadow behind the teapot. Photographing your paintings is a great tool for learning, it separates you enough from the work to be able to be more sensitive to minor flaws.
I have posted a new image after working on the painting a little more.

The Red Bowl

I painted this a couple of days ago in my kitchen as I have been wanting to paint this ivy all winter in its beautiful creamy white pot. I just finished a couple of very busy shifts in the ER and I didn't have the energy to pack up my painting gear and go outside to paint even though the weather is incredible for this time of year. Maybe next week I'll get out to sketch.

Red Carnation

I was given this pottery jam jar quite a few years ago and had never got around to painting it. When I saw these red carnations with the deep blue I felt they were perfect together.

Ceramic Bird with Geranium

This ceramic bird is part of a pair that sits on the hearth at Marina's mother and father's house. One wintery afternoon we set up the pair in the basement studio to paint them. Soon, outside the window which was at eye level a flock of about 25 wild turkeys came and were scruffling around in the snow eating the birdseed that had fallen from the birdfeeder. It was amazing to be so close to these enormous beautiful wild birds and have them be oblivious to us.

Apples and Brass Pitcher

This was a fairly quick study of some fruit and an antique pitcher. I like the looseness of the brushwork and the simplicity of the composition.

Carolyn's Garden in Winter

After much driving around looking for a place to paint that wasn't too cold and windy I ended up at my friend Carolyn's place. She made me a cup of hot green tea and after cookies and a catch up conversation, I set up my painting gear and did this quick sketch of a view over her garden. I was happy to be painting outside again if only for an hour or so.

Oranges

This small painting was done with making an interesting composition with limited objects the goal. I painted with broad loose strokes avoiding blending as much as I could. The transitions from lighted areas to areas in shadow was accomplished by subtle changes in value and hue rather than 'mushing' the colours together in those transitional areas. This is difficult as the natural tendency for me is to obliterate all the edges and make everything nice and smooth, which ends up looking perhaps more 'realistic' but bland, overworked and lacking any personal signature. One of my artistic goals is to grow toward producing paintings which are loose and lively, and interesting as well as pleasing to look at.

Red Tulips

Marina had a georgeous boquet of tulips, they were irrisitable in their blue and white Mexican vase. Her daughter Toya painted with us and we had just a great time. I'm going to miss painting with my friend for the next month. She is off to Mexico on a painting workshop with a truly remarkable painter, Frank Gardiner, and for some R and R.

Asters

These were the last of the flowers in my garden, some asters I picked in late November just before the snow fell. The painting was done on board that I sealed with shellac.

Ruby Red Grapefruit

I was at Marina's to paint again this Wednesday. She had some big grapefruit and we decided to see if we could produce and interesting composition with the fruit and a simple plate. I started by blocking my composition in with burnt umber, which has lent a warmish tone to the painting, and then laid in greyed down tones of the colours of the objects. I think this treatment of the subject has given the piece sort of an antique look.

Arrangement in Green and Pink

This is a piece I painted yesterday after several days of 'Wipe-offs'. I finally acheived the looseness I wanted as my other attempts lately looked fussy and overworked. I want to work more on the design of this piece and intend on redoing it in the 8 x 10 inch format.

Winter Roses

This painting was done with a painting knife instead of the usual brushes I use. It gives a very different surface to the piece because the paint is layered on much thicker. The turquoise colour comes from a combination of Pthalo Blue and Yellow Ochre, one of my favourite mixtures.

Lemon with Pink Bowl

This is a little different look for my paintings. I used a birch panel and painted directly on the wood, which has a very lively texture. I also used a very limited palette of Lemon Yellow, Alizaren Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and Ivory Black, not my normal colours.

Apple and Cup

One of my favorite cups with one of my favorite fruits. I really like the sage green background with the warm red apple.

Flowers in a Cream Bottle

These yellow flowers are almost the first to bloom in my garden in the spring. They are in an old fashioned cream bottle that I remember as a very young girl our milk man used to deliver every morning from a bright yellow horse drawn milk wagon.

Oranges, Lemons, and Mangos

Feeling a bit restless yesterday I called Marina. She invited me over to paint and we did this still life together. It was a great afternoon with tea and talk and painting, and a critique at the end. The basket is one she bought in Charleston last fall, hand woven by some local women from the sweet grass that grows in the marshes around the city.

Anemone with Oriental Bowl

This Japanese anemone grows in my garden, but always makes me wait until mid to late September to see its large magenta blossoms. The flowers sway and dance in the breezes looking so fragile and graceful but are actually quite resiliant. I have two varieties of pink anemones and am thinking of planting a white variety this spring. The bowl is Chinese from the market area in downtown Ottawa.