Lavatera

Lavatera

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

Wooh. It has been over a week since I painted and posted. Crazy week followed by an awesome weekend at The Vancouver Island Music Fest. I only took watercolours with me but only did a little painting which is going to stay hidden.

One of the concerns I have been having is my back and the weight of gear, and it is light , I am just a wimp. Actually since my back surgery I cannot carry much weight and never for long distances. Long story short I made a thumbbox out a cigar box and this was my first painting done on it. It worked pretty well. I painted my  gorgeous Lavatera  plant. I did it in about 40 minutes. I like it. It makes me smile. 

Miner's Cabin

Miner's Cabin

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

A year ago today we were in Princeton BC.  I have memories of buying chicks en route  and driving up with chirping chicks sitting in a box next to my mother in law and watching River Road Theatre perform 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'.

Walking around this little town I turned the corner and saw one of the smallest house's I have ever seen. When the mine changed to open pit mining the miner's cabins were relocated into town. .This is one of the few still remaining and used as permanent dwellings today.

I have painted this cabin before in a larger painting, making the roof red, and have never been thrilled with that painting. Wanting to revisit this subject I chose to repaint it today, one year from the first time time I saw it. I painted smaller and tried to keep it simple. I like it much more than the fist painting. 

This little cabin will always bring back the memories of Princeton,

Mud Flat Crossing

Mud Flat Crossing

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

I almost didn't go plein air painting today. I am so glad I did. We were at Witty's Lagoon, the long way down to the beach. I could paint there everyday and find something new and exciting to paint. I stopped at the marshy mud flats. This log was once the way across, now there is a bit of boardwalk. Log is still crossable but for how much longer? Nature is slowly reclaiming it.

This painting was a good reminder to check amounts of paints in the pochade box before setting out. I had only a wee tiny bit of white which I had to use very judicially, scraping the still wet areas on the palette from yesterday's painting.. A good lesson on colour. I love the different colour choices I was forced to make.

'51 Moffat

'51 Moffat (AKA Tofu Oven)

6x6

Oil on Gesobord

Well having had a couple of days away from painting and trying to recommit  myself to painting daily, I chose to paint my beautiful '51 Moffat Range. It is like having a Buick in the kitchen. Tofu oven is what Glen called it when I bought it, he was not pleased with me... another story. 

Some days I think are not meant to be painting days. AND today was one of them.  Maybe I am tired or too much coffee, not enough coffee, wrong height  of the pochade box, not wearing the right underwear. Goodness only knows....

I used a teeny tiny palette knife to add some highlights, Note to self must do a plein air in only palette knife soon. And yes my tiles behind the range are big blue and green tiles.

Painting done can I curl up and read now?

Emmi's Fence

Emmi's Fence

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

I actually painted this painting last evening. I was sitting watching TV and I glanced out the window and saw my neighbour's fence and boulevard garden. I quickly did a thumbnail and went to my studio and set up a few small daubs of oil in my pochade box. I used only 2 small brushes, a flat and a round. Using the KISS rule it only took me about 45 minutes to paint. What I put down stayed, no fiddling. I really like it. When I showed it to Glen he knew right away where the scene was.

Beach Explorations

Beach Explorations

6"x6"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Yesterday while in Parksville, BC, I went to the boardwalk and snapped some photos of people on the beach. I am such a chicken I use my ultra long lens so I am not intrusive. This was a lovely little family scene. They were really focused on being in the moment with their young son. I painted it with a very limited palette, 4 colours and black and white, experimenting with Kroma Acrylics (made on Granville Island BC). Very nice. Still finding acrylics a bit of a challenge and my painting style is a bit different. It is all good.

Waiting for a Ferry

This daily painting is addictive. This was painted in my car while on the ferry. Bouncy. I had taken a quick photo of this man standing in the back of his camper using his cell with my phone on extreme digital magnification. Then drew a thumbnail. I was bored on the ferry so I went to the car and painted this painting in about 40 minutes. A wee bit messy.

Ankle Deep

Ankle Deep

6x6

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

This is my second painting today. I had some acrylics still open on my Stay Wet palette after painting Maple Leaf Ankle Socks. This is an image I took about 10 days ago during a plein air morning. It is of a fabulous plein air painter Darlene Young.

Yellow Door

Yellow Door

6"x6"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Tried something new tonight, more along the lines of what I heard at the workshop with Mike Svob. This is an acrylic. I was too lazy to set up my staywet pallet, I have been painting all day so I am tired, and it was drying too fast. Something I will be exploring in the next little while.

Plein Air at Government House

 Old Rock Stairs

6"x6"

Oil on Paper

I went painting with the Al Frescoes this morning at Government house. It was drizzly and overcast. Again I am using Arches Oil Paper. I decided to use a lot of medium (walnut alkyd) and to paint fairly impressionisticly . The second painting I started with only about about 30 minutes left before the group finished and did the show and share. Slapped on paint and worried only about large spaces of colour. A very different style for me but quite happy with the results.

Mossy Rock

6"x6"

Oil on Paper

NHL Playoff Moonsnail

NHL Playoff Moonsnail

6"x6"

Oil on Paper

I am not a hockey fan at the best of times. Last year when the Canucks made it to the finals, I could alomost get enthused. Last night was the first game of the finals, so while my DH watched, I came into my studio. The shell was still n the box and the paints still wet in my pochade box. I grabbed some precut Oil Paper and taped it to a board and painted. Best ever way to watch a hockey game. From another room doing something I love.

Peacock Feather, Moonsnail and a Pebble

Today's painting was set up in a shadow box. I had spent the morning working on tidy up issues on a portrait commission. My pup.was running out of patience with me. I think this would be a great painting in watercolour or coloured pencil. Hmmm ideas.






 

My Turquoise Bathroom

My Turquoise Bathroom

6"x6"

Oil on Paper

May 28, 2012

Happy Birthday to me. A new year, a new challenge. I set up this blog a few weeks ago but never got around to my painting goal of painting daily. Well my work situation changed and I am now able to pursue this small goal wholeheartedly. 

This painting is my first painting on Arches Oil Paper. Quite a different feel but I love the velvety texture the finished image has. I set up my pochade box in the bathroom doorway and painted this using only natural light. Painting small is quite a change from painting large, my usual format.