Christmas Mountains

I did a couple of small paintings for my mom for Christmas. They started out as 10x10 (which I finished) but we found a great deal on some frames that were 8x10, so I repainted them into the smaller format. It actually worked out better, as I was able to work out some composition issues with the first ones.
I loved doing these, as I didn't just paint pictures, but tried to incorporate a personality to these mountains. I hope my work reflects that.

We grew up in Squamish where Mt. Garibaldi dominated the northern skyline. I could have painted it from memory, as it was so prevalent in my past.

"Garabaldi" 8"x10" acrylic

My mom now lives in Abbotsford, and has another mountain to rule over her land. Mt. Baker is to her south and looks over the Fraser Valley.

"Mt. Baker" 8"x10" acrylic

Painters I am following these days

I have started following some painters whose work I think is awesome.  I hope you get a chance to follow them and see the great works they are doing.

Gaye Adams. A wonderful painter and a really neat lady.
http://gayeadams.blogspot.ca/

Marc R. Hanson. I stumbled on him a little while back and sit and just look at his paintings when I need a lift.
http://marchanson.blogspot.ca/

James Gurney. A watercolourist who takes things to a great imaginative level
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.ca/

Susan Galick, an awesome lady (she looks so much younger than me, yet has grandkids) and a painter who is on the climb.
http://www.susangalick.com/blog

Olga Rybalko. A real sweetie who does amazing things with arcylics.
http://www.olgarybalko.com/


And lastly, Murray Phillips, my instructor, mentor, and friend.
http://murrayphillipsart.com/


Please check these people out. You will be glad you did.
Enjoy

Cold Days Painting

I haven't posted in a while, but I came across a couple of cold pictures that I thought I could post.

This was done on Remembrance Day, and it was really windy and cold. Brenna and I went up to Alouette Lake to do some painting and it was stormy on the lake. I had to pin my box box with one hand while I painted with the other. Brenna wrapped up in a blank and set up on the beach for a bit.
The result wasn't great, (it really needs a foreground) but it was fun none the less.

"Stormy Rememberance" (P.A.) 9"x12"

The second comes from the first day we got snow here. It was about -6' with a heavy wind in my face. Brenna and Champ walked the dike as I painted. At one point, the paint (acrylic underpaint) froze to my brush and I had to move to oils, which were very stiff. The wind was so bad that it blew my brush holder (a plastic bag) onto the ground, and I lost several brushes. I couldn't really feel my fingers during. It was pretty cold.
I loved it, and I turned in one of my favorite paintings to date.
Notice the fat boy pants. I had to do it so I could put the long underarmour underneath.

"First snow" (P.A.) 9"x12"

I also tried to render it to a 16"x20" that evening

October Update

A couple of my more recent paintings. Finished off the blueberry rows and a new one inspired by the Birches and Storm. I am going to try and enter them in a show for December 12 - 14, 2014. Gotta love the bright colours.

"Blueberry Rows" 16" x 20"

(the same painting as below, but I finished it. I think it is my favorite to date. Stupid iphone camera doesn't do it justice.)

"Last Light on the Birches" 18" x 24"

Recent Plein Aires

Some updated pics: I will be updating the blog in the next day or so ...

Some small plein airs (outside painting) for your perusal. I love getting out and painting outside. It is SO FUN.

 

"North Alouette Colours" (P.A.) 9" x 12"

"Deception Pass" 10" x 10"

"Birches and Storm" (P.A.) 9" x 12"

"Heron Fields" (P.A.) 9" x 12"

The Finishing Touches

Tips on the finish.
I think I mentioned it earlier, but I am part of a painting group who bring their recent work to the be critiqued by the group. I am quite overwhelmed by the talent of the people around me, but am so pleased with their kindness as they contribute direction and sound advise.

"Quiet time on the South Alouette" 16x20

The advise from the group was ...

1. Make the Star the Star (Emphasize the middle section)
2. Check your lines (make the lines on the back mountains consistent)
3. Light changes things (add back lit foliage where sky holes are / add highlights to the front grass)
4. Brushstrokes need to reflect the direction of your object (water reflections need to be completely horizontal)

Here is the same picture with the changes added (and a different frame)

The highlights and foliage seemed to add depth to the picture. 

These were great lessons, on seeing those things that help the picture get to the finish stage.... Thanks to the power of the group.

Blueberries and Cranberries

Here are today's pictures.
Svengoolie ("The Wolf Man" with Lon Chaney Jr.) picture for this week is

"Blueberry Fields and Pump Houses" 16x20

Similar to the one with three trees (Can berry fields be much different?) but I liked how the buildings looked against the dark reds of the bushes. See pump house (8x10) down below.

Also today, I got out to paint onsite at those cranberry fields. I enjoyed the day. What a beautiful spot. 

"Cranberries & Pump House" 8x10

Cranberry time

It is cranberry time, and they are starting to flood the fields to harvest the cranberries. Pretty cool process, They draw water from the Alouette River, run these machines to stir up the berries, and then suck/push them to a spot where they can get them into the trucks.
The reds and the blue where really cool. Here are some photos ...

 

 

Advise on stumps and bogs

UPDATE: Got some advise on the paintings from the last post.

For the stump picture, there were several things that needed to be changed.

• The stump and rocks were too close. It left the left side all on its own. 
• There was a battle for the star between the rocks and stump, so rocks should be darker and the stump requires more variation from dark to light.
• The grasses up from needed more definition to help describe what it was.
• And lastly, the stump was rather large in real life, but the paint really never reflected that. It needs something to help give it perspective. 

Some of these changes have been applied (no picture) and some are yet to be. I have shelved it for now and will come back to it later.

_________________________________________________________________

My painting group gave me some good recommendations. The colour of the water did not accurately reflect the sky (yet when I compared it with the photo - a lesson learned). The primary difference was when the picture was taken it was from a different vantage point, up on the dike. But as I messed around with the rocks, I changed the perspective of the water and it would reflect from ground level.

Other items that were suggested ....

• Enhance the creek on the left
• Ensure that the trees lined up correctly with their reflections
• Sky needed to be darker to match the whole painting. 

All in all I thought the changes were very positive.

Unfinished and Svengoolie

A couple of "unfinished" pictures, that I am trying to work through. I know they are not done, but not sure what to do with them.  Any comments would be welcome.

"Canmore Fishing Spot" 12 x 16

We were in Canmore, Alberta and my nephew wanted to go fishing. So while he fished, and the other grown ups there advised him how, I set up to paint the location. Disaster. I had no value changes in the painting, and the drawing was not very good. So we had a photo from my vantage point where I worked this piece together. I still have not added in the fishers, but I'm just not sure about whether to call it complete without them, or to find a way to fit them in.

"Svengoolie" is a television show on Saturday nights that shows an old horror film from the 30's or 40's. I usually turn on the TV and then paint while I listen in the background. 

This weeks Svengoolie picture came from a walk we did along the Pitt River, and came across this old stump, with rocks leading down to the water. My wife stood next to it, and came up only half way, and Champ just liked that he could go down to the river and get wet.

It just doesn't feel finished. I kept my brush work loose, but I think it could be the values of the background trees. Originally, it is just the side of the mountain with a thick fog that hung over it, but I wanted to make it a little more interesting, and turn it into an island. 

"Stump on the Pitt" 18 x 24

Comments are welcome.

"Pump House" 8 x 10

This was a quick stop on a dike walk, but I really liked it (the photo isn't that good, but it is only an iphone). The second was the same pump house from another angle. They have have them all along the dike to pump water from the drainage ditches. The cranberries are just being harvested now, so I am hoping to get out and paint them soon.

"Pump Houses and blueberry fields" 8 x 10

 

Since I mentioned him, I thought I should include Champ here. He helps me find good painting spots. Our fifth child.

I decided to start this blog for a couple of reasons. I wanted to capture my thoughts about paintings I was working on, and to be able to detail my adventures in painting.
I have been painting landscapes in oil off and on for a while now, but have taken it up this last January again. It has been a good start, but let's see where it goes.

And away we go ...

"Three trees and the blueberry fields - South Alouette" 16 x 20

This is a spot near where I walk Champ. It caught my eye and I painted it as small 8 x 10 (see below). I tried some new techniques, primarily mixing the paint on the canvas (lay down some blue, and then work the yellow in to create my greens), and was happy with the result. Enjoy.