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.

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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.