Second Verse, Same as the First

Ok so we are doing a REVISED edition of the painting which has SOLD now... if it doesn't feel "done" then it doesn't feel "right" = there is a possibility of overworking it, but also there is this unsettling feeling

I will paint a number of these and some of you out there might like a painting as a reminder of the cottage...

I took a photo of some of the pieces of the ROCKS here... you can see the colours and how beautiful they are. So imagine huge rocks that you can walk across with the blue of the water and the big ol' pine trees leaning and the wind blowing - it is so lovely - so here are the rocks... if you enlarge it you can see all the beautiful colours

Now here is some of the scenery...

and this was not a sunny day, it was brutally windy and cold - I actually wore my winter hat and mittens with the windbreaker pants today to walk out here
You have to wear long pants because of the snakes (I don't paint them)

Georgian Bay Through My Eyes

Sorry people - I said I would post yesterday but this painting was a struggle... from previous posts you can see how it started and how much it changed - that is the beauty of working with oils and of spontaneity ... with most of my paintings I walk and think about what I will be painting - then look at reference photos and then just paint - I paint from the heart and out of my head without looking at the photos again ... put on some music and CREATE - so sometimes what comes up is totally different from my original idea
Most mornings I wake up thinking about the colours - to me, the colours and the light and the actual "ACT" of painting and creating is more important than what I am painting, and oil gives me the freedom to do that and change it up - the music for this painting was Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen and some Robbie Williams songs - on my previous paintings I was working with Johann Strauss and a lot of classical music
Also the theme music from "Dances With Wolves" was a big part of the creation of this painting - I seemed to play the "John Dunbar Theme" over and over

I still love the sky on this one - tried to carry the soft purple through into the water and the rocks were tricky ... Alice and I walk these rocks every day and there is A LOT of pink granite but so many colour variations

I am going to paint many more of these because obviously it is what I see every day and I want to share with you and show you my little corner of the world...

The previous post had the "beginning" of the painting - here is one of the progression pics so you can see the trouble I had with it... See how they look like almost totally different paintings? Except for the sky of course - I have so many of these pics in my head and paintings that NEED to be painted - I did not want to give up on this one and was not happy with it.

Happy now and moving on to another - hope you like it too - it is so beautiful here - I think some Annie Lennox and Stevie Wonder might help for this new painting ... a beach scene (I think - haha - you never know with me...) Here is the start - will let you know what happens

I found a quote from a book called Art & Fear - to me the process of creating the art is more important than the painting itself... this quote makes sense to me
”To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To you, and you along, what matters is the process.” Art and Fear, page 5.

From meadow to rocks and water almost done

Have been working on the painting with the beautiful sky from the previous post - I love that sky so I am NOT giving up on this painting - but it has changed from a meadow to water and the beautiful pink granite rocks... now I wonder why? haha (for those of you who do not know, I am surrounded by them here where I live)
I probably will be painting a lot of rocks from now on... am working on the trees and almost done
A bit overenthusiastic with the painting which caused some real suffering and I will have to pace myself - I should have known better... so I am painting in little bits each day, walking to take photos for reference and get out there and enjoy all of this scenery, and then painting with yarn (some call it knitting) at night and I think rather than painting all day and all night with walks in between, I was just too exhausted and in too much pain
Also I have learned that keeping a blog and talking to people and trying to go on other sites and make comments on their work as well as answering emails and facebook is so time consuming and I need to try to juggle and learn how to balance this new lifestyle a bit - I am very excited about the painting and happy to share with all of you - I am happy to do more commissions, and happy to answer any email questions about work you might like to have done.
Tomorrow I am starting a new painting and will have this present finished one up for you - and it will hopefully be a nice surprise - interesting that I had trouble painting one day and then with the music playing, it is much easier and the creativity just flows so nicely - but it is frustrating not to paint for hours at a time and stay "in the zone" - for now, I need to just slow it down a bit - I will definitely not disappear and will continue to paint every day (I wake up and immediately need to paint - I dream about it... so don't worry about that happening) but I may just blog once or twice a week rather than a daily blog - and tomorrow there will be a painting to show!! And another one started so I'm excited..,goodnight all

A Good Day

Sunshine and long walk with my dog all through the rocks and woods today... and painted a wonderful happy sky full of colour and clouds with laying down of groundwork for some kind of landscape - I actually paint without a program, using numerous photos and my imagination and everything I have absorbed from the walks so I guess you could say I paint intuitively and spontaneously - squeeze out the paint and put on the music and just do it... so today was GREAT - painted to Rod Stewart (every day different music - from waltzes to country to classic rock) and today Rod helped me paint a beautiful happy sky

This sky is dramatic and was fun to paint - I have seen so many of these skies here

This is oil on canvas about 16x18

Now I can focus on the land - it looks like it might be another meadow

I usually end up with a path somewhere (probably because I make paths every day on my walks with the dog - so it is symbolic but actual) and each day we walk a new path
This next photo shows the progression of my work and how I develop the painting

But tomorrow's photo might look totally different - with oils you can paint over everything and I have done that many times - completely changed it

but I think I will keep this sky for sure - does anyone else like it?

Paintings Enhanced and More Realistic Portrayal

Have been working on the photography aspect ... taking pics of the paintings is difficult as the photos do not show the true colours, so have enhanced them to try and portray them more accurately for you

Also some "older" works here in this post just so you can follow along - enjoy - am starting a new one!! I am excited ... I must have taken 200 photos today on our walk - this area is so gorgeous I could paint every day and never paint enough - lots of material to work from today- off to upload the pics and figure out what to paint!!

Still not right but you can see the colours - the sky is a deep blue and the barn has some beautiful rusts and reds and burgundy in it - the florals almost look there are little pools of water

This is an older one - a watercolour with daisies - Welcome Spring and lets get some sunshine and warmer weather...

This is an older one too... an Indian Chief done in pastels on vellum paper - I really like this one  - the colours are fun and to me, he is very handsome and looks like a Chief should look

Have tried to enhance the colours in this "Maiden of the Meadow" painting for a more true depiction as it is really a very deeply coloured moving painting - it feels good and free and peaceful - the colours are soothing but very moody and the camera just could not capture it the way I wanted...

This one is for a very special person... and I worked from a photo reference but I tried to make it into a place of contemplation and solace... a relaxing, surreal place where you could sit on the rocks and watch the hawks and maybe a fox might just magically appear - the only sound is the wind and your dog rustling around in the meadow grasses and wild flowers nearby - I hope that is the sense you get from this painting - a tranquil spot and a very special place

Some great books I have enjoyed... while you wait for my next painting

This is a great book - just thought I'd pass on a recommendation

  It is dog-eared with love...


Off to paint - I PAINT EVERY SINGLE DAY but will update this blog at least once a week, and sometimes more ... with tips, hints, or daily musings and of course my art
Have a great day!

Secret Paradise

My latest work with lots of texture -  oil on 14x18 canvas board

I called "Secret Paradise" because it looks like a wonderful gardener's tool shed but is an old barn with beautiful florals overgrown in a tranquil spot that has been abandoned ...  some lucky person has made a little path and is working on the garden... I love this technique and all the colours in this one.

Wanna see the real thing in winter? This is my little path with my dog... walking through and around the abandoned shed/barn

Georgian Bay Artwork

This week's painting is my interpretation of the rocks and water here on Georgian Bay - many more of these to come - Oil on Canvas 12 x 16

A winter view of the scenery here out at the water and walking about on the rocks in he summer ;)

Hope you have a good walk wherever you are today ... no matter what season ;)

Spring 2010

Some of these works were done to welcome Spring of 2010

This one is entitled "A Dog's View" with a playful dog romping through the meadow after his ball, encountering ghosts from the past but accepting them as though they are real and part of his world - they accept the dog, which leads me to think they may have had a dog romping nearby also - perhaps the dog will continue on and find a playmate

This is an Oil on Canvas 14 x 18" entitled "A Special Place" with four symbolic rocks and a meandering path through the beautiful meadow - the meadow is supposed to be surreal and magical with the serene view of the farmland and rolling hills and cows ...

a place to contemplate and rest where a deer or fox might just come and sit with you - it is a place of peace and happy thoughts

Bright happy Sunflowers with purple floral lilac bush by an old fence post - think Spring and cheerful colours ... this is Oil on Canvas 16 x 20"

Another Spring floral - purple fantasy flowers with little wild strawberries in a field of meadow grass - I painted this in my art studio during a snowstorm and wanted some bright happy colours ... it worked - every morning I would look outside and see grey and white but would pass by the studio and see these colours and feel SO much better - this is Acrylic on Canvas Board 22 x 30"

This is a smaller watercolour using negative painting technique, again during winter when there was just white and snow and grey and no colour and I really just wanted to paint something fun - a smaller scale - it is an 8 x 10 with the mat, and 6 x 8 unframed

Previous Artwork

This is a new art blog so I will post some of my previous work here and then do updates with my paintings

Added a few highlights and a bit more of the Alizarin Crimson to the smooth rocks but this is an unbalanced painting showing the beautiful granite rocks and the deep blue purple of the water here - the sunsets are just gorgeous
Oil on Canvas - 12 x 16 Sold

The "Maiden in the Meadow" is Oil on Canvas 14 x 18 with deep purples in the sky and the rolling hills, evoking a sense of wandering the moors or climbing uphill on an endless journey - but the lady is headed towards the light and has made her way through the treacherous rocks so there is hope and the solitude is almost peaceful for her

Hope you find solitude and peace on your journeys too ;)