A New Year

This is the time of year when I begin to think about what my resolutions for the New Year will be. Is this the year when I will finally organise the old family photos and complete the project I have been planning? Will I, at last, manage to keep a journal longer than a week? Will I continue to sketch daily or will the excuses finally win? And what about attitude? Will I remember to be greatful, kind, loving, even when it's difficult.... even when I'd rather be painting.....?  I still have a few days left to make my list, but in the meantime here's an old family photo you might enjoy!

My mother and me

Happy Holidays to All

Snow Clouds

We went up to the Sunset Arts Gallery today to remove my work ( end of season ) and to meet with a customer to deliver a painting. Driving home from Grand Bend , we were surrounded by snow clouds.  Beautiful, but eventually we got the snow and driving became a little unpleasant.

Perspectives of Africa: The Arts Project, 203 Dundas Street, London

JASS London Juried Art Show and Sale Museum London

I have had a painting, French Doors, juried into this show. I am looking forward to Opening Night!

Annual Gallery Painting Group Juried Show and Sale 2010

I have been busy getting ready for the Annual Gallery Painting Group Show and Sale in October. My sketchbook has been a source of inspiration for some work, some was done on location, and others are the product of sketches, reference photos and imagination. I have a few paintings still in progress.

London's Gallery Painting Group's 60 members will be holding their Annual Show and Sale At The Byron Memorial Library in October. The artwork shown is the product of this year's paint outs held in various locations in London and surrounding areas including Grand Bend, Bayfield, Port Stanley, Delaware, Komoka, Arva, Aylmer, Thamesville and Thamesford.

To read more about The Gallery Painting Group go to http://www.thelondoner.ca/ and look for us in the Sept. 8 Arts section.

Congratulations Catherine Weber !

My friend and fellow Sunset Arts artist, Catherine Weber, has had the painting, Dancing Heads, juried into the Pastel Artist Canada Show that runs from Sept.30 to Oct.17 at the Nelson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke (Toronto). Congratulations, Catherine!

Westdel Bourne Sheep

This is a watercolour done after one of the Gallery Painting Group's paint outs. I had done a graphite sketch of the amazing barn on location, intending to paint it in watercolour at home in my studio. However, when I saw the sheep with their personalities so clearly visible on their faces, I was enchanted and took several photos of them before I left. I decide to use one of the triadic colour schemes I have been playing with to paint the sheep in front of the barn. When I was finished I cropped the barn out of the painting entirely and was happy with the result. I will paint the barn another time.....perhaps.

Lily Field

When my Dad was a young boy living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he would spend summers on his Grandfather's farm, Lilyfield. This year the Gallery Painting Group visited a lily farm near Chatham, Ontario, and I did a small painting on location. The painting above was done in my studio, and I have titled it Lily Field, in memory of my Dad.

At Last

Several years ago, a friend invited three other artists and myself to a weekend of painting at her cottage in The Bruce Peninsula. It was Spring and the weather was wonderful. We took advantage of the weather to paint like mad things, hike, take photos, and enjoy each others company. On one of our hikes we saw a trilliums galore as well as forget- me-nots and other spring flowers. The image of the trilliums and forget- me- nots has remained with me and I have attempted several times to paint them in watercolour but have never been happy with the results. This time I tried them in acrylic on canvas board and am happier with the final product.

GPG Komoka Paint Out

Yesterday the Gallery Painting Group went to Komoka to paint. The weather was hot and extrememly humid, but in spite of that many members were there. I chose to paint the woods by the river. I was intrigued by the way the river shone through the shaded woods and branches and decide to attempt to paint it as my subject. The humidity made working in watercolour a challenge, but I treid anyway. I began by blocking in the shapes as seen in the picures below.

The finished painting, completed at home in the studio, was not what I had hoped. It was too dark and muddy, but I will try the scene again, this time in a vertical format which should help to bring in some sky and light.

finished painting

photo in vertical format

Roughing It In The Bush / Sweltering In The City

On Thursday I travelled to Toronto to see Roughing It In The Bush, an exhibition of Doris McCarthy's work in honour of her 100th birthday. I went by train, subway, rapid transit and bus with two friends in order to get to Scarborough, where the Doris McCarthy Gallery is located on the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto. It was a long trip, slightly confusing at times, but thanks to the kindness of lady Torontonions on various occasions, we managed to get to our destination.  The exhibition was well worth our travel time. As well as seeing several of her paintings, we saw displays of her sketchbooks, old photos of various painting trips and a variety of memorabilia. Then we travelled back by bus, rapid transit and subway and then walked ( in stifling heat ) to the main campus in the city where more fabulous work from her show was being exhibited. How inspiring and hope inducing it was to see work painted in her 70's and 80's and a wonderful piece completed when she was 95.
Although the city was sweltering , we were not yet finished and so we walked to The Robert's Gallery where the Canadian Society of Painters In Watercolour were having their 85th annual members juried show. I enjoyed seeing the exhibit very much both the contemporary paintings ( main floor ) and work by former members ( upstairs ), Doris McCarthy, A.J. Casson and Franklin Carmichael and others. I sat for quite a while in front of the Carmichael painting, ( my favourite Canadian watercolour artist) absorbing, studying, admiring and cooling down in the air conditioning, then went back downstairs again to admire the wonderful contemporary members' work a second time..... unbelievably fabulous!
On the train home we played our usual post exhibition game of "Which ones would you take home if you could?" and, as always, each of us had our own particular favourites.
An exhausting day in the heat, it certainly was, but an exhilerating one nonetheless!

Lily Farm

The weather was perfect and the location was too, with wonderful views and lots of shade to work in and a very friendly black lab to keep us company.

Gallery Painting Group Near Delaware

Today I finally got to use my new Eric Michael's plein air watercolour easel. It was wonderful! The GPG Tuesday paint out was on a farm on Sharon Drive. I enjoyed working with my new equipment very much and almost finished a painting until the deer flies and other flies made working impossible. ( insect repellent seems to act as a condiment for them!) I finished the painting below at home in my studio.

Tomorrow we are off to a lily farm to paint, weather permitting! Tonight I am travelling to the Sunset Arts Gallery in Grand Bend to move my paintings to a new wall. It will be nice to see all the artists again.

Breakfast At Roxy's

Roxy's, watercolour

Brian and I went to Port Stanley this morning to sketch and to have breakfast. We arrived around 8 am, walked around the center of town , took some photos and then succumbed to the heat and humidity. We went to Roxy's for a late breakfast. It was very busy, but the breakfast was worth waiting for. We then made our way home with a stop at Thomas Brothers to pick up corn, raspberries and back currents. Tomorrow I will be making black current jelly!! Yum!!

Just outside Roxy's

Port Stanley Harbour

A Day At The Gallery

Yesterday was my turn to work at Sunset Arts. Brian came with me to help hang some new work and to keep me company. We had a good day, visiting with many delightful people who came into the gallery and with Theresa Marie from next door. I took some paints with me in case I had a chance to do some work and was able to complete a small watercolour in between visitors. The weather was perfect and I saw lots of families on their way to the beach. Many boaters took advantage of the great day too and passed by on the river near the back door of the gallery.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are off to Port Stanley to do some painting with the Gallery Painting Group.

Beach Rocks, watercolour, 3 x 5
Painting done between visitors to the Gallery

Happy Canada Day!

Change Island , Newfoundland
acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24

First Work In New Studio

My Kitchen Table, watercolour, 4 x 6

Beach Rocks, Change Island, watercolour, 10 x 7

The Studio: Move In Day

Yesterday, at long last, we moved everything into the new space for my studio.  It was a long day and we couldn't have done it without the wonderful young man from the neighbourhood who helped us carry everything from the second floor to the basement. As you can see from the photos, there is still some remaining work to be done, but it is essentially ready for me to work!

My watercolour table, taboret and easel are ready for me to begin playing! The chair, lovingly painted by my husband, Brian, is my tribute to my first watercolour teacher, Johnnene, who often had a red chair in her watercolour paintings.

I have so much storage that I am almost giddy thinking about it! here you can see the shelves and flat file.

The TV unit from the former family room was too big and heavy to move but makes a good storage space.

 The flat files, a birthday gift from Brian, sit temporarily on a desk. Brian will build a storage unit to contain them.

A place for everything!

There are still some building supplies around .

Worth waiting for!!

Back to Sparta with the GPG

GPG Paint Out: Sparta

I sat by the pond and listened to the bull frogs' and the birds' jam session. Again today the weather was perfect. This is the watercolour sketch I did of yellow flags blooming in the pond.

Rain Date: Komoka School House

Tara kindly invited us back to her property today, since the original date was a rainy day. There were lots more painters today. The weather was wonderful, the birds were singing and there was a lovely little breeze...in short a perfect day to paint plein air. I did two small watercolour sketches, one of the building and one of the old orchard behind it. On the way home I stopped to take a few photos of a wooded area beside the road filled with wild phlox.

First Paint Out of the Season: Rain!

Gold Creek Drive: completed  from the back of my car

Corner of Komoka Road and Gold Creek Drive: sketch from driver's seat

Today was The Gallery Painting Group's first paint out of the season. Even though the weather was not very co-operative, a few brave souls came out. Some took photos inside the old school house and some did sketches from their cars or inside the building. I did two quick sketches, one in pencil, the other in watercolour. You can see the rain spatters on the watercolour! The good news is that Monday's weather is supposed to be great and we have been invited back! There are so many wonderful subjects, both on the property and nearby, that it should prove to be great fun. After we were finished, Len and Amelia and I went for coffee and had a great chat. We have decided that this year we will sketch or paint no matter what the weather is like and will have back up rain plans in case we are unable to sketch from our vehicles as we did today.

Update: Sunset Arts Gallery

The perfume of Lily of the Valley from our garden fills the house. Wonderful!

Sketch Crawl

A "before" photo of the soon to be a studio space.

Yesterday was Urban Sketchers' World Wide Sketch Crawl day. Everyone was encouraged to get outside and sketch their environment. I intended to take part, however circumstances altered and I did not. Perhaps next time.... My friend, Cheryl did some lovely sketches as part of the World Wide Sketch Crawl. You can see them on her blog  http://radfordart.blogspot.com/  Well done, Cheryl!

Our Gallery Painting Group paint out season begins May 22 at the Komolka School house. Weather permitting, I will post some photos of the location and some of my sketches.

Back To Where We Were

We are now at the point with our studio reno where we were about two months ago. We are ready to have the floor installed. Today the floor will be levelled out and then next week, on Tuesday, the floor will go in. After that, all that remains is to move in! This is me, smiling!!!

Happy Mothers Day

A Mothers Day gift from Brian...soon there will be somewhere to put it!

Spring: Birds Singing, Flowers Blooming...... Jackhammers Hammering

                                                                                      

Outside the world is birdsong while lilac breezes drift through our garden and old friends return... tulips planted when we moved here over 30 years ago, a gift from my late father; violets and lily of the valley and bleeding heart from my late mother's garden; beautiful, exotic (to me) trilliums, a wonderful mother's day gift from my daughter and grandson.   Inside, in our basement, men are at work! The required permits have been taken care of, the paperwork from the city completed and approved and at long last the final construction work can begin. I am hoping to be able to move into my studio in a few more weeks.  To me, the sound of these jackhammers is just as sweet as the birdsong outside, although I am not sure that the neighbours, or the birds for that matter, would agree.                            

Art Show, Five Artists On The Rock