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Stone Church Artist’s Residency
And just like that our week with Stone Church Artist’s Residency program is behind us. What a gratifying and humbling week it was. I am sure neither Dale Cook or I will soon forget this experience! We really didn’t know what to expect. The Church is absolutely beautiful. Full of architectural details that amaze. The ceiling over the altar was designed to resemble a ships hull – much like the Saint John City Market. The sun backlighting the magnificent stained glass windows will stop you in your tracks with pure awe. The Soul of the Church It interesting that it was not us trying to capture the physical attributes of…
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My Painting Process
Phase 1: Exploring the concept Often I will have an idea of something I would like to explore as a subject to paint. My first step is to scan through thousands of my reference photos looking for that aha moment. Should that moment of inspiration escape me, I make a plan for how to get there, thumbnail sketches, wishful thinking, researching etc. Most often this will include a photography road trip or several. Quite often it will include my favourite – a Plein Air painting session. I typically work in series so I’m pretty specific with what I am looking for and what I think I want to achieve (mostly). …
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Colours of Ode to Joy
Often when you paint your love of painting shines through. I am so happy with the feeling I captured with this painting – it feels happy and joyful to me. Colours of Ode to Joy It feels like joy. Yesterday, I completed this painting. I felt so happy when I looked up from my palette and realized there was nowhere left to put paint. I stood back to look at it and smiled and signed it. I am so happy with the feeling I captured with with this piece – it feels happy and joyful to me. Within minutes of signing it, I had a friend visit my studio. This…
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Spring is finally here
Spring fever and a generous slice of humble pie As we finally start to move away from the distractions that we all lived with during much of the pandemic, I am so happy that the warm Plein Air painting opportunities are slowly returning and to see smiling faces once again (maskless). I don’t know about you – but I have serious spring fever! It’s been a Corvid kind of Covid As you probably know, I almost always paint in a series. This year is no exception I have painted three crows and a blue jay! Both are members of the Corvid family! A Tale Unfolds Intrigued We started to feed…
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Golden Glow and a January update
I really cannot get over how fast time is going! Christmas came and went and it’s now mid-January! I’ve been working primarily on a large oil painting – Golden Glow, along with several poured watercolours. Golden Glow was a labour of love. I found the degree of detail in the treeline to be almost daunting initially. I studied my reference photos for a long time before I actually started. I wanted to ensure the painting was fresh and organic and I tried not to make it too formal. In preparation for this painting, I did a number of Plein Air studies in the Hampton area and also did a study…
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Growing Skyward
Once upon day in late spring, I happened upon a wild garden of lupines. I got down as low as I possibly could to take my reference photos. I love this perspective of how these lupins are growing skyward reaching towards heaven. Inspiration in a ditch Inspiration can happen literally anywhere. When I was out driving around looking for potential reference photos, I noticed a ditch full of lupines in all colours imaginable growing at the edge of a parking lot. Of course I had to go and take as many reference photos as possible. It didn’t hurt that the sky and the lighting seemed perfect to me. I have…
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Well DANG
Well DANG! Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some. And with this painting I have had a false start …only I am not quite sure for sure (insert face palm emoji) Well DANG!!! I started this painting by blocking in the sky. The colour I was after was quite tricky as the blue began to lighten gradually towards the middle of the canvas. I had a lot of paint mixed. It wasn’t quite right. I thought maybe some Cerulean may help with the tone. I squeezed some out and mixed it in. Nothing happened. I squeezed more out and once again mixed it in half the mixture. No…
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SCA Art Chat with Helen
I’ll let you in on a secret Sometimes we are presented with an opportunity that pulls us out of our comfort zones. You know it will be good for you but still you resist. You can run but you can’t hide! Confession. I do not like to be photographed. Never have. I am the one with the camera. It’s the perfect way to avoid having my photo taken. Much worse is my aversion to being in a video. EGADs!! So when I was invited to participate in the Society Of Canadian Artists (SCA) Art Chat I was really happy and knew absolutely that I should participate with the interview –…
