From My Studio
From My Studio is a behind-the-scenes look at my creative process, works in progress, and the inspirations that shape my art.
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Where oh where has my Get Up and Go gone?
Artful Reflections Where oh where can it be? I was laying back in my gravity chair taking in all the senses a late summer day offers. When inspiration for a new blog post hit me. I was lamenting my lack of productivity and the lame excuses that I had for not painting. Hit me hard enough that I got out of the comfy gravity chair and went directly to my laptop to get it started before the MASTER Procrastinator in me could strike again and I’d put it off waiting for a rainy day. However, I am productive on rainy days. My motto has always been if the sun’s out…
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Playing with ChatGPT
I’ve been thinking that I should be more open to new technologies and decided to play with ChatGPT. I was working on a painting of a lupin with a bee and frankly was stumped how to describe my work. I was looking for prompts – sometimes when I am painting my energy is all about how I want the painting to look not necessarily on how i’m going to describe it. Quite often I have a notebook where I write down my thoughts as I paint for this reason – sometimes not always and definitely not in this case. So I turned to ChatGPT for inspiration. The result was superfluous,…
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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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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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Pretty Perfect Paint Prize Package
I am so completely excited! And a bit dim! Look at the wonderful prize package I just received. Giddy with glee I was very fortunate and won an award at the CSPWC Open Art Show in November. The prize was a gift certificate for Stevenson Paint – made right here in Canada. And what was so wonderful (other than receiving the award) was that I was able to select the type of painting and colours that I wanted. Oils. Acrylics. Watercolours. Smorgasbord! Delightful! Giddy with glee me! I have to admit that it took me awhile to decide what to order. So many choices and other artist materials as well. A…
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My Process to Start a New Painting
Other than starting out with a serious dose of procrastination – there are many stages to the painting process. Mine typically goes like this: Inspiration is always first It may take on many forms. Whether it is the softness of a petal or the play of light and shadow or an intriguing detail that just speaks to you. Something has caught your eye. Made you stop and look at it a little deeper. Then you make a decision. I must paint that. In whatever way you perceive it to be. You make so many decisions at this point, size, orientation, medium to technique. I seldom have to look for something to…
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Icky ick ick ick
Icky ick ick This is an interesting photo I want to share. When working up close and personal on a bug painting there is a bit of a creepy factor with that level of concentration. It actually imprint on my brain! I still feel the disgust… As I was focused on this little painting, I almost jumped out of my skin. There on my drafting table was a dead roach of some kind between me and my palette. I stood up in disbelief, moved my canvas away and swatted at the thing a few times. It didn’t move. Then I squinted at it and low and behold – the creepy…
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Hat Trick
I am loving this technique I love that even with the layers of paint you can still see the impasto underpainting- in this cast the texture I created by painting through burlap. The process is mess and I admit I am quite nervous with as I usually know almost exactly what I am doing. Not quite the case with complex underpainting processes and also with poured watercolour paintings. The element of surprise and then the reality of what in the heck am I going to do with this? I admit I am a planner. I will decide on a element whether it be the subject or the texture and think…
