Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned are the insights, mistakes, and discoveries i discover during my artistic journey
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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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Bay of Fundy Blues
Bay of Fundy Blues is my first completed oil painting for 2020! Mussel shells have always been one of my favourite subjects to paint and I always come back to them. It seems like a rather long time since i posted last. I’ve been quite busy. I completed a few Christmas commissions along the way – which I am unable to share, then the holidays with lots of family and we don’t have to get into the never ending sinus cold/infection fiasco. So many reasons! But I am back at it once again. Mussel shells revisited It is interesting how I keep coming back to subjects that I thought I…
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Spring Scentsation
Spring Scentsation is a relatively large oil painting of a soft and fragrant while lilac that grows on our property line in the back yard. There is quite a story getting the painting to this point. Inspiration is everywhere A few years back when visiting my daughter, we went for many walks around her area in Vancouver. It seemed to me that almost every property we walked by had a tree line border framing in their yard. They were really well designed. Tall trees with shrubs at their base. There really was no need for weeding as the growth from the shrubs kept them in check. Everything grows uber…
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Fetching Fun and a bit of trouble
So I got myself into a bit of trouble with this one Knowing that oil and water don’t mix – right? And the hazards of painting when slightly exhausted. Change of pace I thought I would get started painting this little 8 x 10” oil. It presented a rather nice diversion from the large white lilac waiting over my shoulder. I organized may paint. Squeezed out the right amount of luscious oil paint. Then I proceeded to paint. With this type of painting I generally start with the background first. That way the fur that is blowing in the wind is on top of the background paint rather than blocked…
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The problem with Prussian blue – A comedy
Oh dear me So I have this brand new tube Prussian Blue paint in oil (if course). I tried to squeeze a dab out onto my pallet. Only it would not come out. So I squeezed a little harder. Still no paint. And then I squeezed a little harder. Success!!!! Only half the tube shot out. Over the top of my pallet (as in all over the edges), onto the side of my water bottle, across the protective cardboard I had put under my work. Phew! Now if you know anything at all about Prussian, it has a reputation of getting away from you. I really thought that meant as…
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Summertime Promises
Summertime Promises I completed this painting on the day of the Royal Wedding and also my husband’s birthday. All this just happens to coincide with the Victoria Day long weekend. All this is truly symbolic. The May long weekend heralds in the promise of summer and is filled with hope. Lazy long weekends, adventurous tours, putting in the garden… you know the feeling Warm enough to chill I don’t know about you, but my soul has been longing to be warm so we can just chill. Our season on the East Coast is relatively short. We wait so long for its arrival. So many happy plans and ideas – all…
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Special Supper
I choose to paint Special Supper because I felt I needed a challenge! Jeepers! Designing a poured watercolour around lobsters sitting on a lobster platter may not have been my smartest move. Wing and a prayer The thing is, I could see the finished painting in my mind. Which when you start a painting I think you you should be able to do. Breaking the colours out into layers in this case was very complex especially since the painting is basically monochromatic. And red. Once the values started to get deeper, I actually lost my roadmap. I was unable to distinguish between critter and platter. You see, both the real…
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Early wrap to this years challenge
Although this challenge is still ongoing, I am quite done for this year. I managed to complete 17 paintings since it began, but you see a surprise early arrival had me packing up my bags and flying off to Calgary! My beautiful new grandson Henry was born a few weeks early! And so I said to heck with the challenge and hopped on the first available flight. And I do have a few more on the easel waiting for my return. This is the fifth time that I have participated in a 30 Day Challenge. You can see my previous efforts here. With each challenge I like to have a…
