My Painting Process
My Painting Process presents insights, techniques, materials and behind-the-scenes looks of how my artwork develops and comes to life.
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Another 30 day challenge complete
30 Paintings in 30 Day Challenge is completed for another year! I simply cannot get over how fast time goes when you are having fun. When I look at each of these little paintings I get such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. A lot of these were paintings I wanted to do in one form or another and this challenge lets me do that – to get around to your to-do list. Some I knew would not lend themselves to larger pieces in the way I like to paint. Sometimes I just get so busy that I do not take the time to paint smaller pieces and…
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Winters Light Shines Through
I have to admit this was one ambitious painting I think I may have a thing about straight lines and me not really know what to do with them. I always thought I have a steady hand and a good eye… but am not thinking my astigmatism may not know how to deal with them. Seeing this finished painting sure brings a smile to my face. We have a wonderful hanging stained glass window that was given to us Over the years we (really me) watch with fascination of how the right changes with each season. Winter is particularly beautiful with the deep colour of the sky and the reflections…
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Cascading Blooms Watercolour Complete
Cascading Blooms a 1/2 sheet watercolour of pink climbing roses is now completed Procrastination I finally figured out why I have been procrastinating so much. At least I think I have been. And not sure I was even conscious of it until now. Participating in the 30 paintings in 30 day challenge in January was very satisfying. I mean I completed a painting a day for goodness sake. Felt accomplished every single day! Now that I am back to painting larger works – they seem to be taking forever. I had a goal this weekend of finishing two. Well, I only finished this one. But, you know, you cannot hurry…
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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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Pretty In Pink completed
I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I realize that a painting is finished I’ve let this one percolate long enough to call it completed. I am done looking at it with the squinty eyes and scrutinizing. It is time to put down the paintbrushes and wash off my palette. When I get near the completion of a painting I spend quite a bit of time assessing and reassessing it and second guessing myself. This is a normal part of the painting process. I want to ensure the warm tones are balanced over the painting and that the cooler tones are the right shade and the values are…
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Sunshine Yellow Azaleas
I just finished this poured watercolor commission of sunshiny yellow azaleas I think what I like best about poured paintings is how fast they seem to build. The process keeps you engaged daily – I typically work on them each day for about two weeks. Each stage has to dry completely before you move onto the next. But the progress really builds nicely. There were seven pours with this painting. Once completely dry I removed the frisket. I call this the peel reveal. Some artists take their work to this stage and call it done. I personally cannot do this, although I have been tempted a few times with the…
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What I have learned
What I have learned while attempting to Painting 30 28 Paintings in 30 Days Once I got over the initial fear of committing to a project of this magnitude, I made the decision to approach it with a few ground rules for myself: First – that I would not compromise on quality; and Second – that I wanted to use this challenge to explore new surfaces and mediums What I have learned: That I like to paint watercolors on larger paper 11.5 x 14, what is call ¼ sheet. It only took one day for me to realize this size was not sustainable as it takes too long to complete a…
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The Naming of a Painting of a Raven
Naming the bird Here is my yet unnamed and unfinished painting of a raven. My friends at Google tell me that there are three names for a group of ravens. Unkindness. Conspiracy. Constable. When I embark on painting a series I do quite a bit of research on the subject, in this case ravens. I like to title my paintings with meaning whenever possible, especially if I can come up with a name that includes somme tongue-in-cheek humour. What’s in a name? I know ravens are important in the culture of First Nations (and I have this lineage on my mother’s side) so my curiosity is naturally piqued. An Unkindness,…
