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The missed shots
Thinking about all the bird photos that weren’t meant to be This post is a tribute to all the photos I meant to take, the ones that got away, the ones I thought I actually captured – because those might be some of the best images that I imagined i could translate onto canvas. What I managed to capture are images of the feeder swaying after a take off. Bird rumps and tail shots. Blurry birds and fuzzy feathers. Innumerable bad shots. The ever elusive blue jay. I’ve missed the blue wonder countless times, and with every miss I had to laugh a little more. I mean what else could…
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Lots of work happening
I’ve been keeping busy with lots of works developing in my home studio. I am so grateful to be able to have this creative space and be able to keep nice and warm painting. Fresh off the easel: Choppy Waters Oh the joy I experienced painting this one. I loved the freedom of arm movements painting the waves. Felt like I was dancing. The reference photos for this painting were taken at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. The place where the Atlantic starts to flow into a channel between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and forming the Bay. This area is not far from Old Sow Whirlpool which…
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Ducks in a Row
Ducks in a Row is a 1/2 sheet poured watercolour painting of Ducks Unlimited nesting boxes hung in a row Summer memories Last summer we were in Prince Edward Island in the very picture perfect area of Annandale. We rented an old farmhouse that was situated on a old farm. On the property were many sun bleached barns. While exploring the property, we came across the back of a barn with a number of Ducks Unlimited nesting boxes hanging in a row. Hence Ducks in a Row! I knew immediately there was a painting in that series of photos. Most likely a poured watercolour! Trickier than I expected I had…
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On Watch
It is that time of year when I feel like I disappear. I have secret commissions that I am working on and of course, am unable to share. I can share my most recent acrylic painting of a crow – On Watch From how do I do this – to I got this When exploring in Rockwood Park in Saint John, NB last year, I happened upon this crow perched on a rock framed by two tree trunks. I knew instantly that I planned on painting this scene. I took a few reference photos… until my subject flew away. Only the tree trunks that drew me in felt like brackets…
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Week 1 – Gone to the Birds
I joined in another challenge to paint 30 Paintings in 30 Days. The first week quickly became about painting chickadees!I knew the challenge was coming up so between Christmas and New Years I braved the elements to attempt to get as many photographs as possible. I stood out on our deck for hours. Freezing my fingers off while waiting for the perfect photo opportunity. Interesting enough, it did not take me too long to figure out that these feathers cherubs are much faster than I. I managed to get many empty feeder shots. And a few with the snow flying as the little cuties flew off the feeder. …
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Great News “Call of the Raven” Won an Award at the CPSWC Open Water Show
Dear Helen, we are thrilled to inform you that your painting Call of The Raven has been awarded theD.L Stevenson Award, (Gift certificate award)…. Congratulations on this prestigious prize. Pretty exciting. Especially since I embarked on a project to paint ravens with the CSPWC Open Water juried show in mind. Last year when we visited Yellowstone National Park there were a number of particularly friendly ravens in the parking lot at Artist’s Point. They were walking around the travel trailers looking for handouts and cawing their hearts out. One raven in particular was following me around and without being intrusive, I was able to get many really nice reference photos.…
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Duckie Duet and trouble with my easel
So today I had one of those days in the studio Everything I touched went wrong. Easel Troubles. The bottom support on my big easel dropped to the floor right through my fingers with a loud bang and a bad word. The ball bearings in the crank mechanism hit the floor and rolled all over the place. Unfortunately we were unable to recover all of them. Does anyone know how to reassemble a crank easel? The air in the studio has to be exceptionally dry this time of year with the electric heat going all the time. Because of the dry wood on the easel frame we couldn’t tighten it…
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Painting Returns Home with Two Awards
My painting “Sitting Duck” just returned home the 89th Annual “Open Water” juried art show recently held in Toronto. This show is the major event in the Canadian Society Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) exhibition calendar. Open Water is open for jurying to artists working in transparent watercolour. With my painting were two award certificates; the “Sally Sloan” Award and “The Artists Magazine” Award. This is all very exciting – I was pretty proud to have a painting selected for the show. Then just prior to the show opening I was notified about receiving the Artists’ Magazine Award. Pretty happy about that. Then I received a call awhile later informing…
