A Little Painting Update

I don't have anything new and completed to post today, but I thought I would show what has been keeping me busy lately. Two paintings have been rotating across my easel. The first one is a continuation on the apple painting of the apple painting I started quite some time ago. There are many many layers so far on this one and many more to go. The reflections are a little maddening to get correctly... but I wanted a challenge when I started.



Candied, a Work in Progress
6" x 6" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008


The second painting is a larger painting of a boat I photographed at Gibsons Landing. You may recognize this boat and that is because I have painted it once already, though a different view. I'm trying a different approach to this version. The first boat was painted on a burnt sienna base and this one is painted on black gesso. The feel of the scene is quite different and I have very amazed at how much a difference the base colour makes.



a Work in Progress
11" x 14" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

The only fully (well, for now...) completed part of the painting is the water. I'm really quite happy with the way the water turned out in this one. Its a combination of pthalo blue, cerulean blue, titanium-zinc white, and touches of indigo in the darkest areas. There is lots left on the boat yet and I'll post updates and I slowly build on this painting.

Flower Power

I have been painting every night this last week, though it may seem as I was not. I have several large oil paintings in the works that are taking a bit longer to complete so I haven't had much to post. Tomorrow night, I'll post some updates of these paintings.



"Flower Power"
2.5" x 3.5" watercolour
© 2008

Blossom Buddy

There is lots of little details in this one... and much to my pleasure... decent looking white flowers! I also discovered my new favourite black mix: indigo and raw umber (both Daniel Smith). This combination really creates a great deep blackish colour and granulates slightly... adding some really neat detail in the washes.




"Blossom Buddy"
3.5" x 2.5" watercolour
© 2008

Friendly Finch

This little guy was just begging me to be painted. I snapped his photo a couple summers ago on a trip to Vancouver Island. He sat patently on the signpost while I snapped a good dozen photographs before flying off.



"Friendly Finch"
4" x 6" watercolour
© 2008

Grapes Galore

I think I am finally finished this little grapey painting. I'll hanging it up on the wall and, unless I see any major problems, will be putting my signature to it by the end of the week.



Grapes Galore
6" x 6" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

I really love the way this painting turned out and it has all my favourite things: shiney, round, and bright! I'll be putting this guy up in my etsy store tomorrow once I can get some better pictures of it under daylight.

update: I've posted a better picture of this painting and it's now available in my etsy store.

Single Marble

Last weekend I bought myself a couple bags of marbles and spent over an hour photographing those little glass spheres in the morning sun. I not only had an urge to paint glass, but to also use my own photograph to paint from.



"Single Marble"
4" x 3" watercolour
© 2008


This little painting is one of many studies for a larger oil painting of a marble. When I'm done all the other oil paintings currently in various stages of completeness... I'll be starting a marble.

House on the Prairie

I've finally finished my parents house painting, well, I actually finished it a couple of days ago just haven't posted it until now. I think it turned out pretty darn good... I added some details to the stone work in the front of the house and added some brick detail (though you can't see it in the photograph) to the side of the house.



House on the Prairie
14" x 11" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

Saskatoon Berries

This one was finished late last night... been struggling with the greens in the leaves and the white of the flower. Greens are causing me some problems, especially lots of greens and having some distinction between the various elements that are green. Oh well, one does not learn until they keep on practicing.



"Saskatoon Berries"
4" x 6" watercolour and acrylic
© 2008

Mid-Morning Snack

I have to admit... I'm not quite done my parents house painting... I'm almost done, but not quite. So, in the mean time I present a new little watercolour that I have been working on off and on during the day. Lots of greens, including my new Daniel Smith Viridian that I picked up this past weekend.



"Mid-Morning Snack"
3" x 4" watercolour
© 2008

Oh So Very Close...

I am soo close to finishing this painting... just a couple more painting sessions for the details and the front step. This painting has sure been a roller coaster of "I hate it" and "Cool!", but in the end stages here... I have to say that I do like this one. In the next few days I'll post the completed painting.



untitled, a Work in Progress
14" x 11" oil on stretched canvas
© 2008

River Delta

We finally got a beautiful weekend last week and I took the opportunity to go to the delta (its not too far from Langley, British Columbia) and check out the berry farms. Oh my goodness are the strawberries nummy this year. The blueberries start in a couple of weeks too. I meant to photograph the juicy ripe berries... but I have to admit that they didn't last long. Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to head out there and get some more!



River Delta
6" x 4" oil on gessoed canvas paper
© 2008