Autumn Barn - Step 6

Still plugging away at this one.... I started laying in the colour on the barn, initially trying to paint each plant of siding, then I decided to simply lay on the colour and let it granulate.  Afterwards, I am going to lift the colour on the plants to get the worn and old look. 

Autumn Barn - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012

Autumn Barn - Landscape WIP - Step 5

I'm finished the sheds on the left and now starting on detailing in the bare trees and the grassy areas on the lower left hand size.  I'm trying to let the colours mingle as much as possible with the least amount of brush strokes... so far so good.

Autumn Barn - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012     Favourite Bits  

Autumn Barn - WIP Step 4

I've started working on the little sheds to the left of the barn and still 'experimenting' on how I want to do the red siding on the barn itself.  I love how this is coming together and I can't wait to see what it will look like varnished and framed!!

Autumn Barn - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012     Favourite Bits  

Autumn Barn - Work in Progress, Step 3

I didn't get a lot done on this one yesterday... mostly working on the reds of the barn.  The original picture has a beautifully intense -yet old and worn red on the barn that I really do want to capture.  Its a bit hard to tell, but I have four different reds, some blues, and a hint of green so far on the sides trying to capture the "time has past" feel.

Autumn Barn - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012

Autumn Barn - Watercolour Farm Landscape WIP

I worked on the autumn trees a little more yesterday and I've started adding some of the red siding to the barn.  I think I found the perfect red... and it is also my favourite paint.... Daniel Smith Garnet, which also happens to be my birthstone.  I love the fact that I can include a little of 'me' into the painting. 

Autumn Barn - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012

untitled, Work in Progress

A new month and a new painting.  Oh where oh where did the summer go?  I can't believe that it is September already!!

I've painted this scene before in oils, but after seeing some absolutely beautiful watercolour landscape/building paintings over on Kara K. Bigda's blog, I felt that I just had to try this scene again but in watercolours. 

untitled - WIP
10" x 8" watercolour on aquabord
© 2012

Spring Melt - Work in Progress Step 3

I am getting very close to being done this one... a little more on the waterfall in the middle, and a touch more on the water to the left.  I am still contemplating adding a little more white to the water/snow below.  Then... just to determine where to hang it!  I don't do abstract-y paintings often, and I have to admit that it was a nice break from the more realistic style that I find that I do.

Spring Melt - WIP
16" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas
© 2012

Spring Melt - Acrylic Work in Progress Step 2

I got lots more done over the last couple days on this painting... I can actually see it being complete soon!  There is lots of gold and silver interference paint used (very hard to photograph) but looks super cool in person.  I am hoping to finish this weekend.

I am using a fairly limited palette:  ivory black, paynes grey, transparent red earth, titanium white, yellow ochre, gold ochre, and cobalt blue.

Spring Melt - WIP
16" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas
© 2012

Spring Melt - Abstract Landscape WIP

Has it really been a month since my last post?  My goodness... where did July go?  Life has kept me busy with more time spent outdoors than indoors and much less time spent painting I am afraid.  My return from a recent business trip to Ottawa has had me at home with a rather nasty cold/flu which has meant more time at the easel to pass the time away.  The oils were irritating my rather unhappy chest, so I pulled out the acrylics to see what I could do.  Below is the result:  a work in progress that I hope gets finished sooner than some of my other works in progress. 

Spring Melt - WIP
16" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas
© 2012

Days Closing - Work in Progress

I had an inkling to pick up the oil paints after a long hiatus of not using them.  The result is this work-in-progress that is making a good start to being done.  I've blocked in the sky and the foreground... now to let it dry a little so I can add more details and blending.  Oh man, have I missed the oils!

Days Closing
16" x 16" Oil on Canvas
© 2012

 

Time Gone By - Finished

Another painting moves from my 'to do list' to my finished pile!  Yah!  I absolutely love this one... I love how everything just fell into place, almost like it painted itself.  Now, just to flip through my brothers photographs to find another cool barn painting to paint!

 Time Gone By
Photo Reference:  Mike (my brother)

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Time Gone By - Work in Progress

I have been eye-ing this photograph for some time now...  and finally decided to paint it (though it is not quite finished).  It was taken by my brother near my Baba's house in rural Manitoba.  There are so many farmyards being abandoned as people move away... it is almost sad to see. 

My brother took a number of photographs of these farmyards that I think they will make a nice series. 

 Time Gone By (Work in Progress)
Photo Reference:  Mike (my brother)

7" x 5" oil cradled wood © 2011

Gastown Corner - Work in Progress

So the summer has come and gone, and near my home town in Saskatchewan I see they are under a frost warning (!!!) already.  Even here, though it did get up to 30 C today, the leaves on the trees are starting to show a hint of autumn colours.  I suppose soon fall will be upon us.

I am making good progress on this fun little cityscape (based on a photograph I took in Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia).  Today, layered in some washes on the walls and slowly painting in the bricks.

  Gastown Corner 8" x 10" watercolour© 2011

Gastown Corner - Work in Progress of a Vancouver Neighborhood

I started this one... oh, a couple years ago.  And by start... I mean I drew it out but never got around to painting it.  Perhaps, a bit of 'large size painting' intimidation... but not anymore.  I have been challenging myself over the last year to paint bigger!  I hope to finish this one soon as in the next week or so my new aquabords should be arriving.  Yah!  New art supplies! 



 Gastown Corner 8" x 10" watercolour© 2011  

Dusk is Falling - Finished

All finished and on to my next one! Well, not quite... gotta gesso some supports first and then I can do more painting. Just have to figure out what boat scene I am doing next.



Dusk is Falling
10" x 8" oil on wood
© 2011

Dusk is Falling - Almost Done

Just about done this painting... only a few more details left on the tugboat and its barge. The reflections on the water took a little longer than I anticipated as I kept on getting lost on what was suppose to be what colour. My next painting I will have to make sure that I spend a little more time on the initial sketch, specifically the water reflections and that should make it easier to paint.

The photograph of this painting doesn't quite capture all the subtle tones in the background... but I am very thrilled over the atmosphere that I was able to capture. It definitely reminds me of the view from my last home in Richmond, BC: a quiet evening only broken by the odd tugboat slowly traveling up the Fraser River.


Dusk is Falling
10" x 8" oil on wood
© 2011

Dusk is Falling - Work in Progress

This is my experiment with a using a layer of fine pumice on top of my gesso. And... I have to say that so far I love it. The find roughness of the support really helps to create the softness of the mood of this painting, though I can see it being terribly hard on my brushes.


Dusk is Falling
10" x 8" oil on wood
© 2011

Scooting Past

Another typical scene from Vancouver, BC. This time, looking from Spanish Beach towards West Vancouver. I always found it interesting to watch the little sailboats cruise past the huge cargo ships. A feeling I tried to capture in this painting.


Scooting Past
Oil on wood
10" x 8"
© 2011

Returning Home

Tonight's painting is another little tugboat... photographed this time in the Burrard Inlet just off the shore from North Vancouver. I just love the red of this tugboat... and all the tires lining its side.


Returning Home
Oil on wood
8" x 6"
© 2011

Tugboat

This is an image that I have been wanting to paint for a long time... just never knew the best way to paint it. Then, I saw some of Julie Beck's art and was totally inspired to paint the tugboat leaving a boarder of wood. The end result, I believe, complements the image of the tugboat and really makes it pop. I love it so much so... that I have already started gessoing my next cradled wood


Tugboat
Oil on wood
8" x 6"
© 2011