Summer at the Lake

#1 - Morning Shadows Haliburton I

16"x20" - acrylic/paper - SOLD

The summer of 2020 was a strange one for the world. Isolation from it and painting were my ways of coping. That's when I began or returned to painting flowers and between them, the surrounding landscape. The first two works were inspired by the same scene. The last painting was inspired by a scene from my cottage deck overlooking Redstone Lake. 

#2 - Morning Shadows Haliburton II 

16"x20" - acrylic/paper - $90

#3 - Lakeview 

16" x 20" - acrylic/paper - $90

 

Real & Imagined Abstracted Landscapes - acrylic on paper

#1-Path to les Bassacs  $50 (13x11")                       #2-Near Lake Pukaki NZ $50 (12x12")

The first two landscapes were inspired by real places and experiences. Path to Les Bassacs is a scene I have painted a number of times because I love the path, the place and the light. I took week long painting courses at Arts in Provence in the the Luberon Valley for many years and it was always a joyful and enlightening experience. This small work on paper is done in acrylic with some pastel marks.  

Near Lake Pukaki was based on a photo I took while travelling in New Zealand last January (before Covid!). Of course it doesn't show the lake but a view up a hill from it. It was a very hot day and very dry, but there were lots of wild flowers, so I wanted to show that heat with a warm colour palette.  

The three paintings below are also all acrylic on paper, but are imagined landscapes. 

#3-East of Eden $50 (12"x12")

#4-Heat Wave $65  (17"x18")

#5-Field of Plenty $50 (15x16")

 

More Flowers

#1- Amaryllis $90 (16x20")

#2-Iris Threesome $90 (18x24)                             #3-Lillies $90 (16"x20)

#4-Remembering SOLD                                                   #5-Poppy Threesome  SOLD

#6-Midnight Garden $90 (18x24")                                 #7-Bedazzled $90 (18x24")

 

Tulip Paintings

#1-Hot & Spicy (18x24" acrylic/paper)  SOLD

At some point early last summer I decided to take a break from landscape painting and paint more tulips, one of my favourite flowers. Over the years I have taken many photos of tulips as they mature, opening up their petals fully before they drop off. It's the expressiveness of the ageing petals that intrigues me the most and is the real subject. I played with those shapes, overlapped them, abstracted them, and used a palette that suited the mood I wanted. 

All of these paintings are in acrylic on heavy water colour paper.

 

#2-Perfect Love (18x24") SOLD             #3-Tulip Blues (18x24")  SOLD

 

#4-Tulip Threesome $90 (18x24")          #5-Abstracted Pinks $90 (18'x24")

 

#6-Wishing it was Spring $90 (16x20")             #7-Three Tulip Tango $90 (16x20")

#8-Pinwheel Tulips $90 (18x24")                           #9-Halleluja! $90 (18x24")

#10-Flower Power $90 (20x16")

And finally this one - a less abstract interpretation because that's what appeared as I painted.
 

#11-Point of View $70 (11x13")

I am back - with lots to show!

#1: Escape to Blue $125 (16x16")

To say that it has been a while since my last post is an understatement! There are probably lots of reasons for the 9 month interval between then and now (one can’t forget that nasty worldwide corona virus pandemic) but it doesn’t really matter at this point - I'm back. The fact is that I have been painting throughout this period and that has been a great source of stress relief, comfort and joy. And I have lots to show too.  Over the next few days, maybe weeks, I hope to do some catch up posts based on the different subjects I have painted - abstracts, landscapes and flowers. My usual, LOL.

The paintings here are imagined abstract landscapes. They were not based on any particular place or photo reference, but were imagined and evolved intuitively. Some were more challenging to bring to completion, and others came together quickly. And I have to say I love them all.  Click on each to see a larger version. 

Paintings #1-5 are mixed media - mostly acrylic paint with collage elements added on canvas.

#2-Kiwi Escape $125 (16x16")             #3-Ethereal Light $125 (16x16")

 

#4-Waterfall $125 (16x16")                #5-Time Travel $125 (16x16")

Paintings #6-8 are acrylic on canvas with the addition of marks in pen and or pastel.

#6-Escaping Reality $375 (20x20" acrylic/canvas)

#7-Mirage $375 (24x24" acrylic/canvas)

#8-Road Trip $375 (20"x24" acrylic/canvas)

Divas

Divas

3' x 5' - acrylic on canvas - $800

I have had two 3'x 5' canvases for several years but never found a subject and composition that excited me until recently. My idea was to create two different but related paintings of abstracted tulips. I used to paint a lot of tulips and loved how expressive they became as they aged. The first tulip painting is not finished because while working on it I realized how I wanted the second one to look and I couldn’t wait to get going.  I love how it turned out and I am excited to push some of these visual ideas further using similar subject matter. As for the first painting I am re-thinking it. 

Some details...

On the Road in New Zealand

Well, it has been a very long time since my last post in mid December and so much has happened since then! That's probably an understatement.

My year began with a wonderful two month trip travelling through New Zealand in both a camper van and then by car. I think we drove on every road exploring both the North and the South Islands and had great fun, met wonderful people, ate and drank superb food and wine, and were constantly blown away by the spectacular scenery. My 3000+ photos really don't do justice to the beauty of that country. I didn't really have much opportunity to paint while travelling but everyone in a while I got out my watercolour paints and some paper and did what I could . Better than nothing but oh how I missed my studio! 

Below are a few small works, studies and fun pieces done while away.