The Colour Blue

Where's Your Ball?

10" x 10"  acrylic on canvas SOLD

I painted this small canvas today for the DPW weekly challenge. The idea was to paint a blue object - however I couldn't find one that I wanted to use, but I did have this great picture of Molly our labrador. The photo was taken at a point when someone was asking her a question - and she was really trying to understand those human words.

Another Lily Pond Painting

Pond Reflections
24" x 24"  acrylic on canvas SOLD

I am beginning to understand why Monet found his lily pond at Giverny so interesting that he painted it numerous times. After completing a smaller canvas with this subject I wanted to paint another - and this is the result. My goals were to paint more loosely, lose some edges and use colour boldly. I am quite pleased with the final work and particularly like the the dark rich colours of the water.  Of course the next question is - will I paint another?

Sur la Route, Encore
10" x 10"  - acrylic on canvas SOLD

I love winding roads with tall, stately trees that grow along the sides with foliage that and creates a canopy above. This petit paysage is based on one of many photos I took while driving with my friend Josiane, near Nimes, in July. I did an earlier version in watercolour and wanted to try it in acrylic. I find foliage very challenging, regardless of the medium and hold my breath until it's done.
Big breath...ahhh!

Water lillies and lily ponds

The Lily Pond
16 x 16"  -  acrylic on canvas SOLD

When I was in Provence last July I visited the bambouseraie, an exotic bamboo park near Nimes. There was an aquatic garden with carp and lillies and I took lots of photos. I have been looking at those photos all fall and finally decided to try a painting. Of course when one thinks of painting water lillies one thinks of Monet and the gorgeous canvases he painted in his 70s, while living in Giverny. They really are quite breathtaking and one feels almost ridiculous trying to paint such things. But one has to try - so I did - and here it is.

Molly's Ball

My Ball
10" x 8" acrylic on canvas
$65

Molly the labrador - she's actually black and beautiful - 

but her human wanted to have some fun with colour. 

Seeing Red, finished.

Seeing Red
20" x 16" acrylic on canvas
$300

Last week I posted the 'start' of this painting and yesterday I finished it. I was really excited about the intensely saturated colours, the pastel lines and the overall energy of the work - and I did not want to lose that. However after a week of looking at the canvas I decided I could control my need to tidy things up, and added some more paint in certain areas, actually toning down the red underpainting, just a bit.

At the End of a Perfect Nova Scotia Day

At the End of a Perfect Nova Scotia Day
16" x 32"
acrylic on canvas

SOLD

I had the good fortune to spend some time with my sister and gregarious MacDonald relations last August on the north shore in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, where many of them grew up. We talked and laughed, ate and drank lots of wine, visited old homes and cottages, saw whales from a fishing boat, gathered oysters and mussels and had a wonderful time.

This painting is based on a photo I took from the 'Bluff' looking towards Roys Island, at one of the cousin's cottages. It was a lovely summer evening, about 6:30, the tide was out, and the light and setting were beautiful. I was particularly intrigued with the arrangement of the shapes of the tidal flats and their colours - which I have slightly intensified here. It was such a peaceful spot and moment!

Seeing Red

This landscape is based on a photo I took a few weeks ago when on a late morning walk with the dog at Rockwood Conservation area, near Guelph (Ontario!).  I have painted this view before but in a more traditional way that I was not, ultimately, happy with. This time I decided to be much more painterly, experimental and spontaneous, and have more fun.

Rockwood Conservation area

What is more fun than a cad red ground? Especially on a rainy day. On that I sketched in the landscape forms with some titanium white. Then I applied lighter values of the local colours, everywhere, quickly but not throughly, allowing lots of the red ground to show through. I really liked how the red seemed to 'glow' under some of the lighter colours, in the creek and sky. After that I added graphic lines with pastels, drawing around and re-defining the landform shapes, as well as adding detail within those shapes.  Liking what I had done thus far (and not wanting to lose it) I decided to stop and give myself some study time.  I have been looking at it for a few days now, and have to say that I really like this painting in all its graphic sketchy colourful spontaneity.
The big question is - how close is this painting to completion?
What do you think?
Stay tuned.

Finishing

Redstone River, Haliburton
36" x 48"
acrylic on canvas SOLD

I started this painting a year ago. At the time I was trying to sell my house. 

What was I thinking???

Fortunately the house sold in a timely manner, and eventually all our stuff was moved. 

Last week, I retrieved this from the pile of canvases (the incompletes, the maybes, and the rejects) and decided that it was time to jump back in and finish it. 

I am very pleased with the final version, especially the palette, and painterly qualities.

I am quite familiar with this view as I see it almost daily throughout the summer in Haliburton. 

I love seeing how it changes from spring through summer and fall, and have painted several versions of it. It's always a good challenge. 

August Afternoon on Redstone River

Almost There

Autumn Day