Drive By

Drive By

10" x 10" - oil on archival canvas paper - $45

I have been experimenting, in a minimal way, with oil paint. I have generally avoided them because of the solvents and other smelly-toxic substances required in their use. However, I do like the way they smear and move more like butter on a surface, and for that reason used will continue to experiment with them, and keep the windows open. This painting was inspired by views out of the car window, sometimes a blur, as the scenery whizzes by. 

Sand Dunes on the Iles de la Madeleines

Sand Dunes on the Iles de la Madeleine

20" x 24" - acrylic on canvas - $250

At the end of July, I painted a landscape by layering acrylic washes on a primed white canvas, allowing the colours to intermingle with each other, much like painting a 'wet into wet' watercolour. It is a process involving restraint and patience waiting for paint and canvas to dry between layers. But, it's also lots of fun and I really like the painterly effects and spontaneous quality of the finished work and of course the strength of the acrylic colours. 

The painting above represents my second experiment with this technique. The subject is based on a photo of sand dunes I took while visiting the Iles de la Madeleine last August. I love the complementary colour scheme and lately find myself drawn to pinks and reds, and of course green. And if you are wondering where the water is - it's just over the pink band at the top. 

North Thompson River Landscape

North Thompson River, Looking South

24" x 36" - acrylic on canvas
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

I have been meaning to paint this view of the North Thompson River ever since I took the photo on a road trip in western Canada last September. The terrain along the river as we drove from Kamloops in BC towards Jasper in Alberta was really interesting - sparse and even scrub-like. Despite liking the the muted colours of the real landscape I chose a palette of blue, violet and green hues for the painting. I really enjoyed the process of simplying the landscape elements, and working large - and I really am happy with the results.

And, just a note about the painting - the colours in the actual painting are deeper, darker, more varied and therefore richer looking than in this photo. 

Highway 7 Revisited

Highway 7 Revisited

16" x 16" - acrylic on canvas  
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

Highway 7 - just where is that? Well it could be anywhere, but in this case it's the two lane section of that highway  in southwestern Ontario, linking the small cities of Guelph and Kitchener. The former is where I have lived for most of my working life, and the latter is where (well, near there) I worked when I was teaching visual art. It took me a half hour to drive the distance from home to school and then back again each day. I was always struck by the the way the fields and open spaces lining the road, appeared throughout the seasons and at different times of the day, and I always wished that I had the time to stop and at least take photos. Eventually I found the time and did take photos one fall, but I am not sure they really do the views justice. 

Combing through my photos last weekend I came across some of these images again and decided to paint a bold and colourful version in honour of summer. I take great pleasure in the words of Matisse (I think it was him, though I can't tell you where I saw the quote) that 'nature should inspire colour, but never restrict it'.  

Opening the Cottage

Bellerby's Island

30" x 30" acrylic on canvas  

This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

We spent the Victoria Day weekend (just passed) in a traditional Canadian way - 'opening the cottage'. Our small, very rustic cottage (outdoor shower and even an out house) is located in the Haliburton Highlands - a beautiful rugged area about 3 hours north of Toronto. The weather was fabulous and the black flies that normally drive us indoors, were almost non-existent (what does that mean?). This painting is one that I completed late last summer while at the cottage and was inspired by some views I had of a tiny island on our lake, owned by some dear older friends who have the coolest tiny cabin imaginable, there. You can barely see the island ( the clump of trees that seem to project on the horizon) in the photo taken from our dock - but you will see what the area is like.  I wanted to portray my love of this place and beauty of the land forms through a bolder more colourful palette.  Can't wait to get back there!