Miner's Cabin

Miner's Cabin

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

A year ago today we were in Princeton BC.  I have memories of buying chicks en route  and driving up with chirping chicks sitting in a box next to my mother in law and watching River Road Theatre perform 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'.

Walking around this little town I turned the corner and saw one of the smallest house's I have ever seen. When the mine changed to open pit mining the miner's cabins were relocated into town. .This is one of the few still remaining and used as permanent dwellings today.

I have painted this cabin before in a larger painting, making the roof red, and have never been thrilled with that painting. Wanting to revisit this subject I chose to repaint it today, one year from the first time time I saw it. I painted smaller and tried to keep it simple. I like it much more than the fist painting. 

This little cabin will always bring back the memories of Princeton,

Mud Flat Crossing

Mud Flat Crossing

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

I almost didn't go plein air painting today. I am so glad I did. We were at Witty's Lagoon, the long way down to the beach. I could paint there everyday and find something new and exciting to paint. I stopped at the marshy mud flats. This log was once the way across, now there is a bit of boardwalk. Log is still crossable but for how much longer? Nature is slowly reclaiming it.

This painting was a good reminder to check amounts of paints in the pochade box before setting out. I had only a wee tiny bit of white which I had to use very judicially, scraping the still wet areas on the palette from yesterday's painting.. A good lesson on colour. I love the different colour choices I was forced to make.

'51 Moffat

'51 Moffat (AKA Tofu Oven)

6x6

Oil on Gesobord

Well having had a couple of days away from painting and trying to recommit  myself to painting daily, I chose to paint my beautiful '51 Moffat Range. It is like having a Buick in the kitchen. Tofu oven is what Glen called it when I bought it, he was not pleased with me... another story. 

Some days I think are not meant to be painting days. AND today was one of them.  Maybe I am tired or too much coffee, not enough coffee, wrong height  of the pochade box, not wearing the right underwear. Goodness only knows....

I used a teeny tiny palette knife to add some highlights, Note to self must do a plein air in only palette knife soon. And yes my tiles behind the range are big blue and green tiles.

Painting done can I curl up and read now?

I am Following You

I Am Following You

24x30

Oil On Canvas

I am Following You is finished. This painting is based on a quick photo I took on Willow's Beach while out painting in plein air. A grandmother is  follwing with her young grand daughter as she walks along the beach. It was a bright morning, I loved the glints of light on the subjects.

Time for Breakfast

I have been painting since 6:45 am. Time to eat and another cup of coffee.

slow progress on a rainy day

 After I 'drew ' it in I put a colour wash all over the painting. After this dried I put in the basic background using acrylic. I then changed my mind or chickened out I switched to oils.

I Am Following You

Today being Friday is a plein air day with the Al Frescoes. After struggling with some self imposed guilt I decided that today was a day in the studio. I have been needing a bigger project for awhile.And although this painting is pretty simple it can offer me some complexities, the water and the 'wet' sand. I am painting it 24x30. Here is is roughly drawn out using black gesso. I am blogging while it dries.
Cup of tea time then back to work.

Happy first full day of summer

So yesterday was one of those days when my body needed to some TLC.  I had a low-grade migraine all day and honestly I couldn't face paint smells or much else. So I spent some time resting in the rare and warm sunshine, Breathing in the fresh air and Painting pictures in my head and planning. No guilt.
Today I feel much better I am energized and excited to be creative and get the business done.
Happy first FULL day of summer everyone.

Rose Pathway

Rose Pathway

7x9

Oil on Canvas Panel

Today the Victoria Sketch Club went to Government House. This rose covered arbor leads to the rose garden.This scene has been painted many times before but is still so beautiful. I did some artist pruning and thinning of foliage, tried to keep the image simple.I was painting in a high traffic area and had a lot of lookie loos. I met some visitors from China, Japan and Germany. Also today was the volunteer gardeners day at the grounds. A hive of activity. What a great way to spend a morning. 

Hijab

Hijab

6x6

Oil on Gessobord

Ahh Oil. I love painting in oils. When I was waiting for the whale watching tour the other day, there was a family exploring the Victoria Causeway. The mother was watching her three children goofing around on the mushroom lights while their dad took pictures. I loved her Hijab, the light grey and it's soft folds mirrored the early morning light play on the water.

The Great Greats

The Great Greats

18x24

Acrylic On Canvas

I wasn't able to fit in any painting on Saturday, I guess life just happens sometime. But Yesterday I worked on The Great Greats.This painting was done from a very small and very damaged photo.

 It was painted in acrylic, my least familiar medium, so I notice my style is different.

It was quite a challenge to paint from the photo, there was very little definition and some areas were very dark. I tried to choose colors that would have been appropriate for the era. 

Bug a boo

I noticed that something was bugging me about painting daily. It was my quest for quality and getting better with every thing I do. Or at least learning from my flops. It is not about speed or 'close enough'. I am trying to embody a professional attitude and ethic to my work. Some of my daily paintings were not acheiving this goal. I have been posting my paintings to Daily Paintworks and yes some have sold. But I decided that from now on only paintings that I feel are up to the quality I expect of myself will be posted on that site. Here I will still continue to show my daily painting and I will discuss what works and what doesn't. Feel free to comment.

Willows Beach Plein Air

 Mt Baker

6x6

Oil on Paper

Willow's Beach

6x6

Oil on Paper

Today I met the Al Frescoes at Willows Beach. The sun was shining and I was able to paint with my barefeet in warm sand. 

Nap After Whale Watching

Nap After Whale Watching

6x6

Oil on Arches Oil Paper

I was able to join a tour going whale watching today. Great fun. This Australian tourist closed his eyes and had a nap while the boat travelled back to the harbour. After I warmed up at home I painted this picture. There is something to be said for the freshness when painting fast and alla prima. Lots of medium and direct painting. 

Doodle Day

Doodle Day

6x6

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

With a few minute to spare I completed a Daily painting. It is a doodle in acrylic. 

Red Tin Rooster

Red Tin Rooster

6x6

Oil on Paper

I had a fabulous morning painting en plein air. I tagged along as a visitor to the Victoria Sketch Club and painted at the most beautiful private gardens. There was a small and very quaint rustic log cabin. The wood was weathered and moss grew in the chinking. I started with a thumbnail and then 'drew' on the paper using a stiff brush and cad red. I then painted the darks and shadows so they would be in place as the light shifted.Then we all had lunch and good conversation in the house as it has decided to pour with rain. A good day.

The Great Greats

As much as I am enjoying painting small daily paintings, I need a project I can sink my teeth into. When I had been at mom and dad's I had gone through some old photos with another project in mind. There some very old photos and this one of my great greats said it needed to be painted. As you can see the original photo is teeny tiny, quite faded and damaged on the back. I tried scanning it but that was unsuccessful, so thi morning I tried with my camera. Much better. I printed off a copy to grid up and will be working from the reference photo viewed through my wall mounted monitor. I drew the image on an 18x24  canvas and roughly painted in the darks and toned the canvas.Hmmm now to think how i will approach this painting. And yes I will be painting it in colour and applying value and temperature.

I will continue to paint daily on small paintings but also working on The Great Greats and updating their progress.

Marc's BBQ

Marc's BBQ

10x8 

Oil on Board

Today's painting is a quick plein air from my back yard. My son,Marcus, made this BBQ 5 years ago, and used it a few times before becoming vegetarian. Beside it is an overgrown herb garden box that my daughter, Colleen, painted.

Emmi's Fence

Emmi's Fence

6x6

Oil on Canvas Panel

I actually painted this painting last evening. I was sitting watching TV and I glanced out the window and saw my neighbour's fence and boulevard garden. I quickly did a thumbnail and went to my studio and set up a few small daubs of oil in my pochade box. I used only 2 small brushes, a flat and a round. Using the KISS rule it only took me about 45 minutes to paint. What I put down stayed, no fiddling. I really like it. When I showed it to Glen he knew right away where the scene was.

Beach Explorations

Beach Explorations

6"x6"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Yesterday while in Parksville, BC, I went to the boardwalk and snapped some photos of people on the beach. I am such a chicken I use my ultra long lens so I am not intrusive. This was a lovely little family scene. They were really focused on being in the moment with their young son. I painted it with a very limited palette, 4 colours and black and white, experimenting with Kroma Acrylics (made on Granville Island BC). Very nice. Still finding acrylics a bit of a challenge and my painting style is a bit different. It is all good.

Waiting for a Ferry

This daily painting is addictive. This was painted in my car while on the ferry. Bouncy. I had taken a quick photo of this man standing in the back of his camper using his cell with my phone on extreme digital magnification. Then drew a thumbnail. I was bored on the ferry so I went to the car and painted this painting in about 40 minutes. A wee bit messy.

Idle Paint Brush Day

Today was an idle paint brush day. I did some  prep work for a really big painting I want to work on, I also rearranged my studio for this rather big canvas. I set up and photographed the portraits, and got them web ready and emailed them off to Lisa. I put on a coat of medium to even out the surfaces of the 2 large portrait commissions.  So I didn't actually paint but I did do art related stuff. I am doing a small road trip tomorrow so I hope to take pics and maybe some sketching but paiinting will need to wait until Saturday.

Cheers
Chris

Ankle Deep

Ankle Deep

6x6

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

This is my second painting today. I had some acrylics still open on my Stay Wet palette after painting Maple Leaf Ankle Socks. This is an image I took about 10 days ago during a plein air morning. It is of a fabulous plein air painter Darlene Young.

Maple Leaf Ankle Socks

Here is this morning's painting. The model is my sister Kathy. Trying to apply things from Mike Svob's workshop. It is also an acrylic. Had fun.

June 4, 2012

Well I did paint today but alas I think me being so tired caught up with me. But here it is.

Sooke River

Sooke River

9"x12"

Oil on Canvas

Form workshop flunky to a finished little image of Sooke River. I added some colour and depth. And I should say that although I painted this at the workshop it is no way the style of the facilitator and in no way did he paint on this image. . I wasn't getting his method totally, and am still processing it.Oh well, had a blast anyway.

Yellow Door

Yellow Door

6"x6"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Tried something new tonight, more along the lines of what I heard at the workshop with Mike Svob. This is an acrylic. I was too lazy to set up my staywet pallet, I have been painting all day so I am tired, and it was drying too fast. Something I will be exploring in the next little while.

Workshop Flunky

Workshop Flunky

Oil on Canvas

12x9

I was on workshop with Mike Svob today, he paints using amazing colours, but alas I obviously don't. He actually was talking and demoing in acrylic today and I had oils with me. Okay I did learn a lot of stuff and I do plan to paint acrylic in a bit to see if I can put all he was talking about into practice. Tomorrow he will discuss oils, we will see what that one looks like.

Plein Air at Government House

 Old Rock Stairs

6"x6"

Oil on Paper

I went painting with the Al Frescoes this morning at Government house. It was drizzly and overcast. Again I am using Arches Oil Paper. I decided to use a lot of medium (walnut alkyd) and to paint fairly impressionisticly . The second painting I started with only about about 30 minutes left before the group finished and did the show and share. Slapped on paint and worried only about large spaces of colour. A very different style for me but quite happy with the results.

Mossy Rock

6"x6"

Oil on Paper