Just for Fun

The title says it all - a quick one done with colours I like.

Morning has Spoken

Here is the last of my plein air sketches done on our Fall Retreat (we also call it our Do-it-Yourself workshop).  This is a farmer's field located just behind my friend Marina's home.  It is lined with beautiful trees and foliage and makes a great spot (also easy to get inside for a great lunch afterwards!).   Thanks again, Marina and Mary for a fabulous time. 

Before the Wildfires

Thinking of my son Jake today, in Jasper, surrounded by wildfires.  He is safe but the land is being ravaged.  This is from a beautiful shot he took in the early summer there.
GIFTED

Yellow Boots

When we visited the British Virgin Islands, I spotted this striking bird - so proud and those yellow feet were eye catching. 

High Park Heritage

This is taken from a plein air sketch I did some time ago with my painting pals from Pembroke  (like the alliteration?) - I must admit I am not looking forward to painting only indoors for months ahead.  I am guessing other artists may agree!

Corsica

A change of subject for me - friends visited Corsica and I loved the view from their room, and of course, the light patterns. 

Jumping Rocks

Another plein air sketch, done while painting for a week in cottage country with my favourite painting friends.  These are "jumping rocks" which my sons would love to try if they had been with me. 

Classic Summer

A canoe in our amazing Algonquin Provincial Park - what more needs to be said?  Such a common sight in the summer in cottage country but still, the appearance of a red canoe often just completes a summer scene.
SOLD

Foot Bridge

I found a hidden garden this past spring that I thoroughly enjoyed.  This little bridge was simple and charming to me. 

Ice pellets hitting my window, wind blasting my home - enough!  This scene evokes the hot and humid days of summer - a kid at camp enjoying a brief glimpse of nature. 

A misty morning on a deserted lane - from a photo taken by John Galati - thanks John for the inspiration!

This lonely orchid is in an old vase of my mother's from the '50's and I liked the connection between the flower and the vase.  Flowers are a delight for me - I gave up doing them years ago but now seem to be returning.  My mother who also painted extensively used to say that flowers were like faces and that may be true.  I find them more forgiving to do.

I have tackled this scene a few times and will show 2 versions done this winter.  There is just something about the glow of those tress that keeps bringing me back.  Taken from a cornfield in Pembroke Ontario - thanks to my friend Marina who lives on the edge of this beautiful place! 

Fall colours are hard to resist and as I developed this piece, I found it became rather mysterious - my background is unusually muted (for me!).

Only in the Rockies!  It is hard to believe that nature can produce a view as stunning as this - another painting sourced from a photo by Anthony.  Thanks Anth! 

A dramatic view from the Pacific Trail in BC - from a photo my stepson Anthony took last summer.  Makes me want to take up hiking!

The same beach at Algonquin but looking the other way - I like the boat in this one and it took some work I can tell you to get the values right!  I am missing the sun today so this painting fills in some warmth. 

Gorgeous Algonquin Park in the spring - painting plein air with good friends made for a memorable day and a really strong motivation for me to return there again and again.  This lake was one of Tom Thomson's favorite places...very inspiring!

This is Penny, my niece Megan's newly adopted dog and she was my first animal/pet painting, done for Megan's birthday.  I am quite happy with how alive she seems and very relieved I pulled this off as a birthday gift!  I really enjoyed capturing her sweet face. 

After much procrastination and excuses, I am back to blogging.  I have been painting though, so you will see the range of subjects and approaches I am taking on.  A friend commented recently to me that I have had so many different styles to date!  It is time to chart a course and stick to it for a while.  This year I will be painting only in oil and mainly small paintings.  More still life during the winter too.  Onwards!!