Last Peonies

A perfect summer day of plein air painting with Art Club friends, in Edwards Gardens. 

Jan's Lake

I brought my paints to my dear friend Jan's cottage
and found inspiration everywhere & a peaceful time
with a special friend. 

Fire and Water

Abstract water taken completely from real life - lasting only a brief while...leaves us guessing!

Here Comes the Sun

I like the interplay of ice melting into water which really have created some fascinating reflections.  Of course, spring is my favourite time of year so I always celebrate the first hint that it is arriving.

At Anchor

One of the many breathtaking views we have when sailing on Georgian Bay and anchoring in tiny warm water back bays.  This is some of what keeps us going back year after year. 
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Sailing up the Thames

A little piece of England, and some reflections I couldn't resist.
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Moon and Ice

I decided to commit to a series focused on water reflections and started 2015 with this moody water and ice piece.  Even in winter, there is colour!

Yellow Boots

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

Sweet Grass

Water grass in the deep south, and a lonely duck.  Who knew water could be these colours?  I am really enjoying the abstract quality of the reflections.

Silent Pond

Part of my reflections series, this one captivated me because of the darks and lights, the colours and shapes.  It is Abbott's Pool in Bristol England.

Mash up

This is a total experiment, using charcoal, acrylic, oil and photo transfers - there is a picture of me at about age 4 and also 4 boys going skiing.  A real mixed media mash up!

Stairway to?

I created this mostly from my imagination, and often using my fingers to paint.  It turned out a bit mysterious I think!  24x20 Oil

Edge of Spring

This is from a photo I took last winter (the never-ending one) and I enjoyed the light (of course) on the leaves.   A bit of the tropics inside in March is always welcome.

One More Paddle?

The potential for extending summer is in the air, the water is beckoning and the sunshine will only last a few hours.  A precious moment in time.
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Indian Summer

This was done while painting with friends in the Kawarthas this September.  Cottage country minus the cottagers was quite lovely.
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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!

Cottage Meditation

I found this spot near someone's cottage but it seemed to be there for someone to "get away" - even while they are "getting away" at the lake!  We all need our own kind of solitude I guess...
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Corsica

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

Evening in September

Evening light, mid September this year.
The colours were part way along and
were magnificent this season.
This little orange tree said it all!
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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. 

Kew Gardens

A small plein air sketch from Kew Gardens in Toronto.  Fun to do and nice to remember summer colours now. 

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.
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Foot Bridge

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

Standing Tall

More on the autumn theme.  Birches just cry out to be painted, providing such intense contrasts. 

Nature's Palette

I have loved painting autumn scenes this year - it has been an especially colourful fall so it is hard to resist. SOLD

On top of the World

I have just returned from visiting one of my sons who now lives in the heart of British Columbia.  He is dedicated to outdoor adventure and this is a piece I painted of him on the top of Pyramid Mountain in the Rockies. SOLD

Rocky Cove

After many months away, I have decided to re-start my blog and I am happy to be back.  I have been doing quite a bit of studio and plein air work so I hope you enjoy these new pieces.

This painting is from a favourite spot on Georgian Bay of ours - a view you can only see from a boat.  I cannot resist the combination of rocks, water and big sky. 

More light from the Gulf Coast - and a blast of colour which I am pining for here in Toronto.  It is one of the great aspects of painting, you can conjure up the seasons when you want them!

We tried a quick and brief visit to the Gulf Coast this winter and, while we hit a chilly patch of weather,  soaked up sun and water views - and caught a few plays of light, like this one. 

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. 

I have painted this scene before but much larger and this time, I thought our sailboat needed to be there to conjure up summer and our many days on the water which, for me, is bliss.

Irresistible views of my favourite subjects - water, sailboats and rocks.  Inspired by another photo from John Galati - his artistic eye really supported this composition!
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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.

A rare piece for me - a result from a drawing class recently and a composition created by 4th year art students at OCAD - I had fun doing this. 

My "adieu" to winter 2013 - enough we say!  This composition originally was of summer but I decided to rework it for winter and gave it a rough and scraped look for something a little different.  Farewell snow, ice and blasts of icy wind - your claims to beauty are falling on deaf ears! 

Buckhorn Lake - where my husband Bryan grew up and where his family has operated a resort for more than 60 years - a favourite family scene...

A small version of a scene I posted on February 11 - another shot at it with more suggestion than actual shapes.  Someday I would like to paint this en plein air.  Might be chilly! 

After a week away, I am back at it and here is the second take on the same scene - I was playing with a more moody sky and (hopefully) looser strokes.  I am enjoying trying different approaches to the same composition so more to come...

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! 

I think Spring is coming - out of the darkness we always see the return of light in February and so these tulips are an early celebration.  More flowers "on fire"! 

What better than a sunflower in February?  I think it almost looks like flames rather than an innocent flower...

I find these very tiny 6 x 6 paintings very tough to do - there isn't a lot of room for wildly applying paint!  But real still life is a wonderful discipline so I will keep trying them. 

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!

This endless winter weather drove me to flowers - a subject I love and have done many times over the years.  This was refreshing to do and a treat for my eyes to play with such spring like colours. 

 These were done as a pair so I decided to post them that way.  Cottage country north of Toronto (Muskoka) is a beautiful area of Ontario with plenty of rocks and water...my favourite subjects lately!

Last of the mini painting series - a rare moment alone on the mountain with a long run ahead....