Enamel Exhibit

At the invitation of Lorraine Bouchard (my enamelling instructor) I was invited to participate in this exhibition and I'm pleased to say that my little enamelled chickadee sold this week!

Mésanges

This is what these little birds are called here in french speaking Quebec.

The desire to do a little watercolour one afternoon resulted in this year's Christmas cards.

Cardinal II

10" square

collage with hand painted and found papers on wood cradled panel

It seems appropriate to be using these colors at the start of this new holiday season.  I've been doing a

little calligraphy as well and decided to work them in, in subtle ways.  I'll be taking better photos as these are a tad fuzzy.

Cardinal Collage

8" x 10"

Painted and found paper collage on cradled wood panel

Moving on from chickadees, cardinals have been a joy to work on.  I had been hoarding favourite papers but was determined to actually use them.  Although I have several new ones to post, I returned to this from a previous post to add more branches as it seemed to need a little something more.

Two Tulips Up for Auction

I have two tulips paintings up for auction this week.  It's the start of the busy season and the search is on for gift giving.  Perpetually blooming flowers in the form of a painting are a good way to start.

The auction (or buy it now feature) are at the Daily Painters website as follows:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/449871 for the pink tulips and

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/450107 for the red tulips

Fall Exhibitions

My submissions to the Hudson Artist's Fall exhibition taking place this weekend.

Sunflowers

16" x 20"

Oil on Canvas

Called sunflowers for good reason, they landed in my home unexpectedly and I couldn't let them go until I had taken photos of them first.  I didn't hesitate setting up to paint them as the yellow was too lovely to ignore for too long.

What a handsome boy...

Carter

8" x 8" Oil on wood panel

I love the way he's sitting in a three quarter pose as if he knew he would have his picture painted.

I've painted Carter before but as a closeup.  

White Petunias in Silver Cup

10" x 10" x 1.5"

Oil on collage on wood panel

I like the serendipitous results I get when painting over a collaged surface but have to be careful not

to "work around" interesting little tidbits and forsaking the integrity of the composition.  Still it does create a little bit of interest.  The following details is an example of what I managed to keep in the painting and will probably lend itself to the title "New Beginnings"

Boheme

A new local event that was most successful (a little rain at the end of the day but it was a welcomed, warm summer rain).  Fun to do but now it's on to planning the next which take place the third week of November.  I often question my planning tactics as I approach a deadline but realize that I can 

never be completely in control because all the good stuff happens from the creative frenzy that takes place.  Good ideas just seem to abound and I have to take advantage of them as they appear.

September Painting

I had planned on posting more this month of September and it's racing by.  I don't usually do a Fall fair but this time I am in an event called "Boheme".  It is outdoors in tents and so hoping for good weather.

Something new for Draw and Cook

The website theydrawandcook.com has inspired me to return to watercolour painting.  This is my newest. A late summer submission celebrating the joy of kitchen gardens.  The format for "They Draw and Cook" is a wide narrow rectangle so I usually re-format into 8" x 10" formats to put into my Etsy shop.  I love cooking, love painting, love painting flowers...so it's a win/win situation.

Finished....for now

Zoe in all her fluffy gorgeousness and if I don't start another painting right away I'll keep putzing about and over working.  Photos of her are lining up waiting to be painted but I have a pug or two to do first.  And then there is my handsome Mr. Louis who I must do soon because he is such a lovely boy.

Zoe in a Basket in Progress

Zoe was a stray that we took in almost three years ago now.  She doesn't like to be held but she loves

to be petted and begs for attention.  Possibly one of the most beautiful cats I've ever had.   Almost finished this one and pretty soon she's going to need a wall all to her self with all the others that I've painted of her.  

Watercolor Alphabet

I've been enticed to take many classes with Skillshare and this is one of the latest.  A simple exercise in water-colour to create an alphabet and vectorize it in Illustrator.  I never tire of seeing the capillary action of water-colour so creating this two tone alphabet was a fun diversion.  

Older Work, New Inspiration

Probably about five years ago I did a series like this of acrylic on water-colour paper with Prismacolor pencils for details and a slightly abstract background.  My go-to medium is usually oil for framed paintings and water-colour for illustration work but I think I'm ready to go back to using
acrylics on paper again.  Maybe because I've been doing some collage work and that would blend so well with the type of painting above.  It's nice to be able to re-visit my own work and get inspired rather than looking elsewhere for that spark.  This one is under glass as you can see by the tiny areas of reflection at the top and over the handle.  Perhaps this time I might work on wood panels because of the smooth surface and see if I can get that "pastel painting" effect I got from working with velvety acrylics and pencil on paper.

Latest Collage One of my Fav Subjects

If I am going to paint a bird, chances are it will be a Chickadee or Misanges as they are called in French.  This one is my latest collage on wood.  Snippets of maps, wrapping paper and hand painted papers were used.

10" x 10" x .75"

collage on wood panel

with raised border

$90

What's painted in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen....

Whenever I finish an oil painting I gravitate to a different media not unlike cleansing the palate (pun intended).  I'm not as familiar with water-colour but creating these illustrated recipes has been a great learning tool.  I've created a small library of individual kitcheny items and sweet and savoury foods and assemble them digitally into illustrated recipes.  I've just posted a few in my etsy shop.

Bougeureau and Tea, Freesias and Me

14" square

Oil on Canvas

$525

I had been painting small formats for the better part of the year, that I felt I needed to work a little larger and pulled this image from my files.  I've always liked painting an image within a painting

but Bougeureau is a hard act to follow!

Some of my favourite things.....

These peonies were left from our backyard wedding and were the most spectacular I had ever seen.  I photographed them for days hoping to have at least one image I could paint from. (I think I do).  The chickadee is a collage from a series started last year.  I picked it up again and have created a few more.  Each time, I marvel at how much I learn when I work in a series.  My santos doll doesn't have to have a purpose.  She has an air of grace and beauty.  I have great plans for her.   The portrait of the little girl I just couldn't part with.  Her intense gaze pulls you in. 

Wow, I just realized this is my 400th post!