recent paintings and news

recent paintings and news

Friday, December 24, 2010

Nollaig shona duit! & residency



'Nollaig shona duit!' 
Happy Christmas!

'Nollaig faoi shéan is faoi shonas duit.'
A prosperous and happy Christmas to you.

I thought these Irish sayings appropriate, having joyfully received an early Christmas gift in the mail: I have been accepted into a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland!
Still reeling--more later but now time to celebrate with a pint of Guinness!

May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch on your door, and happiness be guided to your home by the candle of Christmas.







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Monday, December 20, 2010

Winter Solstice


Well, it’s 2AM on Tuesday the 21st of December--and the earth will align for two special events - - a total eclipse of the moon, and the winter solstice when winter officially begins.

The night sky has been so beautiful..I painted this from my window around 7:30PM until 11:30 and will definitely go back into it as it's still very rough around the edges, so to speak.

As well I need to adjust the palette. It was so dark while I was working that I was scooping up what I thought was one colour only to find..NOT.
This needs to be more cohesive/refined and perhaps I will glaze when completely dry. As well, I  am having  problems with the M Graham whites. They are not opaque- they are  too transparent and fluid aka walnut oil-I like fluidity and transparency in some of their coloured pigments, but not  white! I had run out of KAMA (beautiful Canadian handmade paint) --what a difference and I will be ordering some today. Considering the time of year I had better stock up.

Saturday, December 18, 2010


I try to keep this blog ‘clean’ i.e. strictly art, but considering my art is inspired by my environment I thought I would share my outdoor studio and 3 reasons that have fostered my appreciation for the great outdoors.



Thursday, December 16, 2010

I’m still working on the commission mentioned earlier and with family illness I haven’t had much time to paint, but am optimistic things will turn. In the meantime, I am sharing another ‘December’ painting.

This little painting has been good for me and it was hard to let it go when sold. It not only represented a significant time in my personal life but jurors loved it –even won first place in a regional public gallery exhibition.



December, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
11x14in, 2010
SOLD

I had been working all day on a larger studio painting and just killing it –getting very frustrated—so I opened the door to get some air and again, on the fly, looked out and there it was. I never moved so quickly as to when I wheeled my painting table over and strapped that canvas onto the easel..am wondering if I could generate the same energy (of the painting, not me!) on a much larger scale…


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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

This week I’m in the studio working on a commission- from one of my ‘October’ paintings as reference. On this December day, however, the temperature is _9C .
Snow-worthy for sure although it hasn’t arrived in this part of Southern Ontario- yet- except for a light dusting. I hope it holds off until next week when I have some time to paint it. In the meantime I thought I’d share another of my December vineyards from seasons past.




December, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
11x14in, 2008

I remember sitting right in the snow to paint it. I have a ‘sleeping-bag’ type coat that goes down to my ankles and I can tuck it under to stay warm. (I think it is my favourite piece of clothing. Huge pockets to put things in from daily field walks—milkweed pods, stones, the occasional animal part that my dogs have discovered).
I was attracted to the remains of one of those shimmering blue-bright December days and accompanied the incoming shifting hues of light.


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Saturday, December 4, 2010

a wee show..

A few of my paintings are up at the Grimsby Public Library as well as the Art Gallery lobby so if you're in the area they would love to see you... 



 January Ice Vines
oil on canvas
24x40in, 2008




January Ice Vines
oil on canvas
20x36in, 2008





February
oil on canvas
36x48in, 2007

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Friday, December 3, 2010



 I really have a problem with the loss of daylight so when I lose the light in the early evening I usually work from a still life or a plein air sketch-referenced larger work. Controlled light is great but I still crave the challenge of changing light.

I was in the studio about to close the blinds --on the fly glanced out the window and low and behold, Christmas lights! This was an excuse to use pure pigment and it was interesting to build up the saturated darks and value shifts. I have a very large knife with different angle edges and used it a lot—on a larger canvas I could probably get away with a brush. I do like working with the knife-really really thin and wet paint though—not fond of the consistent strokes and ‘icing’ look that can sometimes happen when using a knife with thicker paint. I’m liking the Canadian Balsam/linseed oil as the paint really glides and it dries to a luminous gloss.



December, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
9x12in, 2010


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Saturday, November 27, 2010




'All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.'


Havelock Ellis


November, Letting Go
oil on canvas
24x48in, 2010
available

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Monday, November 15, 2010



For me November brings a new cycle of inspiration and tends to be one of my most prolific months. I was reviewing 'November' paintings of past seasons going back to 2007 and have shared below. As I write there are already a couple of ‘Novembers’ waiting on the easel in various states of ‘undress’.




November
oil on canvas
16x20in, 2009
SOLD





November, above Elmtree Road
oil on canvas
24x24in, 2008
SOLD




November
oil on canvas
18x30in, 2007
SOLD

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Thursday, November 11, 2010


 Below is another image that is up for auction on Open Studio 'Live'.

It was painted and posted to my blog last November. Since I have lost that blog,  I thought I'd re-visit the post and have included it under the image..



 November
(small gift series)
oil on canvas
6x6in, 2009, available

November, 2009

Today in the thick grey fog and drizzle I came upon this nest very low among the wild grasses. I like to think it is that of a Bobolink, although I've read they usually nest right on the ground.

Bobolinks nest in hay-fields and meadows across the northern United States and southern Canada during the summer months of May through early July, and I am happy to say that each year I've had the pleasure of seeing and hearing more and more of them on the Niagara escarpment.

Bob
oil on canvas, 6x6in, private collection

 
The Bobolink makes one of the longest migrations in the western hemisphere—a round trip of approximately 20,000 km (12,400 miles)! They migrate to the vast grasslands of southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina to spend the austral spring and summer months of November through March.
Their song has been vividly described as "a bubbling delirium of ecstatic music that flows from the gifted throat of the bird like sparkling champagne," "a mad, reckless song-fantasia, an outbreak of pent-up, irrepressible glee," and as "a tinkle of fairy music, like the strains of an old Greek harp." 

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

November 11: Remembrance Day, Poppy Day, Armistice Day , Veterans Day



November 11 is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in war, specifically since the First World War.

The image below was painted nine years ago in response to the coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001.

I, like most, was numb with shock and grief—the magnitude was horrific and unbearable. I remember being out for a walk and compelled to return to the studio. I had an already - prepared 4 x 5ft canvas for a night painting and it was primed with dark oil over reflective marble dust and mica. I lifted the large canvas onto my easel and recall dipping a large brush into red molten wax (encaustic). I know this sounds macabre but in making the mark of the cross, the warm wax flowed like blood. The process was like lucid dreaming.  Afterwords  I could see it was all about the blood shed and souls lost in the crossfire of religion's dichotomy.



Lest We forget
oil/encaustic on canvas
4ftx5ft
  2001



In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Online Art Auction Opens

This is one of my plein air paintings available at Open Studio 'LIVE", an online art auction and raffle with portion of proceeds to benefit McNally House Hospice.

check it out here.



8
November. small gift series
oil on canvas, 6x6in
Jan Yates, SCA

Value:$120

Starting BID: $45.



bid HERE


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Saturday, November 6, 2010



It certainly feels like November.

This evening when I opened the door to let the dogs in, the air had that crisp winter chill, the moonlit sky was filled with clouds and stars—and to really make it for me was the sound of the coyotes yip yip yipping—glad they’re still around!

This is a view from my studio window that I started on a grey day last week and finished up today, which was challenging because today was sunny and the leaves are now gone. But I was really interested in the dialogue between the 2 trees. I don’t know—and I suppose I don’t care-what kind they are, except that my neighbour planted them forty years ago..wow—and I love them..they light up bright pink just before the sun goes down—another painting..



November (last dance)
oil on canvas
18x24in, 2010
available


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

commission

Not my usual seasonal serving, especially in the grey light of November and, lately, especially coming from me!


to everything there is a season
oil on canvas, 30x40in

This is the commission that I started at the beginning of summer (mentioned in my post here) and completed only a few weeks ago. A lot of time has lapsed between sessions and with family illness pervading I had to put it aside. It would not have been fair to my client had I pushed myself when my heart wasn't in it. I am very happy with it now (although still can’t manage to adjust colours to my liking on the monitor) The client came to the gallery today to pick it up and of course I was nervous re his response –he was happy! All is good.

Today I also sold my new painting (October, Liah’s View) that was barely dry. What a contrast in work compared to the garden above- I have really been questioning my direction lately and feeling pretty unsure re current work and where I am heading so this perked me up a wee bit...


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Liah's View

OCTOBER 20


Recently we had guests staying over so had to spend some time in my daughter’s room. I had forgotten how breathtaking the view was from her window, no matter the season. When my guests left and the right days came (yesterday/today) I lugged all of my painting gear upstairs…interesting how inspiration can just come on the fly—but how long has it really been there? It was an insightful state of catharsis to be in as she was everywhere..



October, Liah's View
oil on canvas
30x30in, 2010
SOLD

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saved posts from previous blog

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Open Studio 'LIVE'



I haven't posted in awhile--busy with art submissions etc-  

A lot of my time has been taken up with creating an online Art Auction, with portion of proceeds  to McNally House Hospice. I still haven't worked out all the kinks, but for a sneak preview click HERE    

I will also be raffling off paintings--this is one .




November, a walk after Guinn, oil on canvas, 16x20in





Tuesday, October 12, 2010



I've always liked the strong contrasts of black vertical lines-in this case the tree trunks, juxtaposed against the bright yellows of textured leaves when the light hits just-so. Things move in a really melodic way, especially with a consistent breeze--such was today--a good one to accompany with paint.




October
oil on canvas
12x24in, 2010
available

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1 comments





Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

Between reading Hebridean tales by Lillian Beckwith and inspired by  a wonderfully written blog by accomplished painter Caroline Simmill and this being Thanksgiving, the Scottish highlands have been with me all day! 




Two years ago I traveled to the north west coast of Scotland for the first time and spent Thanksgiving with my daughter in an extremely remote croft (did I mention remote?) off a one-track road and on top of the sea. 

Saturday, October 9, 2010



I painted over my July vineyard because it was too tight and contrived--then I painted over THAT painting (a few posts ago) because it was too dark and muddy--I've mentioned in previous posts that I like to paint over old work, but I have to be careful as the  pigments of the previous under-paintings can affect the top colours--and not always in a good way..

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I am much happier with this image.



October
oil on canvas
18x24in, 2010
available


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Friday, October 8, 2010




This is another plein air work rendered last October that I put away. Because the premise of my work is about documenting the seasons and climate change, if I start a painting in a certain month and don't have the opportunity to finish in the same month with the same weather, I put it away until the following year. This was painted at the END of October 2009--on my walks in the field the colours are the same NOW, mid October, so we are definably early in the changing of the seasons in the land.



October, Greenbelt Disaster
oil on canvas
18x24in, available

For those of you that have inquired re my titles that include 'Greenbelt Disaster'

'The ‘Greenbelt Disaster’ series transpired after I caught sight of a hand painted sign of the same name propped up on the back of a tractor. The tractor was parked on the service road near Niagara’s QEW for all to see and behind it was a smouldering vineyard. It was a protest from local growers, whose vineyards and orchards were destroyed or left to go fallow because they could no longer afford to farm them. Since, I have visited and interviewed some of these growers and organizations and this series of paintings is a culmination of that investigation.' To read more please visit: This Land is our Land

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010


Kama & Canadian Balsam


I’ve always found the technical aspect of painting with oil to be an intriguing challenge. It’s important to know the components and strengths of pigments as they interact with each other long after the painting is dry—so it is integral to use the highest standard of oil paint and mediums and I have a few favourites. The more expensive are the highly pigmented paints - Old Holland, Williamsburg and Michael Harding—beautiful beautiful beautiful..and worth every penny- from consistency, handling and saturation. I think it’s important to invest in good quality pigments, but I have found that M Graham Paints and mediums are cost effective and bound with walnut oil allowing for brilliant refractive qualities.


For the past year I have been using KAMA oil paint and mediums. They are ground by hand in an artist run store out of Montreal and they not only offer excellent paint—in unique colours like ‘hemoglobin’-but also powdered pigment and all the fixings if you are inclined to make your own. They are brilliant—also using walnut oil as binder but they are a lot ‘drier’ than M Graham. I really like experimenting with mediums and reading Marc Dalessio's blog led me on a hunt for Canadian Balsam— and I found it at KAMA! It’s very expensive but after investigating it I just HAD to try it.

Today I mixed my medium by using 1 part sun-thickened linseed oil, 1 part solvent and 1 part Canadian Balsam. I work very thin and lay in using only turps and a little alkyd to speed up the drying—as I lay in thicker passages I add the medium. The Balsam moves the paint beautifully—very fluid. Canadian Balsam is a sap from fir trees, used to improve adhe­sion from one paint layer to another and impart a silky smooth qual­ity to the paint. It is supposed to be clearer than other balsams and leave a refractive sheen..will find out when this little painting dries.



October
oil in canvas
9x12in, 2010
available

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Monday, October 4, 2010



'I know the year is dying, Soon the summer will be dead.
I can trace it in the flying, Of the black crows overhead;
I can hear it in the rustle Of the dead leaves as I pass,
And the south wind's plaintive sighing Through the dry and withered grass.

Ah, 'tis then I love to wander, Wander idly and alone,
Listening to the solemn music Of sweet nature's undertone;
Wrapt in thoughts I cannot utter, Dreams my tongue cannot express,
Dreams that match the autumn's sadness In their longing tenderness.'
- Mortimer Crane Brown


October, Thinking of You
oil on canvas
12x12in, SOLD


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Saturday, September 25, 2010




Today was a very changeable day. The wind was throwing leaves from the trees and the sky was trying to catch them.


September, Letting Go
oil on canvas
14x30in, 2010
available



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Tuesday, September 21, 2010




The painting below is from an island location on Lake Huron. I had the opportunity to stay and paint for a week in exchange for the client selecting 2 paintings as a birthday gift for his wife. (very romantic as it was her family's summer getaway growing up).

There are no cars on the island and not many people about in September so it was an ideal setting for an artist. I was able to paint undisturbed most of the time and managed to render 7 plein air works of various sizes. The downside to being on an island however was transporting these wet canvases, luggage and 2 large dogs to the mainland in a wee motor boat. We were holding the paintings over our heads and almost made it to the other side when the boat ran out of gas….



September, A Time to Keep
oil on canvas
18x24in, SOLD


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Saturday, September 18, 2010




Personally I find my work is in continuous cycle—cycle of growth, harvest, then dormancy. September for me is bittersweet—a month visually stunning but symbolic of what is looming. Depicted below is a turbulent work—artistically faulted in the traditional sense —but no apologies—it is what it is, felt good to get it out.

Thursday, September 16, 2010





The other evening my students and I painted out in the back field. Sadly-or not- the light this time of year goes very quickly and we were painting into the dark. Next week we will work on two canvases-one will be reserved exclusively for some night painting. A good challenge and we’ll prime the canvas blue/black I think. The colour temperature this year is so warm that this compliment should work when juxtaposed against the cool dark under-painting.


This small painting is from our excursion and another that has has been painted over a few unsuccessful works-I like the texture of the under-painting.



September, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
9x12in, 2010
available

0 comments

Friday, September 10, 2010



On grey days or in winter I love nothing more than to be in the studio working on larger paintings—time to stand back, contemplate, change course..but today a break was needed –the day was too beautiful! I couldn’t help but indulge myself. With very little time I still managed to sneak out at 5PM, climb the hill, feel the sun on my face and paint. I will have to re-shoot tomorrow after I pick out the wee bits of grasses and what looks to be hair of dog.





September
oil on canvas
9x12in, 2010
available

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Today on my hike I was astounded at the vastness of yellow. The fields and fallow vineyards are carpeted with goldenrod.

The painting below was rendered at the end of September –last year. It was one that came together beautifully and I am happy with the composition, movement and brushwork. More importantly, the experience of painting it as I know this subject intimately. When I moved here the vineyard was nurtured and harvested but five years ago was left to go fallow.

The posts and vines are still firmly rooted in the earth—even though there is no wire to hold them up… when I am really struggling with my work, this painting helps me get through..


September, Greenbelt Disaster
oil on canvas
16x20in, 2009
available
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010


This morning my Sister lost her beloved cat due to illness..any of us who have experienced this know the heartbreak. It got me to thinking about my dogs –past and present- and how they have grounded me. In reflection there are many paintings—some representative of the subject, but in the case of  my nonconformist dog who went way too young, there are paintings of place—



 September I Miss You the Most
soft pastel, field flowers, encaustic 
18x18in, 2009




Holding On
soft pastel, field flowers, encaustic 
18x20in, 2009




December, Missing Guinn
oil on canvas
30x36in, SOLD









Saturday, September 4, 2010


Art washes away from the soul 
the dust of everyday life. 
~Pablo Picasso
September, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
9x12in, 2010
available



Tuesday, August 31, 2010




"September fattens on vines.
Roses flake from the wall.
The smoke of harmless fires drifts to my eyes.
This is plenty. This is more than enough."
Geoffrey Hill

September
oil on canvas
30x40in, 2009
available


Sunday, August 22, 2010



My Daughter turned 23 today—Happy Birthday Liah! Unfortunately (for me) she is living ‘across the pond’ In her younger years, to earn her keep, she had to model for me….A few excerpts from my ‘Big Girls/Little Girls’ series (excuse the poor photos) 


Mother's Intuition
acrylic on canvas
48x60in, 1999



Man in the Mirror
oil on canvas
36x48in,  1999

The Day Molly got loose and chased Everyone out of the Pool
charcoal/conte
7x12in, 1999

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Saturday, August 21, 2010




“Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sunKent Nerburn.




August Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
10x30in, available




Saturday, August 14, 2010




Sometimes I wish that I were happy just to work in the studio as it sure would make things less cumbersome re hiking and lugging my gear. Alas, I find if I don’t get outside among the bugs, itchy grasses and sudden rain it just doesn’t complete me. I guess I like the challenge of making quick decisions from direct observation and I find I get to that ‘ high mentioned in the previous post in no time—mind you I lose it just as quickly, usually because of impatience. Art~making teaches us so much wherever we are.

There is a hill behind my property that I have painted just recently but I have not worked from it in years. Well I climbed it yesterday with my French easel, found a lovely shady location under the old apple tree (image a few posts ago), and I think I will work from there for a few paintings. I like looking downward and beyond and it is very close to my home so I can access it quickly~and vacate it quickly if need be…which is what I did in the image below to escape the storm. It is rendered on top of a few unsuccessful paintings~ I was waiting for an almost rainy day, as I wanted the texture from the old underpaintings to emulate rain.



August
oil on canvas
10x30in, 2010
available

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010




A few months ago I was commissioned to paint a ‘wild’ garden.
The client has a number of my paintings and loves my style, which always makes it easier—actually I refuse commissions if the interested party is not familiar with my work. I think most of us agree that we put added pressure on ourselves when it comes to a commission. Personally speaking I want to envision and embody what the client ‘sees’ and for them to embrace my response.
As research for this commission I visited a number of gardens for possible paint sites and forwarded these images to the client. In his reply it was clear that he was worried re a disconnect in our ‘vision’. Here I was concerned about representing specific gardens, and did he want a road, or building, in the background etc. In turn, he envisioned a visual smorgasboard of colour, movement, and life through shapes, line, colour and texture and for the culmination to take him to other places-I was so relieved!
Even with carte blanche to ‘go for it’ I still require a starting off point, and I work out what to incorporate and where..So over the last few weeks I have been painting small studies of colour and movement from my own garden, which was liberating because I know it so well. Below is an example. I’ve also been plucking up these sacrificial flowers as reference and my studio is filled with honey jars of individual blossoms. Some wilt faster than others so I really have to coordinate my timing re flower picking and painting!

When I immerse myself into the physicality of painting it is in anticipation of the ‘endorphin’ high-where the painting takes over and transcends. For me the only way to achieve this as well as a meditative state in the studio is through guaranteed big- fat- chunks- of time—time with absolutely no interruptions other than bathroom breaks, food and water. ( I'd be fine in jail if I could bring my paints!) I always begin my workday with a long dog run in the field to inspire me -and to wear them out so I can work work work. I am hoping to have that, and the painting, finished (and approved) soon! Then maybe the air will cool and my schedule will clear and I can get back out for some fresh plein air.



August, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
8x10in, SOLD

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Friday, August 6, 2010


"Summer's lease hath all too short a date."
- William Shakespeare



August, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
16x20in, SOLD

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Sunday, August 1, 2010


HAPPY AUGUST

The last few days have seen me holed up inside doing ‘art business’ i.e. the dreaded artist statement/submissions etc—a nightmare- for me at least.  Part of it though was researching other artists and I came across some really inspiring quotes from one of my my  ‘art heroes’  Emily Carr.  So I thought I’d share and have listed them  below.
 Also, an ‘August’ painting rendered a few years ago –the one that ‘got away’ so to speak.. I don’t know about other artists, but there are some paintings I wish I had of hung on to- this is one of them…



August, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas, triptych
36x36in, 2007
SOLD




EMILY CARR QUOTATIONS


How badly I want that nameless thing! First there must be an idea, a feeling... Maybe it was an abstract idea that you've got to find a symbol for, or maybe it was a concrete form that you have to simplify or distort to meet your ends, but that starting point must pervade the whole.”


“The spirit must be felt so intensely that it has power to call others in passing, for it must pass, not stop in the pictures.”

“There are no words, no paints to express all this, only a beautiful dumbness in the soul, life speaking to life.” “

I think that one's art is a growth inside one. I do not think one can explain growth. It is silent and subtle. One does not keep digging up a plant to see how it grows.” “


I was not ready for abstraction. I clung to earth and her dear shapes, her density, her herbage, her juice. I wanted her volume, and I wanted to hear her throb.”

Be careful that you do not write or paint anything that is not your own, that you don't know in your own soul.”


“There is a need to go deeper, to let myself go completely, to enter into the surroundings in the real fellowship of oneness, to lift above the outer shell, out into the depth and wideness where God is the recognized centre and everything is in time with everything, and the key-note is God.”


“Look at the earth crowded with growth, new and old bursting from their strong roots hidden in the silent, live ground, each seed according to its own kind... each one knowing what to do, each one demanding its own rights on the earth... So, artist, you too from the deeps of your soul... let your roots creep forth, gaining strength.”

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Thursday, July 29, 2010



I might have mentioned this once or twice but what I find enlightening in painting on open land is that I am in the midst of so very many creatures ‘unseen’ -their continued presence entirely dependent on our land’s eco system.

This is a very old apple tree and has been the focus of many of my works throughout the years. It is host to numerous birds who nest in it and use it for cover in increment weather. The apples are also fodder for deer and yes, sometimes dogs :O. Needless to say, this little hill that it is perched on has been climbed many times by both four and two -legged critters.


July
oil on canvas
36x36in, 2010
available

Saturday, July 24, 2010



I worked on this painting last July and put it away with the intention of resuming later in the month. Something about it was really bothering me but I was too close. Today after returning from a walk in the field and seeing all of the thistles in bloom (with yellow finches feeding on them) I thought of the painting. I took it out and after applying and wiping out several times, I just signed it.




July
oil on canvas
20x30in, 2009/10
SOLD

Friday, July 23, 2010





This painting is representative of a body of work that is ongoing- exploring our connection with the seasons of the land and the seasons of our lives. Listed below is a simple but to me so deeply true poem - no matter the denomination or what beliefs one has I think it says it all



July, A Time to Every Purpose Under the Sun
oil on canvas
24x48in, 2009
SOLD

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the sun:

Monday, July 19, 2010


Today on my walk I had to catch my breath at the site of Queen Anne's lace embellishing the fields. They usually arrive in August and I suppose I didn't think that they, too, would be early.
When I lived in California I was taken aback to learn it was common for florists to have this 'weed' imported- these wild flowers that grow here in abundant splendor and remind us that summer is in full swing.


August, Morning With Queen Anne
acrylic on canvas
12x24in, 2009
SOLD

Saturday, July 17, 2010



One thing about living up here on the escarpment--the temperature is always a few degrees lower, which is great in the summer-not so in winter! So even on these sweltering days, the evenings cool down and tonight was accompanied by a refreshing breeze--thankfully no gusts to knock my easel over :X

Saturday, July 10, 2010



After a week of no rain and steaming hot weather, relief came yesterday in a day-long downpour. As a result, today's sunshine brought new wild grasses and flowers, my favourite being clover, thistle and chicory. Their vivid and varied patterns and colours, as well as light movement in the breeze, tantalized yellow finches and butterflies. It was a pleasure watching them feed as I painted—nature’s so ALL WAYS in sync!




July
oil on canvas
12x24in, 2010

Wednesday, July 7, 2010




These warm July evenings bring a special yearning for my Daughter, who moved to Ireland a few years ago. Although I usually work from life, the image below was painted from a photograph taken by her just before she flew across the pond. LUMU Liah

July, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
30x36in, SOLD
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Saturday, July 3, 2010


What a beautiful afternoon—ideal for a plein air painter I think! The acre of property I live on backs into an open field and my neighbour has let us use it for many years. Beside me is a vineyard, and I had very kind neighbours who let me paint in them undisturbed. Now I have new neighbours who are always out working the property with their assortment of machines –as I write this (at night) they are spraying yet again with pesticide(?). Anyway, they were gone for the day so I set up my easel and painted undisturbed for hours and hours—was wonderful! The field where I painted from had been freshly cut so it smelled DIVINE! The only snag was the wind- whoever invented bungie cords deserves a medal.


July, Greenbelt Disaster
oil on canvas
18x24in, 2010
available

Monday, June 28, 2010




Today was another stifling, sweltering humid day and tonight my student and I really had to push ourselves to get out and paint. As often happens, once we found our way to open sky and started working we felt much better. The air cleared and cooled and it turned into a beautiful evening.




June, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas
6x6in, 2010
available

Saturday, June 26, 2010




Yesterday I posted an image that I wasn't sure I was happy with. When I post images it really gets me away from the work, allowing much needed objectivity. Well, I removed the post shortly after as I saw almost immediately what the painting lacked. I worked on it today and am much happier with the outcome.

Time to leave work for a week or so is ideal. Right now I have four paintings on the go and this usually helps me to stand back with a fresh eye if I work on them alternately. Easier said than done--some get in your blood and you just have to stay with them--sometimes regrettably- but worth the sacrifice as they always teach me something.
June
oil on canvas
18x24in, 2010
available


Friday, June 25, 2010




Today I saw a large transport hauling bales of hay. Usually in June the field behind where I live is turned, but so far no hay. I wonder if it is because we have had so much rain. Every year I paint hay bales from this field I know so well. The birds have finished nesting and now the carpet of clover is rolled up to be recycled for livestock bedding and food. The vast size of the round bales provide a perfect place to hide and paint, and I relish in the fresh-cut scent as I am working.
Here is a wee oil sketch from last June.


June
oil on canvas
9x12in, 2009

Tuesday, June 22, 2010





This one's for you Robyn, as per your comment on the earlier post. ( and yes, there is a story..)


Finally, My Hollyhocks!
oil on canvas
24x40in, 2008
private collection

Saturday, June 19, 2010



This kind of day—humid, sticky and stifling- can turn into a perfectly pleasant evening and I took advantage.
After the usual Saturday chores I headed out around 5PM for the back field and wasn’t disappointed. The air had cooled and freshened and was filled with my favorite a capella bird melodies. 


I think that is what I find most enticing about being in an open field. You know that it is home to so very many creatures but the colours and textures camouflage them so well.


June, Greenbelt Disaster
oil on canvas
12x12in, 2010
available

I didn’t realize how long I was out until the sky really started to churn and I heard thunder nearby. It was a scramble to get my shoes back on, gather my gear, round up the dogs and make my way home- as I write this it still hasn’t rained.


Friday, June 18, 2010




I have been working outside all week on some larger paintings. It is important for me to paint in the same light, so they are not yet finished. For a ‘quick fix’- a wee field painting...

June (Greenbelt Disaster)
oil on canvas
6x6in, 2010
available


Wednesday, June 16, 2010


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



SUMMER PLEIN AIR

Friday, June 11, 2010



The June fields here are a show of pink and green-more so this year because of all the rain. It's a good enough reason to play with rose madder and cadmium yellow light. And, thanks to the rain, the cloud-scapes have been spectacular and ever-changing.


June
oil on canvas
12x24in, 2010
available

Wednesday, June 9, 2010



Are we not all tied to the seasons and the cycle of harvest, and intimately connected to the turning skies?


June, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas, 30x36in
reserved

Tuesday, June 8, 2010



June is ‘the door of the year’, the gateway to inner realms. In the goddess calendar the first 12 days of June belong to Hera.
European folklore tells us that: good weather in ‘Flaming June’ is required if there is to be a good harvest; bats flying on a June evening are a sign of hot, dry weather, and if swallows fly near the ground in June it’s a sign of coming rain.


June, Remains of the Day
oil on canvas, 12x36in
SOLD

Monday, June 7, 2010



"I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June."

- L. M. Montgomery


June ( a pretty good day so far)
oil on canvas
24x24in, 2010, available



Thursday, June 3, 2010




Considering the weather here in Niagara, I thought it appropriate to post this little painting.

June, After Rain
oil/ beeswax on panel
8x10in, 2009, SOLD

Wednesday, June 2, 2010



Happy June

I was finally able to get out in the garden ( to actually garden, NOT paint). June always puts me in mind of the poem made famous by Jenny Joseph (who was young when she wrote it!). I never understood the worldwide phenomenon of the Red Hat Society, as this poem is clearly about NON-conformity.

When I am an Old Woman
encaustic on canvas, 28x46in, 2000, private collection

Wednesday, May 26, 2010




It is hard to post this image tonight. I went out early in the day to stay cool before the heat and humidity set in.

Monday, May 24, 2010



The vineyard I have revisited--many times. And I will continue to do so-for many reasons. This particular image was worked over an existing painting that wasn't taking me anywhere. I like to do this, as the texture from the under-painting's brushwork as well as colours affect the current work.

May
oil on canvas
16x20in, 2010
available