special plein air workshop

In the Orchard

The vibrant spring colours are here for a very short time-let’s get outdoors and paint them! We will work on location Monet style-‘en plein air’- among  orchards, lush fields and big open sky. For those preferring  to paint structures, there are barns, fences and wonderful fallen down sheds for inspiration This afternoon workshop is enjoyable for those with minimal art-making experience as well as more seasoned artists. In inclement weather, painting will progress in the studio with fresh spring cuttings as inspiration. Sessions are in oil or acrylic. Participants are responsible for their own supplies, paints etc. and a suggested colour pallet and list will be provided upon registration. Some outdoor easels are available.

Saturday, May 10 1:30-4:30PM *this workshop will make a lovely Mother’s Day Gift! REGISTRATION:     Grimsby Public Art Gallery 18 Carnegie Lane, Grimsby,    Ontario, L3M 1Y1 phone: 905-945-3246 e-mail: gpag@town.grimsby.on.ca webpage: www.town.grimsby.on.ca/ArtGallery/Main/

this beautiful natural world

Happy EARTH DAY-what will you be doing today?

One kind gesture towards this beautiful natural world can make a difference.

Voices of the air, encaustic on panels, 4x12in, copyright Jan Yates 2014, available

I will be throwing some milkweed seeds. 

intoxication

For me, orchards in bloom mark replenishment and awakening. 

Spring is the natural world re-born. It is an intoxicating time –magic, mysterious, over the top with life. I love it.

April, waiting for May, oil on panel, 30x40in, copyright Jan Yates, 2014, available

what a difference a day makes

Finally. The last two days have been warm. sunny. promising.

The snow has melted.

Although  forceful winds had me tying the easel to a tree as well as wire the canvas to the easel, it was worth it just to be outside painting again.

That warm sun felt SSSOOO good!

 April, oil on canvas, plein air, 12x16in, copyright Jan Yates, 2014

 available

750. secure online payment via Paypal, Visa, M/C. shipping arranged. inquire here

 

Last week; 

the same vineyard, on a cold, wet, grey day.

 April, thaw, oil on canvas, plein air, 11x14in, copyright Jan Yates 2014

shared seeds

Many of our gardens are grown from shared seeds, planting memories of time and place. 

When I make these seed packet paintings I feel connected with my Mother. This one in particular, as she always had something red growing by her window or in her garden.

 Garden corner 4, encaustic, copper, seed packet, seeds on panels, 4x13in, copyright Jan Yates, 2014. 
(160.secure online payment, shipping arranged, purchase here)

GMO

-still enjoying the assemblage of small odd shaped panels, embedding them with seeds and  their packets, and then layering with encaustic, oil, and cold wax.

I think it would be interesting to include Non-GMO seeds-the challenge would be in the finding.

Garden corner 3, encaustic, cold wax  on panels, 4x12in, copyright Jan Yates,  2014 

(available: under 160.  online purchase via paypal, shipping arranged)

* i will be teaching a few encaustic workshops at my studio in April. 

For info, please click here.

a time to sew

Another from my annual Spring seed packet series.

 This time of year the garden shops display tantalizing racks of optimism-waxy packages of bright promise.

 Garden Corner 2, encaustic on panels, diptych, 4x16in, 2014   copyright Jan Yates

under 200., Paypal accepted, shipping arranged. purchase here. 

this whole experiment of green

A little Madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King, 

But God be with the Clown – 

Who ponders this tremendous scene – 

This whole Experiment of Green – 

As if it were his own!
Emily Dickinson

Garden Corner, encaustic /copper on panels, 4x10in, 2014 copyright Jan Yates

(under 140. available online via Paypal. click here to purchase)  Yes, I have posted this poem every Spring-it comes to me as soon as the weather turns, which it seems to be doing -finally- !! Below is another encaustic workshop demo that i quite like. A friend gave me a box of small panels and i have been layering them to make new shapes. I've always been drawn to odd shapes and sizes.