recent paintings and news

recent paintings and news

Sunday, December 28, 2014

'my witness is the empty sky'




Although not much snow, there have been lots of high winds here in Niagara. One thing about the wind is it sure makes some interesting sky (at least to me).

I like the monochrome in winter and the challenge to push greys. The subdued nuances of tones and textures in the land cast by the sky- greys intrigue me to no end. 

Winter is a quiet place in time.



December
 oil/cold wax on canvas
 20x24in, copyright Jan Yates 2014
available  






Tuesday, December 16, 2014

breath of winter



Although currently working on studio paintings indoors, at the end of each session I try to make a plein air sketch -luckily I can just step outside. This direct observation work helps me immensely when addressing middle tones/values/edges in the larger studio works.

 *and I just really love the subtle breath of winter light



 December, remains of the day, oil / cold wax on canvas, 16x20in, copyright Jan Yates 2014
available


and on a field note:


milkweed

Friday, December 12, 2014

the force of gale


In staying tuned to all things Shetland, news feeds have been showing gale force winds wreaking magnificent havoc along the coastline. In watching web-cams and videos, I was compelled to respond...



Gale force 8
 oil / cold wax on canvas, 16x20in
copyright Jan Yates 2014

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

love what it loves

This time of year I tend to be reflective, melancholy-longing for those not near...


You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.


Wild Geese by Mary Oliver


November, remains of the day
 oil & cold wax on canvas, 18x18in, copyright Jan Yates 2014
sold


Monday, December 8, 2014

lights in the sky




many years ago child-spirits appeared in my encaustic work. i recently came across one 'in progress' while cleaning out the studio- embellished her with some new found hawk feathers and for some reason I want to call her a 'mirrie dancer', although if you read the description it's a wee bit gruesome:

'In Scotland, the northern lights were known as "the mirrie dancers" or na fir-chlis. There are many old sayings about them, including the Scottish Gaelic proverb "When the mirrie dancers play, they are like to slay." The playfulness of the mirrie dancers was supposed to end occasionally in quite a serious fight, and next morning when children saw patches of red lichen on the stones, they say among themselves that "the mirrie dancers bled each other last night". The appearance of these lights in the sky was considered a sign of the approach of unsettled weather.'  





 to be featured this Saturday @ the pop up show:
http://firecrackerfuschia.weebly.com/
 

Monday, December 1, 2014

encaustic painting workshop


more shameless flogging.....



Art Therapy To Help You De-Stress This Holiday Season: Opening tomorrow for Encaustic painting:





Ancient and intriguing, this method of painting originated in Greece, where it was used for the earliest easel and mural painting. A heady combination of colour, melting wax and heat, encaustic mixes dry and oil pigments in hot beeswax. Encaustic painting is safe and non-toxic.

http://www.janyates.com/teaching.html




images (sold) copyright to Jan Yates