Christmas Apples

   

Christmas Apples

 7" x 10" mixed media

Christmas is speeding towards me, but I'm not ready on several fronts. This year the season will be low key as my mother is in the Acute Stroke Unit at a local hospital and the outcome is up in the air at the moment.

So between work and painting and daily visits to the hospital, Christmas has taken a bit of a back burner. I have some lights up on the property and inside and a tabletop tree, but no time to put up a large tree this year. And, to be honest, I don't really miss it.


I'm finishing up # 14 of the series of wooden boat paintings, which means just one is left! I hope to have some time over Christmas to work on the book that accompanies the series, which will be shown in a solo exhibit most likely in June 2015. I have to have the series and book done and dusted and the final grant report in by March 31st, so want all the ends tidied up before the end of February. It sounds like a long way off, but life has a way of changing focus, so I concentrate efforts where and when I can to get things done.

 

My breaks between large paintings are sketches and studies for paintings that I can work on after my boat series is complete. These are usually done in my sketchbook, and the medium used can be anything that takes my fancy, from oils to pastel, to pen and wash. I use Stilman & Birn sketchbooks with 100lb paper usually and that takes a lot of the abuse I give it without complaining.

These apples started life as a watercolour sketch, then soft pastel got into the party and this was the end result. As a number of people asked about availability, I made reproductions available through RedBubble on a variety of products.

Don't forget my Christmas Giveaway on December 24, 25 & 26th.  I've added one more giveway on December 23rd, known as Tibb's Eve in Newfoundland for an 8 x 10 matted reproduction of The Winningest Punt.  You need to be a subscriber to my mailing list to get into the draw for one of 5 giveaways - 2 on Christmas Eve and one on all the others days.  Each drawing will take place at 8pm Newfoundland time and I will email the subscriber and mail the art to them after Christmas.  Sign up is quick and easy through the link on the right side of my blog, or on my Facebook page or website.  Good luck!