Gone fishing

In Newfoundland you can't simply go out and randomly catch an ocean fish, you have to wait til the government sets the Recreational Food Fishery sets a date for a few weeks a year to fish.   The dates in 2011 are July 24 - August 14th withs another couple of weeks later in September/October.

So with the chance of some fresh cod for the freezer, a trip out in a boat was taken.  Not by me I might add.  I don't do small boats on the ocean unless the big one has sunk and I have no other choice.  Some cod were caught for the freezer and I obtained my small printing cod to play with.  I haven't done a lot with cod, as they're difficult to come by.  It sounds strange saying that, as cod was the staple of everything Newfoundland for so long and is what drew many countries to the shores.  People find gyotaku a strange thing and the concept of sacrificing a fresh cod to use for printing is almost sacrilege.

I did a half dozen prints of this cod before I popped it into the freezer for another day.  I don't find them wonderful fish to print with.  They're a bit soft fleshed and the skin tends to wrinkle easily, making it difficult to get a strong image.  The fish I used was about 14 inches long and I printed it on several different papers to find a suitable print.  I still have to add eyes and decide if I'll take it further or not with colour.  I may try one of the prints as a wax batik and see how that turns out.

Recycling water

 I'm in recycling mode again and pulled out an old canvas to use.  It had a light/dark base on it and I didn't give it a base coat of gesso before starting this painting so the initial coverage isn't complete and I see the demarcation line dividing the previous painting's colours.  Also another painting was resting against this canvas and there is a slight indentation.  However, these things should resolve themselves, otherwise it becomes a study!

The weather this summer has been beyond miserable.  It has to be the coldest, windiest, wettest summer on record with day after day after day of relentless grey.  So I decided one way to beat it was to create some tropical looking water so I could at least pretend it was warm.

This will be a view of a lovely turquoise sea with the sunlight rippling across the sand on the shallow bottom, stretching out into deeper water.   This is the start of the piece in oils, 14 x 18" I think - I didn't measure it - on gallery canvas.

Eveline - complete

  Eveline

8 x 10  

oils on canvas panel

Update:  I've added this better image now that some of the shine from the oil has diminished.  This is truer to colour and value of the original, though still a little light.

I've finished the final glazing and touches on this piece and am calling it done.  Well I may still tweak that left hand curler a little more, but aside from that I'm not touching it.  Because there is fresh oil on it, its difficult to get a decent photo, but this may be close enough for now.  Its a little darker and browner in real life.

Although a grisaille is usually the underpainting for a colour piece, I'm leaving this one alone as I like the sepia-like colour.  I used burnt umber for the base with some titanium white then glazed with Transparent Oxide Brown which I adore.  It adds such warmth to a piece.

I used poppyseed oil and a little turps for the final glaze then softened the strokes with a broad fan brush.  It needs to dry and sit for a few days, meanwhile onto a new piece.

Grisaille portrait update

I haven't had a lot of time this week to do much painting.  House guests and still not feeling 100% with this cold, limits what I can achieve.  However, I do a few minutes here and there and it builds over time.

I'm adjusting shapes as I go, especially the hair, trying to get the curlers in the right place then block in the values.  The face is more or less as I want it, with more shading to be glazed to intensify the shadows.  I did wipe and redo the eyes several times before I was satisfied with them.  Most likely because I didn't do a drawing on the canvas first, instead went straight in with a brush and drew loosely from there.  I need to follow my own advice.  It saves time.

There's something about monotone images that brings me back in time.  The sepia tones are the trigger and the sense of painting as it was done hundreds of years ago.  Traditions are steeped in time and never lost.

Grisaille painting

 Eveline

8 x 10  oils

Grisaille painting isn't seen often these days.  It was a classic technique favoured by the masters and students to produce a monochrome version of a painting before colour was added through glazing.  It was very similar to a drawing, or a sculpture, but done in paints.

With the advent of 'alla prima' painting, grisaille has dropped from favour.  Adding another step to a painting seems wasteful of time if you're creating a painting all in one sitting.

I have to admit that I haven't used grisaille for a very long time either and my prompt to try it again is this portrait.  It is being done from a greyscale image, as there was no other available from the individual.  So the time seemed right to work up a grisaille image then see if I wanted to move it further with colour glazing, or simply leave it as a monochrome piece.

This is about the half way mark.  I've got the shapes and values it, now to deepen the values and tweak the shapes.  I'm using oils here, burnt umber and titanium white and need to let the layers dry a little before refining it more.

Berry spoon

I'm still working out ideas for some of these old spoons and, quite simply, just enjoy drawing them.  When I have some down time, I like to take my sketchbook and work on some quick drawings, sometimes with half an eye on the news.

This is a more intricate spoon that the previous and I don't think I've given it justice.  I believe its a berry spoon with its scalloped edges, I could be wrong.  I also made the bowl of the spoon too big, then ran out of room for the handle, so I shortened it to allow me room to add the design.  Perhaps I've invented a whole new spoon!

Again, this is graphite and white pastel pencil in an Earthbound sketchbook by Daler Rowney.  The book is made of recycled paper and is one of my favourites to use for the paper colour and quality, as well as the environmental aspect.

I'll get around the painting them soon.  Really I will!

Bramleys

 
When I was expecting my eldest daughter I had cravings for anything sour, mostly fruit, and would stop by the greengrocers on the way home to buy a variety of fruits that I would then eat for supper.  I guess things could have been worse, I could have craved cakes.  Supper would also consist of sliced cucumbers in vinegar some nights.  That craving for tart had to be fed!

The apples that I always chose were Bramleys. These were big, mis-shaped  apples that were very sour and usually used in cooking when sugar would be added.  They were often termed 'cooking apples'. I haven't seen them in Newfoundland, and may just have to grow them if I want them. 

This little painting I did in about 30 minutes while clearing off the remaining oil paint off my palette before starting fresh.  Its 5 x 7 on canvas panel and a memory painting which are good to try now and then as long as you don't expect perfection.

After supper tonight I looked out the window and saw Tripod.  Do you think he needs to go on suicide watch or is doing his version of a Tiananmen Square-type protest over something?  That cat concerns me...

Beginnings exhibition - the opening

The opening went off seamlessly yesterday, with great food, wine and people wandering through the exhibition all afternoon.   I was the photographer and spent my time mingling and alternating with taking photos as unobtrusively as I could.  A task to delegate to another for the next show!

Many thanks to all who came to the opening, friends old and new.  Thanks too to Spirit of Newfoundland for hosting the event in such a beautiful location.  If you didn't make it to the opening, you still have lots of time to see the work, as the exhibition runs daily until August 13th.

Now that this is in place, we can take a little while to regroup and think, but not for long as we have another exhibition coming up in early October.  Time to get back to the easel again!

 

 

Sneak preview

 Little Heart's Ease

Shhh, don't tell anyone I let you see, ok?  Here is a sneak preview of some of my hung work that will be in our Arts Northeast exhibition, Beginnings, that opens tomorrow at Masonic Temple in St. John's.  I'd encourage you to come down tomorrow and see all the pieces in person as a computer can never capture the true light and colour of art.

Landwash

 

The artists and assistants worked diligently this morning and hung the show in about two hours.  There was lots of wall space available in the building and the final view looks good I think.   People attending dinner theatre at Masonic Temple will get a pre-opening view tonight and with shows and functions happening at that venue over the coming weeks, there should be about 800 people going through a week who will have a chance to see our art.

 View from the bar across the street to the Cathedral

I love old buildings and this is no different.  They don't make buildings like they used to.  Tall windows and deep walls, wooden floors, plasterwork, its all my idea of heaven to spend time in an old building. I think I was born 200 years too late.  The Masonic Temple is right across the street from the Anglican Cathedral, which is a very impressive building in its own right.  Located in the heart of old St. John's, the area is full of history and ghostly tales.  Willicott Lane is on the back of Masonic Temple and is one of the oldest lanes in the city.

But you won't see any ghosts tomorrow, just lots of great art.  The opening begins at 2 and runs til 5pm.  A great way to spend a little time on a summer Sunday afternoon.

Born with a silver spoon...

I wish that old saying were true, but I can't tell you that it is in my case.  The silver I have I had to work hard for.  However, I have always loved sterling silver, both when its shining brightly and when it has that gold/umber sheen to it when tarnished.

I have wanted to paint some silver for awhile, a spoon in particular.  But wanted to wait til the right piece inspired me.  Luckily I have a friend with an antique shop and was able to browse and borrow a few pieces to work with the other night.

This is a study of one of the old spoons I chose, the right done early this morning, back down, the left in the last light of this evening showing the reverse of the spoon.  Graphite with a touch of white pastel pencil was used on kraft paper sketchbook and gives that background of gold that comes through as a tarnish that the spoon has.

In a couple of days, I'll work out what I'll do for a composition for them.  I'll need to take some photos for reference as I have to return the spoons, but those plus my life sketches will give me enough information to create a painting from I think.

A bit of everything

I'm up to my neck in last minute details for the upcoming exhibition that opens on Sunday.  We hang the show on Saturday and - touch wood - all is going as planned. So while I do publicity and wrap and label paintings, I'm also working on two others alternately in oils.

While waiting for the first layers of the iris bud to dry a bit, I started another water piece.  This is my year to concentrate on water and I'm doing ok so far in progress, but do get sidetracked sometimes. This will be a view of the water surface of the Atlantic, off Pouch Cove.  Right now, its not much more than a sea of blue, but you have to start somewhere.  Initial stages are never very interesting, unless they are the skeleton beneath of the initial drawing.  With this type of water piece, it becomes abstract and I usually don't do an underdrawing, but work my way by intuition and frequent trips to the water to confirm what's in my head and in a photo.

So I may well be absent for a few days while things whir around me, layers dry and the coyote stares me down from across the studio, waiting for completion.  Please do join us for the opening reception of Beginnings on July 24th from 2 - 5 at Masonic Temple, we'd love to see you.  If you can't make the opening, the exhibition will run until August 13th.

Impending - in progress

  

 Impending

oil on canvas 8" x 16"

I own thousands of wild blue flag irises.  Each July, the wetland which is part of my property is a sea of blue as these flowers bloom from the tree line to the road on both sides.  The blooms aren't long lasting, but the show is spectacular. 

 

And each year I promise myself that I will paint one of these flowers, but never get around to it for a couple of reasons.  The short life of the flowers that fade over hours some days and the fact that I'm not a painter of flowers.

initial drawing/value study on canvas

However, this year I was determined to do so, and here is the start of an oil painting of one of the tightly curled iris buds.  Buds of flowers intrigue me.  How can all those petals curl upon themselves so tightly, yet unfurl to perfection?  Its like waiting for an impending birth to see when the flower opens and blooms.

This is an 8 x 16 piece, and while I wait for the first layers to dry a little, I've started another piece, of water.  More about that another day.

Fishwife - complete

Everything is a learning experience and its good to go outside your comfort zone and just let creativity flow.  I found that doing this batik on paper hit all areas.   The original sketch was done from an idea in my head, no references, just thoughts flowing.   I decided that I'd try my hand at batik using hot wax on paper instead of the faux batik that I'd used previously.

The build up from the drawing transfer, applying layers of wax over pigment had me doubting that the mess in front of me would ever turn into something salvageable.  The final layers of wax over the entire piece after I had cracked the wax and applied a dark indigo wash to seep in the fissures really left me thinking this was only fit for the trash can.  I didn't take a photo of it at that stage and should have as it really was not a pretty sight.

However, I made my batik sandwich of white paper and newsprint and ironed it to soak the wax out of the piece.  When I changed newspapers to blot more wax, the transformation was appearing.  This is the final piece.  It will need some more tweaks and there are some things that I will  be careful of in future batik work.

• I didn't use enough wax on the face of the fishwife, so the darker colour seeped under vital sections, darkening it more than I wanted.   I think I can fix this with a light wash of acrylic, well watered down or perhaps a touch of pastel.
• I was too enthusiastic about cracking the wax and ended up with too much of the crackled effect.
• I need to go in and add more detail to some of the small fish.  Their small size makes waxing detail difficult, so it may be simpler to wax them completely after a first wash then work on detail later.
• Now I want to do more!

Wax batik fishwife - WIP

I've enlarged my drawing and put it on a piece of Japanese paper - I can't remember what kind it is right now.  It was a piece left in a pile and not labelled so I'll have to hunt to figure out the type of paper it is.  The piece is about 10 x 15.

I've decided to try a batik piece with it, using wax and watercolour.   I've done faux batik before using masa paper and that turns out well.  Now armed with and old griddle, a tiny cast iron pan and a chunk of beeswax that I had (it smells sooooo good), I'm off to the races. 

Well races doesn't really sum it up, as batik is a slow process and I don't even know if I'm doing it correctly or not yet.  Basically, its a bit like using masking fluid, adding it layer by layer over areas that you want to save as you add progressively darker layers.

Its early stages yet and I have some initial layers in place that I've put pigment washes on and have now added a layer of beeswax over that to preserve it before my next layer of paint.  

The Fishwife

I've been doodling the idea for a new painting over the last few days and think I've more or less got what I want. You'll need to click on the image to see a better view of it.  Now I need to enlarge it, then decide what the medium will be.

Creating a new piece from a variety of sources, reference images, life and imagination test ability and creativity.  I'm not a graphic designer or illustrator and envy their ability to come up with what seems like endless ideas for images.  Mine take blood, sweat and tears from start to finish usually. 

Elements may change as the piece transfers and as it is painted, but the concept will remain the same.
Now on to the painful part - enlarging.  I like the process of creating, but sometimes want to speed up the boring parts!

Can you hear me now?

 
It really really is the end of the palette now and I'm ready to move on to a new piece.  If only I can decide which one and in what medium.  Sometimes there are just too many choice to make a decision and then nothing happens!

So to finally finish off the remains of the paint on the palette, I did a quick 20 minute study of this crow who is obviously trying to tell me something.  Probably something along the lines of  'Just get on and do it!'  Setting time limits works well to free up brush strokes and decision making in painting otherwise I can get swept up into detail and fiddly changes.

Lavender road

 

This view is very near my house and I've painted it several times over the last couple of years.  The track leads into the woods to a marsh and not much goes there beyond all terrrain vehicles or snowmobiles in winter.  There is no lavender growing there. The path is usually filled with water as it is a wetland, but with the warm weather over the last week or so, its dried up a lot, so its down to pale lavender/grey earth with a few puddles remaining.  The colour is what attracted me this time and I enhanced it a little above the natural colour in my paints.  Its part of the appeal of being an artist.  I can turn reality into fantasy or vice versa by simple use of colour.

I don't know why this little track fascinates me so much.  I find myself looking up it each day as I pass it, noting changes in the landscape, sky or path and take mental notes on colour and shape.  I often stop to grab a quick shot with my cellphone camera if I want to capture a particular light.

There is benefit in revisiting the same spot and  painting it over and over.  Each time, there is something new to learn.  I was using up the end paint on my palette to create this piece.  I hate throwing away paint and always create something out the the remains of colour left from creating other pieces.

Shooter

 

Shooter

5 x 7 acrylic

Available for purchase through my Etsy store

I'm calling this painting complete.  The shooter marble is the larger one, used to propel other, smaller marbles in various adaptations of the game. 

Adding the details to a painting gives me the same feeling as curling up with a favourite book or sampling a food I love.  There's a level of satisfaction in adding the final glazes and tiny details to a painting and seeing it move to a different level of dimension.  The act of creating something that looks 2D from a flat, white piece of canvas  provides me with amazement and interest all the way through.

Something shiny - half way

Marbles seem to have a universal attraction for artists and non-artists.  The hard, semi transparent, reflective surface give so many possibilities.

For some reason I have marbles in my head (yes I know...) and I need to paint them to get it out of my system.  Of course finding marbles is not as simple as anticipated, not the ordinary cat's eye marbles anyway.  Everything these days seems to be extraordinary swirls of colour in opaque glass with exotic patterns or designs.  I just want plain old marbles that I remember from childhood.

Stage I - blocking in values

But all is not lost.  I found this creative commons image to practice on and am quite enjoying the process so far.  The painting is at about the half way point, so more work on it tomorrow.  Its a small piece again.  Smaller studies let me work out the issues that I come up against and the marble is no different.  This is in acrylic, I think a larger work, once I find marbles will be in oils.

Beachcombing

I can't resist a beach and come home with pockets bulging with finds each and every time.  This time was no different.

A broken whelk shell, bleached by the sun, the wormholiest (if that is a word) piece of wood I've ever seen was added to the collection, along with half a jaw bone of an unidentified animal, the femur of a seagull, rocks, mussel shells and anything else that took my fancy.  I like to think the piece of wormy wood that the sea placed at my feet was from some ship from hundreds of years ago.  Its certainly not recent, and I haven't seen worms in wood for many many years.  Whatever its origin, it becomes mine and I can weave stories in my head about 16th century pirate ships now sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic.

Either way, the pieces make good references for drawing.  This is graphite, in a 9 x 12 sketchbook while the news was on tonight.

Salmonier River finished

 Salmonier River

5" x 7" acrylic

Detail has always appealed to me.  I can spend hours creating tiny strokes with a pencil or brush to make minute progress. So completing this little painting of a curve in a tributary of the Salmonier River held endless interest for me.

The process of creating something from broad strokes of colour down to individual forms is a challenge and very enjoyable.  I'm looking at the next challenge for  a new piece that will test my patience and ability.  I came across the art of Sadie Valeri.  Her still life pieces with exquisitely painted glass and paper fascinate me and also inspire me to try my hand at a similar composition.  It may take awhile for me to find the right composition and props (having a friend in the antiques business helps). 

I would like to film the process.  Of course I anticipate the painting will take time to produce so a speeded up version of the process would be required. A little experimentation is required before I jump into this, so stay tuned.

More coyote

I am over run with ideas for new paintings and drawings.  Its an odd sensation, making me want to furiously put it all down on paper before the ideas disappear or the urge leaves, as we know it can do.  But I have other things to do first, such as finalizing pieces for our upcoming exhibition and completing a few pieces in progress before I dive into the ideas.

I will put down some thumbnail sketches however so I'll have something concrete to go back to later and the ideas aren't lost in day to day life.

Here is an update on the drawing of the coyote that I started in pastel.  Its coming on slowly and I'm in no rush.  Without the snout built up  the face looks too broad,but that should rectify itself as the shading becomes apparent.  I always love how pieces start to move forward out of the paper. 

Salmonier river

The tall grasses that grown on the edges of rivers are a rich source of inspiration in terms of shapes and colours.  Some rivers are flanked by reeds which I'll be working on in another painting for the future.  The texture and colour found in these grasses was a little daunting initially but as I'm getting into it and seeing the form develop, it becomes rhythmic to create the lines and arches that they form.

The water, too, has depth with submerged rocks and grasses that add interest.  I love how the movement of the water makes the grasses float in that direction, almost like hair blowing in the wind.  I'll continue to develop this small piece as a prelude to larger piece.  I like how the water leads me into the painting, wanting to see what is around that corner.

This is 5 x 7 on stretched canvas in acrylic.

Upcoming exhibition - Beginnings

 

The local art group that was formed earlier this year is holding its first exhibition - Beginnings - in a few weeks.  With time fast approaching, the push is on to finalize pieces for the show and do all the last minute things to make sure things go smoothly.  I have just one more piece to choose and am torn between a couple, one depending on whether or not I want to frame yet another piece.

This summer exhibition and sale, will be held in the historic Masonic Temple, which was built in 1885 and is now designated a Registered Heritage Structure.  It seems I have a penchant for old buildings as my gyotaku workshop was held in the Anna Templeton building, a National Historic site. structure.  Our first exhibition introduces ten original pieces of work from each artist. Subjects range from gyotaku fish prints and seascapes to florals and traditional landscapes with mediums encompassing printmaking, mixed media to watercolours and oils.

The exhibition runs from July 24th to August 13th at Masonic Temple, 6 Cathedral Street, St. John's. It is open from 10am - 4pm weekdays and 1 - 4pm on weekends.

The opening reception with all artists present, will be held from 2 - 5 pm Sunday July 24th.  Come along, we'd love to see you there!

Fish completed

 Capelin Weather

5 x 7  acrylic

I spent some more time with the capelin piece again today to finish it.  I had taken some photos, but the light wasn't right in them and as I had started from life I wanted to complete it that way. 

Whether painting from life or from photographic references, as long as the lighting is good, the painting will usually follow through technically.  I know there is a school of thought that believes only drawing from life is the classic technique and photos cause problems.  To me, there are issues with both.  Practicality for me when using fish or a water scene comes into play. Working a full time day job means that I can't always access the lighting that I need or have the time to devote on site. I can do a lot from life studies, but time and availability makes painting completely from life often a luxury rather than the norm. 

Use of both provides me with the best of both worlds.  I can have the reality check and knowledge of colour and light that stays with beyond the boundaries of the reference photos that I take on site or of the specimens.  I think familiarity with a subject gives the best grounding for a good painting and that familiarity is often found through studying the subject in life.

These little fishy friends are available for sale in my Etsy store.

Something fishy

Its capelin season in Newfoundland.  That time of year when the little silvery fish roll in on the beaches to spawn.  I was given a bucketful of them and they are my favourite fish to draw and paint and print.  I love their delicateness; the sheen of their skin and the myriad of colours that show up in them.

So while the coyote is still watching me from across the studio, I grabbed a couple of fresh capelin and took some time to make a start on a little painting.  I'm painting these from life, the 'shelf time' is limited.  I'm done for tonight and will finish it off tomorrow, then these little ones will have fulfilled their mission in life.

This is 5 x 7 acrylic on canvas board.

And a little up close and personal view of caplin rolling on the beach yesterday.  I sure hope the camera was waterproof...

Coyote - the drawing

I've decided to do the larger version of the coyote study that I sketched a few days ago.  This is on a half sheet of mouse grey mi-tientes paper - the smooth side.  I'm using pastels for a change - a combination of sticks for initial broad values and pencils for detail.

As usual, I start with the eyes.  If the gaze looks right, the rest will generally fall into place around it.  I know I should be disciplined and work left to right for this, but I'm all over the place, adding shape and colour as it suits me.  It will all work out in the end provided I keep remembering to use my hand shield.

Cats and birds

Tripod sketch

felt tip pen

I have two new studio companions - Jack and Vera - a couple of young parrakeets or budgies.  I haven't had birds for a very long time and at one point I used to breed birds of all sorts and had many from parrots down to finches.

There is an uneasy alliance between Tripod and the birds.  He's curious and stares at them, but knows that he's not allowed to get close and he's at the point now where he can be left alone in the room with them and he simply goes to sleep in his bed and ignores them.   I wouldn't trust him alone while no one was in the house at this point, but he's getting there.

Birds in the barn are another story where cats are concerned.  Yesterday morning 70 day old turkeys were picked up and yesterday afternoon a black cat that keeps coming by decided they'd be good fare and killed 20 of them.  Needless to say, no one is very pleased.   This cat has been wandering around for the past year or more and he and Tripod have ongoing wars.  He keeps going into the barn and even eats the duck feed out of their bowl.  Usually mass killing like that is the signature of a mink or weasel, but there was none in the barn and if one were in hiding, the rest of the poults would have been killed by morning but none were.

The black cat turned up again this morning, sitting by the barn door waiting to go in and finish off some more poults. Trap for removal or shotgun is next in its fate.  I'm an animal lover, but when they cause financial loss and livestock suffering, I am very happy to remove the intruder in one way or another. Straying animals, whether pets or abandoned, cause major problems in farming at many levels.