Mixed apples

I love apples.  I mean, really love apples.  In their natural state, cooked, preserved, apple butter, apple pie...on and on.  I can't resist them.

So what is more natural than planting apple trees to ensure your own crop?  Perfect idea, right?  So there are six or seven trees planted a couple of years ago with just that idea in mind.

It seems that nature has its own ideas in this part of the country and the weather always seems to get the better of the poor trees.   It might take the form of a late frost that kills the flowers, but more likely its the wind.  When you live on an island, wind becomes almost a constant.  Probably not wind that you're thinking of.  This is gale force, rip limbs off trees, blow away anything not tied down wind that is much more common than I ever remember.  And it isn't kind to young apple trees.   Yes, the trees are staked.  Yes, the wind blows the stake and tree sideways.

However, for the last couple of years there have been some apples growing!  Until the wind blows them off the tree.  Literally.  Its so disheartening I could cry.  I mean, its not too much to ask that I have enough apples to make a pie is it?  And they make such wonderful subjects for painting too.

But, to the rescue, a friend with a couple of apple trees that are older and more sheltered perhaps that are doing well.  So he provided a sack of apples with offers of more where they came from.  I think there will be some apple turnovers arriving on his doorstep soon as a thank you.

The apples are a mix of Golden Delicious and a little intensely red and gold one that looks almost like a crab apple but is sweet with pink tinged flesh.  A mix of both of those were chopped up for a Cinnamon Apple Crumble muffin that I made tonight.  A handful were the subject for this little study on paper using mixed media of anything from coloured graphite to charcoal to pastel and acrylic.  And I may not be finished yet.

PS  Don't get sidetracked by painting when you have muffins in the oven.  Like I did.  I hope they are salvageable.

Summer

 Summer - SOLD

11 x 14  oil on masonite

A subject can be painted or drawn a dozen times, two dozen times and each time there is a new discovery in the process. Colour and value analysis shift with each new view.  Painting experience influences the approach and familiarity with the subject matter guides decision making.

This painting was the demo in yesterdays palette knife workshop on painting boats and water.  It was a subject that I had painted previously on a large scale (30" x 40") and long sold.  The simple shape lessens intimidation factors for those less experience, and the complex reflection shapes and colours gives a challenge for those with more painting time under their belt.

The next palette knife workshop will be held on December 6th and has a Christmas theme.  There is just one spot left right now so grab it quickly if you're interested.  All supplies are provides and lunch is thrown in as well, all for $150.  Registration is available online.

Worth repeating

 Yellow

9 x 12 oil on panel

Available on Etsy  $95 plus shipping

I teach workshops in palette knife painting and find its a wonderful introduction for beginners who are intimidated by a more structured approach that requires more intensive drawing skills and control.  It also works beautifully for more experienced artists who want to free themselves from tight representational control and loosen their approach.

This little yellow boat is a piece has been used several times in workshops.  Its simplistic shape makes it approachable, yet subtle shading provides enough of a challenge in colour mixing and shape manipulation to have a good learning curve.

Art as a business

Wave - oil study

Waves have a lot in common with artistic life.   They are ever changing, but have a constancy that is reliable.  These studies were done as demos for an art class and painting water is one of my favourite subjects.  Its very nature is forgiving and allows you leeway in form and colour.

When an artist decides to seriously invest time, money and effort into an art career, it takes on a life of its own.  Like any business, the amount of reward comes from the size of the investment.  A career from art doesn't come easily - anymore than any career does.  There is training, practice, marketing, sales, inventory, production, etc. that has to be done on a daily basis.

There is a thought that an artist's life is an easy one, where we sit in the studio and 'play' with paints, effortlessly producing paintings that get sold magically, or we flit about going to openings or mixing in exotic circles of people at wine bars and cafes all the time. While there are moments of that, the reality is much further from there. 

Wave - acrylic study

Here's a typical day for me:

1.  Up at 5 - 5:30, coffee then into the studio
2.  Check emails and social media
3.  Paint for an hour or hour and half
4.  Go to the day job
5.  Home to get supper, do chores
6.  More studio time for painting, marketing, admin, or teaching
7.  On weekends, change out the day job for more concentrated studio time and run all day workshops about once a month

This is a constant pattern.  It doesn't change on holidays, birthdays, Christmas, etc.  Well, except the day job part, but then more time is devoted to catching up in the studio, developing marketing, making contacts and painting.

Wave - acrylic study

Also an artist's life is very solitary.  Producing art can of course be done in a group, which is often a workshop or practice session, but producing art that is intended for sale or exhibition it is usually done on your own.  You have to be content in your own company, introverted perhaps and willing to make sacrifices and yes, be selfish.

Its very much a business and being self employed, you do everything from the fun stuff to the mundane to the downright nasty, whether you want to or not.  What provides the incentive to move ahead is determination, and the level of need.  Its not for everyone. Making a living from art takes time, patience and a big leap of faith sometimes that all will be well.  It makes you take a long hard look at your life and lifestyle and how much you are willing to give up and accommodate to reach your dream.  More than anything, a solid plan is needed and a willingness to act on it, no matter what.

I'm pushing towards my dream and can see an end in sight.  How's your dream coming on?

Wave  - acrylic study

The Winningest Punt - in progress

The Winningest Punt - in progress

22" x 28"  oil on panel

I spent Saturday at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, starting work on a boat painting.  I didn't get a lot completed at the museum as I spent time talking to people who were visiting and letting them play with a few strokes of the knife on the painting.  It was good to share the process and information about the subject with others and the environment was perfect, surrounded by original wooden boats.

I've  put a few more hours in on the painting since Saturday, but need to let it dry a little before adding some final details. I usually work wet in wet with all my palette knife pieces, but the layers are getting thick in places and I wanted a bit more precision so will let the paint skin over before adding more.

Landscapes are not my forte so I was steadily carving out colour and 

detail of the rocks, vegetation and houses of the background.

I asked for references of wooden boats to be sent to me as potential subjects to be painted at the museum and from the submissions, chose this punt taken at water level by Mark Hiscock. This punt is called the winningest punt, because of its ability to capture first place in punt races at Fogo Island over the last four years.  Mark will receive a fine art reproduction of the finished painting for allowing me to use his image to paint.  The background of houses and above that a rock face, is The Battery at St. John's harbour.  It still looks very much like the original fishing village it was, despite being smack dab in the city.  Its one of the city's treasures and I hope it never changes.

A Gander River Boat made a great display for my sketchbook and business cards at the museum.

Of course with the glare of light off the oil paint, its near impossible to get a decent photo of the painting in its current stage.  Photographing paintings is my least favourite part of art.  Well not so much the photographing, more the editing!  However, here's a crop of the piece at its current stage.  I'll post the final image when its complete, hopefully sometime this week.

Bleeding Hearts

 Bleeding Hearts

10" x 20" oil on panel

$400 - shipping included in North America

Available on my website

The current boat painting I'm working on just isn't cooperating, but I will conquer it today if it kills me!  When one piece frustrates, I start on something entirely different to get over the hump and reassure myself that yes, I still can paint!

Here is the completed painting of Bleeding Hearts that I started yesterday over an abandoned painting.  These old fashioned flowers are a favourite, especially in northern gardens as they flower profusely and for so long in spring.  For me, they'll never go out of favour.

 Starstruck

9 x 12 oil on panel

And....don't forget to check out my Sunday Sale on Etsy.  Most Sunday's I am virtually giving away an original painting at half price.  I am making room in the studio as this new series is taking up a LOT of room.  And I love making original art affordable for people.  Have a look, you might find a great gift for yourself or someone else to start their original art collection.

Recycling supports

 As much as we would all like, not every painting turns out as we anticipated.  Mine get put into cupboard, tubs or on shelves to be pulled out weeks sometimes even years later for review.  Some are worked on more, some torn up or trashed and then there are some that I paint over.

I had this image of bleeding hearts that always appealed to me.  I had several of these plants in the garden and always loved the old fashioned heart shaped flowers that bloomed reliably year after year.  I was looking for a rectangular panel and had nothing new in the size I wanted.  I rummaged around and found an old painting that never quite worked and decided it would fit the bill.  Its a 10" x 20" canvas panel so fit the composition nicely.

I'm no purist. I don't sand and gesso and sand and gesso an old piece before painting over it.  I jump straight in.  The rule is that it must be the same medium on the old piece as what I am using.  Other than that, there are no rules.  And as I'm using a palette knife, any texture on the original painting doesn't affect the new layer.

So stay tuned for the finished painting.  And yes, it is flowers.  I know.  I must have hit my head somewhere...

Lucky

 Lucky

5" x 7"  oil on canvas

NFS

When animals pass on, I like to commemorate their passage with portraits.  Lucky was around for a long time and Lily was more the newcomer of just a few months before the fox changed all that.

Lucky in Sunshine

Stillman & Birn Gamma Series sketchbook

Pen and watercolour

7" x 10" 

White Pekin ducks are lovely creatures, so pristine white with brilliant orange beaks and legs.   I did a little watercolour sketch of Lucky and with some paint left on my palette from another painting, decided that I would create this little 5 x 7" painting using a small palette knife.  I love the texture a knife can provide, but find going this small with one can be a challenge.

Lily will be next for her portrait when I have a spare moment to fit her in.

I use what I consider 'fast' mediums when I create sketches.  These are paints that dry quickly such as watercolour or acrylic, along with pen and ink or graphite.  But it doesn't stop me from adding oils if the mood takes me.  The sketch demands the medium and all dry eventually.  The beauty of a Stillman & Birn sketchbook in most all of the series that I've tried, is that the paper is quite substantial and will take a lot of water and stand up well.

Sunday Sales

  

The Tragedy of the Commons - SOLD

oil on panel  5" x 7"

Whenever I clean out the studio, I get inspired about finding homes for paintings and supplies.  Now that I can see the floor and work surfaces again and have more room for a lot of large canvasses, I have launched a Sunday Sale on my Etsy site.

On Sundays during the year, I will offer original paintings or drawings at half price. While I do this large boat painting project I need all the space I can get and I enjoy others being able to purchase original art at affordable prices too.

To launch Sunday Sales, I'm offering The Tragedy of the Commons.  This little worried cod is my interpretation of the impact of the cod moritorium in Newfoundland and Labrador. The tragedy of the commons title is based on an economics theory by Garrett Hardin, according to which, individuals, acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting some common resource.

Keep an eye on my Etsy store on Sundays and see if you can grab a bargain for yourself or someone else.  Remember Christmas is only 129 days away...

Seeing colour

 

 Sunspot 24" x 48" -  SOLD

I have number 3 boat painting on the easel and its progressing nicely.  There is freedom in creating paintings using a palette knife and at a larger scale.  It eliminates or at least lessens the ability to drift into too much detail.  That leads to more expression and where my 'different' colours come from when painting boats and water.

Boat # 3

I get asked how I see the colours that I use in painting a subject.  It's developed from years of acute observation, seeing subtle differences in light and environmental colour reflections on a subject, combined with a knowledge of how values work, no matter what the colour.   I could create a monotone piece like "Dream Boat" below and it works because the values are correct.  We know in reality that this colourway would never happen, but it can be pulled off visually because the light and shadow work.

Dream Boat

It's a similar thought/visual process that I use when adding additional colour to my boat and water paintings such as in "Sunspot" or "Boat # 3", currently on the easel.  The colours may not be reality based, but they are value based.  They add visual interest but don't detract or lose the viewer's ability to identify the subject and have it  read as correct.

Bulgarian Carrot Pepper

While my head is wrapped around researching and creating a body of paintings for a solo exhibition in 2015, I still find time to sketch daily. I know, I know, I keep harping on about it but I can't apologize. Drawing is THE key element in all art disciplines. If you can't draw, you're in a boat without a paddle. So step away from the computer, look at whatever else is in front of you and draw it. 5 minutes, 10 minutes. Just do it. You'll thank me eventually for bugging you about it. :)

 

This time of year the garden offers up lots of bounty and is the inspiration for sketches. This is a watercolour sketch of a Bulgarian Carrot pepper, also known as "Shipkas”. It's small, about 2 inches in size, and the colour is beautiful. I haven't eaten it yet, so can't tell you my version of the heat factor, but this Scoville rating states heat between 12,000 and 30,000 units. Research seems varied on that, but there are so many factors involved that create levels of heat in peppers, as well as individual taste tolerance too that it is difficult to provide an accurate guide. I think I'll try making a hot sauce with some and see what the heat level is like for me.

 

And a sad note, Lucky and his friend Lily were attacked the other evening in the garden.  Lucky was killed and Lily gone.  It was most likely the silver fox that has been hanging around for the last week or two.  The ducks were part of the landscape for me and visitors and are missed.  Life in the country is never easy.

Cambridge Favourite

 

Cambridge Favourite

12" x 12" oil on panel

Available from Etsy  $250 -  shipping included in North America

Living in a short season climate, growing fruit and vegetables can be a challenge.  But strawberries always come up trumps and there are usually some appearing in the garden each summer.  Their flavour is so intense when freshly picked and sun warmed.

This variety, Cambridge Favourite, is a classic and good for northern climates, always cropping reliably.  This was gathered early one morning, beating the birds to the harvest, then sliced to reveal the inner workings before painting.  The aroma of fresh strawberries made it difficult to paint instead of eat, but I confess, I had a few on the side to eat for inspiration.

Boating

 

Trinity Punt

 
I'm making some inroads into my series of 15 wooden boat paintings that I'm producing with an art grant that I was lucky enough to receive this year.  The challenge is finding wooden boats as they're becoming scarcer as people switch to fibreglass which doesn't require the same level of maintenance and weighs much less than wood.

However, with diligent searching, many miles of travelling into coves and bays and tickles and a LOT of photosgraphs and sketches, I'm getting material together and have the first painting completed and the second on the easel which is two thirds complete.  I am working towards a solo exhibit in the spring of 2015 at Peter Lewis Gallery and want to hold my cards fairly close to my chest before the exhibition. I'll show sections of paintings that I'm working on but  not the completed pieces.  They will be revealed at the exhibit.

Of course, its always difficult to be reserved in terms of art sharing, as so much is shared online in so many ways.  So I ask for patience and I will share what I can, when I can.  These large pieces will likely fill my easel non stop over the next six months or more but there will be other paintings as relief from the large work.  But you  may see glimpses of pieces in progress like this peek through the studio classroom window at dusk of the first painting in the series.


I'll be working on a book of sketches that will accompany the boat paintings and will share some of those as they are produced.  I don't know which will make the final cut but as I do studies and sketches of most paintings as well as in the field, there will be enough to share freely.

Organization

  Dried and Salted - SOLD

12" x 24"  Oil on canvas

I've done the evitable mistake that seems to be an annual event with me.  I erased a group of reference images, some of which were important to future work, from my computer while organizing images into groups. In my flurry of efficiency I emptied the Recycle Bin too.  Of course I would do that right away instead of waiting weeks or months with no chance of salvation.  Sigh.

Like most artists I put off the work that I least enjoy, until it becomes necessary to organize just so I can find things.  That includes my studio as well as my electronic world.  But I did it and no one died (aside from a bit of my brain!) so I will bite the bullet this time and hook into an a more advanced backup system for my computer.  I have an external hard drive that is nearly at capacity and still don't add all the information I should on a regular basis.  I have a 64GB memory stick where I store important current files that I use frequently, but live in fear that I'll lose it.

I'm sure I'm not alone in my lack of organizing and storage.  Come on, you can confess.  We all do it - or more to the point, don't do it. Human nature is to procrastinate until an event pushes action.  Old dogs can still learn new tricks and I've learned mine.  It just takes awhile.  Then there is the discussion around external hard drive or offline/cloud  based storage.  The pros and cons of both are discussed here.

So now which online site to choose?  It seems most are in the USA, which is ok, although I'd prefer a Canadian company, but the ones I have sourced seem geared more towards large business instead of smaller clients.  Going US means it becomes pricier with the currency exchange rate being what it is right now.

How do you store your computer data?  External hard drive or online storage?  What is your favourite online storage site?

Traffic Box Art

 

In March I submitted a design to Clean St.John's for their Traffic Box Art program.  This program is designed to help reduce graffiti and beautify the city.  This is the 3rd year of the program and annually 8 artists' designs are chosen to be painted on traffic boxes at intersections around the city.

 

I was lucky enough to have my design chosen for this year and over the last couple of days have painted my assigned box.  The city will apply a protective covering then it should be there til the box is replaced or damaged.   The box is located at the intersection of MacDonald Drive and Portugal Cove Road - a busy and noisy environment to paint in. Here's a 'before' image of the traffic box at a quieter moment.
 

 

I had lots of support from drivers and walkers on the design and even a couple of painting job offers :).  The weather was hot, hot, hot and windy with the latex paint drying almost as soon as it hit the hot metal of the box.  The first day was truly unbelievable wind and I was covered in paint, creating a whole new set of dedicated painting clothes as the wind whipped the paint off the roller or brush.  Combine that with too much sun and a nasty fly bite on my forehead, I was a mess on all levels.

The positives were many.

• I created a large piece of art that I likely would not have normally tackled, the box being taller than I am!
• I completed the piece in about 9.5 hours in pretty extreme conditions of high winds and heat.
• I pushed my colour theory using a limited palette of latex external house paints.  
• I connected with a section of the public that may never have seen my art otherwise.
• I brightened a place in St. John's that I hope will make drivers and walkers smile when they see the box.

You are cracked

Some days its good just to play and that's what I was doing when I had some time to myself.  This was the result.

It was inspired by a section of a book about creating imaginary creatures out of sidewalk cracks.  Remember I told you it was play. :)  The book is called Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals by Carla Sonheim. Anyway, in this chapter the gist is that you find a complex crack in a sidewalk or path, photograph it, make several copies of the image, then find all the shapes you can within the crack and gesso around them.  Its quite interesting to see just how many shapes you can find, especially if you keep turning the paper to view from all angles.  Try it for yourself with this tutorial - Blob Hunting.

In the crack I used, a dog seemed to be the dominant shape that I saw so I figured I'd go with that theme.  I used pen and ink to create the shape outline, then watercolour and more pen to complete it.  There was no plan which is the beauty of playing.  The unknown result is part of the appeal.

Of course the name "Cracky" Dog immediately sprang to mind for a couple of reasons.  One, because the piece was inspired by cracks in the sidewalk and two, because "cracky" is the Newfoundland name for a small, noisy mongrel.  It seems a common phrase in Atlantic Canada and I've heard endless times.  Usually reserved for those little "purse dogs" who bark constantly at everything and everyone - also known as "ankle biters". :)

Its a fun thing to do and pushes creativity without pressure.  So next time you're walking on a sidewalk (I live in the country so I have to go to town to get sidewalks), grab a shot of some cracked pavement and see what you can create with the shapes.

Boat hunting

I've taken a couple of weeks holiday and have been using my time searching for boats, planning paintings and generally working like crazy on the art side of my life.  Funny how we think of holidays as relaxation - seems that's not on the cards for me much, but I do fit in some lounging time to sit with my coffee or wine in a chair in the garden.

I travelled all over the Burin Peninsula for three days, searching every cove and harbour for wooden boats.  Armed with a tireless driver and knowledgeable navigator, boats were found but it did take some looking. The trend is towards fibreglass boats instead of the traditional wooden boats and I can understand the change, as it makes fishing easier with low maintenance and lightweight structures.  But the lines and shapes of a handmade wooden boat are things of beauty and its sad that they are becoming harder and harder to find.

The boat that is reknowned in this region is the Grandy Dory, a large sturdy  fishing boat used for generations of inshore fishermen.  It proved very difficult to find one in the water, but finally on a day that was pouring with rain, one turned up. 

I am creating working sketches to go along with the paintings for my wooden boat series.  I'm using pen and wash to create the sketches, along with notes and additional information about location and boats that will be included in a small book about the paintings.

Sketches

Sketching is the exercise for artists.  It keeps eye/hand coordination sharp and drawing skills intact.  Like anything that you wish to become proficient at, it takes practice.  Daily practice. Its easy to say there is no time to sketch, but I disagree.  There is always time.  However we choose to use it becomes the issue.

I choose anytime, any place.  Here was my vantage point for the top sketch.  A trailer was left in the meadow and it made a comfy platform from which to sketch in the sun.

One of the portions of my current art grant project is the production of a book of sketches on the boats that I will be painting.  I don't think I would have ever ventured down such a path if my sketching and drawing skills weren't polished enough to consider it worthwhile.

Tomorrow I head to the Burin Peninsula in hunt for some traditional boats specific to that region.  Hopefully, I'll find a Grandy dory in its birthplace, Garnish.  Between sketches and photographs I hope to have some material for a couple of paintings.  There's a French influence on the Peninsula, which is made up of numerous small towns and is the gateway to the French islands of St. Pierre & Miquelon.

These sketches are in a Stilman & Birn Alpha Series 9" x 6" sketchbook, using pen & ink with watercolour wash.

Sweetwater

 Sweetwater

6" x 8"   Available from Daily Paintworks

I've wanted to try a collage using torn paper as the medium for awhile.  There are some beautiful pieces from artists around the world and the process seems fairly straightforward.  I had some decorative papers in the studio as well as a handful of newspapers and the star of the show - a KitKat wrapper!

Armed with paper and a liquitex varnish medium I made a HUGE mess of tearing paper, gluing, peeling, layering and generally covering myself with a layer of paper and glue.  However, I quite enjoyed the process and will try it again.  Its very similar to painting with a palette knife. The colour goes down in blocks,  mixing on the surface is not possible (with the exception of layering tissue), and the overall look is impressionistic.

I used a prepainted canvas panel for the substrate.  The painting on it was  reject that was due for elimination, so it was a perfect candidate for my experimentation. And with the use of the red KitKat wrapper, the name just had to be Sweetwater...