You asked for it!

Polar Bear Swim 2 16x16 acrylic

Lock up your boys! Here is Polar Bear Swim2. Ok, I now know that fur is really hard to portray.

I am really liking my link within widget.

Skewbald

I like this one. I want to do more like this!

A pause revisited

Using photoshop, I removed all the color until the image was just black and white and I flipped it so that it viewed the opposite way (head facing left instead of right) and discovered that part of the problem was that her head was too wide...so I went back in and narrowed her face down. Then, I toned down some of the oranges...I think I'm done with this one. I need a better title, however.

Abstract in Progress

Headed somewhere with this. I wanted to make a yellow painting. Textured gesso, crackle paste and washes of fluid and heavy acrylic.

I need more crackle...I guess I need to put it on thicker.

The Daimler

I think this might be done. It was a commission. It's a beautiful vehicle, but personally, I prefer the old rusty, battered ones.

HURRAY!

I am so excited! Brassica #1 has been short-listed for a national exhibition in Qualicum Beach B.C.

Re-do

This was "End of August" with a purple background. It had been bothering me for a long time, so I jumped in and changed things around. I think I like it better now.

I have two commissions on the dock that I have made a priority to attend to. No more commissions! (Well, never say never). They are so much harder to do than stuff from my own head.

Brassica #!

This is one of the new paintings that will be in the Kimberley show. I am rather happy with this one. Cool blue tones are a departure for me but I like how it turned out.

I am hoping to become involved with the local food movement, looking at where and how are food is coming from, moving it back to the community. I think food and art would be wonderfully combined.

I sincerely want to thank Tony at Strand's restaurant in Inveremere for letting me and fellow artists show paintings in his beautiful restaurant.

Whirling dancers

Once again the photography is subpar due to the lighting conditions but this was the last painting I finished before dropping everything off. It is based on a a photo of our local Arabian Spice dancers.
Today I'm trying to catch up on a little cleaning and a lot of phone and computer connections that I haven't had time to do.
I'm getting excited about my opening tomorrow night!

The Lord of the Porch

This is the best I could do for a photo due to the low lighting. It stormed all day, and I was driving through some rip-roaring electrical storms. I dropped off 20 painting at Invermere and then turned around and made the two hour drive to Cranbrook to drop off 7 paintings there. My walls are nearly bare!

I really need new tires as I discovered while hydro-planing along!

Yes we Can-can

I have always liked this old poster of "La Fou-fou, with her coquettish eyes peering over her frothy skirts. So I decided to try out some newly acquired stamping/collage techniques to make one for myself. She will reign over the bathroom for a time.

Busted

Some people in this area get upset when the deer invade their gardens. Most people accept that the deer were here first and build fences around that which they wish to protect from nibbling. I think sharing the place with beautiful animals is worth the effort. Except maybe the skunks... ask Bruce and Kirra about the unfortunate skunk incident (or why skunks resemble black cats in the dark).

Chair Duo

This might be done! On to the next painting.

For Lori, progress

I'm posting my beginnings because my friend Lori said she liked to see how paintings develop. After painting steadfastly for an hour, I am taking a break to lift weights and walk the dog and think about how to proceed. I am always amazed at how many decisions get made in my head. But there are always changes that can only be made when you see them on the canvas.

Hard Winter

This is my second abstract. The weather and terrain here can be unforgiving. In Sparwood, which is the next valley over from where I live, 11 snowmobilers were caught in an avanlanche last week. Three survived. Mother nature is not to be taken lightly.

February is the Cruelest Month

Relax, I know it's not February yet, but that's the name of this painting. I have an abstract show coming up in Kimberley. I'm rather happy (at the moment) with this one. Abstract always lures me with the idea that it would be easy but it is not! I've been wanting to do some abstracts so this show gives me an excellent reason to pursue them.

Hmmm...

I was trying to do some bighorn sheep paintings but this just didn't turn out. The ram was itching his shoulder with his horn but it doesn't seem to come across in the painting. The twisty design element looks like a tapeworm and there is no corelation between the sheep and the background. I'm thinking paint-over.

You learn something every time you paint. Sometimes you learn that your'e not the hot stuff you think you are!

Red Green

I want to thank everyone about their comments on the floral. I think I learned a little from it, but it is getting painted over. I may turn it into a landscape this afternoon as the weather is beautiful but won't be with us long. Frost could happen any night!
I loved the crazy mottled colors on this old car.
I see there is a cowboy happening taking place mid-october in Ruidoso N.M. How I wish I could go.

Unfortunate Floral

Last weekend, my wonderful daughter Morgan came down from Yellowknife to visit me. We had a great time. We also took part in a beginner Ikebana course. I was amazed at all the wonderful bouquets that were created with minimal instruction. Accolades to our instructor, Chizuko.

I was inspired by the violet gladiolas (and a Robert Burridge video I watched while recuperating from a migraine). Robert makes everything look so easy, he just slaps on paint until he ends up with a stunning painting. I thought I would take a stab at it. Initially, I was very literal about following the photo..then I decided the painting was bland, drab and uniteresting...so I did my usual thing and flung lots of color at it. It's not working and I'm not sure why. I'm just very frustrated!! Comments and suggestions would be appreciated..or it dies!!