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COVID-creations

Andrew and I were scheduled to have a 2-person show this summer. What with the COVID situation, the show was cancelled and yet… we still have all that work in our studio! I’ll show you what’s been happening on my side of the studio over the past year or so, below. Larger versions of this work can be found in Nature Work and Landscapes.

I’ve made progress on finding a surface that really works for me (Arches oil painting paper) and have started seeing a personal style develop. This is something most artists strive for and I’m very happy to see it and to push myself to keep on track with it.

All work is for sale (unless indicated). Please email Faye if you are interested.

Small Birds of BC – Series 1

View larger images in Nature Work.
  • Western Bluebird, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • The Purple Finch, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • The Semipalmated Plover, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • Gold-crowned Kinglet, oil on paper, 5”x7” SOLD
  • Wee Chickadee (Black-capped chickadee), oil on paper, 5”x7” SOLD
  • Grey-headed, dark-eyed Junco, oil on paper, 5”x7”
My first set of 6 small bird paintings. The original paintings are for sale (unless indicated) as well as a set of 6 greeting cards (on demand). Please email Faye if you are interested. Individual cards can be purchased at Picture Perfect Gallery.

Small Birds of BC – Series 2

View larger images in Nature Work.
  • The Western Tanager, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • The North American Robin, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • Stellar’s Jay, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • Tree Swallow, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • Black-capped Chickadee, oil on paper, 5”x7”
  • Anna’s Hummingbird, oil on paper, 5”x7”
My second set of 6 small bird paintings. The original paintings are for sale (unless indicated) as well as a set of 6 greeting cards (on demand). Please email Faye if you are interested.

The Mean One

Studio landscapes

Working on composition and the flow of the eye as well as painting style on the wonderful oil paper.
A closer and more abstract view of the landscape and light we see in the forests here in BC. Working with colour and visual texture.
One of my favourites because of the contrasting light and balance of structural and organic details.
A local farm scene (Sooke) and the texture of rock formations in Jasper, Alberta
An in-progress view of Jasper mountains.
A wet coast scene at Cattle Point and a flowing Athabasca river.
Ocean and forest.
Everyone loves an old barn.
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Dry Spell

The temperatures, smells, blooms and pollen of an early summer have arrived with sunshine stretching out into the week. This is the time of year when I am preparing for summer and fall art show submissions, which means not much art gets made. However this year is particularly slow in the “create” mode. It’s been and continues to be a full spring of life’s surprises. I wish I could say they were all welcome.

Something which is welcome is the upcoming Al Frescoes plein air painting show at the Coast Collective, which opens tomorrow (Opening night is Thursday, May 17). Both Andrew and I have 2 pieces in the show. Mine were both painted in Jasper last summer. I rarely get the chance to paint with the group due to my work schedule so I’m grateful they still let me show with them. Andrew helped put the show up yesterday and I’m looking forward to seeing it on Thursday night. I hope to see everyone there!

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Summer Small Works show opens Thursday, June 7. I have 3 of my favourite small character portraits in the show. This is always a great chance to pick up a lovely little piece at a reasonable price. I hope to see you there as well!

 

So, even though it feels like not much has been happening in the studio, the shows are ramping up. Submissions into the Sooke Fine Arts show have been done and I am preparing for what will be submitted into the Sidney Fine Arts show. This is another busy exhibiting summer and I intend to spend the majority of my month-long summer vacation either outside painting en plein air or inside enjoying the studio. Sigh. I can’t wait!

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Jasper; A Plein Air Painting Adventure – Part Three

When I was visiting Maui one time, I discovered that some of the best views of the landscape and oceans beyond can be found on golf course properties (not because I’m a golfer, but… ah, it’s a long story). In Jasper the same goes for resort properties. Because we were traveling on a budget, Andrew and I opted to camp for the majority of our Jasper trip. No resorts for us! So one morning as we wandered looking for a new painting location, we took a quick spin through the private resort property of Tekarra Lodge. We found an incredible painting spot on their property and the front desk was nice enough to allow us to paint then and there.

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Tekarra Lodge overlook

A storm was passing in the distance and the sun broke through intermittently – as go the normal challenges of plein air painting. I opted to try and capture a broad view by lining  up two 6″ x 8″ panels side-by-side – a diptych!

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Tekarra, 2 x 6″ x 8″, plein air oil on board

In this particular piece you can see the reddish-brown colour of the trees which have been devastated by the pine beetle infestation. It was extremely distressing to see and to also understand how much it increases the wildfire risk.

Of course having the opportunity to paint from the lodge grounds made me want to stay there so we could just walk out of our quaint cabin to see that view all day long – and to join other guests at the fire pit – and enjoy a glass of wine listening to the live band at the on-site restaurant… ah well, at least we had a chance to paint!