Barn on Hunt Road

'Barn on Hunt Road'  7X9 inches  

It was late in the season, one day last summer, when I drove past this aging old bank barn on a side road a few miles northwest of Kingston, Ontario.  The missing boards, rusted metal roofing, along with the split rail fence really caught my eye.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to concentrate on a larger painting at that time, but I intended to return at a later date and spend more time.

I managed to get this small painting completed and then filed it away in the back of my mind to follow up in the weeks ahead.  The spot was really charming and I really wanted to make the most of it.  Finally, the day came when my objective for the day was to create a larger plein air painting of 'The Barn on Hunt Road'.  The weather was perfect that day, sunny and warm, with nice cloud formations starting to build but no dreaded winds to topple my french easle!  With great anticipation, I struck out for the location along the dirt road where I had found this wonderful subject.  Alas, to my dismay, when I arrived at the correct location, all was lost.  The beautiful, historic old barn had been bulldozed and the land was now scraped flat!  Another rustic scene had been changed forever.

Situations like this are one of the reasons I love to paint the landscapes around me.  I never know when they will cease to exist and could be lost forever.  If a painting or at least a photo is made then there is  a record of something that can never be recreated in just the same way again.  Fortunately, I did complete this small painting and I did take some photos that day, so maybe a larger work will one day sit on my studio easel!

Murvale Creek

'Murvale Creek' 9" X 12" oil on canvas panel  $300.00

'Murvale Creek' was the last plein air painting that I completed before the weather turned cold and the days became bleak this autumn.  It was almost the end of November at the time, so I can't complain too much!  The day was ideal for painting out-of-doors.  As you can see, the sky was nearly cloudless and there was hardly a breath of wind all day.  That is pretty rare here in November!  This is a lovely spot and one I am sure I will return to again to paint and enjoy nature.  I took a number of photos while I was there, so maybe I will create a few more works throughout the winter to record how much I enjoyed that day and that  place.

Today is January 2nd., the first 'back to work' day of the new year.  I hope to produce plenty of new art in 2013 and I will try to share my efforts here with all of you who take an interest in my work.  Please feel free to share your comments about any of the paintings that you see here or contact me directly for more information.  All the best in 2013!

I Remember When

The weather has been very nice here in Southern Ontario for the past month.  I have really enjoyed it but of course it took me away from the computer and my blog.  During that time I managed to get some plein air painting done.  I love to be outdoors on warm, sunny autumn days, and this year the opportunities to do so were terrific.  Hurricane Sandy was supposed to hit us pretty hard after it came ashore in New York and New Jersey, but fortunately for folks in Southern Ontario, it had pretty well blown itself out by the time it got here.  We sure felt bad for the shoreline residents of those US states who were devistated by the storm.  Many of them lost everything, including the land where their homes once sat.  It makes you realize just how lucky you are and that you should appreciate everything and everyone you have in your life.

I was also busy with my art exhibit in Kingston, Ontario during the month of October.  My opening at the beginning of the month was a great success, with a good turnout and lots of interest.  I sold a number of paintings and obtained a few commissions to keep me busy too.

I Remember When 12 X 16 Alkyd on panel  Sold

This is a plein air painting that I did a number of years ago.  The location is a very narrow country road in Eldon Township, well to the north and somewhat east of the city of Toronto, Ontario.  The land was still being worked, but the house and barns had been abandoned long ago.  Places like this are full of mystery and I always wonder what interesting stories they could tell of days gone by and lives lived before my time.

I sold this painting in my recent art show, so it has gone to a new owner and a new home.  I hope the new owner can find as much enjoyment in it as I did when I painted it on that now distant autumn day.

Autumn Colour

This is a wonderful time of year in southern Ontario.  The deciduous trees are transformed from faded green of late summer to a palette of reds, yellows, browns and gold.  Set against the deep green of red pine and spruce, colours 'pop' and the landscape takes on a new and awesome look.   With visual stimulation such as this,  landscape painting is the number one priority for me.  I love to get out on a warm sunny day in fall and either spend a few hours making quick oil sketches or just moving around, recording everything I can with my digital camera.  These images often result in larger works back in the studio.  When the cold winter winds blow heavy through rattling, frozen tree branches, creating a rich autumn landscape painting in a warm studio is high on my list of 'things to do'.

 "A Bend in the Road" available for sale at: http://tinyurl.com/9eey8zl

This little painting measures 6 X 8 inches.  It was done a little earlier in the season when the leaves were just starting to change.  I think if I eventually do this in a large painting, I might add a figure in the distance.  What would you do?

"Dry Marsh"  available for sale at: http://tinyurl.com/9z2uf92

This is another small painting I did this fall.  'Dry Marsh' measures 6 X 9 inches.  I like the depth of field in this one and the distant blue trees against the golden grasses of the marsh.  This type of landscape is common in this area.

Autumn Art Show

'Outlook'   12 inches X 16 inches        $150.00

It is show time!  I am finally having another art show in Kingston, Ontario, after three years of procrastination.  The show will take place at Kingston Central Library, 130 Johnson Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  This will be a solo exhibition of some of my smaller works.  Most of the paintings will be new.  I plan on hanging at least 20 pieces for the show.  The show will open with a 'meet the artist' event on Tuesday, October 2nd., from 6:00pm until 9:00pm.  The event is free and everyone is welcome.  Light refreshments will be served.

After the opening, the show will continue to hang until October 28th.  Since the paintings are smaller in size, so are the prices and I think I will have something to fit everyone's budget this time around.  I hope to see you there!

The painting shown here is a plein air piece that I painted a few years ago.  It was about this time of year, when the trees have just started to take on autumn colours.  I don't get out to paint on location as often as I would like, but I always enjoy the experience when I do.  You really appreciate the feeling of a place when you sit (or stand) quietly in one spot for a few hours just taking it all in.

Hinterland Beach

$150.00      Hinterland Beach      12 X 16

I originally painted this plein air piece quite a few years ago.  Recently, I came across it in a stack of canvases leaning against the wall in my studio.   I have always liked the simplicity of the painting and it struck me that it really has a spiritual quality.   The serenity of the tree raising bare limbs to the wilderness sky and the light breaking on the calm waters suggest this theme to me.  Probably the colour that most often dominates in my paintings is blue and I have a great afinity for water.  This picture has it all!   I decided to touch it up a little and offer it for sale once more.  If you are interested in acquiring it for your collection, go here.

North Shore

North Shore  SOLD

This little painting represents a new direction for me.  It is very small, measuring 5 inches high by 7 inches wide.  I have become interested in the 'Daily Painting' movement that promotes painting a picture every day (or as close to that goal as possible).  It sounds rather daunting to me!  In the coming days I will post more of these small paintings as I create them, along with a few older pieces that fit the genre reasonably well.  You will find these paintings for sale  at Daily Paint Works.  I hope to add a new one every day or so and I hope you will check them out there and return often.  Please don't be shy, leave me a comment on what you think of this little painting and whether you think small daily paintings are a good idea.

Farm on Warden

Sometimes I like to stop and document a quick impression of a scene in a small, thumb-nail sketch to be referred to later for a larger, studio painting. This little piece is called 'Farm on Warden'. It measures just 4.5 inches by 6 inches. I painted it on an artist's sketch pad, first doing a quick pencil sketch, then quickly painting over that with acrylic paints, which are perfect for this type of work. They offer a full range of coverage from ultra transparent to heavy opaque, and they dry almost immediately. They are water proof and completely permanent. The colours are also particularly brilliant and there is a relatively small colour shift when dry.

By working this way, I can achieve a degree of impressionism that usually escapes me in more carefully planned works. When I attempted to recreate the feeling of this small sketch in a larger painting, I found that I preferred the small size and casual spontaneity of the original, so I framed the sketch instead.

I used to drive past this spot almost every day on my way to my studio in downtown Toronto, back in the days when I worked as a full-time illustrator. On this particular day, I could not resist the temptation to record the scene. As is so often the case, I am really glad that I did, since it no longer exists in this way. I especially liked the way the sunlight struck the face of the distant farm house and also the split rail fence that leads the viewer's eye into the picture.

500 Years of Female Portraits

This clever video by Philip Scott Johnson is titled ‘500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art’. The music which accompanies the captivating faces as they continuously change and evolve from one to the next, is Bach’s Sarabande from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 performed beautifully by Yo-Yo Ma. The video was nominated as Most Creative Video, 2^nd Annual You Tube Awards.

Pleine Aire Painting - The Farm Next Door

Here is the finished painting of the farm next door. It measures 12 inches by 16 inches, which is a great size to work on when using a portable easel or paint box in an outdoor setting. Small enough to manage easily, yet large enough to paint freely in a fairly short period of time.

Pleine Aire Painting - The Farm Next Door

A lot of my paintings are created in the studio, from sketches, quick studies or photos. That allows me to spend as much time as I wish, working out composition, colour scheme, drawing and detail. I can pick up and also pause as the mood or situation dictates. The studio is warm in winter and cool in summer and there is never wind or rain or biting insects to dampen my enthusiasm.

That is all very positive, but in the end, it is difficult to beat the spontaneous simplicity of a painting created on the spot, in 'pleine aire', as they say.

In this case, I set up my french easle by the line fence between our farm and the farm next door. I painted for about an hour and a half, two days in a row. The scene is a small, old barn, which houses one horse and a bit of machinery. The field between was dotted with large round bales of hay which were waiting to be collected up for winter feed.

As you can see in the photos, the sun would eventually come around to a bad angle and I would finish for the day.

This is the scene that I was painting, although by the time I thought to take this photo, the large round hay bales had been removed from the field by the farmer.

The sky is not so interesting, either, having no cumulus clouds to create a dramatic background. The lack of hay bales in the field also diminishes the effect of the foreground. In the photo, the beginning autumn colours in the foliage are much less descernible than they were in reality.

When you paint out-of-doors you must work quickly and simply, in order to capture the scene before the light, mood or weather change too drastically. You must get the most important things done as quickly as you can. This forces you to be decisive and to take some chances with your approach. It is hard work but it is also very rewarding. Your confidence increases and with luck, your sense of accomplishment is much greater than it sometimes is on completion of a studio painting.

I framed this little painting and put it in a solo art exhibition several months after I painted it. It sold right away and alas, I had three separate patrons wanting it for their own.