Creating a Silver Coin for the Royal Canadian Mint

It has been a year since I was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to design and produce a painting for a 20 dollar silver coin.  Now that the official release has finally arrived, I can take the wraps off of the art and tell the story behind the project and the painting that I created!

It all began in October, 2013 when a product manager at the Mint came across one of my hockey paintings on rdewolfe.com and decided that this was something they would like to see on a Canadian collector coin.  I was then contacted and commissioned to come up with a new design featuring Canadian children playing the much loved game of pond hockey.

The production work for a new coin is long and arduous, so it was imperative that I immediately begin working out the design for the new coin.  Country, kids and hockey are favourite subjects of mine, so I eagerly began working on the project.  Sketches were soon approved and painting commenced!

Original sketch for Pond Hockey painting

The first sketch was received with enthusiasm but because it was decided to reproduce the background buildings in bas-relief rather than full colour, it was necessary to separate the figures in the foreground from the objects in the distance.  I submitted a new drawing that was then deemed perfect for the job!

Final sketch for Pond Hockey painting

Once I received final approval for the drawing, I transferred it to canvas to begin the painting.  The next step was to apply a thin blue wash overall to create a 'cool' atmosphere.

Now I begin painting in dark areas using acrylic paint for speedy drying.  This allows me to move forward quickly.

When I begin adding local colour throughout the painting, things start to come together.  At this point I have switched to alkyd oil paint.

Now I add in colour and texture on the ice surface and the background scene.  All the basics are there, so now it is a matter of finishing up by adding more colour and detail to the painting.  Originally, I intended to do a circular painting as indicated by the initial painting of the sky.  In the end, however, I decided it would be more attractive to extend the scene into a square format, resulting in a more complete, square painting.

Finished painting "Pond Hockey" 

And here it is....the finished one ounce silver coin, available for purchase at themint.ca or one of the dealers listed on their web site, including Canada Post Corporation.  One of the really neat features of this limited edition silver coin is the full colour treatment, making it a very unique collectible!

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.