Winterlude Part Two

"Winterlude" a work in progress

Now I begin blocking in a few colours to create an underpainting on my illustration board.  The sky is roughed in with a combination of cerulean blue and titanium white acrylic pigments.  Because the light is coming from the right side of the painting, I transition from a very pale colour on the right to a darker sky on the left.  I block in the shadows on the barn roof and in the snow.  The snow surfaces that are directly in sunlight are blocked in with titanium white.  I use cerulean blue to add a few contours to the shaded, snow laden boughs in the foreground.

"Winterlude" one step closer!

I keep adding more colour and more detail, gradually establishing my colour scheme and mood of the painting.  I use cadmium red to wash in basic tones on the male and female cardinals and slowly build contours of light and shadow as I go.  The plumage of the female cardinal is primarily drab and somewhat olive, so I use a combination of cadmium yellow, titanium white and ultramarine blue to create this colour.  The spruce tree in the middle ground and the pine boughs in the foreground are quickly blocked in with sap green.  Next, I introduce burnt sienna on the fencing and bare deciduous trees in the middle ground.  I also build a little more shadow contour on the male cardinal with this colour.  Finally, I paint the sky again with more colour and detail in the blending.  My painting is starting to take shape!

Winterlude

"Winterlude" sketch

I thought I would do a demo of how I paint this Christmas image for licensing.  I do a fair amount of illustrative art for licensing through Porterfield's Fine Art Licensing.  A winter scene is the perfect choice, since the art that is most in demand for licensing is usually a Christmas theme.  These images are often used for greeting cards, puzzles, gift ware and paper products as well as many other possibilites.  A prospective client will review the work I have available for licensing in a given catagory, choose what suits their project and purchase limited rights to use the image for a specific purpose and for a specific period of time.

The first thing I do when producing this type of art is to brainstorm an idea that will appeal to a maximum number of buyers.  Quite often, as in this case, the idea includes a number of similar images that may evolve into a series of finished pieces, all on the same theme.  Once I feel I have enough inspiration to proceed I come up with reference material for my idea.  I file all types of reference and I take digital photos everywhere I go, so I have a lot of material to draw from.  Now I create sketches to work out my design and create any additional parts of my picture from a combination of memory and imagination.  When this is done  I proceed to do a finished sketch on board or canvas to begin my painting.

"Winterlude"

The next step begins by spraying my drawing with a workable fixative to seal the graphite and prevent smearing.  Now I cover the drawing with matt medium that contains a small amount of acrylic pigment to tone the board.  Usually I will mix one muted colour and cover the entire surface evenly to provide a ground instead of glaring white.  Warm earth tones are my usual choice, but blue-gray is an alternative for a cooler, more subdued look.  

This time I wanted to suggest an extreme contrast between the extreme sunlight on the right and the cool shade on the left of my painting, so I toned the matt medium with cadmium yellow on the right and cerulean blue on the left.  I hope to create the illusion of a winter day warmed by the sun.  These colours will influence the paint that I lay over top as I continue to work.

The View at Brown's Bay

"Brown's Bay" 9X12 alkyd oil on panel

This is one of my favourite views as you drive along the Thousand Islands Parkway between Brockville and Rockport, Ontario.  The parkway follows the North shore of the St. Lawrence River for about thirty miles from Brockville on the east to Gananoque on the west.  The river views are spectacular and there are many places that travellers can park their car and enjoy the view.  I grew up in a house right on the water near the village of Rockport and I never tire of looking at the mighty St. Lawrence River.

Brown's Bay is a broad, shallow bay with a sandy bottom that makes the water appear pastel blue on sunny days.  The very distant shore, beyond the headland in this painting is New York state, directly across the river.  For years I have planned on creating a painting of this spot and I finally got around to it last fall.  I like the way this small canvas panel turned out and I plan on creating a much larger work from it in the future.  There always seems to be an endless supply of subjects to paint but not enough time to paint them all.

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!

Think Spring!

I know it is only New Years Eve, but hey!  I'm ready for spring, how about you?  We have been very spoiled here in Southern Ontario for the last few years.......virtually no winter weather to speak of.  Things have started off a bit different this year, however!  Two snow storms in the past week have delivered almost one and a half feet of snow, just in time for Christmas and New Years!  Now you know why spring is already looking rather attractive to me, right?

To help promote the idea (or maybe just the illusion) of an early spring this year, I thought I would post my latest painting (finished yesterday in fact) to warm the cockles of your hearts.........

'Garden Angel'  11"X14" Oil on panel

The Garden Angel is a cement figurine that we have in our bird bath in the back garden.  I have always loved this piece of sculpture and have wanted to paint it for some time.  Prompted by my early longing for the warmth of spring, I decided now was the perfect time to tackle the project.  I used a palette comprised of sap green, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, indian red, cadmium yellow medium, lamp black and titanium white.  I completed the painting in oils after doing a quick underpainting using a deep green acrylic to block in the dark areas first.  I use a combination of regular oils and alkyd oils (especially alkyd titanium white to speed drying), along with Liquin and turps as mediums.  I have a feeling that this new painting will be as close as I get to spring for some time yet.......

 HAPPY NEW YEAR one and all!

Vignettes

Every picture does not have to be a full blown painting.  Sometimes a simple little drawing is a nice change from complicated compositions, colour schemes and well thought out story lines.  At times, just a centre of interest on a blank background can be enough to make a very satisfying picture.

"Downey Duo" Acrylic on Paper  3.5" X 6"  

These little paintings might be done as colour sketches for a painting idea or maybe to try out a different style or technique.  Other times they may be 'just for fun'!

"Little Filly" India Ink on board 6" X 6"

I used to do a lot of pen and ink drawings as commercial illustrations.  It is a lot of fun and I think it would be nice to do them more often.  This little sketch was done as a study of a new foal that one of our mares delivered some years ago.  It can be challenging to try to create the illusion of light and shade, tone and texture using only a simple black line on a white background but the results can be very rewarding and fresh.

Creating small, simple pictures like this is a great exercise that doesn't have to take a long time to complete.  It is a great way to capture an impression or likeness of something or someone when time is short or ideas are coming fast and furious!  For an art lover on a tight budget, it could represent an opportunity to own a piece of original art, sometimes for less than the cost of a print.