Plein Air at Bob’s Point

Ragwort at Bob's Point
5 x 7

Right near my home is South Cooking Lake where I’ve been doing some plein air painting. The Marsh Ragwort is blooming and making a glowing golden display. There was a lovely little boat in the foreground but I decided to focus on the yellow flowers.

I admit to being a less than outstanding plein air painter but the experience of painting quickly before the light changes is such good practice that I keep at it.The fast brushstrokes of plein air paintings and my studies are slowing affecting my studio paintings making them livelier and juicier. Being an artist is very much a work in progress and a life long one at that.

Plein Air Painting

Wind-blown Aspen
8 x 10
Oil on Panel

Spring is in full swing and it is glorious! The birds are all so busy they simply don’t know which way to run and the choir of mating frogs in our backyard has been a wonderfully lascivious concert that’s come to an end now that they’d done their job and created hundreds of tadpoles.

The last couple of weeks have had me outside doing some studies of beautiful Alberta. Painting outdoors is always a challenging event and last week was no exception with a relentless and gusty wind. This little study features the ubiquitous aspens of western Canada bending in that wind.

I was recently a finalist in Canadian Brushstroke magazine’s still life competition for my painting Tipsy. To sign up for this FREE Canadian art magazine go to http://www.brushstrokemagazine.com

Summer's End

Fern Study
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas
SOLD


Tipsy
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas

Fern Study was done on the porch in the shade on a blistering hot 31 degree day. This quick study had an imposed time limit in which I had to be selective about what items would be in the background and foreground and how much of the fern I would actually paint. A fantastic exercise in being decisive. Painting loosely like this isn't about being messy or careless with the brush it's as much about control and careful planning as is a tighter painting.

Tipsy was painted in the studio but with no time limit. Careful planning was also done here to create a fun shape which the pear provided with it's elongated body. Playing on that shape with the tilted Chinese teacups made this whimsical piece great fun to do.

Summer is pretty much over and fall is on our doorsteps. The task of cleaning up the garden and putting the plants to bed is about to start. I wonder what fall views will inspire new paintings this September?

Thanks for all your wonderfully encouraging comments over the past year. It's so rewarding to hear that people, are indeed, touched by art.

Dandelion Field Near Leduc

Dandlelion Field Near Leduc
8 x 10
Oil on Panel

One glorious late afternoon some friends and I painted this field of dandelions while the mosquitoes had their way with us. The farm cat, not wanting to be ignored for puddles of paint leaped onto an easel and promptly left haughtily with ochre and green feet. What was beautiful to us is no doubt less than enchanting for the owner of this dandelion filled field.