Art by Wendy

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - LUNCH WITH FRIENDS

2012-02-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

LUNCH WITH FRIENDS - 11 X 14 - Available

As you know I am famous for revisiting a picture I am not happy with and trying to save it. This was definitely the case with my blackbirds. I loved my birds and my bird feeder in this drawing but somehow my composition did not work for me. (See my original picture below.) When I was reluctant to take it to a show, I knew I had to do something. I took it to a critiquing session and listened to all the comments and then I sat with it for a few months while my ideas percolated, finally I was ready to roll. I developed some background foliage and added another bird to the group. The picture seems more balanced and far more interesting now so I am happy.

I am applying for my Signature Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists and I have decided to use my blackbirds as my opening picture. The application goes in this week so keep your fingers crossed; jurying happens the March 10th weekend!!

THE TEA PARTY - 9 X 12 (No longer available!!)

Snowy Owl Visits Vancouver

2012-02-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SNOWY OWL VISITS VANCOUVER - 14 x 18 Available

It's done!! This is one of the largest drawings I have done in a long time and let me tell you, the detail on his chest nearly drove me crazy. I am really pleased with the drawing; I love the way the grasses and weeds wind around him. I really worked to get some texture as well, with burnishing softness for the owl and leaving the tooth of the paper for the log and weeds.

My original plan was to call this Miss Snowy Owl visits Vancouver as my research gave me the impression that my owl was a young female but as I looked into it more I find that this may also be an immature male. So hence the name "Snowy Owl visits Vancouver". Either way it is an amazing sight to see these birds. We went for a second visit on the weekend arriving just at sunrise (yes, you read that correctly, sunrise). It was a lovely cold, crisp, morning and the owls although dwindling in number were a wonderful sight to see.

Snowy Owl Visits Vancouver WIP

2012-02-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SNOWY OWL VISITS VANCOUVER - 14 x 18

My first project of the year had to be the Snowy Owls. They are settled out on the Delta Mud Flats amongst the low brush for our winter. It is very unusual for them to come this far south and in fact the last time they were here in these numbers, was in the winter of 2005/6. I was so excited with seeing them over Christmas that I just had to get started on a picture of them.

I wanted my owl to reflect their regal appearance and to integrate him into the surroundings. I tried several different formats, but it was hard to include the brush and logs and yet give a real sense of his size. (They are one of the biggest owls.) This is my final set up and now it is peddle to the metal to finish him (or her) up.

PS. Note the picture size, this is my largest drawing.

ALOHA!!

2012-01-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

BIRD OF PARIDISE, SO COLOURFUL AND SO UNUSUAL - 5 X 7

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

A SUNNY FACE TO WELCOME YOU TO MAUI - 5 X 7

Yes, I started the year off with a bang, myhusband and I went to Maui, Hawaii for the first part of January and had somefun in the sun!!

LIFE ON THE BEACH - 5 x 7

Itwas so nice to leave our gray days, I must admit we have had very little snowor really cold weather but the gray days can be a bit much at times. The weather in Maui was wonderful, sunnywarm, not too hot, the beaches were soft sand, with lovely breakers just rightfor me to boogie board and lots of great galleries to visit when we needed abreak from the sun. I painted lots andof course everything is now full of sand but it was great.

Not me with the board but I did get a few good rides!! - 3 x 4

OUR CONDO, WE WERE IN THE BOTTOM UNIT - 5 X 7

HARD AT WORK ON THE BEACH

My most prize possession was a little freekit I got from North Lights with a book order, I could keep my paints, brushes,supplies and a dozen 5 x 7 sheets of watercolour paper in this neat littlecontainer. I took it everywhere.

ROCKY POINT - 5 X 7

I am now hard at work on my Snowy Owl and I will post her soon!!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

THE WATER DRAGON - 13 X 21 Available

Yes this is the Year of the Dragon, the WaterDragon specifically and this only happens every 60 years so this is a specialyear. It is a year of courage,prosperity, love and cooperation. Tohonor this day I have my fellow artist Becky McMahon’s Water Dragon which she haspainted specifically for this New Year and has graciously allowed me to post today. According to Sung dynasty manuscripts, the Dragon isdescribed as having the "head of an ox or donkey, eyes of a shrimp, hornsof a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and a feet of aphoenix," and it usually clutches a pearl, meant to symbolize itssupernatural powers. I think her dragonhas this and more. If you would like tosee the original it is at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in Vancouver, BC for the nextsix weeks. To see more of her work www.triskeltreecreations.com

We have just returnedfrom a wonderful trip in the sun, Hawaii and I have lots of new things to sharein my upcoming posts. Until then “HappyNew Year” and remember to wear red, look for songbirds and don’t wash yourhair on Chinese New Year’s Day.

I am now in the Gallery of Canadian Drawing Masters!!

2011-12-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

KONA - JUST WAKING UP Sold

I have been invited to become an Honourary Member of the Drawing Society of Canada. I am really pleased to part of this group. As you are aware I love to draw and to be part of a Society that recognizes and promotes the Fine Art of Drawing is really a dream come true. I just have to take a moment to brag, check me out in the Gallery of Canadian Drawing Masters!! www.drawingsociety.com

Snowy Owls Have Returned to our Coast

2011-12-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The Snowy Owls along the Mud Flats

We had an incredible morning yesterday; wewere up early and out to the Mud Flats on Boundary Bay to see the SnowyOwls. We arrived just as the sun wasrising and there were very few people about. As you looked over the mud flats you could see spots of white in thegrasses, it was amazing. We walked alongthe dike and they were perched on the logs very close to the dyke so I was ableto get a few pictures. They looked soout of place, shining white in the dark grasses and wet logs; Quite a sight tosee. They are not a regular visitor toour section of the coast, 2005 was their last major visit. As you can imagine I am itching to finish upwith Christmas and start on a drawing of them. They are really such a beautiful bird.

Snowy Owls out on the Flats

Owl in Flight

As we left more people were arriving andthey started to move away from the dyke, you can see a group of them wasforming up on some logs further out. Iwas really pleased with my husband, Steve as he got me moving early so we wereable to see them.

Owls were not the only birds out on the Mud Flats, this crab apple tree was a favourite for many othere birds as well.

Christmas Cats ready to Shine for Christmas

2011-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

CHRISTMAS CATS - 10 x 16 Available

Ta da!! I did it!! My cats are done and ready for the show. As soon as they were finished I was busy photographing them and settingup the cards. I even cropped the picture and made some Christmas Tagswith them. My little cats were a real hit at the final show of the yearand now they are off in the mail to family and friends.

I was very pleased with my cats, particularly the background. I have always found backgrounds a challenge. I suspect it isbecause I am so focused on the main subject and where and what I am going to dowith it that somehow the background becomes less than secondary. Workingin layers, using the negative and pulling out things really helps me to stayloose and not get caught up in too much detail. I particulary love thecolour that I can introduce to really build my connection with the focal point.

Well I do want to wish everyone a

Merry Christmas and all the bestfor the New Year. May next year be a very successful artful year for you.

Christmas Cats WIP

2011-12-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Christmas Cats - 10 x 14 - WIP

Christmas Cats will be my Christmas card this year and yes I am running just a tad late. I am really excited with my picture and really enjoying working on it. I am trying to be very patient and glaze each layer on the cats to develop their structure. It is so easy to smack on a wack of colour and then regret it, so slow and steady is my goal. The cats are white and since they are in the sun I really have to search for areas of shadow to define them. The background is going to be so much fun to do as I did a variation on the watercolour pouring technique and then I will do some glazing in the negative to pull out different things. I can see it taking shape in my mind but my husband just looks at it and says "the background is too light!!"

I hope all your holiday preparations are going well, it seems we are full steam ahead for Christmas. I am still finishing up a few commissions and trying not to panic. I know things will be done on time. Good luck with your prep and hopefully I will have the finished picture posted soon.

Paints n’ Bloom

2011-12-05T12:18:00.001-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Iknow I am acting in reverse here, sharing show information after the fact butit was a thrilling experience and I need to share. Audrey Bakewell and I have just finished our Christmas Show at West Coast Gardens in South Surrey and as you can see fromthe pictures it was a beautiful sight.

Wewere set amongst their beautiful poinsettias and you couldn’t have asked for anicer place to show your work. Let me tell you, a green house during theChristmas season is a wonderful place to feel that Christmas glow, no matterthe weather. People were happyand just enjoying our show and the plants. Poinsettias were big and small and every colour you can imagine. (No Poinsettias are not naturally blue orpurple, but it is surprising what a little spray will do!!)

West Coast hosted our show as a fund raiserfor Alzheimer Society and this is our 3^rd show this year with themfor this purpose. It was just awonderful experience to have this space to show our work and meet so manygreat people and to raise money for a good cause.

Ready for the Show

2011-11-21T08:58:00.001-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

READY FOR THE SHOW - 10.5 x 14.5 - Available

The snow is covering the ground, just alight coat, but snow none the less and Christmas is in the air. It seems like a long ago time that I capturedmy reference material in May for this picture. At that time we were in Fort Langley watching the May 24^thparade and looking forward to the warm days of summer. There were a number of horses in the paradeand I was itching to work with horses and looking for ideas. The parade got held up, as parades do, andthis group was standing ready to move. The horses on the right were patiently waiting but not the otherone. He and his rider seemed to be readyand wanting to move out. Like me,anxious to move forward and sometime forgetting to enjoy the moment athand. This picture was a good reminderto me that this holiday I am going to try and be like those horses and enjoythe moment. I hope your holidaypreparations are going well and things are in order for a good Christmasholiday.

A Visit to Hemlock Printers

2011-11-13T18:35:00.001-08:00

This past week I went on an awesome tour witha small group to artists to Hemlock Printers in Burnaby, BC. I have never really understood everything thatcan and is done to produce giclee. The manager Peter Madliger for the digitalgraphic arts section was wonderful to take us on a tour of the facility andanswer all of our questions. The artistthat arranged it for us Lalita Hamill took a picture which we saw photographedand taken through most of the process. (Isay most, as they only did the first print and there were still things to bedone in colour matching to make it match the original.) I really wanted to thank them again fortaking the time to walk us through the whole process.

Photographing the Work

Talking about inks and colours for off set printing and digital printing

Adjusting Colours and comparing to originals

Lalita's Originial with the first print

I did learn a few things that may be ofinterest if you plan to produce giclees: if the piece has lots of texture it is better to photograph it than takea digital shot (digital shots will flatten the picture); oils should be photographed without the finalglaze and without the frame. After it isglazed then do the colour matching; prints on paper last longer than those on canvas;canvas giclees need to be treated with a UV coating; the process has a good rub factor and so will notdamage easily; they are usually finished in a Luster or Gloss finish, matt isseldom used; a good place will keep a printer’s proof so they can colour matchon later orders; the “wrapped” part of the canvas is handled differently bydifferent printers, some will use a mirror image to cover the space, some willjust put it on smaller bars and at Hemlock they continue the picture around thecorner taking information from the main picture; of course the big cost is theinitial scan and colour proofing so their minimum order is 5 prints of apicture. One final note was taking thetour with a group was good because there was a good variety of questions askedwhich helped us all learn.

Off The Point

2011-11-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

OFF THE POINT - 2 X 2 - Sold

Wellas the rains set in I have been reliving our summer trip to Texada Island workingon this little picture. The island is one of our regular camping places and I havepainted many different pictures from the area. This was one of my favourite places to sit and just watch the world goby. Off the shores of that little islandin the distance we have had several adventures jigging for cod. Not the least was fighting with a seal as Ibrought my fish in, he won, I had a big hunk taken out of my fish when I landedit!!

I am enjoying playing with different sizes and shapeswith my miniatures and right now I am into the square format. Since I started cutting my own mats I can’tbelieve the freedom it has given me.
(Sorry this one is already sold, it was gone almost as soon as it was done.)

Dinner For One

2011-11-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

DINNER FOR ONE - 5 x 7 Available

Pansies have been my life for a while maybeI am having separations anxieties with summer, who knows. I wanted to present this one a little differently soI introduced my little hummingbird. Whenwe were camped on Texada Island in July we saw lots of these little guysbuzzing around the bird feeder. Severalcampers had feeders up as well, there were so many around. I had no idea that they chattered andchittered so much and you wouldn’t believe how territorial they are! This little guy would certainly be diningalone.

On Tuesday, Nov 1, I hung the show ArtWith An Attitude with Becky McMahon www.triskeltreecreations.com andBrenda Hill www.myartclub.com/brenda.hill. My pansies made a nice little groupingon one of the walls. The show is atNewton Cultural Center, 13530 72 Ave. Surrey. The reception is this Sat, Nov 5, 1-5pm and this Sun. Nov 6, 1-3pm Iwill be doing a demo there on “Drawing Animals in Graphite”. If you live in the area come on by, I would love to share my art with you.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The winds are blowing, leaves are flyingeverywhere but it will be a great night for trick-or-treating. And after two days of hard work, Steve, myhusband will have his creations decorating our steps. They turned out so well I just had to postthem for all to see. He was very pleased with his efforts. We have been having great family fun sharingour masterpieces on Facebook, as everyone in the family has to have at leastone pumpkin to celebrate the night.

Tomorrow it will be pumpkin pie and somemuffins and if I get really brave we will try some pumpkin soup as well! Happy Halloween and may you have a safe andfun night.

Three's A Crowd

2011-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

THREE'S A CROWD - 5 X 7 Available

As I promised more of my pansies - Yes, I do love pansies and I was really takenwith these double pansies. They just seemedto have so much more personality than the single petal ones. Don’t get me wrong I like them too but . ..

After the Chatty Twosome failed as a threesome I went back to my drawing board to try again. I combined my pansy challenge with therequirement that I try something different for cropping. I usually keep my subjects more centered and I am reluctant to cut them off. This was a real attempt at a new way, for me anywhere, of cropping my flowers. When I was done I felt sorry for the little guy on theleft and hence my title, Three’s A Crowd!!

Chatty Twosome

2011-10-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

CHATTY TWOSOME under construction

No, I am not finished with summer yet and actually with all sales of winter pansies on right now it may be some time before I pack it in!!
My latest piece, Chatty Twosome, grew out of some work I am doing on composition. I had some great pictures of pansies and I wanted to experiment with different compositions. The first picture started out with great promise but quickly turned on me. As you can see from the layout, the composition didn’t work and so I started to crop away. (I know you saw what I did to my birds in my Sept 26 post "Hacked and Burned; I am really becoming lethal with my scissors.) My goal is to work with different compositions so nothing is sacred! When I was finished, this chatty little twosome emerged.

CHATTY TWOSOME - 3.5 x 3.5 - Available

More pansies are on the board with my next post as I am using the same subject to force myself to try different approaches.
(As an aside, you can also see from the unfinished areas the effects of my glazing on the background. It started off very light and multicoloured but it seemed to gain more richness and depth the more layers I put on.)

SNOW: WINTER'S COAT OF BEAUTY SHINES AGAIN!!

2011-10-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SNOW:WINTER'S COAT OF BEAUTY

This was one of my early drawings andone that gave me my first recognition, my first picture in a large juriedshow. Now it is getting new attention,Kilby the Historical Site at Harrison Mills, www.kilby.cais going to use it for their labels on their jams and jellies. I am thrilled that they would like to use mypicture for their labels and I think they did a great job on the design. They even did a little test on their consumers and found thatthe new label out sold the old one hands down. What do you expect with my picture on it, eh??!!
As a side note, I will be out at Kilby this Sunday, Oct 16, 11-4pm as part of the HarvestMarket. I love to be out in country onthese lovely fall days, the air somehow seems fresher, the sky bluer and ofcourse the colours of the trees in thesunshine stunning!! Come join us if youcan, it will be a great day.

Label for the Jams

Artists in Residence Program

2011-10-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

SPRING DANCE

No, I have not started in a new directionin my art. This picture, Spring Dance isby artist Becky McMahon who will be with me at the Newton Cultural Center,13530 72 Ave. Surrey, BC for the Artistsin Residence program. On Tuesday morning 10-12pm, October 11 andevery Tuesday after that ending on Dec 6, Becky and I will be at the CulturalCenter in the main gallery area. We are thereto meet and talk with anyone visiting the gallery. We will have some of our work there and willdiscuss it but more than that we are there to have art filled discussions witheveryone on any topic: art, techniques, mediums, critiquing, events and basicallyanything artful. Also we will be lookingfor direction for visual art programs to offer. Becky already has a Chinese Brush Painting Class scheduled to start Saturday, Nov. 19, 26 and Dec. 3 and I have a One Day Marketing Workshop for Emerging Artists set for Sunday,October 23. We think that being artistsin residence at the center will be lots of fun, a great way to increase theprofile of arts in the community and a real source of information andnetworking for artists. I wish that allmy internet friends could join us but I guess in a way we have our own artfultalks here in our blogs.

To check out more of Becky’s work or signup for her class see www.triskeltreecreations.com. For information and registration forthe Marketing Workshop: Let’s Get Your Art Out There see my website www.artbywendy.com

Taking Turns gets into a major show

2011-10-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

TAKING TURNS - 11 X 14 - Available

Yes, I made it into the "Annual International Representational Show - AIRS" which is being held at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver. The show runs from October 4 -23 with the reception Thursday, October 6, 6-8pm. This is the second year that the Federation of Canadian Artists have held this show and my second year of getting in!! I am just over the moon. If you make it to the reception be sure and say hi, I will be the nut walking around with a grin on my face!!

(My picture of the sandhill crane, Stepping Out, was the successful picture last year.)

STEPPING OUT - 14 X 11 - Available

HACKED AND BURNED -- STARS ARE BORN

2011-09-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

THE OLD GUARD - 5.5 X 3.5 - AVAILABLE

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK - 5.5 X 3.5 - AVAILABLE

These two little gems are products of one ofmy soul searching periods that ended in a hacking and burning of a lovelypicture. I completed the originalpicture of my finches “Out for Dinner” in the spring; it was well drawn (I thought so anyway) ,lovely birds, great bird feeder and the composition was a bit unusual, almost symmetrical. But it didn’t do it for me!! I felt those little finches were nothappy.

Out for Dinner

I have looked at that picture andmulled over it for months. Suddenly inthe middle of the night a few days ago it hit me, crop it tons, there is justtoo much empty space. (I know I need toget a life and do other things at night but. . .that’s another story) It took a day or two to get the courage butthen I took my paper cutter and let her rip. After, I added a few extra touches to give more sparkle and Stars were born.

With Determination and Reassurance, I will start the weekend!!

2011-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

DETERMINATION - 10 x 8 Available

Yes, this is a big weekend; I am part of TheLangley Art Studio Tour. This is a very exciting event for me, my first studiotour. No, I haven’t moved to Langley soit won’t actually be in my studio but Iwill be with a group of 5 other artists at the Fields & Flower Farm, 900232 St. We will be one of the “Stops ofInterest”. The tour will have 43 artists,17 working art studios, 6 ‘Stops of Interest’, a range of mini-workshops anddemos, and plenty of art to see. It reallylooks like it will be a great event. Best of all it will be over two weekends to give everyone a chance topoke around a bit at their leisure.

REASSURANCE - 10 x 8 Available

Places I would love to check out are SusanFalk’s studio, she is a tiny lady and does huge paintings, her studio set upwould be very interesting to see. www.susanfalk.ca Down the road from us is Flowers from aCountry Garden, a u-pick flower garden. This sounds like a really novel idea and I would like to see how itworks. She had flowers for our receptionlast night and the bouquets were stunning. www.upickcountryflowers.blogspot.com

The tour dates are Sept. 24 & 25 andOct. 1 & 2, 10am – 5 pm. This is aself-guided tour and all the details and maps can be found at www.langleyartstudiotour.ca I will be doing one of the demos, “DrawingAnimals in Graphite” at 2 pm each day of the Sept 25 & 25 weekend. Of course my new pictures “Determination’’ and“Reassurance” will be there to greet you.

Iwish you all could come and check out the tour but for those that can, it willbe great to see you.

AUTUMN DAYS AT THE LAKE

2011-09-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER - 8 X 14

Oh, this was the September to becamping!! We have just got back from ourlast trip of the season and it was the best!! The weather was fabulous, often 30 during the day, the scenery waswonderful, and the fishing was great! What more could you ask? My husband, Steve was busy each day arrangingthe tackle, getting worms and charging the electric motor and I waspainting. There was a surprising numberof people camped at the lake with us so lots of company and stories and ofcourse theories on fishing – Best Practices were the tale of the day. The days just whizzed by, can’t believe weare home already.

SUMMER SUNSHINE - 4.5 X 6

Davis Lake is in the mountains, just southof Merritt. It is just at the pointwhere the forests are turning into the dry grasslands. The landscape is so different from the coast,short pine and firs, lots of birch and poplar and huge areas of grassland. Of course the fall colours were starting toshow and on those sunny days everything just took on new life. I know my photos and sketches just do not doit justice.

Our Resident Loon

The trees and grasslands were beautiful

Often the water was just like glass on the lake, with the fish jumping, of course!!

A regular visitor to our camp, despite Rusty's efforts to chase him away!!

IT'S COFFEE TIME

2011-09-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

IT'S COFFEE TIME - 13 X 22 - Available

Golfing, bulrushes, setting sun. These are things I think of when I see thered-winged blackbirds. I like to golf inthe late afternoon and the blackbirds are abundant on the golf course. As the sun sets in the evening, the coloursglow on the water and fairways and the birds spur us along with their serenade.

This group was gathered at the bird feederand after cropping the picture I thought I would try incorporating the watercolourpouring technique with a highly realistic drawing of the birds themselves. I found the picture quite a challenge itbecame a mixture of both working in the negative and the positive. I finished the picture in the evening at ourcampsite and entered it into the Federation Juried Show as soon as we got home. They made the cut!! It’sCoffee Time is now hanging in the Surrey Arts Center, Aug 20-Nov. 13. The reception is September 17, 2011.7:30-9pm. See you there.

It's Coffee Time - Step 1, after the pour

It's Coffee Time - Step 2, working on the negative

Dragonfly

2011-08-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

DRAGONFLY - 6.5 X 9 - SOLD

In my last post, I mentioned that we stayed with friends in a cabin on Great Slave Lake. Dragonfly was built by them over the last few years. It is a lovely cabin on a small island in a group called Pilot Islands. Howard, one of the owners tells me that much of the material was taken out in the winter with a skidoo and trailer. It would be stacked and used in the summer. Other things were brought out in the summer with their power boat and it was fun manhandling things like a stove or fridge out of the boat, on to their dock and then up over the rocks to the cabin.

Shoreline Sketches - some were made as we were trolling

A project like that is hard work, but comes with a real feeling of accomplishment and of course lots of stories. After hearing all of their stories it really gave me a desire to venture up north in the winter and see what life is like. I really want to see an ice road, ride on a skidoo, see the northern lights in the winter and see the ice and snow in the setting sun. My brother tells me March is a good time to visit so don’t be surprised if I head off next winter!!

In the meantime I thought you would enjoy seeing some of my sketches from the trip, they are just little snatches of north, so different but still so picturesque.

Dave & Cindy's Greenhouse, we got lots of fresh cherry tomatoes from their patio garden

Quick sketches as we drove back from Fort Providence, I love the rocks and trees. The scrawny thin trees are so fun to draw. So much personality!!

Yellowknife, NWT was a Great Place to Visit

2011-08-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Dave and Cindy with their great garden

First up was a potluck dinner at the community garden, it was great to see such lush green vegetable gardens so far north and no bugs!! My brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Cindy had a wonderful plot full of my favourite things, fresh peas, green beans and new potatoes which we enjoyed throughout our trip.

On the weekend we were off to Dragonfly, a cabin on an island on Great Slave Lake. Howard and Bonita the cabin owners, were gracious in showing us life on the GSL. With their boat we motored along the shoreline and stopped for little adventures,

An old boat in Mosquito Bay

we fished and caught some great pike for dinner, we feasted on wild raspberries and high bush cranberries that we picked on our adventures and generally had a wonderful time. Everything was new and exciting and different. (Remember we are used to the west coast of BC with tall mountains and trees everywhere.)

The Berry Pickers

Pike for Dinner

Trees, rock and mosses everywhere!!

One of our day trips was down the road to Fort Providence where the Mackenzie River feeds out of the Great Slave Lake. Our trip took us through the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary and we were treated to many bison sightings. Also a special treat for me was the sighting of Sandhill Cranes. I didn’t realize that many spent the summer there. (As you know they have been the subject of many of my pictures. ) One treated us to his squawks and dance and then took off. I have never seen them fly; it was quite a sight to see.

One of the boat houses on the Lake in Old Town

Our trip is over but we have great memories. I want to return to the north but my next trip will be to see the winter!!

WAITING OUT THE STORM

2011-08-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

WAITING OUT THE STORM - 5 x 7 - Available

More pictures from our trip to Texada Island off the west coast of British Columbia.

This picture was actually the first I did when we first arrived at Texada Island for our holidays. We had just had a day of rain, I don’t mean a bit of rain, I mean it rained all day and when it wasn’t raining it was pouring. The next day was still wet but the sun tried to come out a bit in the afternoon. We were camped in a trailer but even so I just felt that everything was damp and we weren’t done yet. The clouds were moving but still thick and by the way the seagulls were staying close to shore I felt they agreed with me.

WINDY MOMENTS - 5 X 7 - Available

As you can see things did pick up over the next few days. We had sun, wind and gradually the weather warmed up. My greatest joy in painting this trip was the clouds. When you are on the water you can see all kinds of formations as they build over the water and the mountains across the strait. I really enjoyed painting them as you can see. They were just amazing.

OFF THE POINT - 3 X 4 - Available

We are off on another trip, this time to northern Canada, Yellowknife in the North West Territories. My brother and his wife live there and we are looking forward to a nice visit, fishing, a bit of hiking and he has arranged a two day sailing trip on Great Slave Lake. I probably won’t get much painting done but I am going to try and do some sketching and of course I will have a few pictures to share with you when we get back.

We Are Back!

2011-07-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

FISHING WITH DAD - 4 X 3 - Available

Yes we just got home from a holiday on the Sunshine Coast, otherwise known as the west coast of BC. We travelled up to Powell River and over to Texada Island and camped there for a few weeks and then back to Powell River for a few days and Sechelt and Gibson for a few days. As anyone will tell you the weather was not the greatest but we had a good time just the same. I had a different experience painting as the water and skies were grayer, the mountains were almost none existent for much of the time but the cloud formations were often just amazing!! The skies would be blue and gray and black all at the same time depending on where you looked. I have included a few of my pictures from Texada and more will come over the next few days and you can see for yourself, great skies!

AFTER THE STORM - 4 X 3 - Available
We did some crabbing, some hiking and picked huckleberries (huckleberry pie is one of our favourites and we do have a small oven in the trailer so . . .) and of course read a few good books. The deer were very plentiful and we saw them everywhere we went, the sandcastle festival went off despite the rain and somehow that wonderful flow of summer time happened despite the weather, it was a great.

I went painting one day with an artist friend from Powell River, Alfred Muma http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.127421860680906.28420.100002392776575&l=cb4091ebb6&type=1

We went to Eagle River Gorge, and walked along the trail to one of the pools. The river makes a deep cut through the rock and has a series of waterfalls into several lovely pools. We stopped at one of the pools and set up to paint. I was really captivated with the arbutus tree hanging off the cliff over the pools and he focused on the water rushing into the pool. Warm, no bugs, great company, sunlight playing on the trees and water, and all day just to paint, what more could you ask for?? For more of Alfred’s work see http://www.awmuma.com/index.html

TOP OF THE GORGE - 8 X 11- Available

DANCING LILIES

2011-07-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

DANCING LILIES - 20 x 24 - Available

Flowers are suddenly everywhere, and so bright and cheerful after our dull, gray spring. I am not usually much of a flower painter but I have really been inspired by them. After the success of my painting “Explosive Colour”, I decided to try another pouring and this time feature the lilies that are blooming in so many different colours everywhere. For my earlier projects I kept several areas covered in frisket to keep them white for the pour but this time I kept only one area clear with plans of keeping two other areas partly clear. Below you can see my original pour with a start on the negative painting. No, as you can see the other clearings did not happen. The pour just took on its own life and like any painting this one just took off on its own. Once I got started and I just hung on and went for the ride. The result is dazzling colour, lots of movement and what I call “Dancing Lilies”. This is definitely a different process from my well planned and detailed drawings and paintings!! It is great fun!

DANCING LILIES - WIP

We will be camping and on day trips for the next few weeks so there will be lots of new works when we are back.

TEA FOR TWO

2011-06-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

TEA FOR TWO - 8.5 x 6.5 - Available

A sunny day and fresh homemade suet, how can a bird go wrong. It really is Tea Time.
We had lots of fun this winter watching all the birds at our bird feeder. (I know we need to get a life but really it was interesting!) A friend had given us an easy recipe to follow and believe me they really did love it. Three days was a long time for it to last. We had lots of the usual birds: chickadees, finches, juncos and sparrows but also a few of the woodpeckers: Northern Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers. We really started to become a bit of an expert on our little group. Now that it is warm out, well some of the time anyway, we have a peanut feeder out there and we are hoping for bigger and better things.
My little chickadees are still my favourite, they are so friendly, quick and familiar; just like an old friend come to visit.

THE TEA PARTY

2011-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

THE TEA PARTY - 8.5 x 12 - Available

My tea party is now in full swing. The red winged blackbirds were buzzing around the feeders out at Riefel Bird Sanctuary when I was there last. Their colours and songs really caught my eye. I was particularly happy to capture the sprayed form of the one in the center. He was busy calling to the others and seemed to be running the show. The old feeders have lovely old fashion lines and I thought they made a great mix. As you can see it is graphite except for that the touch of colour, that is watercolour pencils. I am not really interested in doing the entire picture in colour pencils but I do like that touch to bring it to life. It seems to be my ‘thing’ right now and I am just chaffing at the bit to do more. I have so many ideas floating around in my head; I can’t keep up with them right now!

EXPLOSIVE COLOUR

2011-06-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

EXPLOSIVE COLOUR 14 X 20 - Available

Well I have completed my biggest piece ever, 14 x 20 inches!! Amazing eh?? Yes, this is another piece which involves pouring watercolour to create the background and then using negative painting to develop it. The two hibiscuses in the focal point are not part of the pour which helps to give them more punch. I find it ironic that this same week is the opening for the International Miniature Show in Quebec and my smallest piece there is a landscape 2 x 2 inches!
I know many of you are interested in how this works and I have included a WIP picture below so you can see part of the development. I have another example in my May postings “Positively: Ready for the Picking” and if you check out Leslie Redhead’s blog, she has a tutourial on the pouring and several pictures that she has completed. http://leslieredheadart.blogspot.com/2011/06/lavender-dreams.html
I am quite excited about this technique as it really helps me achieve my goal of trying to blend some really realistic elements in a picture but still have an impressionistic feel to it. I love how the two work together.

EXPLOSIVE COLOUR - WIP

Lots of Fun on Pender Island

2011-06-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

I never touched those flowers!!

Out on a limb

We just got back from a great little get away on Pender Island, one of the Southern Gulf Islands on British Columbia’s west coast. It was a real inspiration to travel around the island: beautiful scenery, animals and birds.

Enjoying the Sun

There was a great artist co-op there, The Red Tree Gallery at Hope Bay with some lovely work and great viewpoint for painting.

Anchored at Hope Bay

I really enjoyed painting by the water there, and guess what was quietly floating in the sun? Two mute swans!! They seem to like Hope Bay and I guess plan to stay there for the summer. I don’t blame them, it is a pretty spot.

KEEPING WATCH, PORT WASHINGTON - 3.5 x 5

Positively: Ready for the Picking

2011-05-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Stage 1: After the Pour
Negativity Rules!! Yes, working on this picture has been an eye opener for me. I have really been horning my negativity skills. As you know from my previous posts I took the watercolor pouring workshop with Leslie Redhead and these grapes were one of our projects. We did this as a practice before we took on our ‘major picture’ of poppies. (No, you haven’t missed that picture as it isn’t finished yet!)
Stage 2: Starting Negative Painting. Course is over and I am on my own!!
Stage 1 picture shows what it looks like after the pouring and then in stage two I started to define leaves and grapes by stressing the negative rather than the positive aspects of each leaf and grape. At first I really didn’t know where or how to develop things but as I worked I began to understand how it worked. I thought I could move around the picture and you can see isolated grapes as well as clusters in the stage two piece. I quickly learned that you must ‘move out ‘from the defined area so you can build and connect things. Fortunately they are non-staining transparent colors as I was doing lots of scrubbing out and redefining those isolates. I also made the mistake of not taking my colours to the edges of the paper. I took a deep breath, said good bye to my hard work and repoured the bottom half of the picture; I think it turned out great!! Then with a little creative cropping to fit it into a frame, I was suddenly done.

Ready for Picking - 7.5 x 10.5 - Available

(I did it!!!)

Help!! Swans are taking over my life!!

2011-05-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

FALL REFLECTIONS 9 x 13
Yes, I have been on a big swan kick, painting and drawing them in all shapes and sizes. I couldn't help myself. This winter we had such wonderful viewing opportunities so of course I took a ton of pictures and now I want to use them. I think I am done for a while; here are a few I wanted to share with you. The first one is a pair of trumpeter swans that were settled in the water in the marsh area at the mouth of the Courtenay River on Vancouver Island. I juiced up the colors a bit and turned it into more of a fall scene. There were ducks, geese and swans everywhere but this pair were just settled quietly in their own little world. For me it was everything: love, caring, rest after a long migration and even a sense of safety, if that is even possible in the animal world.
MUTE SWAN 8 x 6
This second picture is of a mute swan. They're slightly smaller than the trumpeter swans and also gather here along the west coast in the winter. She, well it just has to be a she for me, was gathered with a group of swans, ducks and geese looking for handouts from the people walking along a lagoon near Victoria. I loved the arch of her neck and the sparkle of the sun on her head and beak. I wanted to try drawing her in graphite without a background and still create that sense of white. (I know, I need to make easier challenges for myself.) It was a lot of fiddling with values because of course I complicated it a bit with the color but I think she worked.

Northern Flickers Win and Award

2011-05-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Wendy with the Northern Flickers and of course, her certificate.

The Flickers are a Winner. They went off to the Fraser Valley Juried show in Coquitlam on Sunday and they not only got into the show they were given an Award of Excellence! This was very exciting for me as you can tell by the picture. Last night they opened the show and awarded the prizes. I was thrilled to receive the award and very happy for the Northern Flickers.
The show is called “This Earth of Ours” and runs until June 4. There are two other shows there as well, ‘A Renaissance Woman Artist’ by Doris Paterson and ‘Birds of Paradise’ by Lili Masborough. Doris is an amazing artist with a really interesting show. She has some of her early work as well as work from this year. It is really interesting to see how her work has grown and changed over time. Lili’s birds are warm, friendly and are full of colour; definitely something different for me to see. Here is all the information on the show.

Great Workshop with Leslie Redhead

2011-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Main Lodge at Painters Lodge, Campbell River, BC

Wendy pouring the grapes, our practise picture.

Becky, finding the negatives to create her leaves around the poppies.

Talk about an inspiring three day – Becky McMahon, a fellow artist and I have just returned from a three day workshop at Painters Lodge in Campbell River. We had a really good time. The workshop was wonderful, pouring watercolours with floral, the food at the Lodge was a gourmet delight, the rooms were lovely and the ocean view was breathtaking. If you are looking for a nice little getaway check out Painters, they also offer many different types of 3 day events that are also fun to do: painting, photography, and yoga are just a few.
For our class, we were pouring watercolour. First we masked out our main flowers and then poured away. We were blowing, spritzing , and using our fingers to move the paint around. I am not much of a finger person but I did get my fingers dirty!! Then it was painting the positives for our flowers and looking for the negatives for our leaves. We did a practice piece with grapes first and then on to our poppies. I really enjoyed the class and I really stretched myself. You will notice at the end the size of the picture I am holding, that is just HUGE for me. I have never worked on such a BIG piece of paper. Of course we didn’t finish but I am going to plug away and see what I can do with my grapes and poppies. Leslie does lovely watercolours and you can check out her work at http://leslieredheadart.blogspot.com/ . Becky's usual medium is chinese brush painting on rice paper and you can see her work is at http://www.triskeltreecreations.com/

Becky and Leslie, definitely happy with the results.
Wendy and Leslie, can you believe this is a half sheet??!!

The Swans are Back

2011-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Swans Are Back - 3 x 4 inches
This pair of trumpeter swans was moving quietly along the shoreline feeding when I was walking along the trail by the Courtenay River at Christmas. The swans come every year to the Comox Valley in very large numbers. They feed on the large fields that are supported by Ducks Unlimited and then settle on the waters at the mouth of the river. It is a beautiful sight to see. Over the last few weeks I have been a little swan crazy, drawing and painting from my reference material from that trip. They are just so beautiful and I got so many great pictures I just couldn’t help myself!!
This particular picture is a miniature picture and it along with “A Sheltered Bay, Texada Island, BC “have been accepted in the“ Internationale d’art miniature” juried exhibit, Saint-Nicolas, Quebec, Canada. The show runs June 12 to September 4, 2011. This is the show web site but this year’s show won’t be up until June. http://www.artmini.com/

A Sheltered Bay, Texada Island,BC - 2 x 2 inches

Blogging Books

2011-04-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

Yes, I published my blog for 2009 and 2010 into a book, it was easy with Blog2Print. http://blog2print.sharedbook.com I know at first I thought it seemed a little pretentious to do it but . . . What the heck. I thought I would give it a try and so I printed 2009. Of course it cost a bit much, one book with shipping but it was a special treat to me. The book came and looked so good I decided to order 2010 and some friends also wanted a copy of each. (That and a coupon did help with the cost of the second books.) I know I am old fashion but I like a hardcopy to hold so it didn’t take me long to read my books and enjoy my work and the memories all over again. I know I should have shared it earlier but I decided I would wait until the second book came. That way I could show you the cover and the inside together in a picture.
It has turned out to be a really different way to show my work and to read about my activities over time. When I put the books out during my show last week I found that many people picked them up and had a look. As you can see the pictures and drawing came out very nicely and you can use your pictures for the cover, the back cover and even a dedication page. The company is totally integrated with blogs done on blogspot, typepad and wordpress, so if you want to preserve your thoughts and pictures for prosperity or give yourself a special treat, give it a try.

An Update on the Crane Family

2011-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting the Riefel Bird Sanctuary in late March I asked about the sandhill crane family that I photographed last year and used as reference for my drawing “The Family Outing”. They were still there and the little baby was nearly grown up!! This little family loved the Sanctuary so much that they decided to stay for the whole year. I really enjoyed the seeing them as when I first took my pictures last June, the young crane was only 18 days old. Two babies had hatched at the end of May and the other one had died after only 5 days. I must admit when I talked with Riefel Bird Sanctuary later in the year I was afraid to ask about the family.
So here are pictures of the young crane with one of the parents, I like to think it is the mom as it is a little smaller than the other adult. They were out feeding and very oblivious to any people walking by. I guess after living in a place for over a year you do feel that you own it!! They also told me that the adults may boot the young one out of the family and lay another egg so I will definitely check on that later this spring. Here again is my picture of the family on one of their early “Family Outings”.

THE FAMILY OUTING - 11 x 15 in.

Out With The Hens

2011-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Out With The Hens 10x 14 SOLD

Have you ever been to a workshop that just left you feeling so inspired you just want to paint, paint, paint!! I just spent two days with Harold Allanson doing his workshop “Fearless Watercolors” and had a wonderful time. He does beautiful big watercolors of sights along the west coast that you could just die for. See some of his work at http://www.haroldallanson.com/

We spent our time working on these wonderful chickens from his place. I must admit I loved their tail feathers; they just were so interesting and lovely to add colors too. I definitely learned a lot from him and I think that I have finally got a firm handle on my darks. I had felt that often my watercolors were lacking in values but after this weekend I might have trouble getting some soft colors!!

Northern Flickers

2011-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

NORTHERN FLICKERS - 11 x 15 - $450

Aren’t they great!! This pair of Flickers, well I think it is the same ones all the time, came to our bird feeder most of the winter. They were the highlight of our day. (I know we need to get a life but really, aren’t they something?) We first saw the male hanging upside down off our little suet feeder trying to get what he could and then pretty soon he brought a friend with him. It was so neat how first one would feed than the other; each taking a turn waiting patiently on the branches nearby. When they were done, off they would go. Sometimes we would only see them once a day and other times they were back several times. The other little birds would just perch on the trees and chirp away until they were done. It was like royalty had come to town and they needed to be taken care of first. We thought they were huge birds because all we were seeing was chickadees and juncos and then one day the crows came by and we realized they were not such big fish in the pond after all. Still we were happy to see them in ‘our pond’. The lady at Riefel Bird Sanctuary says they will head up to higher ground soon so we won’t see them for the summer but we will sure look forward to their return in the fall.

Kona - The Baby

2011-03-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

KONA - THE BABY 5.5 x 6.5 Sold

Little Kona is finished and ready to be framed. She performed well at the drawing class giving everyone an idea how to work with both light and dark colors without using a background. She also provided lots of entertainment as she is so sweet. Her sister Sierra, has been ever so happy to have her come into their home. The two of them play all the time and Sierra also looks out for her where ever they go.

My next project is a pair of Northern Flickers that were feeding at our bird feeder all winter. They certainly caught our eye as they have very distinctive markings and were so much bigger than all the other birds. Their favorite thing was to hang upside on the little feeder and gorge on the suet. Needless to say we were replenishing it often.

WIP: Kona – The Baby

2011-03-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

Yes, we have a new grandpuppy in the family; Kona, a sister for Sierra, our other grandpuppy. (See Post for January 4, 2011) She is a Tibetan Pomeranian, like her sister, great looking dogs and smart as a whip. Of course I have to draw her!! We were puppy sitting last week so I took lots of pictures of the two dogs. On Monday, I was teaching a class on drawing animals at My Art Corner in Burnaby and I thought little Kona would be a great subject. She has lovely colored fur lots of darks and white so good opportunities to show working with both. We had a great class, the time just fly we were all so focused on our work. Now I am anxious to finish her as she is coming along so well.
Our first day as Artist in Residence, yesterday, went very well. Things started off quiet at first and Becky and I wondered if that was going to be the order of the day but then people started to arrive. We had two very persistent artists from Maple Ridge that persevered and found their way after we sent out invitations with the wrong address on them (We sent out corrections yesterday afternoon so hopefully everyone knows for next week). They had brought a variety of pieces of work for critiquing and then we had a very productive conversation on pricing artwork. Others arrived to talk about art, brought books and pictures to share and things just took off from there. Before we knew it, we were packing up and our morning was gone.

Here Comes Trouble - On Its Way

2011-03-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

HERE COMES TROUBLE - 9.5 x 12.5 -$350
Things have been moving and shaking these days and I feel a real buzz happening in my Art World. I finished my picture Here Comes Trouble just in time to enter it in the artSpacific juried show in Delta. I am happy to report he got in and is already off to the show. The show is at the Delta Firehall of Arts and runs from March 15 to April 15. It is a great show so stop by if you have a moment.
Meanwhile I have been busy meeting with the Surrey Arts Council and I am happy to announce that Becky McMahon and myself will be starting a Visual Artist in Residence program at the new Newton Cultural Center starting Tuesday, March 22 - June 14, 2011. We will be there from 10-12 each Tuesday, to talk about art, critique work, mentor and demo our mediums. This is free to anyone that wants to stop by. Plans are also underway for us to run lessons and workshops. A really high point from all of this was when we had photo shoots with both of the local papers in one afternoon. How to feel valued!! There is already a Writer in Residence and a Theatre and Drama Person in Residence at the cultural center so bringing us on board really rounds out the program.

The Ups and Downs of the Art World

2011-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

KEEPING WATCH - 3 x 3 - SOLD

The first picture to sell, are we surprised?!

Well my exciting art weekend is over; it was a whirlwind of fun and adventure. Saturday was the reception day for my show “A Walk on the Wild Side . . Or Not! featuring Margaret Mah and myself. We were set up and ready before 1 pm with such anticipation. Things were quiet, we waited, two ladies arrived and of course we pounced on them, settled and pulled back. We waited a bit more and then they came. We had people pouring into our little gallery, talking, looking and yes buying. Then in the middle of it all the photographer arrived from the paper and we had a photo op (that really makes you feel important). It was great fun.
Margaret and Me with our pictures

On Sunday, I had my marketing workshop for artists, and it was a full house as well. We had a really productive day, the synergy produced by such an event is amazing. I am not bragging when I say everyone left just bubbling with new ideas and goals for the future. I find that each time I have run the workshop we all feel empowered, there is just no other way to describe it. I know to from previous sessions that this empowerment not only shows up in the marketing skills of the artists but in their work as well.
Well those were the “Up’s” of the weekend and of course you are wondering what could possibly be the “Down’s”. Well my application for Signature status did not go forward. There was 38 of us that applied and 11 were accepted. I have comfort in the fact that I am in good company. I must admit I am not too down; I am pleased that my work has got to the level that I can apply and as Arnold Schwarzenegger said “I’ll Be Back!”
PS. I just got my official call from the Federation and I missed by 2 votes!! I am must admit that made my day. I know that I am on the right track and next time I will be there. Have a good day.

A Really Big Day

2011-03-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

A Case of Curiosity - 10 x 14 SOLD

Pictures Gone and Fingers Crossed!!
Today was a really big day for Art by Wendy, I had two major events. First thing this morning I was off to deliver my pictures for my application for Signature Status in the Federation of Canadian Artists. My picture “A Case of Curiosity” was one of my originals from my group. You need to submit 10 digital images and then 3 originals from that group of 10. The jurying will be done on Sunday so I will have my fingers crossed all weekend.
Margaret with her load, where to begin!
After we left Granville Island Steve and I motored over to Burnaby to the Deer Lake Gallery, 6584 Deer Lake Ave. Today was the day to hang the show “A Walk on the Wild Side . . Or Not!!” (a 2-person show) featuring myself and Margaret Mah. Our show is a walk with a twist. Margaret images are a real contrast to my realistic birds, animals and landscapes. It makes for a very interesting and dynamic combo. The reception is this Saturday, March 5, 2-4pm. The show runs to March 26. On the last day of the show March 26, I will be doing a drawing demo from 1-3pm . So as you can see, it was a really BIG DAY today!

Lots of excitement as the pictures get loaded up!

HERE COMES TROUBLE - WIP

2011-02-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

HERE COMES TROUBLE - 9 X 13 inches
You have to love goats. They are kind of cute, very mischievous and inquisitive and lots of fun to watch. They have their down side of course but not being a farmer or owner I am able to ignore that. I met this little guy out at Kilby Historical Site in Harrison Mills. She just seemed to be looking for trouble and I thought she would look great in one of my pictures. I also took some great shots of the old machinery there. This old hayrack has lots of interesting parts and shapes and the two just seemed to be a perfect fit.
I have finished laying out the machinery and the goat and now I am trying to decide how much of the foreground to develop. This is where I can get too carried away so I am trying a more cautious approach as I begin to fill it in.
On the side, this weekend my marketing workshop for artists is on the go. We have a full house so there will be lots of interesting marketing plans emerging from the group. We are all going in the same direction and yet there are so many routes to take. Registration is also going well for my last workshop this winter on Sunday, March 6.

VADER

2011-02-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

VADER 5.5 x 6.5 SOLD
Vader is my latest commission and he was a real treat to draw. Vader lives in Australia but has friends here in Canada. They asked me to do the picture as a gift for Vader’s owner. She had both a good picture of him plus this great silhouette shot that she had taken. The challenge was to try and incorporate both of them into one picture. Photoshop really saved the day. Instead of spending days on drawing different scenarios, I was able try many different situations and size ratios but it was still surprising how long it took to come up with a good combination. I really love how the silhouette of his face catches your eye right away when you look at the picture, it implies so much of the character and personality of the dog and then it moves you into the picture and the dog himself. Also the contrast of the roughness of the background with the smooth sleek fur of the dog really takes the picture over the top. Needless to say I was very pleased with the final results.

Keeping Watch

2011-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

KEEPING WATCH - 3.2 x 3.2

Well number 3 is done!! I am really excited to see this set finished as it has been percolating in my mind for some time and now it is a reality. This pair of swans is not as active as the other two but certainly a common site within a flock. Swans mate for life and do look out for each other. This pair just seemed to be in that classic pose and I wanted them part of my set.
I decided to go with the larger format, 3 x 3 and now I am glad I did. There just seems to be that little extra room to really develop this particular piece. I hope you enjoy this little series as much as I do.

To Crop or Not to Crop, That is the Question

2011-02-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

GET LOST!! - 3.2x 3.2

“Get Lost” is the second piece in my mute swan trio and now I find I am having a problem. I had originally planned on doing the pictures as a 3 x 3 but after completing the first two I had this great idea to crop them. This dilemma has brought me to a standstill as I really can’t decide. The first picture, "Winter Friends" which I posted last week was cropped but now looking at “Get Lost!!” I am changing my mind. ( I have included both the cropped version and the non cropped version of this picture so you can see the difference.) I need to decide as I want to proceed on the third picture which will feature two swans. I don’t think that I could paint the larger version and then crop it as easily as the others. (I know for you big picture painters the idea of doing a 2 x 2 picture versus a 3 x 3 picture seems ludicrous but these are the dilemmas of the miniature artist) The time has come to make a decision. Any thoughts??
GET LOST!! - 2 x 2

I have been very quiet as late as I have been down for the count with a terrible cold. I am now up and running again and thankfully feeling much better. Finally on another note, the registration for my marketing workshop in February is going really well. Only one spot left!!

Winter Friends

2011-01-24T17:00:00.001-08:00

WINTER FRIENDS - 2.5 x 2.5 Watercolor

Isn't this a great little piece? Every winter the ducks and the mute swans are visitors to the southwest coast of British Columbia and when I was over to Victoria for New Years I was very fortunate to see them. It was a sunny day at the lagoon and lots of people were out to see them and feed them so it was easy to get some great pictures. I was so excited at seeing these big birds that I immediate made some plans for a series on the swans/ducks which you will see in my next few posts. I can hardly wait to get on with the next one.
On another note, I had my first Marketing workshop in my studio and it was a great day for all of us. Everyone left feeling inspired and ready with new plans for 2011. It is amazing the synergy that is produced when you spend a day with a focus group. I have one more Marketing workshop planned in February and it is already shaping up to be a good group.

Justin

2011-01-13T21:18:00.001-08:00

JUSTIN - 5 x 6.5 SOLD

Justin is one of the commissions that I completed for Christmas and I just had to share him with you as I think he is fabulous. (Okay, I am prejudice but my client thought he was good too!!) We settled on this rather off beat image which I cropped for the portrait. The end results turned out to be quite effective full of life and character. The owner really felt that Justin's personally was captured in the drawing. He was so pleased he ordered Christmas cards with Justin's portrait which he promptly took to family and friends in London. Not every picture goes international so quickly!!
I have a new show coming up in March, A Walk on the Wild Side or Not which I will be presenting with another artist Margaret Mah. I am starting to put that together so I will share some of those pictures with you in the coming posts.

The Many Faces of Sierra

2011-01-04T17:38:00.001-08:00

Daddy's Girl - 5 x 6.5 - SOLD
Happy New Year – The first blog of the year so I wanted it to be special!
Sierra was one of my Christmas commissions and now that the secret is out I can share the pictures with you. Sierra is a beautiful little Pomeranian Tibetan Spaniel cross. She is the cutest thing with wonderful colouring and smart as a whip. She is only 6 months old but you can really get an idea of what a great adult dog she will be. The commission was to create 3 separate images of her that would fit in 8 x 10 frames and could be hung as a grouping.
Who Me? - 5 x 6.5 - SOLD
The picture "Daddy's Girl" is when she was only 2 months, "Who Me?" was when she was about 4 months and "The Sweetheart" is about 6 months. Needless to say everyone was very pleased with the results and they were a real surprise at Christmas.
The Sweetheart - 5 x 6.5 - SOLD

BC Artists Volume II is Here!!

2010-12-22T14:48:00.001-08:00

I want to wish you a

Merry Christmas
and all the best for the coming year!

I also want to share with you some exciting news: I have been published in a book and here it is!! BC Artists Vol. II, features artists from BC, it is a great opportunity to learn about some of the many talented artists on the coast. I am very honored to be part of it and excited and pleased to get the book before Christmas. If you are interested in a copy they are available at Chapters, Opus Framing Supplies and of course I just happen to have a few autographed copies by one of the artists in the book!!

Exciting New Things are Happening in the Studio

2010-12-14T15:41:00.001-08:00

Rusty & Me Ready to Work

Workshops and classes! Yes, my new expanded studio/gallery now has space for small workshops and classes. My first foray into workshops will be in Marketing Art. I have two dates set, January 23 and February 27, 2011, just in time to get things set up for all the Spring shows. The plan is to have a group of 6-8 artists and work with them on marketing art work. Each one day workshop will be a 4 hour session with a lunch break which should give us time to get to specifics and allow some networking time as well. I have already done a half day workshop with a larger group and it was so exciting to see the energy that was created. We all left with a buzz and lots of plan. My advertising has only just begun but already January's date is half full!

In the Gallery

In addition to my Marketing workshops I will also be offering private drawing lessons. Working with beginning and intermediate artists is a great experience and I think a natural consequence of my years as a teacher.

Gift certificates are available for both workshops and drawing lessons.

It’s a Winner

2010-12-05T20:33:00.001-08:00

FRIENDLY VISITORS - 6.5 X 9.5 Available

I just got some very exciting news, my latest picture "Friendly Visitors" has won the Surrey Arts Council's Christmas Card Contest. This picture resulted from a great photo that my sister took. Her photo was from the fall but I wanted a winter scene as I wanted to do something for Christmas so I used a wash with a combo of Payne's Gray and a little Burnt Sienna to create the background. I was really excited once I saw what was happening with that. It nearly killed me waiting for the wash to be good and dry before continuing. The little suet feeder took forever to paint, all those little pieces of wire but I was very pleased with the great color changes in them. They really picked up the light. The snow was just a light touch for the season and the final part, the little bushtits turned out to be the easiest part of all.
This picture was for my Christmas cards as well so everyone will be sure to give it a second look now that it is a winner!!

Diamond - All Done and Ready to Run

2010-11-21T17:35:00.001-08:00

Yes, I must admit she really came together well once I got my cloth and tortillon working. I was very pleased with how well she worked out. She is now on her way to her new home.

I have had several people ask about some of my blending tools. I use the standard tortillons of various sizes but my favourite tool is a 'color shaper'. It is great for blending in very tiny places, doing that little fluff of hair off the side, etc. It has a foam type tip that you can use to burnish the graphite and you can draw with it once it has picked up a bit of graphite. It fits beautifully in your hand and is great fun to work with. Shapers can be found in the paint section of most art supply stores as they are used to move oil and acrylic paint around. There are several tip shapes and sizes. I find the point and the chisel are the best shape and I get size 0. They are relatively inexpensive, approx.$8-10 but well worth it.

Diamond – WIP

2010-11-14T23:14:00.001-08:00

Short white hair, can it get any harder!! This is the kind of challenge I really enjoy. Drawing Diamond was going to be fun.

I decided to put a bit of a backdrop to set off her whites but I didn't want to do too much. It is so easy to make a black and white mess. I usually start by playing around a bit with different parts of the picture to get a feel for where I am going. For Diamond, I found the secret was to first of all get over the 'white thing'. When dealing with white, no matter what, there will always be a slight degree of shading. Once that was settled things really began to fall into place. Yes, there will be white but only on her forehead and nose area to really develop the focus on her face.
The second secret was to use both a cloth and tortillion to burnish my pencil work; this really makes her coat sleek and lifelike and gives many levels of subtle shading. I am very pleased with the results and anxious to finish her up. Things are really starting to come together eh?

Meeka and a Dog Show

2010-11-04T19:50:00.001-07:00

Isn't he a fabulous looking dog? This is a memorial piece for a wonderful family dog. He lived to be a great age for a large dog and was definitely well loved. I really enjoyed working on his picture as he has so much life to him. Not to say he didn't have his challenges, all pictures do. I find that the fun is trying to work out the how I will depict different parts to make it a realistic picture. It is always a wonderful feeling to see things come together. My next challenge is a short hair white dog, Diamond!!

In between drawing I also went off for three days to a major dog show. It was my first trade show and my first dog show. What a fun event! I came home just high with excitement. There were so many beautiful dogs and all so well trained. They were in shows, dances, agility and Halloween costumes, what a sight! The vendors that were close to me were a wonderful group of people and we all had quite a good time. Of course many people commented on how wonderful my drawings were and that is always good for the ego. Here is a picture of my booth, and as you can see it was a really nice spot.

Malu is Ready for Christmas

2010-10-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

Yes, the excitement of my show is over and now it is back to work. I have several commissions to do for Christmas presents and we all know how quickly that deadline can come.

Malu was a fun picture to do, I love labs and I know what lovely pets they are. Malu just looks like a great dog and of course you know he is well loved. Working on a drawing of a black dog is always a challenge but it is so neat when you get that slick coat to glisten. I particularly liked the way his tongue and mouth gave his face so much depth. Well back to work, next up will be Meeka.

Malu - 4.5 x 6.5 - SOLD

Miniature Show - West Coast Colors - off to a good Start

2010-10-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

Giving the Art Talk at the Reception

There was a great turnout and lots of excitement for the reception and demo for my show West Coast Colors – In Miniature. Photographer, Bob Warick, was there and took some great pictures which he has given me to post. A special thanks to Melissa as well as she did a wonderful job hanging my pieces so they didn't get lost on the b..i..g wall! As you can see there was lots of interest in my pieces with lovely comments like "they are wonderful", "they are like little jewels", "how do you get such detail". It was a wonderful evening and I was very pleased to see my little pictures generate so much interest and excitement.

My demo on the Oct 15 was just as much fun. Lots of questions, discussions and activity; how can 3 hours go so fast? As you can see from the photos my pictures range in size, the smallest are 2 x 2 and the largest is 4.5 x 6. Most are a combination of ink and watercolor but a few are graphite with a little color pencil. There are landscapes, seascapes and birds, all from my travels on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. (see my earlier blog entries)My show is at Windsor Square Gallery, 90-1959 152 St., South Surrey and continues on to Oct 29, so if you haven't had a chance to see it there is still time. The gallery is open Mon. to Fri. 10-4pm.

Great discussions at the demo

A special thanks to Bob Warick for his wonderful pictures.

Tides Out, Tribune Bay & Ford’s Cove, Hornby Island

2010-10-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

Tides Out, Hornby Island, BC - 3 x 4 inches

After showing you the bad times on our Hornby Island trip (see last blog) here are a few pictures I completed on the nicer days, we did have several of them as well. Sitting on the beach at Tribune Bay was just such a nice thing to do in the fall. It was warm like summer but the air was alive with the fall smells. There was even an old apple tree with a lovely fragrance in the field by the shore, apples always mean fall to me.
Ford's Cove, Hornby Island, BC - 2 x 2 inches
My Ford's Cove picture is another try at a 2 x 2 miniature. They are lots of fun but they do require a lot of preplanning. I am starting to realize just how important that is. I must admit that when I am out to paint and the weather is great I just want to take the paints and "Go at it!!" But I noticed that the pictures I finished and really liked are the ones that were planned. Completing these little value studies helped me to plan not only the values but the composition to really maximize the impact in my small space. As an added bonus when the picture didn't seem to work I could back to my value study and really see where I went wrong and how to fix it. It's a simple thing, that everyone tells us to do but until you really understand it, I don't think it really works for you.
My miniature show "West Coast Colors – in Miniature opens on October 7 so my excitement is building!!
Have a great day and lots more pictures to come.

A Gray Day on the Water

2010-09-24T19:50:00.001-07:00

A Gray Day on the Water - 2.5 x 4.5 inches

I just got back from the last painting trip of the year. We spent two weeks on Hornby Island, a small island off the east coast of Vancouver Island, a great place to paint the waters of the west coast. It is amazing to sit by the water, on a sunny day and paint what you see. As you can see by my picture it wasn't always sunny!!
I had picked up an art book of Carol Evans paintings while I was on the ferry and she really inspired me on this trip. She paints the waters and shores of the coastal islands in beautiful watercolors. She had one picture that was done on a real cloudy, gray day and when we had the rain I decided I would give it a try. My husband, Steve and my dog, Rusty and I settled in the truck at Phipps Point and I got started. (Steve reads and Rusty does what all dogs do, sleep.) At first it was just gray and I was really surprised how much and how quickly the skies and the visibility changed. At one point I was working on the background and looking around I decided that I needed some more darks in my sky as there was a really black cloud above us. Suddenly that cloud opened up and rain drops fell, I am sure they were at least 1 inch in diameter! We have power windows so Steve began madly fumbling for the keys so we could shut the windows. Fun and memorable moments often go with plein air painting!!

The PNE and The Family Outing

2010-09-06T12:14:00.001-07:00

The Family Outing - 10.5 x 14.4 in

I am sure everyone has thought I went into my fall hibernation as I have not posted for a bit. I have been very busy with the PNE, The Pacific National Exhibition. I am involved with a market on the grounds and I do drawing demos there during the day. The days are quite long, not that I am complaining, they do go quite quickly but it does not leave a lot of time for other things. It is a great opportunity to meet and talk with people about my work and get some kind of feeling for how others see it. The Family Outing is the picture I have been working on while there.
As you can see I have made real headway on this piece. It was an excellent one to do as a demo as once I did the head of the larger bird and a rough layout at home I was able to work on it and talk with people at the same time!! I have left the details of the feathers on the both birds and the red of the second bird to do in my studio. I am quite excited about my picture; it really has a left of its own. I can hardly wait to see it done.
This will be my third picture of the sandhill cranes and I really enjoyed working on it. While talking to people I learned that although the cranes are only starting to come back to the Fraser Valley, there are other parts of Canada where they are present in large numbers. This pair was the only successful pair to raise a chick at the Riefel Bird Sanctuary this year so it was very nice to hear that they are doing better in other places. I know this picture will be a real hit at the Sanctuary Gift Shop later this year.

Seagulls and Driftwood

2010-08-16T21:34:00.001-07:00

SEAGULLS & DRIFTWOOD 3 x 5 in.

One of the things I tried this summer while I was on my painting trip was working with different shapes and sizes. I wanted my little landscapes to have a different look and to challenge myself. This set of pictures I tried to do together but did end up finishing them on different days. The size, 3x5 did require a lot of initial planning as the horizon really had to be very high or very low. However once I got going things began to develop and I was very pleased with the results.
One side note, I did take a few reference pictures of seagulls flying with me which really helped in placing them in the picture. I am not fast enough to draw them in a plein air situation.

LAZY DAYS 3 x 5 Sold

Can Holidays Really be Over??

2010-08-09T17:17:00.001-07:00

DICK ISLAND, TEXADA ISLAND - 4 x 4 SOLD

Can those lazy days at the beach really be over? We are back from holidays and life is humming once again. We spent 4 weeks on the Sunshine Coast stopping here and there, walking on the beach, enjoying the sunsets, reading and of course painting all the time.

My Support Team - Steve & Rusty

My focus this year was my miniature work as I am preparing for my show in October. I have several pictures to show you over the next few entries. Lots of people stopped and chatted as I painted and a few of my pictures I could have sold several times over.

Me hard at Work

I also have exciting news for you. Bev Yaworski wrote an article featuring me and my work and published it in the July addition of the Senior Living magazine. She did a get job. Her article makes you feel you are involved in a conversation with me and yet there are all kinds of information tidbits sprinkled throughout. You can see it at http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/capturing-nature. It was a great experience to work with Bev on the article.

THE MUSHROOM FAMILY

2010-06-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

THE MUSHROOM FAMILY - 4.5 x 6.5 - For Sale

Here is a little family I found nestled in the ferns when we were camping on the Sunshine Coast of BC. I had to lay on a mat to get some pictures of them but it was worth it. This is a great little family: the Dad, the Mom and the two 'good' kids cuddled up close and the 'other' one, with the family but with a much more independent nature. I love the 'independent' one, he is the one that can change the world and add that touch of excitement to life if his energy is focused in the right direction. As a teacher I always tried to move that little one forward and it was very rewarding when it worked.
Summer is here and so entries will be slow as we will soon be off on holidays where I will be painting up a storm and finding lots of new material to develop this winter.

Stepping Out is ready to roll!

2010-06-11T09:52:00.001-07:00

Stepping Out - 10.5 x 14.5 inches - For Sale

My sandhill crane is ready to roll and I am really thrilled with her. She (it could be a he but not to me) is looking her finest. She has been busy eating in the bulrushes and now is ready to move on. She was a quite a job, there are no shortcuts to completing her feathers; they all need to be done individually!! The end result is feathers that are really light and fluffy. They look like you can touch them and you will feel their softness. The background really took some time. I don't usually do such a detailed background but I really felt I needed it to establish her environment and to give that 'stepping out' look. I will enjoy her for a few days but meanwhile I am starting on a new project "The Babysitter" with a very unusual baby!!

Home from our fishing Trip

2010-06-02T21:15:00.001-07:00

We had a nice little holiday but it went way too fast. We headed up to a small lake which is up in the mountains only a few hours from our place. It was a beautiful, lush green valley tucked in between the mountains. I am sure that the moss and the lush green plants should have been a clue that it rains there a lot. And rain it did. Yes, we had a few nice days but we also had some great days that were good for snuggling up in the trailer and reading and painting. We did some hiking, got the boat in the water and also a bit of sightseeing. We saw deer, a bear, and lots of squirrels, chipmunks and ducks. It was just really nice to relax and wonder about. I have included a few pictures of the area, the lake which was quiet, the river which was high with the spring runoff and a stellar jay that was always ready if we left anything out.

Stepping Out - WIP

2010-05-26T09:20:00.001-07:00

Stepping Out - 10.5 x 14.5

My sandhill crane is 'stepping out' and really looking good!! I am really excited with my picture but I must admit he has been a bit of a challenge. I started with his head and put touches of red for his distinctive coloring and then proceeded down his neck. I found I quickly needed to start on the background to develop the lighting on the edges. That's where my trouble began, my bulrushes were too small and they just didn't work. I decided to go out to the bird sanctuary and really look at the area and take more background pictures. It was a great idea as I realized I really didn't know what bulrushes and grasses looked like!! It was a good reminder to me that you need good pictures of your main image but also pictures of the environment that they live in.
We are off on a fishing trip for a few days and then I will be back at work on my crane. I want to enter it in a competition later next week.

The Old Master

2010-05-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

The Old Master - Sold

This picture was designed to go with the previous picture "The Forest Floor". They are part of a commission I was working on. Again, it is working with forest scenes without a path but this one just seemed to paint itself. I think it is because of my stump, the old master. I have drawn this stump before in ink and I just love it. The stump sits by the trail up at Hicks Lake, a favourite camping spot when our kids were young. We spent many summers there and often walked around on the trails. This old master sat off to the side buried in ferns and moss. He must have been a grand old tree as he is huge and the sides bare the notch marks from the logging days of the early 1900's. I often wonder what changes he has seen and the stories he could tell. Even now, his life has changed again as he carries the load of new growth as the forest continues its cycle of rebirth. As I said earlier, this is a big favourite with me!

The Forest Floor

2010-05-10T20:56:00.001-07:00

THE FOREST FLOOR - Sold

This picture is about one of my favourite subjects: trees. I love to draw the cedar and fir trees in our west coast forest. Working with my pens to create the bark is so much fine. Then of course adding ferns and foliage is just gravy. Sometimes I get such a neat picture with the ink I hate to add the watercolor. However once I get going I am glad I did. For this forest scene I was trying not to put in a path and see if I could make a good forest. It is meant to feel like you are on the path and this is what you see when you look out beyond the trail. I hope you enjoy my walk among the trees.

Breakfast Break Wins an Award

2010-05-03T15:52:00.001-07:00

Very exciting news, Breakfast Break has won an award at the artSpacifc show in Delta, BC. I just learned today that my little sandhill crane (3 x 4 inches) has won an award in the 'works on paper' category. This has definitely made my day.

If you would like to see the show it is at the Firehall Centre 11489 84 Av, Delta, BC, May 3-May 26 and viewing hours are Mon-Fri 10-4:30pm, Tues.6-9pm and Sat. 10-4pm.

Coffee Break

2010-04-26T17:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, this is another picture in my Agassiz-Harrison Museum series. I just loved the old office set up they had for the station master and particularly the old typewriter. I must admit it was a challenge to draw – Do you know how many keys there are on that keyboard!! But it was fun and something I wanted to do as soon as I saw it. I deliberately left it to the last as I was afraid my enthusiasm for the project would not be the same once that picture was done. I have just finished the picture but I am not finished tweaking it yet. I am a little disappointed with the glass of the lamp. I think it may need to be darkened a bit just so it stands out better. Sometimes things look better or worse when you see them scanned and in this case I feel something is missing there. Over all I am quite pleased with it and I just love the old typewriter, it has so much personality. If you are ever in Agassiz you should stop at their museum, can't miss it as it is in the center of town, it is open from the May long weekend to the middle of October.

Great News

2010-04-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

I just got word that two of my pictures On the Prowl and Breakfast Break have been picked for the artSpacific 2010 juried exhibition. As you know I just finished Breakfast Break a few weeks ago and I was so pleased with it that at the last minute I thought I would enter it in this show. It was a wonderful surprise to get my notice that it had been picked. My picture On the Prowl has been an interesting picture for me as I hardly ever work with a square shape canvas. I like what happens to the flow in this piece. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the eyes of the cat but then there is a real adventure as the values move you through the piece. Even though both of the pictures are small, 3 x 4 and 6 x6, I find they really invite the viewer to stay awhile and check them out.

ArtSpacific will be running May 3 to May 26 at the Firehall Centre for the Arts 11489 84 Ave. Delta, with the reception being Monday, May 3, 7-9:30pm.

Agassiz – Harrison Museum

2010-04-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

I am back on track with one of my winter projects, the Agassiz-Harrison Museum, a small train station and museum located in Pioneer Park in Agassiz, BC. This is at the east end of the Fraser Valley in a very picturesque farm community. I had talked with the museum society last summer about doing some pictures of the building and other things on the site for a series of art cards and memo pads.
The building, my second picture in the series, is the original station built in 1893 and was once a fully-operation station complete with the station master living on the site. I decided to do the station itself in ink as to me somehow old building have to be in ink. I added a few items from the museum to the front to give it a little pizzazz. The picture I did for Christmas, "Home for the Holidays" on a December blog, is also part of this series. The third picture "Coffee Break" is coming up next.

Breakfast Break – Sandhill Crane Series

2010-03-30T21:14:00.001-07:00

I was reading the article "The Figure-Ground Conundrum" by Carl Purcell from one of my old "The Artist's" magazine (Dec. 2009) and found that it really hit home. I had been working on my little sandhill crane and wondering how to do the background. As I read the article I decided I would give it a try. The key principle is to explore various value shifts by putting light against dark and dark against light with transitions in between. It is so simple and something I do all the time but I never really put in this context before. I started working around my crane and just putting my darks against the light areas and my lights against the dark areas with a few grasses mixed in. Then, just as the article said, things that were suggested began to make sense. The result is a very interesting background and that really makes my crane pop. To top it off I put a touch of red on his head to make their very distinctive marking. I also dabbed a bit into the background so the red on his head would not be alone. This little picture "Breakfast Break" is only 3 x 4 inches but I do find it interesting.

Soleil and Billy - Ready to go Home

2010-03-27T10:47:00.001-07:00

Soleil and Billy - Sold

Soleil and Billy are looking good and ready to go home. As you can see Soleil was a challenge, she is much lighter than Billy so it took a really light touch to get that fluffy Pomeranian look without going too dark. I listened to my own advice and proceeded patiently as I layered and lifted, layered and lifted. Seems so easy but you know what it is like. Suddenly, you are there, and wondering what all the fuss was about.

The owners have had their look and were very pleased so once I spray them and cut a mat they can go home. I got some lovely extras with this one as they wanted cards and memo pads with the pictures on them. I did a set of 3 memo pads for them: two small pads (4 ¼ x 5 ½) with the dogs separated and then a larger one (8 ½ x 5 ½) with the dogs together. They looked great. I put together memo pads of my work all the time but this was a first for my commission work.

Soleil and Billy

2010-03-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

So many projects and so little time! I often wonder how other artists keep up with the demands of marketing and still have time for their work. Is there really only 24 hours in a day!!

Soleil and Billy are my latest. They are a lovely pair of Pomeranians that I have been commissioned to draw. Their background is snow which is unusual for us as we often don't have a real winter but last year we did and their owners got some great pictures for me to work with.
I have Billy pretty well done and then it will be on to Soleil. I must admit I started out wondering how I could get that fluffiness to his hair. At first I fought with it, trying one thing after another but to no avail. Then suddenly it was there. The secret, layers, don't expect it to happen with one or two, you need to layer and lift, layer and lift, each time you get another depth to his hair and the more you have the thicker and fluffier he gets.
Well back to work. I am excited to start on Soleil as she presents a new challenge, to get those layers going with a much whiter dog!!
Have a good day.

Logs on the Trail

2010-03-08T10:09:00.001-08:00

Well I am over the Olympic jet lag and back to work. I started with a miniature to get back into the groove. As I mentioned earlier I will be having a miniature show in October this year so I really need to get to work. The subject for this picture is one of my favorite. I love the west coast forests. "Logs on the Trail" (3 x 4 in) is from an old second growth forest area. As you can see the cedar and fir trees are quite tall and the coniferous trees are getting very spindly as they fight for light. They will not be around much longer. The undergrowth is not as lush, again because of the light but moss and ferns are everywhere providing a beautiful cover. The trail winds through it all looking for open ground but is often forced to go over logs and break through brush. Over time the logs will become broken down and rough steps will appear. It is a great place to walk but particularly on a hot summer day.
This picture is from the west coast of British Columbia north of Vancouver. It is called the Sunshine Coast and one of my favorite places to visit. Steve and I are planning another trip up there this July and I am already getting excited about it.

I AM BACK!!!

2010-03-01T14:28:00.001-08:00

Yes, the Olympics are over and I am back on line again. Who would have believed what an experience it would be to have the Olympics in your own town? I was busy not only as a volunteer but also going to some of the games and taking in the sights. As a volunteer in the village it was great, I saw lots of the athletes and talked with many of them. They were all great people and most appreciative of any help you gave them. They were all ages too, which surprised me, the snowboarders and some of the skaters were young but the rest were every age. My daughter and I went to seeing some of the curling, of course and had a great time. The fans were loud and busy, it was more like a hockey game then a curling game and the action on ice was amazing. I was at the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremonies and that really brought out my Olympic Spirit. After that, whenever I had a free moment I was downtown taking in all the other events. Vancouver was just an amazing party with people everywhere. We have never seen anything like it. However, like all good things it has to come to an end and I think I am ready for it. February has been a blur and my husband says I just visit the house, I really feel like I would like my life back. So with renewed energy and spirit I will be attacking my work, lots has piled up: commissions, projects and upcoming shows. This is turning into one busy year.

Only 4 days to go to the Olympics

2010-02-07T20:33:00.001-08:00

Yes things are really speeding up around here. I have been very busy at the Olympic Village here in Vancouver as the teams are arriving and everyone is getting ready. I work at one of the service desks for the building where the athletes are staying and there is so much to do to get them settled in. Do you know that the average athlete has 5 or 6 pieces of luggage!! We had a small group arrive this morning from one country and they had 108 pieces of luggage and one of the elevators was down. It was challenge getting them up to their floors with our one poor little elevator.
One of the really neat things in the village is the moose. He is set up to look like he is strolling through the streets, which kind of reaffirms our rural roots. He is kind of goofy looking but loveable and a major hit on the site. I was working in the building next to him the other day and I could not believe the number of people that were stopping to have their picture taken with him. So here I am outside one of the Canada team buildings with our moose. Have a good a good day.

Catch the Olympic Spirit

2010-02-02T21:30:00.001-08:00

The Olympics are coming to Vancouver and they will be here in only 10 more days. I am getting very excited because I am a volunteer for the Olympics. This is my uniform and I must say I love it; it is a beautiful turquoise blue, one of my favourite colors! I will be working in the Olympic Village here in Vancouver, where the athletes that will be competing in the skating and curling events will be staying. My job is like a concierge in a hotel, so I will have a chance to meet some of the athletes and help with any problems they might have (only hotel type problems not athletic ones!). Being a curler myself, I am hoping to get a chance to meet some of the curling teams from Canada and the other countries. Of course I have tickets to a couple of the curling events as well. I will be busy at the village 3 or 4 days a week until March 3 so I must apologize I will be a little behind in my posting as my art will definitely slow down while I take on this job. Have a great day and see you at the Olympics.

Eightball

2010-01-29T11:18:00.001-08:00

Isn't he great! I must admit I wasn't sure things were going to work out for "Eightball". He is black and my reference pictures did not have a lot of detail, some didn't even have all of his ears! He is a commission and they wanted only a small picture to fit into a 8 x 10 frame so I decided to take on the challenge. I made a very careful study of his face from my pictures and then began to construct his face. He looked like a mess of black at first but as I teased out my highlights he really started to take shape. I have sent off the proof for the owners and now I wait for their comments. I am pleased and I met the challenge so if they like him too that will just be the cream on the top.
One interesting thing I found as I worked is I really didn't know what a cat looked like. I went over to my sister's and I spent a lot of time studying her cats' faces and the way the light reflected off their fur. I found lots of similarities to dogs but their nose shape and eyes are quite different. This commission really forced me to learn more about cats and that excites me as well.

By the Water's Edge

2010-01-25T21:46:00.001-08:00

Great news!! My miniature show in the fall is going ahead. I have received word that I have been chosen to do a show with my minatures for the month of October. I am really pleased about this as I love my miniatures and it is very hard to find a place to show them properly. So you will be seeing miniatures popping up on my blog throughout this year. Of course if you are interested in one you are welcome to purchase it. I will have several extra for the show by October.
"By the Water's Edge" (2.5 x 4 inches) is from our camping trip two summers ago on the Sunshine Coast. We were at a small lake and this little spot with the birch trees really caught my eye. I love birch trees, that comes from growing up on the east coast of Canada. One does not often see a group of them on the west coast. I wanted to paint them because they looked so nice nestled in the trees with their lovely reflections in the water. We had seen deer tracks there as we walked along the trail so I decided to put the deer back into the picture. I could see him coming out through the bushes to get a drink and then being startled by a noise. Enjoy the picture.

Evening Light

2010-01-18T17:06:00.001-08:00

Here is a second piece I just finished; I am quite excited about it as when my husband saw it he said "It's a winner!" I don't often get those comments from him so it was a real treat. I used some of my new colors that I picked up and I was very pleased with the results. I have also been spending a lot of time focusing on my value patterns within my pictures; my graphite work really seems to be helping with that. I was certainly busy with my graphite before Christmas so it is not surprising I guess to see this improvement.
This little picture "Evening Light" is 3 x 4 inches and is from our trip up the Sunshine Coast two years ago. This is the area on the west coast of British Columbia just north of Vancouver. It is only accessible by ferry. We really like to go up there to camp and I always get lots of great reference pictures while we are there and a few good pictures painted as well. We plan to go up there again this summer for a few weeks so I guess it is on my mind. When the days are dark and rainy it is nice to think about the warm carefree days of summer.

By the Water's Edge

2010-01-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sparkling Colors on the River

2010-01-14T09:50:00.001-08:00

Well I am onto a little change of pace; I am working on some miniature pictures. I have applied in the fall to have a show at a gallery in our area and I am very hopeful that I will be picked. I really enjoy working on miniature pictures using ink and watercolor. With this combination I am able to create very detailed landscapes and seascape with the odd bit of wildlife. I find this a very intimate type of art. My usual picture size is 3 x 4 inches in a 5 x 7 frame but now that I have my own mat cutter I will be able to expand to other shapes and sizes.
My picture "Sparkling Colors on the River" came from one of our camping spots this summer. We were experiencing a heat wave at the time and the only thing to do in the late afternoon was to go down to the river and swim and paint. Steve and I would take our books and my paint supplies and spend a few hours by the river each day. It was great fun and this picture really reminds me of those days.

A Lulu Day

2010-01-05T20:02:00.001-08:00

Well the holidays are over and it is back to work. I hope you had a good holiday and are ready to put all those New Year resolutions into practice.
My first posting of the year is my last commission completed for Christmas. My picture "A Lulu Day" was a really fun but also a challenge. I had several pictures of Lulu and I needed to incorporate them into a montage. I decided on these three pictures of Lulu as they really told the story of any day with a dog: they are cute and playful, they sleep anywhere and they can get into trouble at any time. It was fun figuring out how to tie the three different pictures into one unit and make the light source work for all of them. The owners were pleased with the results and so was I.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2009-12-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

I hope that you are 'home for the holidays' and able to spend time with family and friends. Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year. May it be full of art and lovely new adventures that have great endings.
We will be doing Christmas dinner at our place and then off to visit with family and friends. My commissions were done in time and I will post a few in the new year after presents have been open. In the meantime enjoy my little lady, she has come home from the holiday to show off her new city clothes. She has arrived at a small town train station and is waiting for a ride home. She will be part of my series I am doing for a train station museum out in the valley.

Dahlia Splendor - Completed!!

2009-12-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

Well I finally finished my dahlia and I am really pleased with it. I still can not believe how much work it was! The finished picture is 5 x 6 inches and so those little bits in the middle were very small and quite a challenge. One thing I did learn was the magic of a cut up vinyl erasure. I cut up a small piece into a wedge shape and it was really good for getting in between some of those petals and really clearing up the edge. The putty erasure just doesn't give you the sharpness that you need in some spots.
I must admit despite my complaining I loved how the dahlia turned out and I have already planned another. But first I must finish my Christmas commissions then I can have my fun. I am sure like me you are all working hard to finish up those gifts; it is such a crazy time of year.

Dahlia - WHIPS

2009-12-05T19:13:00.001-08:00

Yes I am still working away on my flower. As you can see I quit being systematic, I was working from the top left corner across and down but the center petals did me in. I needed a break and so now I doing 'the big stuff'!! I am really travelling around the flower and trying lots of different things to make each petal tell its own story. I am starting to see the end of things so now it is getting very exciting, I am even planning another picture, another dahlia but maybe not as many petals!!

Dahlia - WHIPS

2009-11-29T14:55:00.001-08:00

Well I thought I would try something new. I don't usually do flowers but after doing the show at the nursery a few weeks ago I thought I would give them a try. My thought was a small tightly cropped picture that I could just whip off as an experiment. First I went to my son's neighbor, as he has lots of beautiful dahlias and took a ton of pictures and then began editing and cropping the pictures. This one really popped out at me on the computer so I decided to give it a try. What a surprise!! There will be no "whipping it off", each petal has to be done individually to really get the textures and values right and I can tell I will be at it for a few days. I have some commission pieces that I should be working on but I will keep whittling away at the petals on the side.

Button Weight

2009-11-25T13:16:00.001-08:00

Yes I have been bitten by the Olympic Spirit here in BC. I have completed a drawing for one of the Winter Sports Shows that will be happening during the Olympics in February 2010 here in Vancouver. I am a curler so it is only natural that I would pick that subject. My daughter very graciously did some posing for me so I could get some 'action shots' of her curling for my drawing. I also borrowed the legs and feet of some of my fellow curlers to complete the picture. My picture is meant to depict a curling event, the broom is calling the shot, the curler it throwing and then the sweepers are moving it into place. It is unusual as it reads from right to left but it seemed to work that way. I am pleased with my picture but feeling that her face needs a little more definition, I will have to study it a bit more.

Guy is finished

2009-11-16T10:05:00.001-08:00

Well Guy is finished and looking great. I am quite pleased with him. I was afraid that his body mass was too big and I tried many things to break it up and get some definition but I found that it had to be subtle as strong definition would not work. As usual I sweated over the highlights in his eyes but finally got them the way I wanted them and so on to the next project.
It took me a few days to post the results as I was having a computer fight with my computer and it definitely won. My computer technician, my son, is coming to the rescue tonight so life will soon be good again. Have a great day.

Guy is coming along well – WHIPS 3

2009-11-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

Things have been very busy lately, I just finished a 4 day show and of course that took all my time and energy so I am a little behind on my other projects. Guy is nearly finished and as you can see he has reached the exciting stage. The end is in sight and things are really starting to work out as I planned. The background that I was complaining about is alive and working well with his portrait. I am still wondering if I need to put a 'bit more' on the right side but I didn't want it to be a straight line so I am trying to be patient and wait until it is done before making that decision. My grass in the front has its first layer but it needs more work and I want to get a little more of a shine on his coat before I call it done. I can feel that I am getting to the picky stage with parts of the picture which is a real sign to me to leave it alone!! If only we listen to our self, I am trying. Well I must get back to work and hopefully I will be able to post the finished picture soon.

Guy – WHIPS 2

2009-10-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

Things are going well with Guy. I have got a good handle on his body and after fussing with his eyes I decided to take a break and work on the background. I do find it a bit frustrating to do the backgrounds in a picture like this though. I find that as I draw I am always "suggesting" the details of the foliage and I love to "draw the detail". I know that too much detail will not work in this area but that is the kind of drawing I love to do. Also as you can see I like to move around the picture and work on different sections rather than finish one spot and move out. I find that I like to 'see' what is happening in the picture and be ready for changes if they are needed. I have this vision in my mine and I find my planning work just does not always tell me 'everything' I want to know about my picture. The finished piece will be 9 x 13 so still lots of work to do, so it is back to work for me. Have a good day.

WHIPS - Guy

2009-10-22T15:21:00.001-07:00

Guy is an older horse belonging to one of my friends. He is the end of a breeding line that they started many years ago and has been a wonderful riding companion for them for years. Doing Guy's portrait has turned into a wonderful adventure. First of all, my husband, Steve and I travelled out to their place a few weeks ago to take pictures. I thought taking pictures of dogs and cats was tricky, a horse is something else. We took him out to the field and tried to entice him with various food items to stand tall with his ears up in a great pose. He wanted to eat! It took 3 of us, about 90 pictures (thank god for digital) and the better part of an afternoon to get a few good shots. He would be in position but one of the helpers would be in the way, or the light was wrong or I wasn't ready with the camera or . . . Lots of fun, I am sure anyone seeing us in the field would have thought we were nuts. But I found a few shots I could work with and now I am underway. The finished picture will be approx. 9 x 13. I will keep you posted.

Tucker

2009-10-19T09:30:00.001-07:00

I have been busy working on Tucker and I must apologize for not posting it as a WHIPS. I was so caught up in the picture that I just never got to it.
This was a challenging commission to do. Tucker was the pet of one of my friends and a good friend of my own dog. It was very sad to lose him this spring and we still miss him on our walks.
Tucker is a King Chevalier Spaniel and they are lovely dogs to draw. They have a very gentle rounded nose that gives their face a very pleasant line. It has always caught my eye. Although all of that breed share common colouring each dog has its own special markings. This really makes it exciting as you draw because the more you develop those markings the more their character comes out. I was busy working away on Tucker and suddenly he was there on the paper. I knew I had captured him. Needless to say both his owners and I are very pleased with the results.