TEA FOR TWO

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

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

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

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