Can we talk about spring in the middle of winter??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY?

No, I am not a snowbird

 in some warm and sandy place!

But do we have to say 'Snow' 

and use words like '20 Below'?

Here on the South West Coast of Canada, we have a secret environment! 

Green grass, sunny, and 12 degrees! 

However, tomorrow we could be back to dark, dreary rain!! or gray with cold, wet snow!!

So let's enjoy the moment!!

The Sleeping Princess - 5.5 x 7.5 - Watercolour  

The Sleeping Princess is all about those wonderful winter days.  

Steve and I go to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island for Christmas quite often. (We have a lots of family there.)  One of our favourite things is to walk on the Dyke Road beside the marshland between Courtenay and Comox.  It is a glorious sight!! In the winter it is full of bird life, resident birds and migratory birds.  Over looking the valley is the Sleeping Princess, a glacier, covered with glistening snow.  Below the glacier everything has a green orange glow from the firs and leafless trees. It is often hard to tell the season!!  But yes, it can look like this in mid winter in Canada!!

The Sleeping Princess was one of my Christmas Commission for someone that misses the valley.  I was really pleased to provide that sparkle for them.  It made me a little homesick just painting the picture!!

Lots is happening: 

I have taken on the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with a fellow blogger, Sea Dean.  She has set up a great site for artists to post their pictures and anyone can vote on their favourites.   I am a little behind, starting on Day 8 but getting into the swing.   You have 3 votes for each day's paintings so click over and start voting.  I have also put a page on my blog for the challenge pictures, you will see it on my header, with all my entries.

Also, Artists, my all day Marketing Workshop is set for Sunday, February 22, 2015, 10-3pm.  Build your Marketing Skills to become an Independent Artist on your terms.  See my Marketing Page for more Marketing information and Workshop Registration. 

Don't live in the Fraser Valley?  I am available for presentations to your art group or come and stay, I have a special workshop Bed and Breakfast rate.  Just give me a call. 

And you thought January was a slow month!??  Have a good day. 

Contact Wendy to purchase any of my Work.  Collectors enjoy a 10% discount on all original work.

Christmas Greetings to Everyone

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year 

from Wendy, Steve and Rusty

Hunt and Peck - 12 x 16 - watercolour

This little pair of Downy Woodpeckers arrived at our feeder late this fall. They were only here for a few days but managed to fit a photo shoot into their busy schedule.  I was delighted with my pictures and featured them with a sudden early snow fall for my Christmas Picture.

Steve, Rusty and I are very excited to spend Christmas with our family, our little grandson is now 1 and walking so he will add a special note to our celebration.  We hope that you will have a wonderful time with family and friends.
See you in the New Year,
Wendy

Special Note: 
February is Marketing Month for Artists!!
My all day Marketing Workshop is set for Sunday, February 22, 2015.  Build your Marketing Skills to become an Independent Artist.  See my Marketing Page for more information and registration.

 Contact Wendy to purchase any of my Work.  Collectors enjoy a 10% on all original work.

Can "Bumps in the night" be a good thing?

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

It started when I decided to make colour theory my learning focus. 

Being basically a black and white person with my art I have always found colour a challenge.  I had been reading about French Ultramarine Blue (FUBlue) and what a wonderful colour it was.  Ultramarine Blue (UBlue) has been my standby but my book said they were not the same.  Well as you probably already know, they sure aren't!  

Colour-wise they look similar but they act quite different. It is a colour that likes to granulate.

The big surprise came with Mini Sunshine!  I carefully drew the picture, put down some frisket and did my wash: Alizarine Crimson and French Ultramarine mixed to lovely purple colour.  Things were very wet so I left my piece till morning.

Detail from that first wash. 

Wow!! Were there ever bumps in the night!  

You guessed it.  I had my purple but intermixed were flecks of blue.  I thought my piece was ruined. 

I studied it for a bit and decided to push ahead and finish. It seemed the best way to really learn. I used the FUBlue to mix with my yellow for my greens, the texture from the granulation really did add a new dimension.  I glazed with it. Kind of neat. I changed to my yellows and reds and painted the flower.  Here it is. 

 Mini Sunshine - 3.25 x 3.25 -  watercolour 

 I kind of like the contrast of the smooth yellow petals and granulated colours.

I went back to my last picture "River Run", some of you may have noticed the interesting texture in the background rocks.  I used FUBlue there as well, but with a mixture of other colours and salt, there was lots of action.  Now I realize that most of the action was from the FUBlue.  

Detail from River Run, my last post. 

I have a second miniature started with the same colours, I was holding back on it but now I am anxious to get it underway.  This FUBlue, does add a different dimension.  It won't replace my UBlue but I can see it will definitely be in the mix again.

Have a great day,

Wendy 

Special Note:

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!  
My all day Marketing Workshop is set for Sunday, February 22,  2015.  Build your Marketing Skills to become an Independent Artist.  See my Marketing Page for more information and registration.

Have you seen the River Run??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Squawk!! Screech!!

It's mine!!

No mine!!

I found it!!

Squeals and Screeches fill the air.

The river is alive with sound!

During the hot summer things were quiet, the water a slow trickle weaving through the rocks, in no special hurry out to sea.

But now it's fall!!

The winds are howling, leaves are dancing and the river is a raging beast, filled by our heavy rains. This is the time of the salmon!

River Run - 12 x 16 - Watercolour -Available

They have been waiting out in the bay for the rivers to rise so they can start their trek up to the spawning grounds. With them comes a collections of others: eagles, bears, seals and gulls.  To name just a few.  All waiting for the salmon.

To watch the run is breathtaking.  How can they do it?  The water is so fast, the rapids so rough and  the elevation changes so steep. Still they move on, up river to the spawning grounds.

This year on the coast it was a bumper year, a record numbers of sockeye were returning.  We decided to join the migration and head to Adams River, the site of biggest sockeye spawning ground in southern British Columbia. It was amazing to see the fish at the end of the run, brilliant red and green shining in the sunlight.

Driving up from the west coast east to the Interior of British Columbia, we really appreciated their journey.  They had entered the Fraser River early in September and reached the Adams River by mid October.  Quite a feat if you have ever seen the Hell's Gate section of the Fraser River Canyon!!

Once the eggs are laid the fish die. Their bodies litter the rivers, providing food for gulls and eagles. They come from everywhere to share in the feast.

River Run is part of this story.  The gulls have found a dead fish, wedged in the rocks and now they are squawking and screeching: announcing their find and claiming their share.  The river is full of these sounds as this ritual is happening at every crevice and rock along the shore.  Quite a sight to see!
Have a great day,
Wendy
Special Note: February is Marketing Month for Artists!!  My all day Marketing Workshop is set for Sunday, February 22, 2015.  Build your Marketing Skills to become an Independent Artist. See my Marketing Page for more information and registration. 

Visitors come to visit, but should they stay for days??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

It's great to have Visitors!

They change things up!

They renew friendships!

But what happens when they stay for DAYS!!

Just Arrived - Watercolour - 3.5 x 5.5   Available

This little Dark-eyed Junco just arrived the other day at our feeder.  He will stay till spring. Not sure where he was all summer but his arrival signals change!  Sure enough, we were enjoying an endless summer, suddenly wind storms, rain, deep cold and winter is here!!

But this little visitor is not like the smelly fish that Martha Stewart talks about in Visitor Etiquette.  The one you hope will leave after a few days. He is a welcomed friend. He brings life to our gray, bare trees on a drab winter day!

I wanted to capture the colours just at the moment of change with my Junco.  The reds and golds are everywhere but still that sense of summer green is in the air.  "JUST ARRIVED" seems to fit the bill!

Special Update:

Our Stellar Jay (see last post)  gave me a real surprise yesterday.  I was working in my studio when there came a tap on my patio door.  There was my jay, with his friend and a squirrel looking back at me!!

Christmas Show:

Thursday, Nov 20-Sunday, Nov. 23, 10-4pm daily, GardenWorks at Mandeville, 4746 Marine Dr., Burnaby.  

Christmas Card Making Workshops happening there as well - Thursday, Nov 20, 1-3pm.  $35 Refreshments and supplies included.  Limited space, phone 604-434-4111 to register. More info on my Workshop Page

See you there!!

Bold as Brass - Animal Artistry comes Alive

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

What fun!!

We have been adopted!!

Yes, this little stellar jay has adopted us!

Isn't he a beauty!

Has some great poses!

Loves to sit for a picture!!

Well we have encouraged him, just a bit!!

This little jay came to our feeder just a few days ago and seems to have put us on his daily route.  Each morning he comes around, checks the feeder and to see what's happening, chasing all the little birds off to the trees.  I decided to throw him some of the peanuts that we  had ready for squirrel treats.  He was very pleased and of course came back for more.  I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots. 

 I needn't have hurried!

He was prepared to do lots of tricks as long as the peanuts kept coming!!

Not sure where he put them, as he flew away and was back in minutes. I was happy to get my shots and ready to move on.  He wasn't!! He had lots to say when I stopped. Since then he arrives like clockwork each day looking for a treat, even coming up to the patio door to see what's keeping us.  A very bold little guy!!  

Of course I had to paint him!!

Bold as Brass - Watercolour - 5.5 x 4.5 Available

I love the character of these birds.  They are bold as brass at the campsite, coming right up to the table to check for scraps.  Poor Rusty, our dog, has often lost his dinner to their quick action at meal times.  They have no qualms at standing close by, studying the action, waiting for the moment and grabbing their reward.  We see them often when we are camping,  it brings back those summer memories to see them here at home. 

Have a great day,

Wendy 

Have you ever been Lost in Greens??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

You know, 

Green Trees

Green Grass

Green Plants

Green Everywhere!!

It all becomes Green!!

Summer Flowers Come to Balssm Lake - Watercolour - 11 x 14

This is not usually a problem for me as my Plein air painting is by the ocean. There are blues, reds, browns and yellows. Green is just a small part of the mix. But this summer I was painting on Mount Revelstoke. Green everywhere! Yes, there were little lakes in the some of the alpine valleys but they were full of 'green' reflections!  It really challenges you as an artist to see other colours and to create many different greens.

I had my Daniel Smith GreenGold, which I like mixed with Ultramarine it gives great colours for our coastal firs.  But here I needed more: I mixed reds, blues and yellows with my greens.  Always trying for those elusive changes in the shadows, in the sun, in the distance and in the  foreground. Of course when you really let your eyes do their work you can see other colours as well: the bright yellow Mountain Arnica and dazzling red Indian Paintbrush dancing in the sunlight; the ghostly gray branches left from snow damage in the winter; even the beds of white Partridgefoot, all work to break up the green.  Once I focused on these other things, life got better!!

"Summer Flowers come to Balsam Lake" was the results of my 'green adventure'.  I must admit at times I struggled to bring in more colour but once I got rolling I felt things came together.  Yes, there is still lots of greens but it has a sense of the life and colour the way it was the day I sat and painted by the lake.

This picture will be part of the Art in the Park 2014 running November 7 - December 5, 2014 in Revelstoke, BC.  The show will travel for a year promoting the 100th Anniversary of the Park and the Parks Program in Canada.  I have just learned that the show will be here in Surrey for June 2015 which means I will get to see it!!  Very excited about that!!

For information on working Plein Air see my Plein Air Adventures Page with this blog.  Lots of tips to help make your adventures Great!!

Special Note: To learn more about the Residency see my first three August 2014 Posts beginning with this One. 

What does Pink really look like??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Blush, Brillant, Coral, Classic,  Fluorescent, Deep or Dark?

Oh, don't forget Hot and Cold!

How do you know you have Pink?

AFTERNOON TEA - Watercolour, 16 x 20, matted, unframed $450

Working on Afternoon Tea I found myself deep in the Pink !

Fuchsias have four lovely long, slender, pink sepals spreading out to cover shorter broader, purple petals below.  Seems easy enough but when it came time to paint "the pink", things became a challenge. 

 In artist's language we use the term "local colour", pink was the local colour but what really does that mean.  There is: pink in the sunlight; pink in the shade; and pink in the reflected light. The sunlight and the shade also have soft parts and harsh bright or dark parts.  Then consider that the reflected light comes from the other petals, both pink and purple, the leaves and the sky.  Of course the sky and the leaves have their own "colour thing" going on as well but let's not get into that!  

I tried to work with a bit of a formula for each flower, but quickly gave that up. No formula worked! Each petal had its own story! I worked each petal with light wet glazes often changing the colour 3 or 4 times within a petal.  Sometimes leaning to a warm colour and sometimes to the cold, trying to respond to each of the "colour" demands.  I must admit sometimes I didn't know whether I was coming or going! 

So like my little hummingbird, I invite you to flutter amongst the blossoms and enjoy their lovely pinks and mauves and greens and blues!!  Enjoy!  It is fun to look at but a challenge to paint!!

Happy to Join my picture The Fire Dance in Salmon Arm!!

Special Note: I was up to Salmon Arm last week for the reception of the 46th Open National Juried Exhibition of the Society of Canadian Artists.  As many of you know my painting "The Fire Dance" was a successful entry in the show.  Sad to say it did not win an awards but it was picked as the Cover Picture for the Show Cateloge!!  The show runs until the Sept 27, at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery.  Stop by if you are in the area. 

Have a great day,

Wendy 

Is each painting really unique?!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Can we as artists duplicate a painting or drawing?

Is each piece a "one of a kind"?

Line Dancing - 14 x 18 Framed - Ink & Watercolour

This really came to the forefront for me with my previous picture, Fire Dancing.  I really liked that picture but at the same time I wondered if it would have been better with some colour in the background.  You know how we are never satisfied and always wanting to try more.  Because of the technique I used, it was not a simple matter to add a background.  The inks would run and I would lose the sense of realism that I wanted.  In order to add a background it had to be done first.  This meant starting over again!!

I hummed and hawed for days and finally could stand it no more!  I jumped in and went for it.  

I wanted the picture to be just like the first one so I could really judge the effect the background made.  I tried.  I really tried. I used the first picture as a reference to draw the second, I kept the first picture and my reference material in front of me as I drew  and painted.  But it didn't work!  Yes, the composition is very similar but you know watercolour and ink.  When they begin to flow, hang on!   You might think you are the driver but really you're riding shotgun!!  

So, my pictures are unique, truly one of a kind. Maybe it is different in another medium but for watercolour - good luck trying to make them exactly the same! 

Oh, as to the background colour, I love it with this picture but still not sure for Fire Dancing.  I can see that putting the background in first sets the tone for what is to come.  My response to the colour and movement will be different.  I guess I will never really know the answer to that question.  In the meantime, I have two pictures that I find very interesting!!  How about you, white or colour in the background?

Have a good day,

Wendy 

Out with the Old, In with the New!!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

 Old for New?

Black and White to Coloured?

56 years to 0!

No it is not magic, just a lot of hard work!

Here's how it happened.  It started with this photograph which is 56 years old and starting to deteriorate but still very much prized by its owners. 

My challenge was to recreate the picture so it could once again be enjoyed.  I was very excited to take on this job. Working with old photographs is something I really enjoy.  I carefully took the old frame apart so not to damage the picture further and scanned it so I could examine it in Photoshop.  The original was faded and really was more gray and white with a few marks on it from life.  After cleaning it up I printed it out so I could work with it.

My next step was to meet with the owners and discuss the project in greater depth.  In interpreting the picture in colour I did not want to stray too far from their memories.  (Although the values were there, the colours were not.)  Once we had our plan I set to work and "Memories of Days Gone By" was born.  I was pleased with the results and the owners were thrilled.

Memories of Days Gone By - watercolour, 8 x 10

If you have an old photograph you would like renewed let me know.  I would enjoy working with you to bring your memories to life.
Have a great day,
Wendy 

Taking Inspiration to Life!!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Inspiration - Where does it come from?

 Can it be lost?  Can it be found? 

Here's one place to find it - your sketchbook!!

For me it started with this sketch in my book.  I was doing a demo on adding excitement to your journaling. I wanted to show a new combination of materials. I was using a mixture of the Elegant Writer Calligraphy Pen, watercolour and watercolour pencils. I needed a picture to sketch and grabbed a photo of my poppies which are in full bloom right now.  As I got into the demo I really got excited, my poppies were coming together really well. I had to move on to other examples but I could hardly wait to get back to my page.

As soon as I could I finished my picture.  I loved it!  

Steve loved it!  I knew I had something!

I grabbed a large sheet of paper and got to work.  The pens are tricky but very fun to draw with.  Once the outline is done, you are ready to paint.  When the ink is flooded with water it begins to separate into beautiful pinks and blues.  When mixed with watercolour the colours change even more.  You are never sure of the results but oh, what wonderful blends of colours! Be careful though, the ink never really sets and so any water brought close to it will immediately move it. But with a careful hand as you can see, lots can be accomplished.  I finished up The Fire Dance with some touches of watercolour pencils and she was ready to show. 

The Fire Dance - 11 x 14 - Ink & Watercolour - Available

Have you had a special moment when a new idea just hits you? 

Keep your eyes open you never know when it will happen.  

Have a great day and Happy Painting,

Wendy 

West Coast Artist meets Mountain Tops!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Yes, this summer I will be off to Revelstoke National Park, part of their Artist in Residence Program!!

  

 A really different space – alpine meadows and mountain tops!! 

 A long way from my coastal adventures on Texada Island and the Sunshine Coast. 

A view from one of the park lookouts

Steve and I will head up to the park in August, he and Rusty will camp out at Williamson Lake while I will be off to my adventure.Our group of 5 artists will be in the park Aug 9-12, painting in a studio space, hiking the trails, staying in a rustic cabin, and of course talking and sharing all the time!  I can hardly wait!! 

Some of the summer flowers

They have picked this time for us as the meadows are in full bloom and hopefully the bugs are starting to dissipate as the cooler fall weather is just around the corner.  The park is very accessible by car so getting to an alpine valley is not a long hike, something I can’t do with all my art supplies.  (I know, I push the idea of traveling light but still, on a long hike, light can become very heavy!)

Quite a different shoreline from the coast!

We will have a studio space to work in part of the day and of course visit with visitors to the park. When the residency is over they are putting together a show of some of our work which will travel for a year to promote the National Park system in Canada.  Neat eh!!  So if you are up in the interior of British Columbia on Aug 9-12, stop by the park and say hi. 

Have a great day and happy painting,

Wendy 

Disappointments!!

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The picture isn't quite right!

You put in tons of time but  . . . . .You are not happy!

Disappointment!!

That is the story of “Standing Tall”. 

Standing Tall - 11 x 14 - Watercolour

I love the poppies in our yard and I love to draw and paint them when they come into bloom.  Their lovely lush colours and beautiful folds and curves; such beautiful colour so early in the year. 

I think I must have fallen in love with the process when I created this picture.  The texture!  The shapes! The colours! They blinded me and yet they motivated me.  I started first with molding paste to get strong texture and movement throughout the space and then worked diligently to finish it. But somehow the finish wasn’t there.  I left it for a bit, then framed it but still I wasn’t happy.  When I found myself reluctant to take it to shows I knew there was a problem.

I put it away. 

It has been a few months now and time to decide – can it be fixed or should it be chucked!  I find that time helps me distance myself from a picture and I am able to look at it more objectively.  This process often results in success for me but also helps to weed out the ones that need to be gone. 

When I looked at “Standing Tall” now, I can see that the flower is too centered, the interesting stamens have become a “big blob”. I decided to try cropping the picture to move the flower from the center.  As soon as I did that I could see the textured background came into play and the flower became much more interesting.  My blob became interesting flower parts again; my beauty and mystery had returned. 

New and Improved - Standing Tall - 8 x 10 - Watercolour

How do you handle your “Disappointments”? 

Have a great day and happy painting,

Wendy Mould

Drama In the Rose Garden!!?? - FINISHED

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

I held my ground!!  No Drama till the End!!

SUMMER ROSES - 11 x 15 - Available

It was a struggle, I must admit.  As I got more of the fellow roses painted I just wanted to "hit my dark and let her rip".  After I painted each of the flowers and leaves I wet my background down and started to lay in my darks.  A mixture of Permanent Rose and Ultramarine Blue.  Of course being cautious and working in the wet, things were not dark enough!!  Once things were dry I added just a touch of my yellow, and went at it again.  I loved that light glow of purple in the top left corner and decided to save some of it so only darken it a bit more.  Then I put a light wash over all the flowers and leaves.  This too needed to be done a second time to really darken some of the areas.  Finally I did some lifting to get a few highlights on the secondary roses. Things were looking pretty good but when I stepped back I could see my main rose was way to light in the front.  Once I put another layer on the bottom left corner, things settled down.  Summer Roses were ready for show!!

The Fuchsias in the Sunshine are up and running, they are now on display for my show May 1-3,  at GardenWorks at Manderville, Burnaby.  This is a very exciting event, my artist partner, Audrey and I will be the featured artists.  We have a full selection of new works to show off.  We are also running a workshop Friday, May 2, 6:30-8:30pm on Travel Journaling.  It is $25 (Pre-registration Required).  We have some great ideas to put excitement in your Journaling and Manderville is kicking in some free refreshments and appies to make it a real fun Art Party!!  A portion of  our Art Sales and Workshop Fees will be going to the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia.

Have a great Art-filled Day, 

Wendy

Drama In the Rose Garden!!??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Roses are Wonderful!  Love the colours, fragrances, lines and folds!  So much fun to paint and draw!

But how to make them exciting and new in a painting?  That was my problem.  

I decided to use Drama!!

Summer Roses - Work in Progress - Part 1

I started with my main flower in the corner to give it some importance.  Here was the fun. I love building each petal with glazes, wet on wet and then tossing in some special touches when it is dry.  I like to build each petal individually, it seems to help sculpture the flower and give it more dimension.  

Summer Roses - Work in Progress - Part 2 

Once my main flower was settled, I began to add the friends.  I know there is no drama yet and believe me I wanted to "dig in" and add the darks.  I was really starting to get impatient but I held my ground.  The secondary roses are not as tight, I wanted to give that sense of distance between them.  This is as far as I got today but I will be back at it tonight.  The finish should be ready for you real soon, I hope!

My Summer Roses will be part of my show May 1-3,  at GardenWorks at Manderville, Burnaby.  This is a very exciting event, my artist partner, Audrey and I will be the featured artists.  We have a full selection of new works to show off.  We are also running a workshop Friday, May 2, 6:30-8:30pm on Travel Journaling.  It is $25 (Pre-registration Required).  We have some great ideas to put excitement in your Journaling and Manderville is kicking in some free refreshments and appies to make it a real fun Art Party!!  A portion of  our Art Sales and Workshop Fees will be going to the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia.  

Have a great Art-filled Day, 

Wendy

Must We Always Start with White Paper? - FINISHED

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Fuchsias in the Sunshine - 16 x 20  - Watercolour

Starting with Colour can be freeing, No White Space!!

My fuchsias were painted on a prepared paper washed with a few colours.  (See my  last post Must We Always Start With White Paper)  As you can see I just painted over the background, using the colours of the wash to make my painting.  Life still had a few challenges for me though: 

1.  I still needed a value plan: I found that the lower section was too light and so I needed to put frisket on the stamens and pour a second wash to darken it. Lots of fun keeping it away from my other area!!

2,  Some of the background became too precious:  I really fell in love with the lovely splashes of white from the coarse salt I put on the first pour.  I really had to be firm with myself and cover some of them up. It was for the best but it did hurt a bit!! 

I was really pleased with the final results, I hope you enjoy it as well.  

Have fun with your picture! Enjoy the challenges!!

The Fuchsias in the Sunshine are up and running, they are now on display for my show May 1-3,  at GardenWorks at Manderville, Burnaby.  This is a very exciting event, my artist partner, Audrey and I will be the featured artists.  We have a full selection of new works to show off.  We are also running a workshop Friday, May 2, 6:30-8:30pm on Travel Journaling.  It is $25 (Pre-registration Required).  We have some great ideas to put excitement in your Journaling and Manderville is kicking in some free refreshments and appies to make it a real fun Art Party!!  A portion of  our Art Sales and Workshop Fees will be going to the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia.  

Have a great Art-filled Day, 

Wendy

Must We Always Start With White Paper??

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Fuchsias in the Sunshine - Work In Progress

White paper as a starting point can often bring any artist to a stand still.  All that white space!!  I like to change things up a bit by covering all that 'white' with an interesting pour of colour.  For my Fuchsias, I first did a pouring of Aureolin, Permanent Rose and Indanthrene Blue.  I tried to keep them in a mid to low value range so that they would shine through for a background but also I could cover them with paint.  For fun I added some salt while the paper was still very wet.  That resulted in the interesting patterning in the lower right side moving up to the top left.

Once the paper was dry I turned it to where I felt there was a sense of weight on the bottom.  Then I drew my fuchsias and began to paint. I used the same colours for my palette but with much more intensity.  I am afraid I got so involved with the painting process I nearly forgot to take a picture for you.  From this picture you can get a sense of how dark the background is and yet my watercolours still cover it and make their own design.  The underlying colours do add a bit of richness and texture to the colour I put on top.  Things are going well with the picture and I am very excited.

Try a coloured background, don't worry about where it is going, just go ahead and draw and paint your picture on top.

Have fun and let me know how it works for you.  My picture will hopefully be ready in a few days. 

On The Trail

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

ON THE TRAIL - Watercolour, 14 x 18 - Commission

This is a special commission for me as I am personally involved with the picture; I am in it!!  Yes, that is me, second from the right. 

This was an order from my friend's husband to paint a picture that captured the flavour of their special cabin retreat.  They had lots of 'lake' pictures for their fishing activities but nothing for all the time they spend walking and riding the many trails in the area. The photo shoot took place when I was visiting the cabin in August with my 'university' group.  We went for a great walk on one of the trails; what wonderful country to walk in.  We went through meadows, heavy forested areas, open pastures, old ranch lands, small lakes and more.  I took lots of pictures and really enjoyed the day.  This picture evolved from several I took and seemed to capture what we wanted. There is the heavy treed area in the back, the open pasture/meadow lands in the front, the fence posts suggesting the days gone by and the bonus, our little group stopped and chatting along the trail. 

Enjoy!

If you have a special moment in time you wish painted just Contact Wendy.  I would be happy to work with you to make your dream come true.

Have a good day.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Winter's Coming - My Christmas Picture 2013 - Sold

 

I would like to thank you, my wonderful supporters, for all of your support and encouragement throughout the year.  It has been fun writing to you and sharing my Art World with you.  I would like to wish you all a

 

Wonderful Christmas and all the best for the coming Year

 

 

I look forward to connecting with you in the New Year.

 

Wendy 

Update on Bulgaria

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

The Dance of the Poppy - 4 x 5 Watercolour

 

My minis are settled and happy in Bulgaria.  The 4th Painting and Mixed Media Competition at the Lessedra Gallery opened on Dec 11 at 7pm. and runs till Feb 15, 2014. There are 248 artists entered the show from 49 different countries,  twenty-three artists are from Canada. Sad to say I was not one of the prize winner but I am happy to be part of the show.  It is really kind of interesting to think my pictures are busy entertaining so far away with so many different kinds of art.  

Eagle on the Rocks - 3.5 x 3.5 Watercolour

 The days are flying by so quickly, hope your Christmas preparations are going well.  Steve has been busy doing the Christmas baking and I am trying not to eat too much of it!!  A hard task as he makes so many wonderful treats. 

Rocky Shores - 5 x 6  Watercolour

 

Have a great day and think good thoughts for my pictures far away.  As always if you wish to buy any of my work or register for workshops just Contact Wendy .

 

To see some of the show:

http://www.lessedra.com/mixed_media.php