Upcoming show

I want to invite you to the next show of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Calgary Chapter. I have three paintings in the show, one of which won a juror's choice award (honorable mention). The opening is this Friday night from 7-9pm and the show is up until July 26th.
Cheers!

"Cliff Swallows at Hogg Park", plein air oil painting

"Cliff Swallows at Hogg Park", plein air oil painting, 6 x 8"
I would have tried to think of a more original title for this little painting, but then some might have wondered if I had dropped my brush onto the sky by accident! This was painted on the afternoon of my paint out with Holly and Ken. Hogg Park is a cute little park just east of Longview, Alberta, where the Highwood river (I think) cuts through the prairie.
Enjoy!

"Isolated Showers", plein air oil painting

"Isolated Showers", plein air oil painting, 6 x 8"
We have been having very strange weather lately, very unsettled and cool with showers or sunny with high winds -global warming?? Anyway, I thought I would try to capture one of these passing storms that tried to put the end to my lovely plein air painting day with fellow artist friends, Holly and Ken. I worked very quickly in my car with my little thumb box, and tried to catch the passing shower -very difficult to do with the cloud shadows racing over the landscape, the sun lighting up bits and pieces wherever it could. For this type of work you need to memorize the light the way you want it, because it doesn't stay that way for long. I am pretty pleased with this quickie.
Enjoy!

Acrylic En Plein Air?

"Spring Fling", acrylic on paper, 12 x 16"
This is my first attempt to paint en plein air with acrylics. I used a watercolour block for my support, and boy did I struggle. I began the painting much like a watercolour, but things were just drying like crazy in the breeze and sun. It was a joy to go back in with more opaque passages though. I love the way that acylics do not dry lighter as watercolours do, sometimes they even dry a bit darker. I will have to tweak my set-up and try again.
Enjoy!

"Thunderheads", plein air oil painting, 8x8"

"Thunderheads", plein air oil painting, 8x8"
Last week I went painting with a wonderful artist and new friend Veronica Funk (click on her name to check out her blog). We travelled the outskirts of Airdrie where she lives and we found this wonderful view just on the edge of town. The weather has been rather unsettled here for the last couple of weeks, but it has given some wonderful skies. I have been trying to capture these fleeting beauties en plein air with my oil paints, which requires very fast execution. I like living on the edge.
Enjoy!

Plein Air Sketching Workshop

These are some of my students in rapt attention to their pen & ink and watercolour sketching at the workshop I taught yesterday at the Leighton Centre. We were very lucky that we had super weather all day -the first day like that in the past couple of weeks.

This is one of the sketches that I did as a demonstration for the class. That accordion shaped foothill is John Ware Ridge, a favorite painting site of mine. It was a really fun day and a good time was had by all.
Enjoy!

More plein air w/c sketches

I really took 'Liberty' with this sketch -the cows were 1/4 mile away, the mountains are 50 miles further than I have shown them here, the windswept trees I took from a view to my left and the farm building from a view to my right. The joy of plein air painting is that you can make things the way you 'wished' they were!
This is my last sketch from Beaverlodge. I was intrigued by the shadows cast on the tin roof of the old chicken coup and the field of dandelions in front. The workshop was a great time and this area of northern Alberta is fascinating. I thank the kind artists of the area for making it possible for me to come to paint with them.
Enjoy!

New pen & ink & W/C sketches

These are two of the pen and ink and watercolour sketches that I did while teaching my Plein Air Workshop for the McNaught Preservation Society in Beaverlodge, Alberta. I really like the second one in particular. I have never painted a cemetery before, but the wispy clouds reminded me of the spirits of those who died a long time ago.
Enjoy!

"On the McNaught Homestead", watercolour, 12 x 16"

"On the McNaught Homestead", watercolour, 12 x 16"
This is the second plein air watercolour I did while in Beaverlodge at the McNaught farm. We were really blessed with great weather for the long weekend. The variety of greens were astonishing and it was fun to try to mix them all with 3 different blues and 3 different yellows, plus some red thrown in for the duller ones.
Enjoy!

A Grande Prairie Adventure

"Trembling Aspen", watercolour, 16 x 12"
This past weekend I taught a three day workshop in Beaverlodge, 30 minutes outside of Grande Prairie. It was held at the homestead of well known Alberta artist Euphemia McNaught (1902-2002) which is being restored by the McNaught Historical Preservation Society. The workshop was titled "Watermedia -Indoors and Out", but we only worked with watercolours outdoors, and we did some pen & ink and watercolour sketching as well. This is my first demonstration painting. It has been a while since I have painted such a large watercolour outdoors in the sun and the wind, but all in all I think it turned out OK. The participants loved to hear about the 'joy of S.E.C.s' -pronounced 'sex' so you can remember -to work the Shape, Edge and Colour of an object in that order. (see my DVD for details)
Enjoy!

"Resting Place", plein air oil painting

"Resting Place", plein air oil painting, 8 x 10"
This is another new plein air painting, done on the hillside overlooking the Bow River in Mackenzie. I originally thought I would paint the river, as it is lovely at this spot, but when I sat down on the nearby bench, this scene to my right was just calling me. I am really happy with this one as it captured the peaceful feeling I had while I was there.
Enjoy!

From my heart...

"Winter Sunset Over Mt. Kidd", original digital photo
I have a passion for painting! That is true, and I know that it shows in my life. Everyone who knows me, knows this. Hopefully all who see my work know this as well. But what you might not know; is the reason that I have this passion, and this is what is so fundamentally important to my life. The act of painting brings me into a wonderful connection with my Creator and my Lord Jesus Christ. I paint for the glory of the Risen King! It is my deepest desire that my humble art would reflect God's great majesty, although that seems hardly possible. I would love to tell you about Him, about the joy and peace and love He brings to my heart ... I guess I just did!