Monday

"Reflections With Oranges", oil painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Reflections with Oranges", oil painting from life, 16 x 20"

This painting presented an interesting challenge for me. I had the items on the floor and I was looking down on it -which made for an interesting composition that was kind of tricky to get the perspective correct on. I wasn't sure about the background colour, so I decided to wipe it off, and behold, what remained was exactly what I was looking for. Who knew?

By the way, Poppy Riot has also now sold, so I think I will continue the clearance sale into February. It is nice to get some wall space back, but I really miss my babies.

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Tuesday

CLEARANCE SALE WATERCOLOR

"Poppy Riot", watercolour, image 11 x 14"
framed size 18 X 22", double matted and in a lovely wood frame
SOLD

It is really hard to let this one go, as it is another of my favorite watercolours, but alas, I need to reclaim some wall space in my house. I hope it goes to a good home!

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Saturday

CLEARANCE SALE CONTINUES

"Cosmopolitan Jazz", 22 x 30" acrylic on watercolor paper mounted to board
Retail price $1250.00 -for a limited time now only $200 unframed plus shipping and handling

This is an acyrlic painting that began as a visually textured and rather chaotic surface. The shape of the grand piano began the search for the rest of the orchestra, who were found and brought out in time.

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Wednesday

"Winter Sun" acrylic painting demonstration by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Winter Sun", acrylic on canvas, 14 x 14"
$695.00 framed

I did this painting over the holidays, trying to bring some life into this winter cold we are having. I have been tremendously impressed and inspired by the watercolours and acrylics of Scottish artist Chris Forsey. They touch on a way of painting that I explored several years ago, and had forgotten all about. I thought I would show you the steps so that you can see how it was done.

Step 1: First of all, I need to tell you that I had no idea how this was going to turn out -I love the challenge of working from chaos!! The painting begins with a random mess of fluid acrylics, quin gold, quin burnt orange, and Perm Violet dark with a touch of dioxazine violet. The paint was put on wet-on-wet and dry brushed, with splattering, stamping with hand carved stamps and scraping. While this underpainting is warm in colour temperature, the final painting will have a cool dominance, bringing attention to these lovely warm colours.

Step 2: Some translucent and opaque blues were begun to get the feeling of snow and sky. I was careful to keep all the edges soft at this stage, as I wasn't sure where I was going.

Step 3: More stamping was done with transparent and opaque colours, and hints of trunks laid in. The edges of the stamped patterns began to suggest a tangle of branches.

Step 4: Tinted opaque white mixed with modeling paste was added to the bottom area with a palette knife in a loose fashion to begin to model the snow.

Step 5: Splatter was added to the bottom snow as were some suggestions of cast shadows. Trunks and branches were added in darks and lights weaving throughout the brush. A suggestion of the warm sun breaking into the coldness was added. Also at this stage the tree tops were further suggested by negatively painting them with the sky colour. Some faint distant trees were added and the sun was softened further to suggest a haziness that I felt expressed the frostiness of the morning.

Step 6: I needed to change the size of the trees on the left, so I sponged in some white paint and let that dry with the intention of glazing all of it with the warm 'brush' colours. In the end, I only glazed some of the white and kept the rest as I thought it looked like snow caught in the branches amongst some yellowed leaves which remained on the trees.

Enjoy!

PS: I will post another clearance sale painting tomorrow. Please note that Poppy Surprise and Iris Garden have been sold. Glad that this clearance sale is working!!!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Saturday

CLEARANCE SALE CONTINUES

"Poppy Surprise", 8 x 8", mixed media
beautifully framed in a square black frame -retail price $350
SOLD

This is a collage and acrylic painting that I did last March. It began with a loose sketch for the placement of the flowers, and then it progressed from there depending on what happened with the hand painted collage elements.

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Wednesday

CLEARANCE SALE continues by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Martagon Lilies", watercolour, image 11 x 14"
framed size 18 x 22"- double mat and lovely mahogany wood frame

This is another of my loose watercolours, done in the style of the last post (which Sold by the way). Very little drawing was done and that is one way to ensure a loose handling.
For a limited time only, $170 plus GST and shipping and handling!!
Retail value $425.

I did a little figurative oil yesterday, which I will post as soon as I can get a good photo of it. In the meantime, I am going to be very busy getting ready for my large solo show at the Leighton Art Centre in March. The show is called "En Plein Air - One Artists' View". It will feature over 60 plein air oils as well as some studio work derived from them. Each painting will be accompanied by a photo of the location and a brief description of how and why I changed things up for expressive purposes. I have heard many people question about how an artists mind work, and this show is an attempt to answer that question. It is a lot of work, but I am really excited about getting it done!

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Sunday

How Do I Do It All? and another SALE Watercolour by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Iris Garden", watercolour, image 11 x 14"
framed size 18 x 22"- double mat and lovely mahogany wood frame
This is one of my absolutely favorite watercolours, but alas, no more room on my walls!
SOLD

On another note, one of my followers recently asked: "How do you paint so much and get so many paintings finished? What are your schedule secrets? It would really help me if I knew how to work so well. I want to make this new year productive as my years are sliding by very rapidly, as I’m now 73 years old and I only started painting in 2005. You see that I have a lot to cover even if I am a Grandma Moses!"
I asked Shirley for permission to post her question, as I thought it might benefit you. WOW, firstly let me say that I am really impressed at her drive and determination, and that is half of the secret, as well as half the battle. I know I have been given a great gift, and believe it is my calling in life to be an artist and a teacher. God has given me an incredible passion to paint which sustains me, as long as I am willing to do the hard work. And as you know, there is a lot of that to do. You know, it never gets easier, the bar just keeps getting higher.
As for schedule, I am really not that disciplined, and don't have a daily routine, I am sorry to say. But I do try to paint whenever I can, and I really LOVE to paint outside -so if it is nice enough out that I don't get soaked, frozen or blown away, I will try to paint out. Otherwise, I think I have to credit my teaching for keeping me in production mode. You can't teach from an empty well, and although it makes finding painting time more difficult, it is what I need to do to keep ahead of my students. I have often heard it said "if you want to learn something really well, teach someone else", and I think that is really true. Add to that a somewhat sucessful professional career which adds it's own demands, and there you have it. No time NOT to paint!! And it does help that I am a fairly fast painter, and I stick with it until it is done whenever possible.
If I could give you some suggestions that might help you, one would be to set aside some time on a regular schedule, several times a week, just to paint. Don't worry about the product, just focus on the process. You just have to get in the brush miles!! Do it when you feel like it, but especially when you don't. You will find yourself absorbed within minutes, and you won't have to feel guilty because you didn't even try. Find your bliss! This is something that you obviously are passionate about, so GO FOR IT. It might be helpful to get together with other like minded souls to paint together and encourage each other. Show your work, if you like it, so that people you have never met can encourage you as well. Take some workshops from artists you admire. And finally, try to stay positive. Believe in yourself!
Best of luck my friend

Please note that I have added my upcoming shows and workshops to the sidebar of my blog, as well as a list of post categories so that you can navigate to past posts with convenience. There- scratch off one of my New Year's goals!!!

If you would like to purchase this painting, or ask a question of your own, please email me.

Thursday

Studio oil painting & CLEARANCE SALE by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Landscape Patterns:, 36 x 36", oil on gallery wrap canvas
SOLD
This is my second entry for the Stampede auction. Unfortunately I won't find out if it is accepted until March! This is a take off from another plein air painting that I did this summer (click on the link to see the original). I find it quite fun exploring other possibilities in terms of colour and mood with the works that were done on location. In this one I changed the temperature dominance from cool to warm, plus it is huge in comparison!

CLEARANCE SALE CONTINUES!!

"Objet D'Art", watercolour mounted, varnished and framed like an oil with linen liner
framed size approx 31 x 39"
original price $1250.00 -now for a limited time only $500 plus GST and shipping

I understand that the Christmas bills are coming in, so now may not be the greatest time to invest in art, but if you are interested, I can take a deposit and you can pay me the balance in installments.

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Monday

"East End Of Rundle" and CLEARANCE SALE by Sharon Lynn Williams

"East End of Rundle ii", studio oil painting, 20 x 24"
SOLD

This is one of two studio oil paintings that I did for this years competition for the Calgary Stampede Western Art Auction. It is based on a plein air painting that I posted on June 21st, 2010. You can see that I have changed the colour scheme for this painting. The sky was all painted with a palette knife, while the reflected light on the mountain is a very thin glaze. Makes for interesting surface variations.

CLEARANCE SALE!!

"A Stitch In Time", acrylic, 22 x 30" image
framed size approx 31 x 39" (wood frame with seamless linen liner). Retail price $1250.00.
For a limited time only $500.00 plus GST and shipping & handling! (this is 60% off gallery price)

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.

Saturday

"Yesterday's Memory", and CLEARANCE SALE by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Yesterday's Memory", acrylic and oil, 24 x 24"
nfs

This is my submission for the International Women Celebrate! show to be held in Ayr, Ontario this spring. You can see some of the submissions if you follow the link. There will also be a book created about the exhibition with the 100 submitted paintings in it. The text for the painting reads: "I have a dried, red rose hanging pinned to my studio wall, left from a rare bouquet gifted to me by my precious husband. This scene struck me as such a powerful metaphor for my heart. Like its memory, the rose’s beauty remains past the celebration, but in a new form. It warms my heart as I remember, yet it is a fragile thing, and this reminds me to guard my heart."

JANUARY SALE ALERT!!!
As part of my New Years resolutions to unclutter my life, I have decided to clear some excess painting inventory from my basement. These works have been in galleries and shows, and many have won awards -they just haven't found their owners yet. So, for a limited period of time, I am putting these works out to the public at 60% off the retail price. Most of the works are framed, and shipping will be at cost to the purchaser. I will add one to each blog post for the month. If you are interested, please email me. Here is the first one:

"Adam", acrylic and collage, 34 x 19" framed size -retail price $1040.00
$420.00 plus GST, shipping and handling for a limited time only!

Enjoy!

To purchase this, or commission your own painting, please email me.