Return to Lake O'Hara, and weather!!

"View From Sargeant's Point", 12x12" plein air oil on panel
$575 framed

I had the great pleasure to return to Lake O'Hara in Yoho Provincial Park last week, which is my favorite place to paint on the planet. Unfortunately the weather was not ideal and we arrived in 4" of snow. The above painting was done on our last day as the weather was just beginning to clear.

"Along O'Hara's Shoreline", 9x12" plein air oil on panel
$495 framed

This was the painting I did on our first day. All the peaks were socked in, but the colour in the shore was incredible against all that gray. I was intrigued with the red moss that grew with the yellow-green -don't know why, but it was beautiful!

"Mt. Shaeffer Reflections", 12x12" plein air oil on panel
$575 framed

This was my effort on our third day. I love the way the reflections play on the colour of the lake, with the lake bottom showing up particularly in the areas of dark reflections. Hard to catch at the best of times and extremely challenging when painting plein air. But that's the kind of thing that challenges me and makes me coming back for more.

The first time I went to paint at Lake O'Hara in 2008 it was 25 degrees and sunny and we hiked and painted in our shorts and tee shirts. I have been back 5 more times since then, and haven't had that kind of luck again. Maybe next year...

Enjoy!
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Lake O'Hara Paint-out by Sharon Lynn Williams

 "Lake O'Hara Splendor", 12x 12" plein air oil on board
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This September saw my plein air buddies and I painting once again at the magnificent Lake O'Hara in BC. This was my effort on our first day -the sun was out and it was GLORIOUS! I have painted from this place before, but never in such wonderful light. See previous year's efforts in the snow here,  here, and here. This was the first painting to sell at my current show at Fallen Leaf Gallery in Canmore.

"Opabin Lake", 9 x 12" plein air oil on board
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Opabin plateau holds the most number of mind blowing painting locations that I have ever seen. This is my first try at this scene, but it won't be my last!

"Larch And Odaray", 12 x 12" plein air oil on board
$575.00 beautifully framed
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This was my last painting of the trip as the rain blew in for the next 2 days, and it was just too cold and wet to paint outside, and too dark in the Elizabeth Parker hut. Seems to be the story of our paintouts - half the time it is glorious, and the other half, not so much!
I was really taken by this scene. It seemed to be a battle of beauty between the larch showing off its fall glory and the majestic Mt Odaray in the background.

The las two paintings are still available at Fallen Leaf Gallery in Canmore, and should be there until the end of December -unless one of you grabs it!

Enjoy

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"Vermillion Lakes Fall #2", oil painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

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"Vermillion Lakes Fall #2", 15 x 30" oil painting on gallery wrap canvas

$1295.00, click here to purchase!

As promised, here is the large studio version of my last post's plein air painting. You will have to click on the photo to see the painting better. It is amazing to me how you get no idea of the scale of a painting on the internet, it just lacks the presence that the real painting has!

I am off in the morning to take a workshop with the fabulous Dreama Tolle Perry on Whitbey Island. You just HAVE to Google her to see her amazing work! I have tried to take a workshop from Dreama for several years now, but as soon as she offers her workshops, they fill up right away. So when she announced them last May, I signed up on the spot, and luckily got in. I hope to learn how she uses her transparent under-paintings and then her sumptuous opaque brushwork on top. She seems to never use more than one stroke of any given colour mixture. I am fortunate enough to have THREE of her original paintings, and the dance of colour and exuberant brushwork just makes me smile! (You can see her influence in the painting above, just by studying her work online). The painting below is one of the ones I bought online from her. Amazing eh?? (You should really see it in person -WAY better!!!)

After Dreama's workshop, Dave and I are heading up to do a 10 day kayak trip in the Queen Charlotte Islands. We are going with 6 good friends on an unguided trip. This is the most rugged camping/trekking I have ever done, so would appreciate your prayers!! I can't wait to see Haida Gwaii, and commune with the ghost of Emily Carr. I am taking my pen and ink and watercolours, so hope to do a bunch of sketches -no room in a small kayak for plein air gear unfortunately. We are to kayak about 120km in total, weather permitting, so I should have great arms when I get back :)

Until June then, enjoy!

To purchase this painting, commission your own painting or contact me to do a workshop in your area, please email me at williamsdotsharonatshawdotca (insert characters for the dot and at!)

"Rushes-Vermillion Lakes", plein air oil painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

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"Rushes-Vermillion Lakes", 8x10" plein air oil painting

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This is another from last fall done in beautiful Banff, Alberta. I was mesmerized by the vertical patterns of the bullrushes against all the horizontal patterns of the background and reflections in the water. I really like this piece, and hope to return to Banff to paint in this wonderful spot again this year.

Enjoy!

To purchase this painting, commission your own painting or contact me to do a workshop in your area, please email me at williamsdotsharonatshawdotca (insert characters for the dot and at!)

"Winter's Mirror #2" oil painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Winter's Mirror #2", 12 x 16" oil on canvas
$595 beautifully framed, click here to purchase

Happy New Year everyone! I haven't been painting much at all since my darling daughter moved back home at the beginning of October, but I did get this one done. It is the second painting that I did from this reference, as the first one sold right away, and I was really intrigued with the light and shadow patterns/colours and the unusual perspective. It is part of my new show that I am hanging tomorrow at Gallery 109 in High River. The theme is "Winter" -thought I better get this show up before everyone tires of the white stuff : ) The show will be up until March when I hope to hang a mixed media show -my favorite thing to paint during the long winter when it is too cold to paint outside. Hope you can pop by if you are in the neighborhood -or if you live in Calgary, come out for the beautiful drive!

By the way, here is the first painting. Interesting to see the differences! Much more focus on the subtle colour variations in the snow banks, and less on "hit you in the face" colour. What a difference in the energy/mood of the two paintngs. I painted them both from a photo reference I took, and its been a long time since I took a look at the original one. Glad I didn't let it influence the second version. Let me know which one you like better, and why!

Enjoy!

To purchase this painting, commission your own painting or contact me to do a workshop in your area, please email me at williamsdotsharonatshawdotca (insert characters for the dot and at!)

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"Kenesis River Reflections", watercolour landscape painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Kenesis River Reflections", watercolour painting, 7 x 11"
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This is a demo I did for my beginner/experienced beginner class but forgot to post. This was their introduction to painting reflections wet-on-wet. The secret is to puddle in the colour while the paper is slightly wet so the colour holds. The reflections above the rocks were done in one go, softening the bottom part so that no hard edge would form. After the top part was done, the rocks were painted, adding texture by scraping with a credit card on its edge, sort of like a squeegie. Then the bottom part of the water was wet and the reflections continued, mirroring softly the colours in the rocks above. The white trunks were lifted out of the damp wash, and the water marks were lifted out when dry.

Enjoy!

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

Early Morning -Kananaskis -plein air oil painting

"Early Morning -Kananaskis" -plein air oil painting, 12 x 9"
This is the third painting from our Kananaskis trip. It was wonderful to be in the mountains early in the morning before the Calgary tourists got there. This lake was just along the side of the road, I don't know what it is called. The water was extrememly calm and the reflections were wonderful. This painting was done on a board that had linen canvas adhered to it, a texture that I don't really like. I will have to try to find some smoother oil primed linen and try it again. Having said that, I like the plain boards best of all.
Enjoy!