"Flow", encaustic abstract painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

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 "Flow", 18 x 24" encaustic on cradled birch panel
SOLD

More playing around with the possibilities that encaustic painting allows. I began with the painting shown below, all done in coloured wax. I used a part of a previous abstract painting that I did as a sketch that I tried to follow with the encaustic. At this point there were up to 7 layers of colour on the panel. I wasn't happy with how it looked and thought I would melt it all and start again. As I was melting it, amazing things began to happen and the painting took on a life of its own. I went with the 'flow' (hence the title) and added more blue and white as it was beginning to look like a waterfall. Then I placed some geometric elements to contrast all the organic stuff happening, and added the letters. This medium is incredible, and not one to be tamed too much me thinks!

Happy Easter everyone!

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!)

My Painting Accepted into Major Competition!

 "Morning Light", 9 x 12", plein air oil
Remember this little painting I did as a demo for a workshop way back in June? Well I am thrilled that it was accepted into the "Annual International Representational Show -AIRS" which is being held at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver. The show runs from October 4 through the 23rd, with the opening reception on Thursday October 6th from 6 to 8pm. I am so very proud to be in such wonderful company! I will get to see the show as we are heading out on October 3rd to take our son Christopher to live in Vancouver. This has sure been the summer of the escalating odometer :)

Enjoy!
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Plein Air Rockies 2011 -Day #4 Recap

 "Lumpies Gossips", 12 x 9", plein air oil

On day 4 I began by painting in a very different geological part of the park. Here the rocks look like they were deposited like wet lumps of mud, one slouching into the next. I am sure there is a proper name and description of this phenomena, but it escapes me :) The ridge is appropriately called Lumpy Ridge. I found this grouping right beside the parking lot for the 'Lumpy Hike' (which Dave took while I was painting), and decided that the three looked like figures, two in conversation while the one on the right turns her back dejectedly, unwanted in this gossip session. Come on, I know you have all been there!!

Here I am hard at work/play with my palette knife again. This waterfall is called Alluvial Fan, and it was caused by a breach in the dam at a lake above. The resulting flood actually resulted in many deaths as the water swept through the nearby campsite and through the town. 

 

"Memorial", 14 x 11", plein air oil

I thought that this was a suitable title for the falls. It is interesting how the cause of such devastation can result in such a beautiful waterfall for all to enjoy. The title is how I felt about it. It was the second painting that I entered to be judged in the competition. I felt the knife work combined with the brushwork, the transparent versus the opaque, thick versus thin, made for an interesting painting on many levels.

Enjoy!

To purchase this painting, or commission your own painting, please email me.
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"Elbow Falls Summer", 12 x 12" plein air oil painting

"Elbow Falls Summer", 12 x 12", plein air oil on gallery wrap canvas
SOLD

I love going to Elbow Falls to paint -it is so peaceful there as the noise of any people around is blocked out by the sounds of the water rushing over the falls, which is just below this spot. Quite often I have been startled by someone standing over my shoulder watching me paint while I was in 'painting heaven'.

We are leaving in the morning for a month away from home! First we go to Toronto to visit Dave's family and then we are going with ALL of our four children to our family cottage on Big Hawk Lake, just south of Algonquin Park. The whole family hasn't been together at the cottage for so many years, it will be such a delight.

Then we are heading off to Colorado where I will be participating in Plein Air Rockies, my first plein air competition. It is being held in Estes Park, which is sort of like Banff is to me here. I am a bit nervous about the whole thing, but I have been assured it will be a blast. (send up some good prayers for me please??) I won't have internet access while we are at the cottage, but I will have in Estes Park, so I will be blogging again come the 20th of August. I am sure I will need your support :)

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful summer!!
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FREE GIVEAWAY CONTINUES and new plein air painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Elbow Falls Ledge", 9x9", plein air oil on board
SOLD

Elbow Falls is one of my favorite places to paint as it has many moods in different seasons and conditions. There was a lot of water flowing over it on this day, and I was taken by the colours of the water in the sun and in the shade. I think I will do a large painting from this one!

Remember - If you 'share' my blog on your Facebook page (or 'like' it -always confusing what FB is doing with these things!), send me an email to let me know and I will include your name in a draw for a FREE PAINTING!!! Make sure you hit the 'share' button AT THE END of a post in order for the post to be shared properly. Draw will be made at the end of June, so don't delay!!

Today I am painting at Vale's Greenhouses in Black Diamond. There are 43 artists in this show, and many will be doing demonstrations, so it should be a fun time. The artwork is displayed amongst the flowers in the greenhouses, so rain or shine, it will be great.

Enjoy!

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

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New Oil Painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Falling Water", oil on panel, 11 x 14"
$625 beautifully framed, free shipping and handling

My painting buddy Jan Chalupnicek and I have decided to share a booth on downtown Calgary's Stephen Avenue Mall on the first Thursday of each month until September. We are part of the "Canadian Artists For The Poor" fundraiser, so the profits from the rental of the space will go to help those in need, which is really a good way to use our talents and gifts. Below is a photo of my half of the booth. It was a fun event and I think I made some good connections. While I was there I painted the above painting. Our booth was set up in front of a very nice restaurants' outdoor patio, so many watched the demo while they ate. Sweet.

Hey, don't forget! If you 'share' my blog on your Facebook page, send me an email to let me know and I will include your name in a draw for a FREE PAINTING!!! How cool is that!

Enjoy!

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

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"Castle Falls", studio oil painting

"Castle Falls", studio oil painting, 11 x 14"
This is one of the few oils that I have done from a photograph. I took this shot on the ASA trip to the Crowsnest Pass, and I would have loved to have painted it on location, but didn't have the time. I was interested to see how clean the colours turned out -I think that sometimes when painting on location there is so much to see and such a variety of colour that it is tempting to put it all in, while the search for the right colour might end up a bit muddy. Certainly painting the fast moving water was much easier from a still shot. This painting will be in an ASA show in the Pass this fall.
Workshop Lesson # 10: Well I did hear back from several people, mostly people who have subscribed to my blog posts, so they tend to email me comments rather than posting them on the blog (by the way, it is much better for my google ratings if you post them on the blog rather than emailing them to me). It seems that the consensus is that the lessons are being helpful to other people, so I will continue with them. That being said, today's lesson is NOT to do the same thing or use the same method for every painting as that can become boring for me, and that boredom will show to the viewer. I think this lesson applies for still life setups more than plein air painting, as there are tons of challenges there already.
Enjoy!

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

Waterfall demo #2

This is the photo reference for the next painting demonstration. I can't remember where I took this picture!
Step 1: Paint a rich mixture of dark colours and paint the rock area. While damp scape the rock forms with a credit card. Above this paint a richly coloured dark for the trees in the forest, scrape trunks. Puddle in other colours to add spark.
Step 2: Paint the water as in the demo yesterday. Add the side banks using warmer colours than in the background to project it in front. Add warmer greens for the trees above it. Keep a crackled edge at the bottom of the rock edge so it will read as being in the water.

Step 3: Paint the water at the bottom of the falls using dry brush and softening some edges. Make this colour brighter than the falls as it is a flat plane. Paint around the area where the rocks will be. Soften the bottom edge of this as we will pick it up later, you need to use your time while the paint is wet to soften edges.

Step 4: Paint a mid value warm combination of colour for where the rocks in the water will be. Don't overmix these colours! Scrape in small rock shapes. Paint the water surrounding the rocks. Soften some of the bottom edges of the foremost rocks where they meet the water so they look like they are sitting in the water and reflecting a bit. Paint the rest of the river run out using a combination of dry brush and softening edges. Puddle some darker colour at the bottom and edges to force the viewers eye into the painting.
Last step: If needed lift some colour from the falls and the back of the river in front of the background rocks. Make sure this line is flat! Add some more detail to the large rock masses beside the falls and the trees on it.

Finished painting: "Spring Falls", watercolour, 7 x 10.25"
Enjoy!

Watercolour steps

Step one -dry brush technique for the waterby holding brush flat to the page and using the texture of the paper to create the sparkle (Ultra blue with a bit of Burnt Sienna to take the colour down a bit) (wet some of the edges of this-note soft and hard edges are the key to making the water look wet), wet-in-wet puddling for the trees using Gamboge as the mother colour, scrape trunks and flick water for foliage texture. Paint some indication of rocks in the falls while blue is still damp so get soft edges. Stream painted in horizontal strokes so will read as flat water. Note direction of water in falls very important.

Step 2- More rocks added inside falls, falls are hitting rocks at the bottom left which creates ledges. Increase depth of shading in falls, add soft rock edges at right side so that water appears to be going over them. Add turnbulance at the bottom of the falls -have some hard and some soft edges here. Wet bottom edge so no hard lines are formed, we will continue this part in a bit.

Step 3- add a mixture of pure colour in a dark mix, but don't stir it around as you want the colour to be interesting rather than homogeneous. While damp, scrape with a credit card to get the texture of the rock ledges. Do one side at a time and play with it until you are happy with it before you move on to the other side. Add more blue in the right side as this side is in shadow. Add the rest of the river runout using some dry brush and softening some of the edges. Paint in some darker notes in the deep water at bottom while wet.
Step 4- Add cast shadow onto falls with a mixture of phalo blue and ultramarine, softening some edges and leaving some hard. Add some dark U shaped marks in the water at the bottom to indicate lessening turbulance.
Adjust values, add a bit more detail into rocks. Strengthen left shore bank.

Finished painting "Lundreck Falls", watercolour, 7 x 10.25"
Enjoy!