City Hall, Kingston Ontario

While in Kingston for Victoria's graduation, I had taken a photo of this structure for the shapes and for the light effects. My aim for painting was to keep it simple and just focus on shapes and values. Structures are demanding - a slight shift and they are off balance, crooked, leaning or just wonky. So when I say simple, I did not mean easy, although ultimately, wouldn't that be a lovely goal.

Back to Step #1

Funny how it is coming home from a workshop - all of these great ideas and momentum to just paint, paint, paint....but instead it's house guests, birthdays, holidays....etc. I did put things in order, hauled out exercises from past workshops, compared...and then repainted the Driftwood Park one, as just shapes. I think the back hills need to be bluer, but the idea of simplification is there.

Workshop Day #4

Was too tired and wet to post last night. Yesterday was our final day of this wonderfulworkshop, and we were out on an old bridge painting SHAPES....only shapes. When Mary was finished and packing up, her painting flipped and fell into the water. The river was deep, moving, had no access and impossible banks, it started to rain ....so we watched as this white canvas floated under the bridge and down the river. Alas...detachment....we went to lunch and let all of our learnings sink in. The afternoon was filled with critiques and slides etc.

We have learned so much, have lots of exercises to take home with us, and have some very different understandings of the process. Hurray for painting with Ian again!

Driftwood Park

Today was one of those days that Mary and I just hit the road, investigating new painting locations. We had ideas that were closer to home, but ended up following the Ottawa River all the way to Stonecliffe. There were a lot of beautiful vistas, but they were either along the highway or private. We did find a wonderful provincial park and painted by the boat launch.

A friend had asked me what I had learned from repeating the last painting on location. I thought about that while away to Victoria's graduation. The answer really came while painting this one - I learned that I fiddle and fuss too much, and really want to paint more shapes with just definite simple strokes. So that was my aim for today.

January Light

At 4:15 pm, I can see across the snow covered field, the the last sliver of light from the setting sun. Snow is on the distant Laurentians. I set out to make distinct strokes of many colours - but it turned into a blending again.

Frothy Frost

Some improvement....?

Sometimes painting a magical moment in nature borders on appearing tacky. Lost are the deliberate strokes of my new plan, and something else burst forth, all frothy and pastel coloured. It was fun though, and the journey continues.

Coe Hill

From a month ago, on our way home from Thanksgiving at Gigi and Paulo's cottage.
Although the majestic tree in full fall colours was to be the focal point, the eye does get drawn to that dark mysterious spot at the forest edge. I love little meadows like this.

Murray's Shed

We actually went plein air painting today. It was nice until the sun went down - amazing how fast the fingers start to freeze. Mary has a favourite spot that gives us endless compositions.

I am an easel junkie and got another one while in the US - my newest one is an Easy L and this is it - finally the right one for me. It is so compact, light, sturdy and diverse. In Kiawah it held 16x20 canvas as easily as a 6x8. Today was its first outing in Canada - oh joy!