Can Spring be far?

Local character study #3: Black Squirrel looks over shoulder, oil on canvas board,  8" x 8"

We've sprung forward and I'm extremely grateful to have the one hour extension to my painting day.  The sap must be running because the rabbits have begun girdling my small trees and I'm almost ready to wage war.  But the squirrels as yet have no tulips to mangle, so I'm painting them as though they won't soon be my mortal enemies.

Eastern Grey Squirrel

Another study from the local cast of hardy characters on the other side of the glass.

Local character study #2: Eastern Grey Squirrel in the Snow, oil on canvas board,  8" x 8"

more to come...

The Local Scene

This has been the longest, most shut-in winter I can remember.  I've only made it out to life drawing a few times, but I've no shortage of models.  I've been painting the local scene.

Local character study #1: Black squirrel crouching, oil on canvas board, 8"x8"

 

 

 

You lookin at me?

Some toughs have taken up residence around the bird feeder, and it's not who you might think.  No hawks here, just doves.  Dove toughs.  They hang in the locust tree and whenever some smaller species lands near the feeder, they whir down and bully the little birds away with sheer size, and numbers, and that jerky, bobble-head, stink eye thing they do so well. 

Mourning Dove, oil on panel, 7" x 12"

Three-hour painted study from life

I've been taking advantage of the opportunity to paint from life at monthly three-hour single pose sessions at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts.  The brief single session forces concentrated observation and loose paint handling.  This one is from the January session.

Robin (detail), painted study, oil on prepared paper

Robin, painted study, oil on prepared paper, 11" x 14"

Two weeks in to the new year

Well, Happy New-ish Year!

I still have a couple of these gorgeous clementines in my crisper.  I suppose beautiful citrus fruit is one of the perks of winter.  Something to countermand ice storms and sudden thaws, fallen tree limbs, and a roof leak caused by an ice dam in the eaves trough.  

Two clementines, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

This painting was my Christmas card image for 2013.

Mercedes

Mercedes (detail), oil on panel

Mercedes, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

A three hour painted sketch of model Mercedes in oils.

Max and the Chocolate Chips

During a recent portrait sitting I discovered the usefulness of chocolate chips as a bribe for encouraging an active, two year old boy to sit for a pose, but I hadn’t considered the mess.  Here’s Max, nearly two, with his adorable chocolate chip smeared face, and mischief in his eyes: 

Max with chocolate chip smeared face, oil on panel, 9" x 12"

 And here’s Max, beautifully framed by Dimensions Custom Framing and Gallery:   

 

Max, framed

The framers and gallerists, Wendy and Ellen, liked my work enough to take a few of my pieces for their Toronto gallery space.  I’ll have six small paintings in their Small Works Holiday Show & Sale opening December 12^th.   The gallery is at 732 Queen St East (just east of Broadview on the North side) in Toronto.  Hope some of you can make it.

Bridget

Bridget, oil on panel, 12" x 16"

A painting of my gorgeous niece in typical contemplative mood in the late day sunshine.  Hope you like it, Bridget!

Wonder Woman glances up

Donna as Wonder Woman , oil on canvas panel 8" x 8"

A painted sketch of my good friend Donna as Wonder Woman, as requested by her adoring husband.

Summer gone but not forgotten

Here are some small gouache landscapes from my summer vacation spot.

Sea cliffs, gouache on art panel, 5" x 7"

Southwest Cove from the water, gouache on art panel, 5" x 7"

Owl's Head, gouache on paper, 5" x 7 1/2"

Two-hour painted sketch in oils

Deb (detail), oil on panel

  A two-hour oil sketch I did at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts life drawing session last night. 

Deb, oil on tinted panel, 16" x 20"

Muskoka Chairs...or are they Adirondacks?

Either way, they always look like summer to me. 

Muskoka Chairs, 12" x 12", oil on panel

Lilacs and the relentless march of spring

Lilacs in a glass cup, oil on panel, 8" x 10"

The spring blossoms continue their relentless march. Magnolia, crabapple, serviceberry, and redbud--all finished. Daffodils and muscari long gone, and even the latest of the late tulips starting to drop their petals. The Siberian iris blossoms unfurl only to curl themselves up the very next day.  But the spectacular white tree peony at least is in full-blown bloom.  It's planted along the sidewalk where its scent and the almost obscene extravagance of its flowers stop passers by in their tracks.  Dogwoods, spirea in bloom, mock orange almost.  The season unfolds far too quickly.  I feel this way every year. Spring is the season I most wish I could draw out.  But today we have a forecast temperature of 30 degrees and the first heat alert of the year; the studio is sweltering, and towering white clouds, promising late day thunderstorms, are half crowding the blue sky out of my skylight windows, so it's futile. 

Still, I had to make some small attempt to arrest the season with a painting of lilacs clipped from the new tree (shrub really) I planted last week.  It's called Wedgwood Blue and its bracts smell like childhood adventures in untended gardens around the houses of great aunts.  But even now, the cut blooms are browning in their cup and the few I left on the tree are almost done. I'm already longing for next spring.

The egg-run

About once a week I drive to a gorgeous family farm to pick up eggs and greens and various items of seasonal bounty they offer at their farm store.  It's a bucolic place and always makes me feel fortunate to live in an area where the mixed family farm is still flourishing.

The last time I was there this dog and cat were having a standoff.  The dog seemed to want to play, but the cat was having none of it.
 

Recent life drawings

Leaves are on the trees and suddenly the world is transformed.  I hope to be out sketching land and cityscapes in addition to life drawing very soon. In the meantime, here are some life drawings and portrait studies, mostly in charcoal and chalk, from the past month.

Eden, charcoal and chalk on gessoed paper, 12" x 14"

Govan, charcoal and chalk on painted board, 11" x 12"

Sean, charcoal and chalk on gessoed board, 8 1/2" x 11 1/2"

Eden, charcoal and chalk on gessoed paper, 11 1/2" x 15"

Eden, charcoal and chalk on gessoed paper 9 1/2" x 14"

Rachel, charcoal and chalk on gessoed paper, 15" x 22"

A few new life studies

I'm really enjoying the challenge of painting more frequently from live models.  Some studies from the last few weeks:

Eden, oil on toned panel 11 x 14

Tattoo, oil on gessoed board 12" x 16"

Sean, oil on gessoed board, 11" x 14"

Rachel, vine charcoal on paper

Portrait Study from Life

Jenna, portrait study, detail, oil on panel

This is a portrait study I began at a three-hour live session in Guelph and finished up in  the studio.  It's painted in oils on an 11" x 14" panel, pre-toned with a red oxide wash.

Jenna, portrait study, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

The afternoon sessions have some challenges, particularly the shifting light as the winter sun makes its quick descent.

Painting and Drawing from Life

Rachel, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

I've recently discovered a life drawing group offering a regular, three-hour, single-pose session, which allows me the luxury of painting from a live model.  It's great for for forcing a broader, more economical painting style.

And here are some drawings from the regular format life drawing sessions, which typically begin with quick gestures and progress to longer poses:

Jenna, gesture, vine charcoal on paper

Jenna, gesture, vine charcoal on paper

Jenna, gesture, vine charcoal on paper

Jenna, chalk and charcoal on gessoed paper

Govan, chalk and charcoal on gessoed paper

Govan, chalk and charcoal on gessoed paper

Life Drawings and a Pigeon

A couple of weeks ago, just before I succumbed to the flu, I drew a life model named Lyon, who wore a startling necklace of human molars (his own it turns out)  and who is a descendent of the notable, fierce, pre-confederation Canadian politician William Lyon Mackenzie. I forgot my chalk, which is a shame because he had great Scottish colouring.

Lyon, gesture drawing, charcoal on layout paper

Lyon, vine charcoal on gessoed paper

And a life drawing from the Autumn sessions

male model, vine charcoal on gessoed paper

 And a sketchbook pigeon for good measure.

Parc Monceau Pigeon, charcoal in sketchbook