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

Three Italian Plums

Three Italian plums, oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Happy New Year!

All the jingle bells are packed away for another year.   Not a resolution, exactly, but I do hope to draw paint and post more actively this year.

Jingle Bell, oil on panel, 5" x 7", 2012

Drawing at the Royal Winter Fair 2012

Ice Pigeon: just one of the gorgeous impractical creatures in the poultry show--a pigeon with feathered feet. I saw this one being judged and having #1 marked on her tag.

Last week I packed up a lean sketching kit: sketchbook, watercolour and graphite pencils, and a brush pen, and spent the day sketching at the Royal.  I planned my visit for one of the two days featuring the poultry show which is my favourite event at the fair.  All those lovely birds, captive and at eye level, make perfect drawing subjects!  Of course, the rest of the fair is great too and one day isn't nearly enough time to see and draw it all. Once again there were many fellow sketchers (even the high school kids are now taking advantage of this opportunity). 

Brown Swiss dairy cow

This sweet-faced calf was bellowing for her stable mates who were off being groomed somewhere.
Her complacent expression belies her agitation. I drew anyway.

Piglets!

Beltsville Small White male turkey

This grotesque, but magnificent turkey was strutting constantly and "gobble, gobbling" to the screaming delight of the taunting hoardes of school children.

Nestling pigeons

African Brown Goose "old male" category

Call Ducks

The call ducks are unflappable despite the cacophony all around them.

Toulouse Grey geese

The bonus: this year there were many Ontario cheese makers at the fair selling their goods at less than retail price.  I came home with an armful of cheeses from Monforte, the Upper Canada Cheese Company, and Woolwich dairy--partly offsetting the price of my admission.

Drawn from life

Zak, seated pose, vine charcoal on gessoed paper

I've made a return to life drawing in recent weeks.  We have a chatty group, which is great for refining my ability to concentrate, and we've had a number of excellent models (including some horses!, but more on that in a future post). 

Rachel, vine charcoal on paper

Rachel, vine charcoal on paper

Rachel reclining, vine charcoal on paper

Rachel reclining, take 2, charcoal on gessoed paper

Giancarlo, gestures, vine charcoal on paper

Giancarlo, reclining, vine charcoal on paper

Giancarlo, vine charcoal and chalk on paper

Robyn, standing gesture, vine charcoal

Robyn, standing gesture, vine charcoal

Zak, quick head studies, vine charcoal on paper

Zak, slouch, vine charcoal on paper

 

Horse, quick study, vine charcoal on paper

Some quick head studies, vine charcoal