Valerie's Art

Guy Combes at Wildstreak Art Workshop

2012-01-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hello all, just a quick note to the artists out there. Wild Streak Art and Denise are hosting another workshop this year. It has been a couple of years since the last one. These are just outstanding workshops and not to be missed. This year's workshop will be April 26-30th and will be featuring Guy Combes. He is a wonderful artist and will be sharing his talent for wildlife art. Guy was born in Kenya and will be teaching about how to paint African animals. It was a pleasure to meet Guy down in Wyoming this fall and to have the opportunity to discuss wildlife art with him while watching him paint. So for anyone who is interested contact Denise Soule at http://www.wildstreakart.com/

75 year anniversary

2012-01-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Our Salmon Arm Art Gallery, SAGA is housed in a wonderful old heritage building that will be celebrating its 75th year in 2012. So the members art show theme in January is 75. Now the gallery has allowed us lots of latitude in how we can interpret that 75 theme.

Still at first I was kind of stumped as to what I could or would paint for such a theme. I always like to have a strong nature or animal in my artwork and always try to present the theme in my own style. After thinking through a number of ideas....this is the one I have come up with.

When building was first built in 1937 it was a post office, then it became a library and finally an art gallery. So my painting has a letter to represent the post office and two large books to represent the library. The title of the top book is "The 75 year Saga" with the dates 1937-2012 on it's spine. The bottom book is simply titled "Art History" to represent the Art Gallery life in this historic building.

On top of these antique books is an orange tabby cat.....our old Stanley cat. I put in Stanley because....well I loved Stanley and he was a wonderful cat....but also because over the years many cats have been fed out of the back kitchen door at the gallery in the old cedars. Cats are interwoven into the history of the building and had to be my link between this theme and my animal paintings. This was a fun painting to tuck into December between all the busy-ness of the season.

A Special Place

2011-11-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find a special place. A place that connects with you and assures you that all is wonderful with the world. This is a painting of such a place. It is a wild and natural spot where the water pools deep and dark between high stone banks. This water is so pure and clear as it rushes over the rocks that glow in the warm light and heads down stream.

This painting is called "Healing Waters." It is 30x36 inches and is painted with acrylic on canvas. Thank you to my brother, Robert for the great kayak trips each year that include visiting such wonderful places as this.

I'm Back!

2011-11-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hello, it has been a while since I have blogged. Life interrupted the way it sometimes can, without taking into consideration what my plans are.
That's alright, work in the studio has resumed and I am happy to be well into a coyote painting. I love to paint animals that are really part of my daily life. Coyotes are one of these. They are smart, illusive and so quick to adapt to what we do....like the spirit of the wilderness they ghost through my yard and sing loudly to me in the night. This painting is like a cross between my Out of the Dark series and my full colour paintings. The back ground is dark with a full light foreground. It certainly gives it a punch of drama. I will be posting it shortly as it is coming close to being complete.

Jackson Hole Wyoming

2011-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the heart of the Tetons, Jackson Hole Wyoming. Wow' what a place for a wildlife artist. The view in every direction is spectacular with the massive rock of the Tetons on one side and wild fields of grass on the other. Buffalo and pronghorn sighting on the drive from the airport.

It is a small scenic town with more art galleries than anywhere I have ever seen and they are full of my favorites, wildlife and western themes. So pleased to see some of the artists that I know featured.

We were on a tight schedule because we were heading into an artist retreat...so we were in and out as many galleries as we could fit in 4 hours. It was great fun and I definitely will be going back, with a portfolio.

Arch is made from shed antlers from local herds.

Amazing sculpture on the street.

After our run through the galleries we were off into the mountains for an awesome art retreat. Totally a stellar way to spend a week, in the scenic mountains of Wyoming with some the best artists on the continent.

As beautiful as it was there, BC is just as lovely and it is wonderful to be home. So now back to the easel all renewed and refreshed.

Wild Art for Art Walk

2011-09-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well it is the time of year when I collect up all the bits and pieces that make up my ever changing art booth and get ready for Art Walk in Winfield. I make my list and check it twice, three and four times. All the basics have to go plus beach rocks and pine cones for decorations. The nicest people come to Art Walk.

Usually I have a great helper with a truck but this year it is just me and my car. Ohh ....that is frustrating as I had hoped to include Bighorn Ridge.....but unless it rides on top of the car it is just a bit too big. I haven't given up yet....still thinking of how to work it.

Here is your sneak peak at some of my new work that will be going to Art Walk.

What a Summer!

2011-08-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer with lots of opportunities to enjoy nature and wildlife. Cold and rainy or hot and windy...It has been fun and my camera has been out.

We had a great trip to observe Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep above Banff. Most exciting to see were the newborn Bighorn sheep.They are the cutest and most agile babies. They nimbly scamper up and down the rock faces and then abruptly just plop down anywhere to rest. Their mothers look haggard and untidy with their winter wool falling out. In the time we had we were unable to locate the male herd.

sheep photo

Then it was off to the game farm in Kamloops to paint a portrait of Shardik, their 36 year old grizzly. The game farm is known for its work in protecting and preserving British Columbia wildlife. Their animals are all rescued animals that could not survive in the wilderness. It was an experience to sit out side Shardik's pen and really observe him, (something that is difficult and perhaps dangerous :) to try in the wild.) Grizzlies normally live to about 25 years, so Shardik has reached a grand old age. I wanted to paint him this time rather than the 2 new grizzly cubs that have just arrived as he has been an important part of the bear experience at the park for so many years.

Shardik photo

August is a great time to head to Vancouver island and the ocean. Whales, seals and otters are what I am on the look out for while my husband has his eyes on the water for salmon and halibut. It was a good trip with wonderful friends. We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful whale display close to our boat. The huge creature breached 5 times before turning on his side and waving his fin at us. It was an incredible experience to be so close. It happened too quickly to get any great photos but here is a friendly suntanning seal that agreed to stay put long enough for a photo.

island photo

Shardik the grizzly and my cougar painting are getting close to being complete, just a few more details. While I should be focused completing those two, a new painting is calling my name. A dainty fawn with lovely eyes is begging to be painted....so starting that painting now.

Pictures to be posted as soon as they are complete.

International Artist Magazine

2011-07-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

It is such a pleasure to be featured in the August/September issue of International Artist Magazine. They have included an 8 page spread on my artwork and creative process. Also as an extra bonus the front cover shows a small picture of me working on my 6 foot moose painting (upper right corner.) This is a great art magazine that focuses on international art and artists. The article shows my step by step artistic process for two paintings. What an honor to be in such a prestigious magazine. This should on news stands soon. Check it out!

Water Babies

2011-07-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the painting of the sea otters that I have been having so much fun painting. They are the happiest most inquisitive creatures that I have ever met. These are from Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island....We enjoy looking at them each year when we are on the island.

A group of otters is called a raft and often they hold paws as they

float on the waves to stay together. So check out my raft of otters.

Then as I was enjoying doing water babies....I continued and did a study of a mallard hen and her 6 chicks. The local fountain in Mcquire Lake is a wonderful place to spot mallards with their families....and as they are quite used to people they let me sit close to them and observe. These are quite the cutest babies at the pond.

Hike the trails but find the deer in my own yard.

2011-07-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

It was hot with gusts of wind towards the end of the day. We headed into the woods and up the hill. I felt the wonderful cool of the woods envelope me as we stepped into the shade. The harsh bright sunlight changed to a lovely tree dappled light. Here we could hear the birds and as we hiked we listened to the stories that the birds were sharing. Solitary songbirds sang here and there. Raucous blackbirds yelled and fought over their supper. Several hawks soared on thermals over the woods. We even thought we saw a buzzard circling high above our trail. My legs were tired at that point...but I don't think that I was that close to being done....so I don't think he was there for me.

The woods are in full bloom with wild flowers of all types blooming every where...we were walking in natures bouquet....it was amazing. At top of our hike...we stopped to just look around and found a handful of wild strawberries and their amazing taste of summer.

As we came down the mountain we heard the call of an owl which led us on a wild owl search through the wild rose bushes. We never found the owl but I did indeed learn a new respect for wild rose bushes. My legs still reflecting on that wisdom this morning. Always in the woods we enjoy the chance to see what animals are there...so it was birds, marmots and chipmucks.
But it wasn't till we were having a late supper at home that we were lucky enough to see two young deer as they snacked on our willow tree before heading into the neighboring old orchard.

On the easel I have a small painting of a mallard hen and her ducklings. I just jumped into this painting starting with the hen and have been adding ducklings here and there... painting this one in a kind of crazy unplanned way. My otter painting is basically complete and I am just studying it for a few days to see if I need to add anything to it. I will post these soon.

Kayak Camping

2011-06-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

My art is based on my deep appreciation for the outdoors and the plants and animals that live there. So it is really important to get out and seek out the experiences that I will later represent in my paintings.

Well at least that is my excuse for the great long weekend that I just spent on the water with my brother. It was a 5 hour kayak trip in the Kootneys paddling up an isolated chain of lakes to spend several nights camping on a 3 acre island. What a great way to spend time. Our island was in the center of the lake with 360 degrees of the most beautiful and peaceful views. The paddle was long but the destination was worth it.

The weather was most interesting but our camping gear stood up to the challenge of keeping us warm and dry. My brother is an excellent kayak paddler and a skilled outdoors man. We told stories, bragged outrageously about our past year's accomplishments and wrote the most excellent poetry around our campfire. That campfire survived the downpours and cooked our tinfoil wrapped dinners. Jiffy popcorn and Sweet Caroline toasted the rise of the moon at midnight on the solstice.

Thanks to my brother for a great time enjoying the Kootneys in a Kayak!

For me, nature is where I reconnect with myself. The smoke of the campfire lifts my worries and stress then lets them drift away on the prevailing wind. So now refreshed and inspired I return to the studio.

Otters in the Water

2011-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well all my recent commissions are complete and on their way to their new homes. I am honored to have had the opportunity to create art that combines two visions into one. It is the chance to paint a gift from the heart, a painting that is painted for one special person with allot of thought into who they are and what they love. This last painting was a lovely Nelly Moser clematis on a trellis with a hummingbird hovering over the flowers. The title is "Embrace." It was painted for a very special mom who is so appreciated by her children for the warm embrace of love she has always shared with them.

Now I am into a great fun painting. This is a family of sea otters.....with their happy little inquisitive faces peering back at me from the water. It is 24x36 in acrylic. I think these creatures are such lively joyful creatures that I just had to paint this family. I have been lucky to see them any number of times at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. They always seem as happy to see me as I am to see them.

Watch for this painting to be shown here soon.

2 owlets this year

2011-05-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

We finally were lucky enough to see the second owlet. He has taken a bit longer to learn to fly so was hidden from us. So pleased to finally see both of them. This makes the parents job a bit harder for sure.

"Watching You"

2011-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

My owl painting is complete and I have just had my first owlet sighting of the year. The day I signed this painting I finally saw this year's baby owl - definitely a good day.
It was at dusk that we spotted the single large fuzzy Great Horned owlet. He is about 12" high with light gray fuzz and eyes the size of grapes. He was standing with a wide stance on the top of a fence post. His mom and dad were above in the trees. Lil Fuzzy peered intently at us, then ignored us and then studied us again. We are old friends of his parents so we slowly and politely approached to a nice viewing spot and crouched down to observe. It was so satisfying to finally see who has been high in the nest this spring. The owlet is healthy and strong. It will be fun to watch him grow.

Here is my painting "Watching you."

Time for Owls

2011-05-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when we start to watch for the owls in our area. We have several mated pairs of Great Horned Owls close and it is a special part of our spring and early summer hikes to watch for signs of them. It is great when the young owlets are finally visible in their nursery trees and we get the chance to watch them learn about life. This year we are just wondering if the cold spring will delay the laying and hatching of the eggs.

To celebrate spring I have started a painting of a Great Horned Owl with its owlet. Watch for the completed painting to be posted here soon

Because these owl nests are too high and protected for us to get good look, we see first see the owlets when they are able to fly around their nursery area. By this time these baby owls are huge fuzzy birds almost as big as their parents. They are incredibly cute with an interest in everything. Owlet heads swivel, bob and extend up and down while their large eyes peer at you.

So we are on Owl watch now and will update you all when we have our first baby owl sighting....maybe even have pictures for the blog.

Back to Hiking

2011-04-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

It is awesome when the snow finally goes and the mountain trails open back up for hiking. To be able to get out into the woods and see nature close up is just the best. The trails are still slick in spots and there are large puddles, streams and snow piles to jump and clamber over.

Yesterday I was up on Enderby Cliffs looking out over the valley. The air was clear and the view was amazing. From several different view points you can see all the way to Okanagan Lake one way and to Salmon Arm Fly Hills the other way. Below you the Shuswap River curls and twists in a beautiful pattern of reflected sunlight in the midst of a multi coloured patchwork of farmer's fields.

Animal sightings were limited to chipmunks, grouse, and magpies, that was possibly due to a local yellow lab that decided to join us. A handsome blond dog, he ran up ahead and then doubled back for us, all the while watching for any sign of life that he could joyously chase into the woods. After our hike he turned into the gate of the house at the bottom of the trail, leaving us to suppose that he might daily pick a lucky couple of hikers to accompany him on his jaunt.

Enderby Cliff is well worth the several hours that it takes to hike. They have altered the path, making it substantially easier and they are working on a restoration program on the old trail as erosion was damaging the hillside in that area.

Its great to be back in my hiking boots and back on the trails.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

2011-03-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

The sun highlights the ridges and hard curve of their massive horns as they are sky lined against the distant blue of craggy peaks. This is an agile creature that lives on the ridges and peaks of our Canadian mountains.
Last spring I was lucky enough to hike up into the mountains above Golden BC. There we found two groups of Big Horn Sheep. We first found the females and young and were able to observe them as they rested in the sun. We respected the fact that the females did not want us to approach too close and used our binoculars and photo equipment to watch them from a distance.

Several miles away we found the males and were able to climb right up with them and take the time to really study them. The males were comfortable with our presence and allowed us to approach them. Many wonderful photos resulted but most importantly was the feeling of being in the midst of them.

Two large paintings (3x5 feet) have resulted from that experience both based on the same drawings. The first is an "Out of the Dark" painting called "Ram's Ridge" with the dark charcoal coloured background with a light rendering of these rams.

The second painting "Bighorn Ridge", just completed is in full colour and has an entirely different feel to it.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to express my Bighorn sheep experience in paints.

Its all in the Details.

2011-02-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Its all in the Details. Its an old saying and for me artistically totally correct. In my art work of course I need to have the overall plan for the painting and I need to block in my shapes and have a good idea for the colour composition but in the end for me - it is all in the details.

What attracted me to paint that big horn sheep? It is the impact of seeing him in his natural setting. Both the animal and the setting are made up of such incredible details. His gnarled horned curved and curling, his hair and features presented front of in the natural elements of grass and rock, mountain and sky. Those details call to me to pay the attention to them and render them as true to life as I can. To respect their intricate shapes and textures and do my best to represent them.

Right now working on that big horn sheep painting, the textures and details are singing to me. Watch for the finished painting sometime soon.

Lil Bear Cub

2011-02-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

This painting has been a fun one. A bright blue sky is a great backdrop to the kind of cuteness that you can only see in a bear cub. This cub and his brother shot up a tree while his mom and the other cub ran just over the hill. Looking a bit perplexed, he peers down from his safe spot.

This painting was created using Golden and Liquitex acrylics on canvas. It is full of representations of the textures of nature...the clear blue of the sky and its soft light clouds, the fuzzy texture of fur and linear bark, bear feet and nails....even the little twigs have their own texture. It is a pleasure to create all those varying textures with a paint brush.

February - the month for love

2011-02-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

It is February- the month for love. Not only the love of my life (my husband ) but also the love of life. It is a month to focus and do what I love to do. For me that is painting and dreaming. I am painting in an effort to share a dream. Trying to fill a painted image with an illusive feeling is difficult, but it can and does happen.

It is possible to share what you feel with another using only paint and canvas. In February, I try to get back to my basics, to rebalance what I am doing artistically and check to see that I am still doing what I love to do. That I am still painting what my heart sees. It is a chance to fall deeper in love with magic of art. The world outside is cold and snowy but inside my studio it is warm and full of promise - the promise of many unpainted and yet unshared dreams.

Whale & Turtle Watching in the Sun.

2011-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

One of the great parts of creating Nature Art is getting out and experiencing nature, finding and observing creatures in their own environments. Letting the animals themselves teach me their secrets. These past two weeks I have been an eager learner. I have been on the Hawaiian islands studying the sea turtles and the humpback whales. It was amazing experience to swim with the turtles in the beautiful coral reefs. Massive beds of coral growing in many different colours and shapes with accents of black and pencil slate urchins.

I spent hours swimming with the turtles while the song of the whales gently echoed in my water filled ears. I would enjoy the warm waters till too tired to swim. Then retreat to the beach equipped with high powered binoculars I then observed the whales blow, slap and breach in the ocean passage between islands. It was a phenomenal chance to see them in their breeding and birthing area. A boat trip allowed me an even closer observation of the whales exhibiting all different behaviors. Humpback whales circle and enjoy the warm waters of Hawaii as a shallow safe place to give birth and breed.

Turtles and whales will definitely require further study, not only because they are unique incredible creatures but also because it is just so much fun!

A New Year

2010-12-22T21:32:00.000-08:00

Always at the end of a year we have a tendency to reflect on what we have done and accomplished as well as look forward to new goals. Of course that is what I am doing now. It has been an excellent year for art. I have had the opportunity to get together with great artist friends, participate and learn in some wonderful art shows/events/workshops.There was the big art booth at the Tradex, Abbotsford in March, a great Art andWine tour with Laura in June, Artwalk in Sept, Ramona and me on the road trip to Wyoming for SKB Art retreat and many more events.

This was my year for painting big. Two 6 foot paintings, a 5 foot one, one 4 foot and some smaller ones. I love painting big, not something that I expected at all. The challenge is awesome and it pulls some of the best work out of my finger tips.

I am grateful to all of my new friends and clients who have welcomed my artwork into their homes. It is a honor to have my artwork become part of their lives.

Right now the cutest bear cub is climbing a poplar tree on my easel and I can hardly keep away from the canvas long enough to get ready for Christmas.

I am eagerly looking forward to 2011 as an exciting new year full of opportunities and lots of painting. The paintings that I am looking forward to creating are too numerous to mention, my head and heart are full of them.

To start the year I am lucky enough to be able to create several paintings that have very special meaning to the people they are being painted for. A commission painting is a wonderful collaboration between two hearts poured through the fibers of a brush to create a combined vision.

2011 will be an exciting, full and happy year.

Merry Christmas to All

2010-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

It is a week before Christmas and all through the studio, work is in progress. Paintings on the easel do sit ready and waiting for my best work. Two more are leaning against the desk, in front of my delightfully warm pellet stove. My mind is whirling with commissions and bear cubs....as those are the projects now in the works. As winter rolls round and the snow flakes dance down, I am entranced with painting and cookies. Cookies and paintings are a combination I like....not so good for my thighs but oooooh .... that was a great chocolaty bite. I am sending out all my best wishes to you, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
With this I conclude my late night sugar induced poetically challenged blog.

December Rush

2010-12-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to December. It seems that instantly when it becomes December life speeds up. Well this December is no different. I am running around like a chicken chasing a really fast grasshopper named ART. I am leaping and dancing from one artist event to the next.

At the last minute in November, an artist girlfriend and I decided to put an Art Shoppe into the mall. With allot of work it is now up and running. It looks awesome with our paintings and 6 other artisans that include glasswork, pottery, jewelery and fabric sculpture. The shop is in the old Shopper Drug Mart Store next to the library in Pickadilly Mall, Salmon Arm, BC. We will be there till Christmas...stop on by for a visit.

Also just changed my website, please check it out www.valerierogers.com
This website format is allot better for viewing artwork...it comes up larger and clearer. I know that it will be an organic process with it growing and changing but here it is right now.

Now today is a work day down at the mall 3:00 to 9:00 but also I have an open studio tomorrow that is hosted by the Shuswap District Arts Council, so quickly cleaning and organizing that space for public viewing. It is ready......well yep I guess so.

Yes, a painting on the easel, door prize artwork chosen, dust bunnies corralled, socks picked up and experimental painting hidden (not all experiments work.) It is all coming together!

Need to run buy some goodies...they were going to be home baked...but hey I figure, I will stick to what I do best...and I have been doing that...so the goodies will be professionally made.
I am wonderfully submerged in a multitude of artistic fun and loving every minute of it. I know that I will have to jump out of this pool of art and start thinking about Christmas shopping and decorating but not for a few more days.

StoneScapes

2010-11-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to look at, collect and ponder are rocks and stones. Where ever I go there is an every changing landscape of petrology and geology. Rocks are interesting and I really enjoy observing and studying their varying attributes. My love of stones plays a big part in my paintings as well. My studio is lined with small collections of stones from places that I have visited as well as stones purchased for their beauty. I paint a whole series of paintings that I have named my StoneScapes. (you know not land scapes but instead...)

This is one that I have just been working on. I love to paint the solid texture of rock next to the fluid liquidity of water. One so hard and enduring until it meets the other and then stone gives way before the constant liquid caress of water. Just thinking about this painting's title, ...open to your suggestions.

Starting with Coloured Gesso

2010-10-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Very short of time this week but when I can I have been playing with the affects of coloured Gesso on the paintings. Gesso is the absorbent ground that is painted onto the canvas before beginning your painting. I have been mixing both warm and cool tones of gesso and then watching how that alters the resulting painting. It is amazing how big a difference this causes. The colour of the gesso changes all the colours that you paint on top of it. This is what creates a unity to the painting. So that every part of the image stays connected by this back ground colour. I really believe that this is important in a painting. This is certainly not a new idea but most painters achieve this effect by glazing the gesso with a light coat of the warm or cool tone. I prefer to tint the gesso as you retain the absorbent tooth of the gesso rather than filling it all with a glaze. If you are a painter give it a try, you will like the effect.

Big Paintings Completed!

2010-09-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

It has been a great art summer. It was a pleasure to have the sunlight in the studio where I have been busy working on several small and some large artwork. My husband Neil loves fishing and does manage to find a bit of time to fish, (maybe more than a bit!) I knew I had to paint another fishing painting…..so I completed the second of my fishing series “Gone Fishing #2.”This one is of a river rod and reel on the beach rocks.

Then because I am very pleased that my big moose painting is headed for a good home, I started/finished another really big one (kind of crazy I know) - Misty Morning is a soft painting of a mare under a cottonwood tree in the misty morning light. It is 4 foot by 6 foot and it brings back memories of my very first horse. I am a horse lover.

Summer is an excellent time for me to collect inspirations and experiences that may become paintings. I was delighted to have the opportunity to study and photograph the big horned sheep of the Rocky Mountains. In one day of hiking I was able to observe both the females and their young in one herd and the rams in another. It was amazing how close Neil and I were able to get to the big males…they really did not seem concerned at all. This inspired an “Out of the Dark painting called Ram’s Ridge (3 foot x 5 foot.) It is of three big horned sheep that are resting on the top of a mountain ridge. It was a wonderful challenge to create the textures that make these creatures so unique, the mature curled horns, the thick hair and their intelligent eyes.

Just wanted to share this completed work with you.

Art-Walk

2010-09-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well Art-walk has come and gone. It was wonderful. The work that goes into the set up and presentation of the Winfield Art-walk is amazing. The organizing committee think of everything. It was extremely well attended and I enjoyed it immensely. My booth came together and my new look (a bit more country) went over well.
This show was the deadline I had set for myself to complete my two big paintings. I made it....although if you leaned in close to those two canvases you could smell the varnish. They and my other paintings were really well received by everyone and I was very pleased to make the top ten artists of the Art Walk. So today back home, a bit tuckered out but happy to have successfully completed my last deadline....now planning my new one.
Always happy planning.....

Island trip

2010-08-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Just back from a wonderful island trip. We stayed right on the water at Critter Cove in Nooka Sound. It is amazing all the life that exists and multiplies in and near the ocean. During the 3 day trip we saw humpback whales, rafts of otters (that is what a group of otters is called - I googled it) seals and bears .......and of course fish of all types. Here is the photo of one group of otters. The weather was amazing ....always a bonus when visiting Vancouver Island where rain is more of the norm. The ocean was calm and beautiful.....alas not really calm enough for my stomach....but hey when I see a whale...I forget all about being green about the gills. I have painted otters and bears before ....but now have more great reference for the future. Right now I am still working on the 2 large canvases....getting them ready for Art Walk. The one is called Misty Morning and is a gentle painting of a horse under a tree in the mist.....I could have called it Christy in the Morning as it reminds me of the first horse Christy my brothers and I had. The other big one is of three big rams on a ridge. I have been jumping back and forth.....painting on one and then the other. Wish me speedy painting as time is marching along.

Big paintings

2010-08-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

This was the week to start some big paintings......two. I am hoping that they will balance each other with the one giving me a break from the other. So far it just seems like allot of work no matter which way you look in the studio. I love my ideas though and they are starting to take off. It is funny how the idea can come to you full blown or just grow slowly as you work. In this case I have one of each. The big painting at 4feet by 6 feet has been wandering around in my head for awhile....the smaller one is developing a bit differently than I had first planned. They both are dark backgrounds with one staying dark and the other becoming misty and light. The one will have a horse in it and the other 3 big horned sheep. So that is enough information to tantalize you. Hopefully by next post I will have some pictures to show you also. So back to the Easel.

Bears

2010-07-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

As a wildlife artist I am always looking for wildlife and it has been a great week. I try to get at least 3 or 4 hikes in every week. I love to hike in the woods. I say it is for the health benefits but really it is for the chance to get out into the trees to feel the quiet, under the leafy canopy and just absorb the wilderness. Usually I will see chipmunks, squirrels and birds. But this week has been stellar, I have seen 3 black bears. Two of our hikes brought us within 20 yards of a beautiful glossy black bear. The third I saw from our boat as we were boat camping. It was a young cinnamon bear as he came to the waterline to drink. I love the opportunity to watch bears in their own element. Seeing them becomes the birthplace for my paintings....maybe not this week or month, but I store the experience, savour it and someday......

Patterson Award

2010-07-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

I am delighted to say that I am the recipient of the John Edgar Patterson award for my painting "Steady and Swift." This is the top award for the Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts.
It is a really pleasure to join the wonderful artists who have won this before me.

Large Art Work

2010-07-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Painting the large art work like my moose has issues that are slightly different than normal sized work. Most of them as you would expect have to do with the size and weight. First you have to realize that the canvas can only be pushed up as high as your ceiling will allow. That seems just like common sense but it can catch you by surprise when you want to work on the bottom corner of it and the top is touching the ceiling. My normal easel doesn't really do a good job of holding it in the horizontal position.....(may be because my easel is mad at me because of the gesso mishap) but it is very tippy. It is a good idea to clamp this in if your easel can, if not watch bumping the out side edges while working. The painting work can be hard on your back as for some of it you have to bend. Also big paintings are more difficult to varnish.....as the size makes it difficult to spray your varnish in one swoop side to side. For my" Out of the Dark Moose" I had a shipping box made (thank you Neil) to protect this painting in transit. The box is huge and heavy but protects the painting wonderfully. So painting big has been a bit of an effort.... but all of it is worth it when you see the end result.

Home for the Moose

2010-07-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

My big black moose painting has found the perfect home. He will be traveling to a magnificent log cabin which is just being completed. The owners are the nicest people who have built this cabin as a place to relax and enjoy nature. They have furnished it with beautiful iron work and the main door is an amazing carving of a moose with an iron antler handle. The log cabin is a work of art that is a delightful home for my painting.

Summer heat is here

2010-07-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well summer took a while to arrive this year but it is definitely here now. The studio with it's big bright windows is just sucking the heat in. My studio is one of my favorite room to be in but now its best attributes are causing the temperatures to rise. I have taken to painting earlier in the day and try to escape the studio by 2:00 when the sunlight starts to blast in. A window treatment help but still the studio days are much shorter at this time of the year. The paint also drys so quickly as to make work difficult.

Out of the Dark Moose

2010-07-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is my largest painting to date. It is 4 feet by 6 feet. I wanted to paint a big magnificent moose and this was the way to properly reflect the size of him. It is amazing when you get a chance to see a moose in nature and I wanted my painting to reflect that feeling of awe. So the focus of the painting is the huge rack of antlers being lit by the sunlight against the dark woods. The mist is weaving through the trees behind the moose. It was a great project and very satisfying to complete.

Gesso explosion

2010-07-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is a quick post on what not to do. Do Not....I repeat Do Not drop an open container of white gesso in front of your new easel......there by changing the color of it permanently...to a kind of dirty white as the unfinished wood sucked up the gesso like lemonade. The gesso managed to smack down and shoot it self all over the floor (10 foot spray) covering a section of wall, one original painting, one glass frame, the pellet stove, my compressor and did I mention my beautiful new easel. It was like I had thrown thick pudding all over the end of the room.This changed my painting afternoon into a cleaning afternoon. With a great deal of scrubbing I have removed the gesso from most of what it hit......it came off the original with ease (thank goodness) but everything else was serious work......the floor has some white seams which will require further work.....but most has cleaned up OK. ....well I do notice that I have some on my knee, top of my foot, wrist and shirt.

Great Art Friends

2010-07-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Just want to take a moment and say how much I appreciate my great art friends. These are the people who are always ready to share in an art adventure, who get as excited as I do about a new paint colour or canvas, who readily share their knowledge and passion about art, who delight in long marketing talks and abstract conversations on art. I want to thank this long list of great art friends and say you guys are all great! Happy Painting to you all.

Out of the Dark series

2010-07-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

My "Out of the Dark" series is all based on what you can see at dawn and dusk, when the light is soft. These paintings are of animals that are just caressed by those first or last remaining rays of light. These paintings are formed by the light and dark. It is as if I am sculpting the image out of the dark. I want to create the feeling of amazement when you see a bear as it steps free of the darkness of the woods, or a fawn as it peers back at you from the side of a meadow.

Storm Cloud Series

2010-07-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Storm Cloud series right now consists of "Cougar Ridge" which features a beautiful cougar gracefully stalking down a rocky ridge. His face is still and focused and looking just past the viewer. Number two in this series is "Cloud Watcher" which is a mountain panorama with storm clouds wrapped around. On a solitary rock, a mountain goat stares out over the valley cloud.
The third is a Kestrel Hawk on a fence post under gray stormy clouds. Tendrils of flowering honey suckle wrap up the post and reach toward the resting hawk. In each of these paintings the clouds set both the feeling, tone and color for the painting.

Busy Summer

2010-07-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy spring and summer with lot of projects. In the studio, my Storm Cloud series has progressed to three painting. My focus for this series is the dark stormy skies behind the wildlife subject. The sky gives more emotion to the painting, giving it a depth that sunny skies would not.

Art blogging

2010-06-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my art blog. I have decided to share part of my art creation process with you.

I want to tell you what I am thinking when I start an art project and how I plan the process.