Happy New Year

It is always an interesting time when the end of the year rolls around.

I greet it with mixed feelings. Have I done as well as I hoped in the past year?...what are my goals for the new year???

 Then as I reflect.... there is always such wonderful happenings in the past year that I worry that the new year will have to really work to do as well.

Then I realize that it is all about perception, mindfulness and a decision that this will be the best year ever. It is my job to create it as such.

So I am really looking forward to this awesome upcoming year full of family, joy, health, wealth and happiness. Have a great one everyone! See you in 2017! We will have a wonderful time.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday. Here are a couple of my paintings made into Christmas greetings.....all the best to you!

Framing - so important

Framing is such an important part of artwork. It can make or break not only the appearance but also the longevity of the artwork. It can be so hard to do it right and even when you do, it might not suit the home or business the artwork is going to be displayed in.  Yet when it is done right it makes artwork simply wonderful.

The first part sounds easy, just pick a frame that suits the artwork. Now you must consider colour, texture, width, surface shine, durability, price and like-ablity (will most people like it.) That last one is for me as an artist as I am choosing in the hopes that my collectors will like it.  Sometimes is goes so easily...the frame just works....other time you need to try all the samples twice to come to your decision.

Now I have to thank my framers for being incredible understanding and helping me out so much with advice, suggestions and support.  Moulding & More in Westbank are the greatest....always ready to help me figure out what I should do.  Big Thank you  out to them.

This is one of three boxes of frame corners to choose from. The big mountain painting below has three stacked frames to get that particular effect.

Around the World with Art

Imago Mundi Art is a fantastic idea where artists around the world are selected to represent themselves and their part of the world with a small 4 inch painting.  I was pleased to be part of this and to have my painting travel to Venice to hang with art from ....well ....everywhere.

This art is like a vibrant belt of creativity that is wrapping around and around the world...showing snippets of what is important to each of us. Of course mine had to be about animals...celebrating those little tree creatures that always make me smile.

Huge thanks to the organizers of this and to Laura Watmough from Hidden Talent Art School for introducing me to it.
Here is my painting in the lovely art book that has been created to commemorate our part of this world wide art program.   http://www.valerierogers.com/

http://www.valerierogers.com/

Painting rocks and water

In response to some questions about painting rocks and water thought I would post this painting progression. I totally love to paint rocks and water, to try an represent two such different and beautiful elements together is a challenge; the liquid transparency of water and the solid strength of stone.

This painting was one of those that just seemed to enjoy being created. Each step kind of flowed into the next just like the river it represented.

Here are the photo representations of the steps that it went through. Starting at a pale grey coloured gesso (tinted with blue & brown to make soft grey) and blocking in the shapes of river, rocks and background. After basic shapes, I usually block in the darks an lights. Then proceeding to develop each of these area, starting from the top of the painting and working down.   http://www.valerierogers.com/

http://www.valerierogers.com/

Painting rocks and water

In response to some questions about painting rocks and water thought I would post this painting progression. I totally love to paint rocks and water, to try an represent two such different and beautiful elements together is a challenge; the liquid transparency of water and the solid strength of stone.

This painting was one of those that just seemed to enjoy being created. Each step kind of flowed into the next just like the river it represented.

Here are the photo representations of the steps that it went through. Starting at a pale grey coloured gesso (tinted with blue & brown to make soft grey) and blocking in the shapes of river, rocks and background. After basic shapes, I usually block in the darks an lights. Then proceeding to develop each of these area, starting from the top of the painting and working down.   http://www.valerierogers.com/

http://www.valerierogers.com/

Graphite Pencil in my Art

I love the look of pencil drawings, monochromatic and pen/ink. There is a simplicity that speaks to my heart. Often in the my own  artwork I will let the pencil show through to the end painting. The fur of the rabbit may show the shadows that have been put in at the very start with pencil as the under coat. The eyelashes or whiskers may be pencil. The tri-colour  hair of deer is made up of pencil under and over paint.

As one of the first art tools as a small child...the pencil is still one of my favorite tools. At the end of the painting I seal both the paint and pencil together with my isolation coat to make the two an integral part of the art.

This half done owl painting is great example, the drawing was very detailed and the paint was very light to let the graphite pencil show through. I just use a standard mechanical pencil for this part. 

The kitten's basket is mostly pencil with only the lightest application of colour on it. This young man's portrait was pencil and graphite powder applied with a paper stumpy plus acrylic paint.  Pencil can be such a cool part of the completed art.  Have to make one of my next painting...show the pencil work.

Grizzly Painting inspiration

This painting was created after a wonderful chance meeting with grizzly down by a river. What good fortune that the river stood like a good neighbor fence between us......we were close enough for me to admire and study him....yet feel comfortable that we were each in our own space. Together we ambled down the river, me delighted and he totally unconcerned just out on a Sunday morning stroll.
 http://www.valerierogers.com/

Valerie Rogers Turtle Painting

Just wanted to share a few developmental photos of one of this summers paintings to give some idea of how I approach a painting. 

We have a wonderful local pond where lucky walkers most often can see these painted turtles resting on logs in the sun. I am always delighted to see them and of course have to paint them. 

Here is my step by step process for this particular painting. 

Awesome Art Show and Sale

Wow, it has been an awesome art show at Teyjah'sArt Den in Salmon Arm (751 Marine Park Drive Ne, Salmon Arm.) Love that my paintings are speaking to people and bringing a smile to their faces and hearts. It has been such fun that we are going to continue in the afternoons 1-6:00 for 3 more days till August 21.

 It is such a pleasure to spend time showing what I have created. My studio is a quiet and solitary. So I really love the chance to get to socialize and share. A huge thank you to Teyjah for lending her studio space to me.....it is a wonderful art gallery and studio.  So many visiting artists are so envious of how nice you have made it. And thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by!

Valerie Rogers Art Show

Wildlife & Nature Art Show
I am excited to have an upcoming art show in Salmon Arm, BC.

Teyjah's Art Den is in a new location down at the wharf in Salmon Arm (address 751 Marine Park Drive NE) and I am lucky enough to have an art show there for 10 days in August.

Show times and dates are August 8-18, 2016 afternoons 1:00 - 6:00pm. Sure would like to see you there. Stop in for a visit. Lots of Nature and Wildlife Art.

Kitten paintings

There is lots of kitten paintings out there I am sure but YES I do feel a need to add to that collection every now and then. I just so enjoy recreating that feeling of AWWWW...how intensely fuzzy, delicate and cute their small baby faces are.

There is a warm feeling in my heart when I hug a kitten....and sitting on the floor while they romp and play around me just makes me happy. So here are a couple small kittens paintings to make your heart happy.

Valerie Rogers - BC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2016

It certainly is a great feeling to be chosen as the Artist of the Year 2016 by BC Wildlife Federation. What an honor....to be able to do more by supporting conservation and province wide wildlife protection. The sale of my artwork is helping to fund  their many worthwhile programs. A big thank you to all the volunteers and members  of BC Wildlife Federation who make a difference by protecting our natural habitats and creatures. So great to be a part of that with my artwork.

Lift Off and Soar

My biggest painting to date  is now available for sale. It was created last year to celebrate flight and Canadian geese.  It was featured in the Kelowna International Airport in the departures area for six months. Thousands of visitors to the area had the chance to have a close up view on this flock of nine almost life size geese lifting off and flying away. These large birds are a delightful mix of power and grace.

It was a intense but satisfying project to paint a 33 foot long wildlife life painting that represented something so very familiar and beautiful.
For pricing, hanging and shipping information please contact me,
Valerie Rogers     rogersart@shaw.ca    or         250-832-2336

Remembering Stanley

We are a cat loving family and we have been lucky enough to have some wonderful cats over our lives. But Stanley stands out because he was such a sweet loving and yet fun loving cat....he was an easy cat to live with...he loved our company but was happy enough to do his own thing if we were too busy to play with him.

He was big and fluffy....with a loud purr that always made me smile. Now he has been gone for a while  but  today was a cat missing day for me....so I thought I would share a painting from years ago that features Stanley...the wonder cat.

This painting has it own story as it was created to celebrate the 75 birthday of Salmon Arm's Art Gallery heritage building which has in its time been a post office, library and gallery.  You will notice a letter under two books with titles that reflect the buildings story, under Stanley to celebrate all the cats that have been fed at the back door of the SAGA building.  Oh the memories.  :)

Wild Mess...then Tidy

I know artists are supposed to be all messy and wild.....kind of bohemian with a touch of crazy. Now not saying that isn't true when I am in the midst of painting. Paint gets flicked everywhere, paper towel and rags are dropped wherever when un-needed....I wheel around in my chair like a rally driver from my easel to my view point when checking how the painting looks from a distance. It is wild, tense and fun.

But when I am done the day of painting I like to tidy up ....get the paints ready for using again ...get those brushes totally clean and ready...make sure the stack ofpaper towel is there, that my eraser, pencil and exacto blade are ready too.

So when creating time comes again, I can just fly at it. I even get my clean water ready for the next day. I want to fall into the artwork not fuss when I start. So yes, my work space is fairly tidy and I do manage it so that it doesn't overwhelm me when I work.  Nothing better than to just create without having to search for the missing magenta or refill the glazing liquid.  Start the day clean with a clear vision...it goes so much better that way.

Art for Conservation

It is my pleasure to be able to use my artwork to support a variety of conservation groups that work hard to preserve our creatures and their habitat.  These people take their time, energy and funds to find new and innovative ideas to protect and preserve the creatures of our world from the many dangers that our lifestyles presents. I want to take this blog to say a huge Thank you to those individuals that care enough to do this.

The world is full of many differing ideologies and while we don't all come to the decision to protect our natural world from the same position, I sure appreciate all the people that are lending their hands and hearts to this.

It brings me joy to do my bit to help, both with personal effort, funds and my artwork.

We all need to bring this to the forefront of our minds and think about the adjustments that we can make in our lives that will make a difference to our natural world and it inhabitants....it will benefit us...as we too are inhabitants.

Pygmy Owl Painting - Start to Finish

Here it is a photo story showing the start to finish of my acrylic painting on illustration board.  It is a small painting 8x10 inches.  Hope you enjoy seeing its development.

New Year - New Art

It is always great when a new year starts and I make my plans of what I dream will happen this year.
Some of them are the same each year....always seem like there is a few pounds I would like to lose. Always know I would like to be healthier and stronger.

But each year the art goals change a bit...I want to push myself to grow, create better and more emotional art. By emotional I don't mean art that makes you cry, but I would like to keep improving my art work so that when you look at the paintings they speak to you, remind you of the wonder of the creatures that share the world with us. Those beautiful natural landscapes that are food for our eyes and souls.  I hope that my art make you remember when you had the chance to see them....and all the feelings that moment brought to you. A painted translation of the wild magic of nature at its best.

As 2016 starts, I am planning my goals and my anticipation is high. Keep watching and see what happens. :)