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/