2011 Muskoka Chair, now working on "GrandMaster"

Zoo that Surrounds Me

Exercising in Paint

Just spending some time tonight exercising my painting arms. Nothing special, nor even practical, I suppose. Thinking out loud. I was wondering why it is people ever gave up finger painting; you know, it's wonderful fun.

Lost

Just realized that I hadn't posted in ages. I'm lost right now, just lost. There is just so much going on around me ... and I feel lost in the middle of someplace I shouldn't be. Or at least it feels that way. And my friends are all leaving or left.

Have dug my way back to the easel, cleaned the brushes, changed the palette and adjusted the lighting. What's wrong with me? Dunno. So tonight I've cleaned off the desk and pulled out my sketchbooks. Even found two unfinished drawings that really need completing. And there is still the painting on the easel that needs me.

Noting the absence of light

Small and fast was this one, working in oil, done last night. (4"x6") Series is loosely based on the ravine setting I've moved into and life in general at the moment.


No matter what i do, I cannot photograph this painting satisfactorly. I've given up by now. You simply must see this one in person to fully appreciate it. (30"x40")


Again, difficult to photograph, but here is the whole piece pretty much completed. As good a photo as I can take myself (which is not saying much). (20"x24")

Have made particular note of the essensial need for better lighting in my studio. As an artist who works predominantly in the evening or afterdark hours, when my works are taken out into the daylight this is noticabley evident. I have to find a way to either paint outside, at a minium surrounded by natural daylight, or drastically improve the interior situation at my easel. This will become a focus in the following week(s).

Have been continuing to paint without drawing with some success. Needless to say, I really miss drawing. Am not too sure that the directional flow created by the hand underpainting is really beneficial or detrimental to the essence of the final piece; I'm of two minds about this and thoroughly undecided. Perhaps this needs to be merged more in thought and practice with the presently unknown resulting image, to ensure a unity of both. This beyond a doubt would limit the organization of colours over form to something that is meticulously preplanned, which concurrently denies the freshness or spirit that needs to be captured in order to have a successful painting.

Working in both mediums for years, I can say that acheivement of this in practice would perhaps be easiest in acrylic, but that freshness and lustfulness of colour would come for using oils; and I want to use oils. It might not photograph well, but one needs to feel that lust when looking upon a painting.

Pillar Rock Sketch/Drawing

Yeah, I know, another sketch/drawing that I think I'm just going to leave the way it is for now. No messin' with it. Another basis for a painting, methinks. Pillar Rock is also in the Hell Holes ravine. Very cool.

Ravine Sketch (20x24"ish)

Have decided to leave this as a simple sketch, and will most likely move on now to a painting. May or may not be this particular scene, but I'm sorta working in a series again all on this "Hell Holes" ravine area outside of Kingston, Ontario. I'll probably play a bit with this one here and there. Hmm.