Painting Snow

I have been having so much fun painting with oils. I use them mostly straight out of the tube because I love the texture.  It is the one thing that oils do better than any other medium.  I may however have to start using a medium to thin the paint because while it doesn't freeze it does get very thick.

While painting portraits in the Burlington Fine Art Association studio yesterday some of us discussed painting today.  What a great idea that turned out to be.  We headed down to Valley Inn Rd to paint some snow.  It was a fantastic day.  About -3 C with the sun occasionally peaking out through gaps in the clouds.  Five of us showed up to paint and I think that we are all happy with the results.  I know that I am.  This painting loses a lot in the photo because you can't see the texture but few oil paintings photograph well unless done professionally.  This painting has a couple of problems but I am excited about it despite them.
This is a view of Valley Inn Road where it crosses the bridge and then climbs up the bluff to York Road at the top.  The Valley Inn Hotel built about 1820 was just to the right of the bridge but it burned down in 1959.

Painting with Snow

Oh what fun this was.  I was at the Scout Camp and it was a bit slow at the nature centre so I got my paints out.  It was -12 C, had been snowing for about 24 hours and a light powdery snow was still falling all about me.  I was revelling in the fact that my paints weren't freezing and merrily working away when my paint started to get gritty.  I kept working but it was like there was sand in my paint and the texture on the painting was really odd.  I blamed the paint and it wasn't until I got inside and warm enough that I could relax and think it through that I realized that it was ice crystals from the snow falling on my palette that was the problem.   It is just as well that it isn't a very good painting because I am sure that the integrity of the painting will suffer from the water mixed in with the paint. I was quite literally painting with snow.

What a Day

I am feeling very very overwhelmed right now.  I cannot believe the support that I received from family, friends and artistic colleagues today.  I would especially like to thank Debbie for her support and her help in making my first ever solo show special.  I could not have done it without you.  I would also like to thank Rob and Margaret Roi for giving me the opportunity to show my work in such an amazing venue.

My Solo Show

I am very excited and very nervous.  I have been in many group shows but tomorrow we are hanging paintings for my very first solo show.  It is in St. James Anglican Church in Dundas and I will be presenting over thirty of my paintings.  The opening is on Sunday at 1 pm and the show will run for the month of December.

For more information about the show click on the invitation.

Primavera Farm

My first ever "plein air" painting was painted at Primavera Farm. There was an old oak tree that I would have liked to have painted at the time but artists parked their cars at the base of it.  I was elated when I was invited back so I went to paint the tree.  It was 3 C with a gusty wind and the best vantage point was from an open field.  I had to hold on to my paint box and my hands were pretty stiff when I finished but I managed a decent painting considering the conditions.

Scottsdale Farm

I met with five other Ontario Plein Air Society artists to paint at Scottsdale Farm northwest of Toronto.  It was another wonderful day.  About 13 C and Sunny with cloudy periods.  We painted from 11:00 until 3:30 PM.  This painting was done first.  The warm soft golden grass in the fields contrasted well with the cool green of the trees and the old fence.

The second painting was rushed and I was already exhausted so I am not happy enough with it to post it.

My Solo Show

St James Anglican Church has supported local artists for many years.  They fill their worship hall with artwork and open a new show on the first Sunday of every month.  Many very accomplished artists have had shows here so I was very excited three years ago when they invited me to show.  The three years has passed and so it is show time.

I am now very excited and very nervous.  It is one thing to have four or so paintings hanging in a show where they are supported by the works of other artists but for this show I will be hanging over thirty of my paintings and they have to stand all on their own.  On top of that all where painted in one sitting and all but one were either painted from a sitting model or on location.