Monday, November 21, 2016

Garlic and Gyzmo

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - We have this gizmo in our kitchen, a rubbery plastic tube.  If you put a clove of garlic in it and roll it around, the skins come right off. Magic.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Cabbage and Crystal

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I left cabbage  a bit too long in the garden (maybe it was broccoli - I can't remember). The flowers are interesting and still going in November.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

A Pair of Pears

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I found this coffee pot a long while ago never intending to make coffee with it. I just thought it was an interesting object.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Vase and Onion

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard.  Believe it or not we still have a few things flowering in our garden like these snapdragons.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Orange and Bottle

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I had a hankering to do some still life so I set this simple one up on my stand. One day I will share with you the design of the stand.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Lake in the Woods

8 x 10 inches - oil on linen board - I used a lot more impasto on this than I  usually do.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Low Tide

9 x 12 inches - oil on hardboard - This little boat waits in the mud for the tide to rise so it can go out fishing again.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Sunset by the Lake

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - My objectives were to give the feeling of silhouette without totally blowing out the darks and I wanted to do this by limiting the number of strokes letting the viewer fill in the detail.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Somewhere in Spain

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - I came across this photo from a trip we made to Spain a few years ago and decided to paint it.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Rory

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - As with most golden retrievers, this copper coloured one is gentle and calm.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Zipper on a Footstool

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Himself as he wonders why we got up so early and considers whether he will leave us in peace while we have our morning coffee.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Green Hill

6 x 12 inches - oil on hardboard - This is the hill we live on. It is very colourful this time of year and I decided to capture how it looks before all the leaves fall off in a couple of days.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Down to Sherbrooke

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Here is the view from the top of our hill. The colours of the trees are great this year.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Cow Henge

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - The late in the day sun creates great shadows.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Rocks on the Shore

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - This was tricky to make the painting hold together and still be believable.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Fire Tower

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - This one was mostly fantasy cobbled from a number of reference photos.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Waves on the Rocky Shore

6 x 6 inches - Oil on Gessoboard - For this painting, I first manipulated the reference photo on my computer so that I could try out various looks and enhance certain areas of the image, softening others. When I took the photo, I was standing up but this viewpoint was dropped a bit.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Bend in the Rocky Shore

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - I have been trying to loosen up a bit lately. I am happy with the way this one worked out.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Trees on the Cliff

7 x 5 inches - oil on gessoboard - It is amazing how these trees manage to cling to the cliff without sliding down into the lake.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Sunset on a Rocky Shore

6 x 8 inches - Oil on Gessoboard - I liked the way the late afternoon sun lit up the trees along the shore.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

St. Ives

9 x 12 inches - oil on gessoboard - This is of a charming seaside town in the UK.

Monday, September 26, 2016

By the River in Peterborough

7 x 5 inches - oil on gessoboard - We live in one of those lucky places that has a river running through it.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Spring Blossoms

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - This one is a bit out of season but what can you do.  When the idea hits you have to use it.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Elora Gorge

6 x 8 inches - Oil on gessoboard - A few years ago we visited this inn by the Elora Gorge. It is a beautiful location but sadly the inn closed down for renovations. I hope the changes work out well.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Lane by the Avon River

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - There is a great little walk we often take from our B&B to go to for dinner or to the theatre in Stratford. It is a quiet lane that passes along the river. I have been playing with limited palettes and here is one of my efforts.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

House Behind the Hedge

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - found on a street in Stratford, this little house is neatly tucked behind a hedge that protects it from the sounds of the street.

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Hallway

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Here is a scene from the hallway at our B&B in Stratford.

Saturday, June 18, 2016

View to the Roof

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - While staying in Stratford, I looked up and caught this scene.  I liked the shapes that the old roof created against the sky.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Variety

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - Here is a little variety store that was across the street from our B&B in Stratford. I was attracted to the contrasts and colours that happen in the dark.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Night Work

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - After all the people have gone home, there is still work to do getting ready for tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Avon Shore

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - While visiting Stratford, Ontario to attend the Stratford Festival we had great walks along the river.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Bleeding Heart


5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - such an unusual shaped flower we welcome to our garden every spring.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Red and Yellow Tulips


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Here are some tulips from our garden.  I was attracted to the contrast between these and the hosta.




Monday, May 16, 2016

Peony - Coral Sunset


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - This is one of the newer varieties with strong stems that do not fold over in the first storm.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Three Green Bottles


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I found these tiny bottles and have been exploring how light works on them.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Teacher's Bell


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I don't suppose these bells are used anymore, but I found one that is fun to paint with all its tricky reflections.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Monday, May 9, 2016

Three Blue Jars


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Here is the second painting that I made of my blue jars.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Peony - Pastel Elegance


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Every year we love to visit Blossom Hill Nursery in Peterborough when the peonies are in bloom.  There is not enough room in our garden for all of them but it is great to see them while they are on display.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Two Blue Jars


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I picked these jars up some time ago thinking some day I would like to paint them. Well that day finally came around.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Blue Poppy


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - For gardeners, the blue poppy is special, partly because true blue is rare for flowers and partly because it is so difficult to grow. We traveled many miles past Quebec city to Grand Metis in the Gaspe to Reford Gardens. That's were we saw blue poppies and it was well worth the trip.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Edge of the Marsh


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Even though we are surrounded by natural places, we don't always get a chance to get out there to see them. At least we can put reminders of them on our walls.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Peony - Golden Wheel


6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Yellow peonies are special and still not very common.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Tay Ling and Shadow


9 x 12 inches - oil on hardboard - Here are Tay Ling and Shadow. They are gone now but remembered fondly.  Tay was not the sharpest knife in the drawer but had his charms. He was a stocky large shih tzu and his neck was so thick that he would slip out of any collar so we had to put him in a harness. Our grandchildren called him suitcase. Shadow was a nervous dog who always had to make sure everything and everyone were ok.