Pub on the Corner

 8 x 8 inches - oil on hardboard - I try not to be afraid of the dark but it changes things. 

Here are some of my typical materials. I tend to use smooth boards on small paintings (8 inches or less), 8 x 10 and 9 x 12 tend to be the finer weave linen panels, the larger paintings I tend to use canvas panels, and the very large on stretched canvas. I went through a phase of walnut oil and I still use Graham's walnut medium but lately I have been using linseed based oils. For brushes, I have found that the long flats in synthetic bristles work for me but I also use a small soft round for some things. I have found that keeping my brushes in a small plastic bag with a little safflower oil keeps them from drying out and protected. Any paint left in the bristles stays soft and I can easily wipe off the oil for the next adventure.

This might be the my post for several weeks while I am traveling.  I have a series of wildlife portraits completed which I will share when I get back.

A Storm is Coming

 

12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas board - I used to avoid varnish because you have to wait 6 months for the paint to dry thoroughly. I recently discovered that this is a lot of 'hooey' because Gamvar breaths just enough to allow the paint to continue to dry. I occasionally would spray a temporary varnish to even the colours out but that stinks and it is a pain to do. This one could use it and I will varnish it soon.

Peonies in the Morning

 

9 x 12 inches - oil on linen board - I tend to jump around when it comes to both subjects and style. I suppose I could stick to one thing and perfect it. That might sell more and increase the popularity of my work. However, that would not be as much fun for me and I would not learn as much. So I will probably continue to do a series of a few at a time and then move on to something else. I hope you will have patience with me as I try to become a better artist. For inspiration and ideas I draw on a lifetime of experiences including travel, places I have lived, visits to family and just plain imagination. You will find subjects from Peterborough, the small town where I live along with our gardening experiences there, Stratford where we spend a lot of time particularly in the summer, from Hawaii where we have visited three times, from Rondeau Park a small bay on the north shore of Lake Erie where I spent a lot of my youth....etc. etc. You will also find portraits of pets that I have done by request mostly. Getting a portrait made of your pets is a good thing to do, because I am often asked to recreate an image of a pet that has passed. The most valuable thing you can do is to take a photo at eye level of your pet while they are with you and you will not regret the effort.

Trout Stream in Winter

12 x 16 inches - oil on canvas board - Let's talk about painting supports. This was painted on an inexpensive yet archival canvas board because I am thrifty. I don't want to be to precious about my paintings so I go for what works for me and gives me a solid end product. I am not fond of stretched canvas except for very large paintings due to weight, and prefer a solid surface that will not flex after the paint dries. I know that I enjoy painting them and sharing them on line. Occasionally someone likes them enough to buy one which is great. So its all good. Because I am old, I have some paintings that I did more than 40 years ago that appear to be in as good shape as they were when I painted them. So I know for sure the paintings that I do now will outlast me and probably outlast anyone who buys one. Now if I get famous in 300 years after I am gone and the Louvre wants to hang one, they can pay the big bucks for a conservator to fix what is ailing with it or they can just pound sand.

 

Winter by the River

12 x 16 inches - oil on canvas board - I find it is safer to use canvas on larger paintings and linen or hardboard on smaller ones because there is less danger of the texture of the support interfering with the image. I don't know if that makes sense but it makes sense to me.
 

Cliff Revised

 

12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas board - Same cliffs but different.

Cliff with Rocks

 

12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas board - Cliffs always add some drama to a seascape.

Coastal Fog

12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas board - It's too bad that sound is not part of paintings because this is not a quiet scene.
 

Sand Dune

 

9 x 12 inches - oil on linen board - Fragile and beautiful, the dunes keep the beach from blowing away.

Rocks by the Coast

 

9 x 12 inches - oil on linen board - While it is tempting to walk out on the rocks, don't do it because a rogue wave could come and take you out.

Salt Marsh Dream

 

9 x 12 inches - oil on linen board - I have been to Venice but not to this particular place except in Donna Leon's novels.

After the Rain

 

9 x 12 inches - oil on linen panel - After a spring rain it is probably best to stay on the path.

Yellow House in the Woods

 

8 x 10 inches - oil on linen board - It can be a challenge to live far from the suburbs but one good thing is there is a lot of wood available for your fireplace.

House by the Sea

 

8 x 10 inches - oil on linen board - There are places along the shore where the sun doesn't come out much. I remember while living near Halifax, I would leave in fog to go to a bright day in the city and come back later to fog again.  BTW while I have been painting every day, I haven't posted for a while.  I have been trying to figure out a better way to photograph.