25 April 2011

Drawing on 16x12" (40.6x30.4 cm.) canvas, with tree shadow across it.

Today's progress on painting.  Those green blobs in front of the house are chairs which are behind the verandah railing, put there to fill the spaces between the posts later..

The painting and the Myers' house itself.  This painting is in trade for Dave Myers having made all the frames for my November show at Swoon Gallery, and some extras besides.  (www.swoonfineart.com)

Long time not drawing; busy with painting, starting tomatoes, flowers, &c, and having a social whirl over this long Easter weekend.  Holidays are for enjoying my friends.  This is the weekend that I like to "inaugurate" the outdoors painting season by going out to paint.  Today, Easter Monday, was my last chance and I seized upon it.  My only regret is not having got out for the other two gorgeous days. 

9 April 2011

Granville Ferals at the Hall again

Last week's practice time was supplanted by the monthly community potluck supper. 

7 April 2011

Return to blogging

Greeting for 2013!  I am back to my blog!  First I got busy with 2011 summer.  Then, January 2012, I fell into my stairwell and had two gifts from that fall.  One was the best bone density test there is; a fall with no broken bones in spite of some Technicolor bruises.  So much for allegedly having Severe Osteoporosis.  Recovering cost too much time spent catching up, until now.  Then, as I had a show opening in April 2012 at Swoon  Fine Art, just outside Halifax, I had to get painting.  (You can see much of my recent painting at swoonfineart.com.)

I got my second gift I got myself together to prepare for that April show:  I was painting with a great deal more confidence, sureness, and satisfaction than ever before; the work turned out stronger than almost anything I'd painted before; and others noticed this step forward.  I have been continuing on this path, preparing for a show this coming May, also at Swoon.

This morning I woke up with images in my head, and above are the thumbnails I quickly drew out.  If you care about the order I did them: I began with the middle one on the left, then did the 3 of about the same size on the right, then the bottom left one, the bottom right one, and finally, the upper left one.  I don't think it matters if you cannot read my notes to myself. 

I am eager to get my January reorganizing (two Januarys worth!) done enough that I can make painting my priority, not a treat fitted into the rest of my day.  More later....

6 April 2011

Three Bruised Pears

5 April 2011

Last of These Tulips

  I found more to draw on these stalks than the whole new flowers offered.  Perhaps they tell me that aging and falling apart don't end our being interesting.  As a mentor once told me, "The young have to be beautiful; they have nothing else to offer."

2 April 2011

 Tulips' Last Day

Before my neighbour went in to the City last Sunday,  she brought me these tulips so I could enjoy the last of their beauty, which I did.  I gazed at them at every meal and other odd times besides.  I was daunted by their ethereal perfection and there was no way I could draw that beauty!

Finally, when they were ending their week with me,  I was moved to draw their fading, collapsing beauty.  I set them on the floor by my bed and drew them looking down and off to my side while lying on my stomach.  The distortion of that tippy pitcher reveals the awkwardness of doing this:  my teachers were right when they taught me to line up with my subject.

1 April 2011

Mother & Daughter at Emergency

Waiting with Sick Daughter

Halls Harbour, Looking Down Hill

Halls Harbour, Looking Up Hill

Farm at Dempseys Corner

 

Yesterday Holly had appointment in Kentville, after which, having found out what to do for me to see a dermatologist, she took me to Kentville Hospital emergency to get seen for a referral.   She's been after me to see about something that isn't healing on my face, and I was glad to be "forced" into action - and to have company doing so.  (Friends don't let friends ignore possible skin cancer.)  While Holly went for a walk, I drew the mother and child in front of me. 

Next, as snow began to fall thickly, we went up over South Mountain to drop her paintings off at a gallery in Halls Harbour.  We took the shore road home through Halls Harbour, where we stopped to draw in spite of the very thick and heavy snow.  I was thrilled that she chose to stop near the top of the hill, for I love looking down into villages with winding roads.  Just my thing!  Then we stopped at the bottom of the hill for her to draw boats and I liked the buildings in front of me and drew them.

Lastly, about half way home, we pulled up onto the Exit 16 overpass to get rid of a car tailgating us.  There was a farm I'd drawn before, and we both drew it.  Five drawings and one very long day in a whole week of long days; ended the week with a bang.  I came home very excited about the muted colours we'd driven through all day, and hoping to make some paintings next.