Paint Over!

8x8" original gouache painting.

This second picture is of an old watercolour painting. I didn't like the charcoal lines, the lost shapes in the flowers or the boring flat red of the strawberries. So, I painted over it with gouache, which was a pleasure since the drawing was all done for me! The flowers ended up pink... I keep getting a lot of pink in my gouache paintings. Not sure why. ; )

button

$60 - 5x7"original gouache painting

Well, I'm plodding along with gouache. I haven't given up on watercolour, that's for sure, just shakin' things up a bit. A couple of these portraits have gotten a bit too pink... I'll have to watch out for that.

p.s.

I did enjoy painting that little button. : )

December already!

$30 - 5x7"gouache sketch with thin border, includes 8x10"mat.

I tell ya', this gouache stuff is so vibrant, silky... and tricky. It's not watercolour and it's not quite oil. I'm having lots of fun figuring it out though! Meanwhile, how is it already December?! #onlythreeweeks #goodprice ; )

Gouache Portraits

SOLD

$80 - 5x7"original gouache painting

Here are my latest two gouache portraits. I'm very happy with the one above.  Since it's from a photo from the sktchy app I had more time to spend on it (compared to our 25min sittings at the art club.)

There's a slide show of this one on my Instagram page if you want to check it out!

just looking

$60 - 5x7" original watercolour painting with 8x10"acid-free mat.

Ready to pop into a store bought frame.

These colourful friends are looking around, just checking things out. 

sweet smile

SOLD

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour with 8x10"mat, ready for store bought frame. 

I painted this lovely model during a life drawing session, using complimentary colours red and green. I love her subtle expression.

Latest News!

First of all, it turns out that there was an article about our art show in the Toronto Observer, including a pic of me and my art table! Here's the link. 

Second, I decided to use gouache at our Don Valley Art Club portrait session. 

Gouache (opaque watercolour) creates a mat finish of very intense colours.

These 25 minute poses, at 5x7" each, are fellow artists. It's challenging to grab hold of a bit of likeness in the short time allowed. I'm going to keep playing with this medium. 

We'll see... ; )

for your info

$60 - original 5x7"watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Enjoying a Friday off with a coffee, a treat and today's news.

a rosy glow

$60- 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat 

The cold season is starting outside, but these fresh cut flowers keep the inside warm all year long! ; )

Toronto Arts and Crafts Show 2018

 Thanks so much to everyone who came to the show. It was a great turnout. One of our best ever! I think the recent snowfall got people in the Holiday Spirit!

 Lots of my hand-painted cards have found a new home. Many customers plan to frame them instead of give them away. 

My crochet birds were a new item this year. I just wanted to have a fun little surprise on my table, and returning customers certainly were pleased!

Toronto Arts and Crafts Sale 2018

One-Long-Line Drawings

I'm all prepared for the show tomorrow. I'll be selling my original watercolour paintings and my One-Long-Line Drawings. They are so fun to draw. I just keep my pen on the paper and let the line wander. 

This is my 7th year in the show. I love it! Come by my table on the main floor and say Hi.

early holiday shopping

$60 - 5x7" original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

This little critter can't help getting some early holiday shopping done. Berries for everyone!

grazing the day away

$60 - 5x7"original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

This beauty is spending Sunday afternoon grazing the day away. 

Arts and Crafts Show - Sat. Nov. 17th

One week away!! Saturday Nov. 17, 2018. One day only!

This arts and crafts show is one of my favourites. There are LOTS of artisans and plenty of cool handmade items to choose from. I'll be there for the 6th year in a row. I'm on the main floor with my watercolour paintings, a few oil (!) paintings and a NEW surprise item! Come by and say Hi! It's free, from 10-5am at 310 Danforth near Chester. Yippee!

dappled grey

$60 - original 5x7" watercolour painting with 8x10"mat

Grey horses can be born any colour (!) and then their coat lightens as they mature. In fact, they usually end up being white horses. Cool! Of course, this dappled beauty will be grey forever. : )

Star

$60 - 5x7" original watercolour with 8x10"mat

This little friend was a pleasure to paint. It's a good life being a horse... and being an artist! 

just a nibble and... back to originals!

$40 - 5x7"print in an 8x10"mat

Well, that's it for another Inktober. Working with the Elegant Writer Pen was an absolute joy. It's water-soluble nature made the dark colourful inks merge with the watercolour beautifully. I am so sad that it's fun aspect also means it's not permanent and so, will likely fade in time. So, I made a few prints of each painting, keeping a copy for myself and sending out a few to customers. That'll be the last of making prints for awhile. 

With November coming, it's back to original paintings!! Yippee!

sketching on a thursday afternoon

This little sketch happened today. I'm enjoying making short videos of my painting process. You can see this one painted HERE on Instagram. The clips are 1 minute each because that's the length limit Instagram accepts. So... it's in two parts. ; )

early autumn

 

$40 - 5x7 print with 8x10"mat

I'm having a blast with this new water-soluble pen that I've been using for Inktober (#inktober2018) It's called the Elegant Writer Pen and it releases green and a bit of pink ink when wet. You can see two videos of me painting it on Instagram. 

The ink will fade with time, so I have made prints of it on artist quality paper.

Inktober continues...

Rhino's Day Out

You can see a video of this guy being painted, which turned out a little better than the last one of my lion, over at Instagram and Facebook. 

Unfortunately, Blogger won't unload the video here.

Last but not least my hungry friend bear... 

Friendly, but Hungry

Art Show This Weekend!

I'll be there! Me and my paintings. Hope to see you there too! 

heavy soul

6x8" pen and watercolour

$40 - print

You can see a short video of me painting this big cat over on my Instagram account - Click here 
or on my Facebook account - Here.

morning bears and smokey eyes

Inktober Day 4 and 5... the fun continues! I spilled a spot of tea on my husky drawing, right on his little snout. Fortunately, the wash of watercolour hides it. 

; )

Prints available

Antelope and Donkey

A couple of cutie patooties for Inktober Day 2 and 3!

5x7" prints available

Billy Goat

I drew this with the awesome Elegant Writer Pen for Inktober Day One! With a touch of a wet brush, the pinks and greens in the black ink emerge and flow, with a mind of their own. I added a dash of pink to his nose. ; )

I'm making professional prints of this little guy. Message or email me if you want a print!  They are 5x7" at $40US each.

subtlety

6x12" original watercolour painting

Here's another piece from my last portrait painting session, where we artists take turns sitting for each other. (It's surprisingly difficult to sit still for 25 minutes! If you try it, you'll have a whole new respect for life models.) 

I wanted to tie in the red shirt with the red glasses. I'm really happy with her expression but I'm feeling that the 6x12" size might just cut off people's shoulders, giving them a big looking head!

our fearless leader!

6x12" original watercolour

At our portrait session last weekend, I decided to create 6x12" paintings. Mostly because I had paper that size and I wanted to use it up. ; ) I drew a loose energetic line with charcoal pencil then added lots of fresh watercolour paint.

On most social media, like Facebook and Instagram, you can only post pics as a square. So, here's the complete painting.

cattails

$40 - 8x10"original watercolour painting.

I painted this sketch of cattails at the wonderful, very green, Corktown. Fellow pleinair painters and I set up our easels at this lovely lily pond, however it was the cattails that caught my eye. (Although fellow artists called them bulrushes). They actually remind my of my childhood since there were plenty of them in my neighbourhood and we always thought they were so cool!