an understanding

 

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$80 - 5x7"original watercolour painting in 8x10"acid-free mat.

My 'in conversation' series continues. This is number 20! I love the body language that can happen between two people listening only to each other. I managed to capture him 'thinking'. 

Mary Beard

9x12" oil and charcoal pencil on gessoed board

Mary Beard sat for the final episode of the SkyTV Portrait Artist of the Week on Sunday. It was a challenging weekly project and I'm sorry to see it end, but onto other sources. : ) 

For this painting, I gessoed the back of a sketchbook cover (hence the perforations), and drew with charcoal pencil to start. I added her pearl necklace because for portraits, I find, it's nice to include the model's personal choices. 

okey-dokey

SOLD
5x7" original - watercolour and charcoal pencil.
This little hedgehog is trying to escape. Or that's what I thought... Turns out he was on his way to his new home. He was purchased as soon as I posted him on Instagram! And I found the perfect purple frame for him, to match his pink belly. ; )

Meat Free Mondays

I've been promoting Meat Free Mondays, sometimes called Meatless Mondays, on my social media. It's a popular slogan asking people to consider having vegetarian meals at least one day a week. I thought these cute sketches of cows, pigs and chickens would help spread the word!

shades

 $80 - 6x8" original watercolour painting 
I think with all this oil and gouache painting, my watercolours process has changed. I can't quite put my finger on it, still mulling it over, but I certainly want more completion and depth from watercolour. Thick paint gives volume immediately so, I guess, I'm trying to 'flesh out' (pun intended) my watercolours.
Here's the charcoal drawing before painting. : )

over the shoulder

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

Well, the last figure painting session of the year was today and I managed to capture this lovely little portrait of the model. Her melancholy expression matched mine as the last session came to an end. : )

musical trio

I had a fantabulous time sketching a musical trio at life drawing today. They practised, we sketched. It was a great experience, mostly because musicians take 'poses' that life models never do, so it was all new to us. 

There were three of them with five instruments. Violin, viola, flute, bassoon and piccolo. They switched seats every 20 minutes (playing musical chairs literally!) so we all had a good experience. I used charcoal pencil and watercolour, oh... and I had a blast! ; )

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!

a couple of portraits

Two 11x14" watercolour pieces (with a couple of details) from my last life painting session. : )

today at life painting

 1 minute gesture painting

 2 minute gesture painting

5 minute painting

First day back at life painting! Here are a few paintings from today, of my favourite model. I used charcoal pencil to draw, added green and warm/cool reds, then a splash of turquoise. I tried to stay loose and as gestural as possible. Soooo fun. If you haven't tried drawing from life, I highly recommend it. You never know what might happen when you're under the time pressure.

first celebrity portrait

9x12" - charcoal drawing with watercolour

Well, as I stated in my last post, I've been working towards getting a likeness while still keeping things painterly. I'm not actually a huge fan of this celebrity (I leave you to guess who it is), he just has an interesting face. In fact, I google 'older men' images and he popped up, so I drew him. It seems easier to tell if I achieved a likeness by drawing people we all know... ; )

quiet morning

$60 - 6x8" original watercolour painting with 8x10"mat.

The Toronto Music Garden is an awesome place to paint. It was designed by the famous cellist Yo Yo Ma! The Don Valley Art Club Plein-Air Painters spent Saturday there. We couldn't go wrong with the boats to paint, the benches to sit on, the shade of the many trees, and the near by Starbucks loo.  ; )

Here is a pic of my paintbox set up. When I got home, I decided to close off the corner of the painting by adding the tree in the top right.

 

afternoon shadows

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

Friends and I, from the Toronto Plein-Air Group, headed out to paint at Riverdale Farm yesterday. It's fun there however, after lunch we decided to wander across the street to Toronto's historic Necropolis Cemetery. It opened in 1850 and is full of old interesting gravestones as well as huge gorgeous trees. Such a beautiful and peaceful place. 

Below is a pic of my work in progress. I drew it with charcoal pencil then used lots of variations of green!

Golden Rule

$150 - 11x14"

I love painting animals!!
I drew this with a charcoal pencil then added lots of watery watercolour!
close up - 

hummin' along singin' a song

$60 - 5x7"painting with 8x10"mat.

This little fella was actually part of the same still life set up as the previous post. However, he was so colourful, he stole all the attention. I figured, he needed to be in a painting all to himself. I really wanted to let the watercolour blend and do it's thing in this piece. It's pretty much exactly what I'm going for when I work.