for a friend

Just as the title states, I painted this for a friend. : )

The Sketchbook Project

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook that I made for The Sketchbook Project. It is an art gallery in Brooklyn, New York that has sketchbooks from all over the world, from floor to ceiling. Proud to be part of it. Also, they have a bookmobile for the sketchbooks to travel the world! Here's the link to my sketchbook, all 30 pages! Big thanks to those that click on it. : )

https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/16192

reflections

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This week's Daily Paintwork's Reflections Challenge. It was nice to paint a landscape for a change, and a moody sky too. : )

$40 - 5x7"watercolour painting

hand studies with a friend!

I had a friend help me out with my hand studies this week. : )

A few portraits

Here are a few watercolour portraits from my last Life Drawing Session. The model was wonderful, but hard to capture. These short poses, about 5-10 minutes, were drawn with pencil, then I added watercolour to the shadow side, trying to keep it all one interesting shape. 

Quickposes

I received my Certificate for 10 hours of gesture drawing from Quickposes today! It's a wonderful website that has photos that you can draw from. Of course, drawing from life is preferred, but it's not always manageable. So, quickposes.com is a great alternative. You can choose to draw nude, costume, male, female, both, hands or feet, then select a time interval from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The program switches images for you as you sit and draw. If you sign in you can accumulate drawing time and they send you a certificate.

peaceful morning

5x7"painting with 8x10"mat.

I am very happy with the simplicity in this painting. I wanted to capture the peacefulness I experience while cycling early in the morning.

oops-a-daisy

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Daisies!!

$80 - 8x10"painting

on the same wavelength

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

This is the watercolour demo I recently did for the wonderful Don Valley Art Club. They invited me to their artist's night to talk about my art and do a painting demonstration. I talked about the importance of daily practise. It went well and I had lots of support from fellow artist friends in the crowd.

life drawing session

A few pages from my last life drawing session. Short poses in pencil and one long pose in watercolour. 

a pear, a cup and a pair

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Stayed inside on this rainy day and painted this fresh little number!

$50 - 5x7"painting with 8x10"mat.

Toronto Watercolour Society Workshop

I spent last Saturday at a Toronto Watercolour Society Workshop given by the talented and inspiring Mark Thurman. He's a famous Canadian Children's Book illustrator who now teaches Anatomy at Sheridan College. He encouraged us to work with ink and chopsticks (!), pen nibs and watercolour, from a live model. After many gesture poses, I did these 10 minute clothed poses. As often happens in workshops, we were all completely out of our element, but I certainly learned new things to apply to my way of working.

You can see a page of Mark's talent HERE.

it's about time

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

The Toronto Distillery District is a wonderful historical area that has a slew of Victorian Industrial Architecture. It was once a brewery and all of the old machines are still intact, while cafes and shops built up around them. It's cool with lots of subjects to draw. I was there with the cheerful (and hilarious!) Don Valley Art Club Plein-Air Artists.

verdurous

$80 - 8x10"painting

I painted this from a sketch I did at a wonderful green house called Allan Gardens. I don't normally work from a sketch, but I've been wanting to try it, so this was a first. I'm very happy with it. Also, it coincided perfectly with the Daily Paintworks Window Challenge. : )

Captain John's Seafood Ship

This old ship, once a popular seafood restaurant, is finally being towed away. It's been at the Toronto Harbourfront for decades, but since it's falling apart (apparently there is 10 feet of water inside!) away it goes.

I got together with the Toronto Urban Sketchers this past weekend and we, all 20 of us, drew and painted this wonderful subject. In the top one (9x12"/charcoal pencil), I wanted to capture the abandoned shopping cart in the parking lot, compared to the boat. In the bottom painting (5x7"/pen) I wanted people walking by in the foreground, again a nice comparison.

Other news: if you received a few of my old posts, like a fox or a girl on a bike, I apologize... a glitch with blogger... but I've fixed the problem. : )

the gate at Philosopher's Walk

$60 - 6x8"painting 

The stone gate at Philosopher's walk has wonderful, slightly wacky, street lamps on it that I've been wanting to paint for some time. I found a shady spot during a warm afternoon and did this with charcoal pencil and watercolour.

Here's a pic of my paintbox, which is still holding up well considering it's just a thick paper mache box from the art store. It gets wet as I splash watercolour paint all over it, and it's slightly warped now... but it's still awesome.

canopy

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I found another Cherry Blossom Tree! This one was peeking out from within all the green trees along Philosopher's Walk.

$50 - 5x7"painting with 8x10"mat.

And, of course, here's my paintbox.

warm and cool

SET OF THREE!! - $60  (5x7"each)

At my Life Drawing Session, I thought I'd play around with Burnt Sienna for warmth and Purple for a splash of cool. These are 5 minute poses drawn with charcoal pencil. Wonderful model!

blossoming

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Another lovely Cherry Blossom Tree. A few more days and they'll be gone... until next year.

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

And here's my trusty paintbox.

bashful

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I enjoyed yesterday plein-air painting at the University of Toronto campus. My eye caught this beautiful little Sakura tree next to a cute bicycle with a basket. Couldn't resist!

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

Here are photos of my painting kit from yesterday morning.