When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

Art for sale

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Noisy Stellar’s Jay

Thursday, February 1st, 2018


 

Noisy Stellar's Jay, 11H x 14W inches watercolors on 140 lb premium
Noisy Stellar’s Jay, 11H x 14W inches watercolors on 140 lb premium. Framed size approx. 17H x 20W inches, white mat and white frame with crackle finish.

Waterfall Abstract

Tuesday, January 30th, 2018


 

Waterfall Abstract, 11H x 14W inches watercolors on 140 lb premium
Waterfall Abstract, 11H x 14W inches watercolors on 140 lb premium, with mat. Framed size approx. 17H x 20W inches, white mat and white frame with crackle finish.

Oregon Beach Fantasy

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018


 
Oregon Beach Fantasy, 3W x 6H inches watercolors on 140 lb premium

Oregon Beach Fantasy, before spraying with paint through straw, 3W x 6H inches watercolors

Oregon Beach Fantasy, 3W x 6H inches watercolors on 140 lb premium

Left, first phase and above after puddles of water were allowed to soak in certain areas, then paint was blown with a straw. Paint was also removed in some areas. This created a much more dynamic painting.

Smoky Lake Summer

Wednesday, April 12th, 2017


 

Smoky Lake Summer, 14 x 20 inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed premium
Smoky Lake Summer, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed. This is my favorite summertime memory of Alberta… miles of moving shadows across bright Canola fields and expansive, moody skies. The painting started off without the tree but needed a focal point. Detail images:

  Upper left detail of Smoky Lake Canola   Tree detail of Smoky Lake Canola   Lower left Canola detail of Smoky Lake Canola

Diamond Lake – night study

Wednesday, March 15th, 2017


 

Diamond Lake Oregon - moonlight study - 14H x 20W inches watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed

Diamond Lake Oregon – moonlight study – 14H x 20W inches watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed.

Kaniksu National Forest

Tuesday, March 7th, 2017


 

Kaniksu National Forest, Idaho - 14 x 20 watercolors

Kaniksu National Forest, Idaho – 14 x 20 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed. Detail images:

  Kaniksu National Forest, upper left detail   Kaniksu National Forest, upper right detail
  Kaniksu National Forest, lower left detail   Kaniksu National Forest, lower right detail

Clearcut, Tillimook OR

Monday, March 6th, 2017


 

Clearcut, Tillimook OR - 18 x 24 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold press

Clearcut, Tillimook OR – 18H x 24W inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed premium. Framed size 27H x 33W with white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish. Detail images:

  Clearcut 01, upper left detail   Clearcut 01, central left detail   Clearcut 01, upper right detail
  Clearcut 01, lower left detail   Clearcut 01, central right detail   Clearcut 01, lower right detail

Fern Gestures

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017


 

Fern Gestures, 14 x 20 inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed

Fern Gestures, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed. 20H x 26W inches white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish.

Oystercatchers

Monday, February 27th, 2017


 

Oystercatchers, 18 x 24 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold press

Oystercatchers, 18H x 24W inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed. Framed size 27H x 33W inches, white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish.

Showcased in the J. Mane Gallery’s Fins, Feathers and Fur 2020 exhibition.


Oystercatchers, upper left detailThis is finished, although I’d love to merge the contrasts somehow. I don’t want to mess up the implied light though, or the initial spontaneous brush strokes, like in the background waves. Every new mark at this stage makes a difference too, and in context to the whole, even small changes affect other areas that need to adjust accordingly.

Oystercatchers, central detail Before you know it, colors mud together and beautiful open spaces disappear. I’m going to take direction from my most recent pieces, which I feel were over-worked, and quit while I’m ahead.
Oystercatchers, lower left detailChallenge is exciting…particularly with watercolors. Whereas with other media mistakes can be erased or covered easily and change can occur throughout the process without much hesitation, with watercolors a person needs to know a subject well – or at least be able to fake it with confidence!Oystercatchers, upper right detail
Finding a way to make each painting unique means following cues happening within the work itself. In this painting, the most remarkable thing occurred after the the first phase of production.

Oystercatchers, central right detailBecause this subject was unfamiliar, I started by first penciling in the shapes, wondering what I could do to make this less boring – you know, not just be a picture of Oystercatchers. When erasing the pencil marks in order to see what the paint had established, little rolls of eraser pieces scattered here and there. Sprinkled impromptu around the birds, those tiny eraser shreds added a pronounced and unexpected zing of life to the composition.Oystercatchers, lower right detail First thinking “what have I got to lose?”, the eraser-pieces were mimicked in paint around the birds. I’m tempted to make those strokes more prominent, but a small success is in order, so will use this fun technique in another painting.

North Saanich Poppies

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017


 

North Saanich Poppies, 16 x 20 inches W/C on 140 lb. cold pressed premium

North Saanich Poppies, BC Canada – 14H x 20W inches W/C on 140 lb. cold pressed premium. Framed size 20H x 26W inches with white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish.

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