Oftentimes in the middle of winter my thoughts and sentiments turn to summertime. Lazy days sitting by the water enjoying the heat, insects buzzing around, birds of the air and water, blue skies and fluffy clouds. This painting is about that. Hope you enjoy it.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
First Hoar Frost
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Ted Baschak 1919-2013
Ted Baschak |
I've chosen this painting to show because Dad was a railroad engineer for 37 years, he worked all over Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan. The train ride to Churchill Manitoba, if I remember correctly, takes around 20 hours and passes through some pretty awesome landscapes, some of it very lonely and barren. The picture is about coming home through that barren land in the dead of winter, which can be a very lonely place indeed. I wonder if my uncle Ted had his lonely times thinking about his Mom, brothers, and sisters for all those years?
Southward Bound Oil on Canvas |
Monday, October 28, 2013
Robert Genn
Islet, Grenville Channel, BC by Robert Genn |
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Matters of the Heart
I wasn't sure what prompted me to paint this Oil, which was painted in August, but now I'm wondering if it was my sub-conscious telling me something about my heart. I've just recently been diagnosed with a heart condition and the more I look at this piece I think it is about inner workings. I often discover hidden messages and images in my work after the painting is done, and others find their own meanings as well. I know we all should listen to that still, quiet voice inside of ourselves.
Friday, October 18, 2013
And the Children will Play
And the Children will Play |
Oil on Canvas
This painting started out in one direction and stayed that way for 75 per cent of the time, then it took a left turn. When I was a young boy a bunch of us would play in the school yard with a Catholic priest by the name of Father Henry. I remember he had an old CCM bike with a big wire basket on the handle bars. Father Henry would often bring a kite with him and we would spend hours flying it. I bet he had someone in his life that played with him in the same manner. A wonderful man, I often remember him when I see a kite soaring up in the sky.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Marigolds
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Sweet PeasSweet Peas
Sweet Pea Plein Air |
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Fall Flowers
Friday, September 13, 2013
A river scene
This pastel was painted the day after the previous posting, almost the same place but much different light going on. Same fish jumping and ducks quacking.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Dusk en plein air
Dusk on the Assinaboine River |
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Shellmouth United Church
Shellmouth United Church |
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Shellmouth en Plein air painting
I've painted from this location before on a number of occasions with my brother Richard present taking photos, Garry Harris, James Dean, Jan Layh, Dean Bauche and others all trying their hand at painting from the subject. Nothing beats it in my humble opinion, I'll never tire of it as long as I'm able. A great spot where the Assinaboine River takes a turn and lazily continues on her way.
Monday, August 26, 2013
JJ Cale
JJ Cale Pastel on Paper |
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Shellmouth Valley
This is a 6 x8 oil on birch plywood painted en plein air at Shellmouth, Mb at our annual
Art Retreat. I've painted down here on numerous occasions, this time I had two friends with me, Jan Layh who is the facilitator of the event and Hollande Woods. A wonderful time spent enjoying the moment.
Art Retreat. I've painted down here on numerous occasions, this time I had two friends with me, Jan Layh who is the facilitator of the event and Hollande Woods. A wonderful time spent enjoying the moment.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
What was said to the Rose
What was said to the Rose |
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
A Plein Air piece
I painted this 6 x 8 oil in the company of my good friend Garry Harris. We were advised not to go out at this time of the day as the temperature was above 30 Celcius and the humidity was quite high but I am probably a little stubborn so we sat on top of a lovely butte and painted to our hearts delight. There were turkey vultures and red tailed hawks screaming at us from above and the sun was scorching but it was all worth it. Garry did a nice little sketch that he was quite pleased with. This is looking south by south west.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Wolf Willow Retreat en plein air
A bunch of painter buddies got together on a few days and painted en plein air in the town of Eastend, SK. It was a great experience, very hot and humid, but a beautiful day nevertheless. One memorable experience was having a cranky rancher type of guy stop by our setup and proceed to give us a berating for blocking the fire lane (which it wasn't). Talk about ruining the ambience of the moment! We managed to send him on his way and continued to work on our respective pieces.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
en Plein Air
This past Sunday afternoon I took my pochade box down to the lakeside and painted this view down Little Manitou Lake, looking west. It was a lovely day but a bit windy at times as I had to weigh down my easel to keep it from flying into the salt water! As it was Spirit of Manitou Studio Trails weekend there were lots of people about and I had one visitor who was curious enough to stop and ask if it was Ok if she watched me for awhile. We had a nice chat while I painted and then she was off to visit the galleries all about our community.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Down the back lane
Daisies in Shade |
Monday, July 8, 2013
Prickly Pear Blossoms
Prickly Pear Cactus Blossoms |
Oil on Board
I'm just nicely back from our annual Art Retreat at the Brady Ranch near Eastend Sk. I painted a few paintings whilst down there and I will post them in the next few days. We had a fantastic time once again and I discovered new facets to old friends that totally amazed me. My friend Garry Harris and I had a great time painting en plein air on top of Brady's Butte and he took the reference photo for this painting. I've taken some artistic license with it, but I can. I remember the first time my brother Richard experienced Eastend. While on a photo shoot along the Frenchman River he decided he needed a lower perspective on the world and promply sat on a nesting of very prickly cactus's. I declined to help him remove the needles from his buttocks!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Eastend, Saskatchewan
I may have posted this painting before but I include it now to illustrate the place I am leaving for tomorrow. It is called Eastend and is situated in the the south west corner of Saskatchewan, very near the American border. A number of artists, including poets, musicians, potters, painters and drama people gather at Wolf Willow Ranch for a number of days to celebrate Life and Art. We make Art, cook great food and enjoy the great outdoors. There is time to walk in the meadows and hills and discover ancient Tee Pee rings, arrow heads and spears and maybe even dinosaur bones. This time of the year the geography can look like Ireland or Wales, it is so green and vibrant. Later in the summer it will be extremely dry and brown. Many many years ago this land was teaming with buffalo and Native American Indians but sadly that is no longer so.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Where the Buffalo used to Roam
This painting was inspired by some words that the author Sharon Butala read to a group of us at our Retreat at Wolf Willow a couple of summers ago. She talked of large herds of Buffalo moving across the grasslands near Eastend, SK many years ago when there were untold numbers of them before the senseless slaughter began. A blight on Canadian and American history in my opinion. Anyways, I see this hillside from the verandah of the house I sleep in and walk there often. I lost a pallete knife up there somewhere and suspect it got used in a birds nest.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Thinking about Eastend
Stone circle near Eastend, SK |
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Work in progress
An Oil I'm currently working on. Loads of paint applied with a palette knife on a birch panel approximately 30 x 40 inches. Having fun with it for sure.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Collaborative Paintings
Dean, Darrell and Jan exhibiting some Mirth |
Bonny, Darrell, Jan and Dean |
Darrell and Dean having a quiet moment |
Jan Layh and Dean Bauche |
Dean Bauche and Bonny MacNab |
The Four Amazing Amigo Painters |
New Owners with Darrell and Shawn Majumder |
Four Amigos with Shawn Majumder and owners of Collaborative Painting |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek Oil 8x10 |
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Is Winter finally over?
Winter Splendour 30 x 36 Oil on Canvas Bill Shurniak Collection |
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A Fence in Passing
This is a monoprint using encaustic wax on rice paper after which, if I remember correctly, I marked up with darker wax marks made with a kiska. The piece was born out of a passing glance at a rusty corrugated fence down my back alley.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Variation on a Theme
I liked a similar approach to a recent painting so much that I decided to give it a go using different colours. The original painting was produced from a quick charcoal thumbnail sketch, which I am very fond of. I used a diluted mixture of viridian green and magenta to do the lay in for this one, followed by thicker applications of the same colours, with the addition of some orange. I like to erase paint with various tools, you can see evidence of this here and there.
I have been juried into the annual Federation of Canadian Artists National Open Show to be held in Kamloops, BC beginning April 19th. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area!
I have been juried into the annual Federation of Canadian Artists National Open Show to be held in Kamloops, BC beginning April 19th. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Ice
Did you know that one snowflake contains 10 quintillion water molecules? Or that no two snowflakes are alike? Take some time to let that sink in, give it some considered consideration. The one thing that is alike in all snowflakes is that they have six points and then from there things get kind of crazy. Snowflakes epitomize all of the creation concept for me, I love meditating on that. Anyways, this is a 12 inch square oil painting of another manifestation of water molecules in an altered state of mind.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Full moon falling
Nocturne in Pink |
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The colour of Ice
Johnson Ice |
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Bright Skies of March
SOLD |
Monday, March 25, 2013
A Bouquet
Bouquet of Flowers |
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Imagine
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Dust in the Wind
Dust in the Wind |
Friday, March 15, 2013
A Pastel
The dogs and I went down to the local park the other day and enjoyed it all to ourselves, if you count out the numerous magpies and other critters present. Not another human in sight so I sat by the creek and did this 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 in pastel. The tempurature was a balmy -10 Celcius and the sun shone delightfully.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
RV West magazine article
Mt. Rundle in Ice Fog |
I recently received word that an article featuring yours truly has been published in the RV West magazine. The link to the online version is here: http://www.rvwest.com/article/watrous_and_manitou_beach/art_and_healing_waters
The opportunity totally came out of the blue, so to speak, and I am grateful for it. Marie featured three of my more traditional pieces. How cool is that!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Mount Rundle
I promised myself that I'd do a studio painting of some of the mountains I saw in the Canadian Rockies a few weeks ago. This is my first attempt, it is a view of Mt. Rundle as viewed from the east side of the Trans Canada Hwy near Canmore, AB. I'm having a great time with various grays over an orange underpainting. I think it will soon be finished.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Rocky Mountain Sogurn
Morning in the Rockies Watercolour |
Friday, March 1, 2013
Alina - under construction
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