Marigolds

Marigolds

I enjoyed painting these flowers so much the last time around that I decided to give it another go. Painted from life in my studio.

Sweet PeasSweet Peas

Sweet Pea Plein Air

I love sweet peas. You can put a small bouquet of them in a room and they fill the space with their heavenly scent.  Sitting by these will painting was a wonderful experience.  I will miss them when the frosts come but look forward to them again next year.  I have been saving their seeds to plant for a few years now.

Fall Flowers

Marigolds in Antique Vase

This past weekend I had some time in the studio so I set up this arrangement of Marigolds in Crystal's Grandma's antique flower vase and got down to work.  Really enjoyed painting from life, as usual.  Painting knife used exclusively.

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.

Dusk en plein air

Dusk on the Assinaboine River

This is a pastel painted just as the sun was going down over the Shellmouth valley.  I was sitting with a friend by the river desperately trying to capture the colours before they were gone, a near impossible task.  Near the end of the session I was just guessing because I couldn't really see the pastels in my box, hence the sketchiness of the piece.  A memorable experience by the river with the waterfowl flying about and the  fish jumping out of the water trying to catch bugs.  

Shellmouth United Church

Shellmouth United Church

I was able to paint a number of plein air pieces while down at the annual Shellmouth Art Retreat this past August. This one is of the Shellmouth United Church, which was saved from demolition by a community of engaged individuals who wanted it preserved.  I sat in the field not far from the community hall where the retreat is held one fine morning when the mist was almost dissipated. Curiously, the sky was almost the same colour as the birch board support I was using.