Station

The latest addition to the collection.

40" inches square on a gallery canvas.

And now, for something completely different

My painting has gone off in a new direction! It's taken me by surprise as much as anyone who has seen the work I do for the last few years. An interesting new direction as far as I can see.

My world now, a middle distance stare, sometimes very close up, relaxed.

Waiting room     Acrylic, 24" x 30" on a gallery canvas

Shelter   18" x 36"  acrylic on a gallery canvas

Step Up   20" x 24" acrylic on a gallery canvas

The One   18" x 24" acrylic on a gallery canvas

DROO  12" x 12" acrylic on a gallery canvas

Moonbeam  12" x 12" acrylic on gallery canvas

WALKING STAFF STUFF

The winter of 2013-2014 was a busy one. We were hit with an amazing ice storm. Out of this, I got a lot of wood that came down out of my Black Locust tree in the front yard. I turned it into an opportunity to explore a different aspect of carving. walking staffs. Using the shape of each piece, the wood guided me to what it wanted to be.

First out of the gate is the Raven Steals the Sun story.

Second one is of a White Pine topper, as I grew up in a house surrounded by White Pines.

The third is silhouetted black locust leaf brachts on a green background, the colour of the leaves when they are new.

I am enjoying the challenge of carving a harder wood than pine or fir.

Armoires, birds and owls

The winter is more or less over and the projects I set myself are almost all done. They may not be exactly what I had set out to do, but you know that goes, they creates themselves.

First done was my Barn Owl. At about three feet by three feet, it is larger than the barn owl is in reality. The background night sky, again influenced by my visit to Australia.

Then, an old project came to mind, one from many years ago that I had never accomplished.
An armoire that is about 16" tall x 13" wide by about 2 1/2" deep on a base of about 8" x 16".
The painting is of gulls and sandpipers on a background from a photo I took in Ucluelet BC.

This is the exterior with a stressed paint finish.

This is the interior. Drawer contents yet to be determined.

Now, on to the diving pelicans and the carved fish swimming upstream.

A very busy year

My year was a busy one, exploring new things, trying to learn new techniques and above all, trying to get my hands to do the things my mind's eye can see.

Sculpture-
Last year was my 17th Century Lady with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. this year, I am trying out carving. I have some chisels and some knives, bought over the years with all the intentions of doing some exploring. You know how that on goes, "I'll get around to it one of these days". Well, I finally did just that. First, a Bas-relief of Gannets.

I wasn't sure how to proceed with the carving so sculpted it in clay so I could work out the sequence of material removal. This is after getting  book on sharpening and honing. Very important to learn. This is carved in basswood and varnished. About 8" x 12" x 2".

Then came the owls.

They were fun, as they started out as fat sparrows and demanded they become owlets. About 3" x 4" x 8".

I've been using the pieces of wood that support pallets. This all works out as a recycling project, no?

I then moved on to my favorite subject, pelicans. These are five roosting birds, done in fir and glazed with a very slight touch of color. About 3" x 4" x 18".

The latest of my carvings, though not completed, is my snoozing polar bear. He may end up as a story, on a platform with ravens mocking his repose. We'll see. About 3" x 4" x 7".

This year's paintings.

I keep working on that exploration of loose, but I struggle between that (looking too loose) and back to the overly realistic representation. I guess I'm still in love with the idea that I can paint realistically as opposed to putting down what I imagine it could be. A bit of fear and a lot of risk taking to put some of this stuff on a very large canvas.

Parrots on a decorative background.

Keas (New Zealand parrots) on decorative ground.

A watercolour sketch for the following painting. This painting is 3 feet x 3 feet.

Then followed by two other pelicans. The first a 2ft x 3ft painting and the second a 1ft. square.

Now and then, I see a wonderful dog and get to paint them in a way I see them. This is Molly on a 16" x 20" canvas.

The Landscapes.

I always thought I wanted to be a landscape artist, but found that I didn't feel for it as I do the birds. Sometimes, they come out in a way I like, but a lot of the time, I feel they have no life in them. I am still exploring how I voice them. These are some of them from the year.

This is the sketch (top) and here is the finished studio piece.

Another sketch.

I thought, as an exercise, I would try the classic type of painting. A still life in acrylics. This was quite fun.

A house portrait from my summer in and around Cambridge Ont.

As a landscape, this was actually more satisfying than the "big views".

“THE LETTER”

My latest mixed media, fiber arts project.

A 17th Century, Restoration period lady with her four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

She is standing by her clavichord, lid painted in the Dutch manner. The clavichord sits on a 17th century style table with turned legs.

The floor is faux finish painted parquet.

The lady is dressed in Chinese figured silk, petticoat in Thai slubbed silk, over skirt in crepe silk. The bodice is boned. Her face and hands are two part epoxy putty, as is her hair and the whole is painted with acrylics.

The dogs are made with epoxy putty, armatures underneath and then painted with acrylics.

The whole piece is 13” x 17” x 18” tall. That's 34 x 44 x 45cm tall in metric.

Mrs. Pepys and her Spaniels Gentle

An almost complete sculpture of a 17th century lady with her clavichord and four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.