Travel

A trip out west to give me some fresh air, some inspiration and maybe some direction. To be by the sea is very inspiring, even if I have no idea (other than traditional ones) of how to present or paint it.

These are a few of the attempts I am enjoying.
I didn't bring the acrylics as it was all to bulky and hope I can draw some paintings from all these sketches and photos I've taken.

Some oil pastels.

Finishing with the whimsical, of course.

Some pen and ink. Some were even done plein air when it wasn't raining.

And, some resist work, done by painting white gouache where you want it to stay white and when that is dry, washing waterproof ink over the whole. Wait for it to dry and then rinse under the tap. Voila! a piece that resembles wood or lino cuts.

Watercolours are eluding me now. Determined to not just paint in the style I always used to, I'm not satisfied with what is coming out. So, no pictures of those.

Of course, there will be more later.

Transition, travails and torture.

The transition painting, beginning it's life as a prairie landscape and slowly becoming a lakescape with Bonaparte gulls seen at Lake Winnipeg.


The next is of a white pelican seen over Lake Winnipeg.

The third, which was an afternoon of work is of a red tiled cockatoo I saw in Port Douglas, Australia.

The first took me months of fiddling, the second about a month and the third was an impression on a decorative background.

The Weimaraner and the Lady

This is my latest sculpture in the series I call doll and dog combos. She is approximately 20" tall. The sculpture is made of armature wire and mesh, epoxy putty, papier mache, cloth, leather and acrylic paints.

The lady and her greyhound...all painted up!

Ladies, costumes and pets

In no particular order of being built, these are my ladies and their pets.

A Mediaeval Lady with her Greyhound Archie

The Lady Elizabeth on her horse Bar Sinister

The Lady Lucy with her Papillon Precious

All these 3
D models are made with paper paste, papier mache, wood, metals, fabrics and paints. They are all of a medium scale, maybe 1:8 scale.

New Acrylics

The winter of 2009 and 2010 was busy with exploring my technique. Now, I find that some of the small North American bird paintings feel like an illustration project. Then, there is the moment, as with the Soaring Raptors, that it is more "let go" loose and wonderful for me. I need to search for that more often, even if it means less paintings.


Cedar waxwings
Keas
Pine grosbeaks
Soaring Raptors
Blue Jays

Landscapes in acrylics