A drawing a day 2011

 Amy Mann, a painter friend is launching an art project to do a drawing a day through out 2011and she invites other artists to join her. Look for her blog at amymanndrawingaday.blogspot.com  She says:
"This is my 2011 art project: I'm going to attempt to do one drawing every day of the year. The drawings can be any medium, any size, any level of care and completion. I'm looking forward to seeing how my work evolves and improves, and whether this practice helps me to be more organized and "together" in the rest of my life pursuits. (To begin on Jan. 1, 2011.)"
Well Amy, I am going to give it a go. I have never lasted longer than a month doing any form of journaling and the same goes for past attempts at doing drawing a day. Drawing is a pleasure not a hardship and one would think that it would be an easy practice to establish but, sadly, life just gets in the way sometimes.


Here is one of my favourite drawings,

South Shore Fish Shack (Ink on paper, 10 x 14 inches)

Look for my daily drawings on the Daily drawings tab at the top of the Blog. 

Christmas Market

The annual Farmer's and Traders Christmas Market was  held in Annapolis Royal on December 4th. Here are a few pictures from that day.

My Table

Pots by my friend Pat Woods (Red Handed Pottery)

some Christmas spirit 

book launch

Nova Scotia Contemporary Artists - Volume II

On Saturday December 4th, Dee Appleby will be launching her new book of Nova Scotia Artists at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax from 2 to 4 pm. Nova Scotia Contemporary Artists - Volume II is Dee's second book featuring the art of Nova Scotia painters. Her first book, From land and sea - Nova scotia's contemporary Landscape Artists (Nimbus, 2009) is a beautiful volume and I can hardly wait to see the new one. Both books are available in book stores now or from www.novascotiaartists.ca

 Cover art for the new book is this fabulous painting by Jose Valverde.

Painting poppies

I have finally found the time to finish my project from week 7 of the advanced class. I stopped painting mid-poppie to show you the array of photos I used to guide this painting.

I am about half finished the flowers and have stopped to have a look at the overall image. It is too easy to focus on a single element instead of the whole. I think that the background needs more variety of shapes and values.

Silver Tea Pot

I have been working on the tea pot from the last class. Starting with the darks has really helped me get the values and contrast right.

I am ready to start the background now. I  don't usually finish the foreground objects to this extent before starting the background. The painting so far has been keyed against a light background and may need some adjusting when darks and mid tones are added. 

Advanced class wk 8

This is our last class of the season.

In the last advanced class we looked at painting reflective surfaces. I did not get very far with my demonstration but Peter Smith took some terrific  step by step pictures. I started by defining the darks first so all the other values could be keyed against the darkest dark. I am working wet in wet to create the soft edges of the highlights and the subtle colour changes in the reflections.

I hope I will get back to this one soon. I will keep you posted.

Our final beginner's class

Making cards is a good way to practice techniques.  I used masking fluid, scraping, white paint, wet in wet, glazing and more. Each of these little paintings are about 3.5 by 5.5 inches and are great fun to make. I hope you all have had a good time following along with these lessons.

Sunday Opening

It was a cold, wet evening in Annapolis Royal but people came out to the opening at the Marsh Gallery.

Hanging a Show

Nancy McCabe and I are having a show at the Marsh Gallery, 3994 Hwy. 1, Annapolis Royal. The Show opens Sunday November 7 and runs through November 21.

For me, this process start with choosing paintings and hanging them in my studio to ensure there is a flow and rhythm to the show. Next is the final framing, glass cleaning and compiling tags, bios and artist statements. Just as I was getting ready to print off all of this stuff, the power went off. Oh well, moving right along, it is time to hang the show.

The gallery with empty walls

Grouping of Nancy's paintings

Grouping or my paintings

Adjusting the lights

See you at the opening, 5 to 7 pm Sunday Nov. 7, 2010

The Monday Group

Fifteen years ago I attended a watercolour class given by Cluny Maher  on Monday afternoons in the Anglican Church hall in Bridgetown.  After the class finished, we decided to continue meeting to paint together. The Monday Group still meets regularly.  People have come and gone from the group and there are a few of the original group who still attend. There have been long periods of time when I did not go to the Monday sessions and I am glad to be back in attendance. This is a working group. We share stories, constructive critiques and a cup to tea but mostly we are there to paint. If you can't find a group to join, start one. It is terrific to have the support and inspiration of other artists.

On my way home, I took some photos of the wonderful fall colours still in abundance and gave thanks for the members, past and present, of the Monday Group.

Along the road - Primary colours

In my garden - Shape and Colour

Colour and texture

Sometimes you just need flowers

I love the colours of late fall, the rusty golds and the blue grey skies. I love to see the graceful branches of my poplar trees gradually appear as the leaves drift down and marvel at the glow of the remaining leaves when the sun sets behind them. Fall has always been a quiet time of completion to me. The summer frenzy is done and I would not trade fall for any other season BUT there are times when you just need flowers.

Magnolia 10 x 14 inches

One Scene, Two Methods

When I am teaching both a beginners and an advanced class at the same time as I am now, I often use the same subject for both classes. The step by step progress of these paintings can be seem in the "Class" pages above.

Clark Rd. - a traditional approach to watercolour

Clark Rd. - with a warm underpainting 

Painting Pots

For 2 days each week I am painting pots at Lucky Rabbit Pottery. Deb and Ray are getting ready for their Christmas markets. This is a very labour intensive process and each mug, bowl or platter is a unique piece of art.

Sisters Fair

The Flute (14 x 10 in.)

This is the piece I have provided for the Sisters Fair Exhibition and Fundraiser. A silent auction will take place at the King's Theatre on the evening of Friday Oct. 22.  Musicians, Rankin, Church and Crowe will be performing at the theatre as part of the event. Proceeds from the auction go to support the Francis Mills-Clements bursary.

From Study to Finish

I painted this study for my beginners class on Saturday. I was demonstrating how to adjust the  rendering of trees depending upon where they occur in the landscape. More distant trees are cooler, more grey and less detailed.

On the Road to Halls Harbour (10 x 14 in)

This is the finished painting. The more distant trees are still cooler, more grey and less detailed.

The Art of Tea II

The Annapolis Shambhala Meditation Group is sponsoring its second exhibition and sale of Implements, Vessels and Art of tea and Ikebana. The Show runs from October 3rd to 31st at the Chapel Gallery at Artsplace in Annapolis Royal.

My submission for the show is a watercolour.

Tea Bowls (10 x 20 inches)

The summer show comes down

Bunchberry nurseries are still open but it is time for my summer flower show to come down.

Packing up the show

Welcome

Monday Morning (14 x 21 inches)