Lilies by the Bunch

On July 24 Bunchberry Nursery in Upper Clements hosted the second annual "Painting lilies by the bunch" event in the beautiful gardens surrounding the nursery. The lilies were a little late coming on this year but there was still lots of colour and an incredible variety of day lilies to delight visitors.
I am continuing to explore painting with no pencil drawing on the paper - just wet the shapes and jump right in! This is an exciting method of working and when it works, magic happens. I also get a lot of duds but as I always say, "moving right along ..."

This one was painted a few days in advance to get some practice in before I had to do it with an audience. It is probably the best of the bunch - you never know what you are going to get.

A ribbon lily that Jill is yet to identify

I used some drawing to start this one.

hard at work

Small Studies

The Farmers' Market will open in just 2 short weeks so I have been spending some time doing some small (5 x 7inch) studies to have something new for the season. I am often using a subject that I have used for a previous painting. I am using my favourite pen to do the drawing and because these are so small, I do not feel bad about loosing a few if a wash goes wrong. They are fun to do and are definitely a product of my daily drawing project.

Artists Circle

The artists Circle (a painting group based in the Kingston/Greenwood area) asked me to do a workshop with them on painting florals. My previous two postings showed some of the preparatory work I did for this class.  I arrived at the community centre to be greeted by this fabulous display of spring flowers. I always enjoy working with this group. They are keen to try new methods and enthusiastic about painting in general.

Getting started

We started with a fun exercise to get used to the idea of drawing with the bush loaded with water and then dropping paint into the wet pattern. Try writing your name this way.

I dropped blue paint on one side and yellow on the other and then tipped and tilted the board to blend the colours. You get some beautiful colour mixes that could only happen with a wet in wet technique.





Planning the painting

These little thumbnails are always where I start. The top 3 are for the first demonstration of pink magnolias. The last 2 (bottom centre and bottom left) are the planning for my afternoon demonstration.






Pink Magnolias

I started with the middle blossom. I wet the whole blossom shape and then dropped paint on to the bottom and let it flow upwards. I controlled the flow by drying the edges of the petals with paper towel. I wanted people to be able to see where the wet part of the paper was while I worked so I tinted the water with blue which worked very well with these particular flowers.

Pink Magnolias (10 x 14 inches)

After the initial wash had dried, I added some shadow details to enhance the forms. I may work on this one a little more latter on but I like the simplicity of this painting as it is.

Cosmos

I started a painting of cosmos in the afternoon using the same methods described in my previous posting. I could turn these into poppies - I'll have to think about that.

Participants paintings

Well done everyone. We had a great day

Painting Cosmos

In preparation for teaching a workshop next weekend, I have been practicing more flowers with no pre-drawing. This is the painting so far:

Cosmos (watercolour 13.5 x 21.5 inches)

How I got there

Step 1: The thumbnail (1 x 2 inches)

This is the first and most crucial step in the whole process for me. This is were I establish the rhythm and balance of the painting. I have defined three large shapes of light, medium and dark values and where the focal point will be. At this point I am making all the major decisions about how I will approach this painting including colour and paint application techniques. I have a plan to follow when I start painting but I don't stick to it slavishly. I allow myself to react to the flow of the paint.

The first wash

I wet the top third of the paper and started with the yellow centres of the flowers. As the paper loses its shine I can start to define some of the petal shapes with pink. Where the paper has dried too much I sprayed and splatted some more water to help the paint flow. Any back runs at this point will add textural interest. Let this dry.

Laying in the darks

I have used the darks to define the petals on the main flowers. I tried adding salt for texture but once again proved that I have no facility with this particular technique. Perhaps this is a subject for a future posting, "Louise does salt trials"

Adjustments

I added more cool darks to the upper left and softened the edge between background and middle distant area. At this point, I let the painting rest over night and completed the details the next morning. 

The end

I worked slowly, assessing each step as I worked.

Magnolias

The Magnolia Society of Annapolis Royal has invited artists and craftspeople to create work "Inspired by Magnolias" for an exhibition during the Magnolia Festival in May. The show will take place from the 1st to the 29th of May at ARTsPLACE in the Chapel Gallery (396 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal)

All this drawing that I have been doing this year has given me the confidence to paint without any pre-drawing on the paper. I do make a few quick thumbnail sketches to establish the composition. 

 Pink Magnolias (10 x 14 inches)

For this first painting, I wet the shape of each blossom and then worked wet in wet. I controlled the flow by drying the edges of the petals with paper towel as I worked.

White Magnolias ( 13.5 x 21.5 inches)

I began this painting the same way, wetting the blossom and working wet. When the blossoms were dry, I wet the entire back ground working right over the branches and the central bud. I poured  mixtures of ultramarine blue and burnt umber, paynes grey, alizarine crimson and thalo green.  

Make a difference

While walking down Spring Garden Road In Halifax yesterday, I was approached by a young man named Ryan MacDonald offering information about Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders Canada (MSF). 
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was established in 1971 by a small group of French doctors who had worked in Biafra. Upon their return, they were determined to find a way to respond rapidly and effectively to public health emergencies, with complete independence from political, economic and religious influences.

Today, MSF is one of the world's leading independent international medical relief organizations, working in close to 65 countries worldwide and with operational centres and national offices in 19 countries.

     I am  grateful that medical care is available to me and am well aware that this is not the case in much of the world. I heartily support the work that MSF does world wide and was reminded that one person can make a difference and I have the means to generate financial support. 
     Here's the plan: I am designating one painting this year for Médecins Sans Frontières. When this painting sells, which could be next week or next year, I will make a donation of 100% of the unframed price of $250.00. The painting will be matted and ready for framing.
This is the painting I have chosen.

Barn on Parker Mt. Rd.(watercolour, 7.5 x 10.5 inches) $250.00

To purchase this painting contact me at lwilliamsstudio@gmail.com. or visit me at the Annapolis Farmer's and Traders Market each Saturday morning from the May long week end until Thanks Giving.

For more information on Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders Canada (MSF),  visit their web site at http://www.msf.ca/about-msf/

We can each make a difference.

A Blast from the Past

While staying at my sister's house I have had a new look at some of my old paintings. The ones I have selected to show here were painted early in my career (from 1994 to 1996). My techniques have changed. These were painted in lots of thin glazes with many layers and much lifting and adjusting. Though my drawing and composition have improved  over the years I am still pleased with these early works. There are one or two of my very earliest attempts also displayed at my sister's house but I think I will keep them just between family.
All of the following paintings were photographed under glass and you can see some reflections on the images.

Five Red Apples (3 x 9 inches)

Red and Green Apples (5 x 7 inches)

Oranges and Apples (3 x 5 inches)

The Gate (9 x 12 inches)

Paradise Post Office (7 x 5 inches)

More ink, less wash

Here are some further experimentations with ink. Helen said that she was advised to include some areas of solid black in her ink drawings. I am taking a page from her book - literally. Helen illustrated a book on B & Bs in Atlantic Canada, Comforts of home by Anne Fawcett with illustrations by Helen Brigham Opie (1994).

Granville B&B (7 x 10.5 inches)

On Granville Road (7 x 10.5 inches)

More washes

As promised last time, I have done more ink and wash. These are done in the same manner as "Dancing on the Shore" These three are the start to a series of illustrations for a poem/song written by my friend Kate. More on this latter.

South Shore Beach

Sand Dunes

Ink and Wash

Helen's Tilley Hat 1
(2.5 x 2.5 inches)

The pilot pen used to draw this little study is one of my favourite drawing tools and I wanted to see how it would behave with a wash of watercolour. The scribble on the left shows the amount of pigment that would be spread with just water. I like the fact that the ink lines can be softened a little and that the colour can be muted or kept bright depending on wether or not you cover the lines with your wet brush.

Helen's Tilley Hat 2
(3 x 3 inches)

This second study was drawn with a waterproof Staedtler pigment liner. There is no bleeding of the lines but this pen does not feel as responsive as the first one. A good pen nonetheless and I use it a great deal.

Dancing on the Shore (Ink and Wash, 6 x 12 inches)

I like the light airy feel of this illustration and I am going to try some more of these.

By the way, all of these ink and wash drawings have been done on Canson's Drawing Bristol. It takes the ink beautifully but allows only the most direct application of paint. 

The Green Man

The Green Man (Charcoal, 14 x 17 inches)

Search the hidden corners of English, French, or German Gothic churches, and you'll often find the Green Man. It's a composite of face and foliage--an image that appears in dozens of forms. Often a face of the Green Man (or Green Woman) is a mask made entirely of leaves; other times the face may be surrounded or transformed by leaves and vines.

Typically Green Man figures are carved in stone or wood; they also may be crafted in stained glass or inked in the style of illuminated manuscripts. Over 2000 Green Man images have been identified in England alone. They can be found on any surface that's open to ornamentation: capitals, corbels, choir stalls, fonts, screens, or roof bosses.

The Green Man is often perceived as an ancient Celtic symbol. In Celtic mythology, he is a god of spring and summer. He disappears and returns year after year, century after century, enacting themes of death and resurrection, the ebb and flow of life and creativity. 

The Green Man has been suppressed and reinvented throughout history. He was banned during the Reformation, but appeared on 17th century memorials and is found on 18th century Scottish gravestones. In the Victorian era, The Green Man was used as an architectural motif from Ireland in the west to Russia in the east. At this time he played a major role in church restorations and as a decorative motif on street architecture. The 20th Century Green Man stands as a modern ecological symbol as well as a model of godhood and nurturance within the male. (excerpt from the Kentucky educational television site)

It may be a little early for the god of spring to make an appearance but the days are getting longer and we are passed the halfway mark to spring. My friend Helen says that the tradition in Maine is that "by Groundhog Day you've used half the wood and half the hay."

Charcoal

Apples in a Crystal Bowl
(powdered charcoal, 9 x 12 inches)

My daily drawings brought me back to exploring charcoal. This drawing was done entirely with  powdered charcoal and working into it with cue tips, paper towel and a kneaded eraser. The process felt very much like painting rather than drawing. the darkest darks were applied by dipping a paper towel in the powder and then touching it to the drawing.



I looked in one of my drawing books and found a photograph of this subject. (Stan Smith, Complete Drawing & Sketching Course, Reader's Digest, 2001)
I applied an overall wash of charcoal to work into. This time I used vine charcoal to define the darks.

Overcoat (Charcoal, 17 x 14 inches)

Today I blocked in the main shapes on the shelf and then worked back and forth pulling out the lights with an eraser and adding the darks with vine charcoal.

On the Mantel (Charcoal, 8 x 12 inches)

Consider the Lily

Yellow Lilies 1 (14 x 10 inches)

This week I have been working on painting flowers using Reid's approach.

This is my first attempt and I am pleased with the overall composition but the blossoms lack the light, airy feel I was hoping for. They needed to be painted freshly and directly with both lost and found edges.

            Yellow Lilies 2 (stage 1)  (24 x 18 inches)                                    

This painting had a stronger start than finish. I found it very hard to just let things be and lost the lightness again. I would also like to have softened a few more edges to help with the focus of the painting. Perhaps some judicious cropping will help the overall composition. 

More on Edges

Blue Bowl (10 x 14)

This is my most recent painting a la M. Reid. The hard edges out in the light focus the viewer and the variation of the edge quality around the objects and the groups of objects  helps to create depth and dimension. Keeping lots of white in the composition makes for a light and airy feeling.

This is a very different treatment of background than is usual for me. The background objects are included and used to enhance the the lost and found nature of the edges of the foreground subject as well as keeping the whole picture plane interesting.

Lost and Found

Still Life with Mallard (9 x 12 inches)

I did this painting 6 years ago. At the time I was concerned with painting directly, achieving the correct value in the first go. Some edges have been softened but that was not the focus of the exercise.

My present study of Charles Reid's approach to painting is focused on edge control.  

Three Pears (10 x 14 inches)

Edges in the light are hard and defined while the edges on the shadowed side are lost into the cast shadows.The effect is to make the light side come forward and the shadowed side recede.

No parking

Here is another quick study using  a photo from that same painting trip to Brier Island. The background has been greatly simplified to maintain focus on the bicycle. I wish I had softened the back edge of the back tire by blending it into the purple shadow but it is what it is.

No Parking (10 x 14 inches)

Painting on the Edge(s)

Now that the new year is here I have time to indulge myself in experimentation and exploration. I have always admired the work of Charles Reid and Alex Powers. Both of these painters pay particular attention to making a variety of edges  to create depth, movement and focus in their work. Today I started working with Reid's approach to edge control.

I started, as he does, with a loose continuous contour drawing of my subject.

 

As much as possible, draw without lifting the pencil and try to draw shapes not objects. For example, the cast shadows from the figures are drawn as part of the figures and the dark clothing of the more distant figure is delineated only in terms of light and shadowed areas rather than hair, jacket and pants.

I worked from a photo I took on a painting trip with my friend Helen.

                                 A Walk on Brier Island (8 x 8 inches)

This was great fun to paint. I worked on Canson's drawing bristol with a small travel kit of Yarka watercolours. This paper does not allow much reworking or layering of colour. I have kept the light side of the figures hard edged and crisp while the shadowed sides are soft edged, blending in with their surroundings. The result is a loose interpretation of the subject matter and clear representation of the quality of the light and atmosphere of the day.

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