Venitian Mask

This photo is showing you my gold leaf application.Tricky!!

I have to futher define the lines of gold leaf and finish the details of the mask.

This was an OH My God Moment applying the gold leaf and not knowing if I were going to ruin the whole thing.

Have you been there?????

Venitian Mask in progress

This is one of my more serious paintings I am working on for my Medditterean Moments series.

I was at a lull after my show at Klaussen's Gallery last June but I would like to do some works to replace those I have sold and prepare a portfolio for a new show in 2010!!!

Alpaca Hair Cut 2

No eyes to be seen. Just the hair to finish, some fur and those wonderful buck teeth!!!!

Alpaca Hair Cut or Dahhhh.....

This is from a photo i took of Alpaca's. I think they look so cute and funny that I wanted to paint this guy. I have worked on him for awhile now inbetween commissions I was working on.

Lily after the bath

I have been working on this for quite awhile or putting it on hold whitcher you call it .I have worked on alot of other things in the meantime.

Lily has on her Shark hooded towel and this pose reminded me of Vemeer's lady with the pearl earring.

She is such great inspiration to me.

I started with a yellow toned underpainting and am building up my watercolor with glazes.

Fawn on Christmas Eve

I worked Christmas Eve at my nursing job.

When I was going to see a patient on Darlings Island I was blessed to see a whole family of deer at a home on the Island.

When I slowed my car down to look at them this one looked at me and I took this photo. She then started to come over to the car and so did her twin sister.

People in the area must be feeding them as they were very tame. If I had food for them I am sure they would have eaten from my hand.

I plan on painting her!!!!

The Group of Four

These are the fellow artists I paint with at least once a week.

Krista and I get together more often.

Krista Hasson, myself (Jocelyn Bichard) Doreen Boyd and Van Martin.

It is great to bounce you ideas off fellow artists and share you ideas and knowledge.

These are also a great group of friends and we enjoy each others company.

We have all grown this past year in our art and plan on bigger and better things in the new year. Krista's blog http whatiskristapaintingnow .blogspot.com has many followers and she has a show comming up this spring at Kingsbrae gardens in St. Andrews.

I am working on a couple of venues so will keep you posted on them in the New Year.

Finished Winter Wonderland 3

Due to its length I could not fit the whole painting in the photo.

Th majority of the painting is watercolor but I used some whit arcylic and burnt umber and white soft pastel as well. Fixative and a matte acrylic covering was sprayed over the whole painting and allowed to dry between layers.

Painting in a day. Working on Winterwonderland 3

I spent Sunday Dec 13 working on this painting as I cleaned my house. I created this 16x30 painting to put on the front of my filing cabinet over my desk at my office. The dietition who sits next to me decorated hers with wrapping paper and christmas bells. I had a lone ponisetta so I said I would do a painting for mine if I got a chance on the weekend.

I managed to get it completed by suppertime.

I would paint some and while it was drying do some housework.

I had a refrence photo from Kingston Pennisulia which is my Nursing territory. I masked then did an underpainting of Aureolin yellow. I then used Perylene green,indigo and burnt umber.

Syd Finished

Finished my painting of Syd tonight.

He is 94 years old and will be 95 in Jan.

He is blind in his left eye so it does not appear as clear as his right but I wanted it not to be quite as obvious as it is in person.

He is a wonderful person and I hope he will be happy with this gift(Tribute )I have done for him for Christmas.

He let me take the photo I painted this from as a gift for the Mail Ladies who are also care givers to him. I plan to give each of them a printed copy for Christmas.

Winterwonderland III

A winterwonderland Painting #3 waiting to happen. Photo taken today on Kingston Pennisula.

Can you say "negative Painting?

Syd Step 4

Just one more evening of painting and I should have Syd done.

I work on about four different paintings at a time so one can be drying while I work on another. Now to remove the masking and put in more details.

I am also working on a cat, an alpaca and my granddaughters poitrait.

Syd Step 3

Worked a bit more on Syd last night while I was over at Krista's house.

I am really enjoying doing this painting. I think it will be a great surprize for him.

I love doing people with character and that he is.

The Best Choice

This is one of my favorite poitraits I did in the past. It is 16x20 in size. The little gril was the daughter of a waitress we met in Castera in Tobaggowhen we visited the West Indies several years ago.

We have many friends there and I have had my art work sold in several shops and their Gallery there.

I also painted commissioned poitraits while there.

The profit from the sale of this painting will go to to "The Piggs Peak Project" .Piggs Peak is a place in Swaziland ,Africa.that the small community of Hampton,here in N.B. Canada are trying to help by supporting education and health care there.

Syd Step 2

Step 2 I am slowy building up color of his skin and layering his vest.

Syd Step 1

Just started this 8x10 painting as a surprize christmas gift for this 94 year old man.

Syd will be 95 in Jan. He is sharp as a tac and a sweetheart of a man.

I am really enjoying painting him.

I love painting people but if it is a commission it is pressure where this is fun.

Winter in the country

This is a painting I started last Sunday night and finished this week. It was from a photo I took last winter. I love skies and feel our fall and winter skies are the best in the world.

I hate winter but the atmosphere does give us these fablous skies.

My husband called me to our living room last night to see one of the most spictacular blood red skies I have seen in awhile.

It is funny that alot of people do not like winter but they love paintings of it

This is a mixed media 8X10.

Queen Mary 2

Queen Mary 2 visited Saint John,N.B. Nov.3/09

Queen Mary 2

Nov,3rd the Queen Mary2 visited Saint John,N.B.in Canada.

This is a photo I took standing beside the Hilton.

My husband Nick loves cruises and this is his favorite ship.We hope in the next couple of years to take a cruise on this ship.

Mosiac Birdbath

Final step finished. Just some more polishing and wait for spring to make the stand.

Mosiac birdbath

Step four ;The tiles are cleaned with a wet sponge as the grout is drying

Mosiac Birdbath

Step three. The grout is mixed up and applied all over the tiles.I used Camel colored grout.

Mosiac Birdbath

Step two the pieces are glued in place

Mosiac Birdbath I made last weekend at Hoopers Studio Workshop

Step one arranging the pieces in the tray. The tray is a 16 inch bottom to a clay pot. I got the idea from this months Birds & Bloom magazine.

Cottage Birdfeeder finished

I have now finished this painting and my sister Mariam is in hospital recovering from serious cervical surgery so I am going to send her this in hopes of cheering her up and hoping she thinks of better days at the cottage.

I am sure she would have perferred a poitrait of her Collie but I did not have a current photo of him.

Comming up in my next blog will be photos from my weekend workshop at Hoopers Studio in Hampton where I took a mosiacs course Sat.&Sun (Oct.31 and Nov.1)

Cottage Birdfeeder Step 3

More work done on the feeder and the chickidee

Cottage Birdfeeder Step 2

Here I have removed the Masking(Packing tape) and started to define the tree branch,Feeder and the bird

Cottage Birdfeeder

This was Step one of a painting I started a couple of months ago. It was from a photo I took of a chickadee at my sisters and her husbands cottage in Ontario. They live in Winnipeg.

I masked out the bird and feeder with packing tape and used a spatter Tech. for the foilage.

55 Mercury Finished

Well it is finally finished and I am ready to move on. I was working on several things at once so it took me quite awhile. Tonight I worked on the highlights and the fine details.

My favorite part is the side mirror.

Down to the final steps (55 Mercury)

One more sitting and it should be finished. I have to now work on the details(Number plates and car window drivers side and I am declaring it done.

As you can see I worked on the shadows and highlights on Sunday evening.

I am ready to get into some winter scenes but winter itself can stay away until Christmas!!!

55 Mercury Step 5

Only another evening to go!!! I've deepened the background, added some shadows and removed the masking from the highlights. I have to put the shadow under the car to bring it forward and add the details. Perhaps pump up that front tire and truely give it its markings.

Last View of Bar converted to Studio for Oct.

another angle

more photos of my weekend sale

Another corner of my bar room

Open House Art Sale

Photos of my Bar Roomset up as a studio this past weekend.If you missed it and want to book an appointment I will leave it set up until Nov1

Commissioned House finished

Finished my house commission by putting in the details and the large tree on the left.

Unfortunately I find some paintings look better than they photograph.

I do not find this photo really does this painting justice.

I am especially pleased with the sky which does not show up well.

Hopefully the owner will like it when she sees it!!!

Quiet Canal

This is another of my Meditteranean Moments series.

It was rare to find an empty canal in venice that had only boats with no people in them.

I loved the color of the buildings reflected in the dark merky water.

This painting is 10x14 framed 18x22 and priced at $625.

Commisioned house (step2)

After the initial (step1) I felt the house was not sitting properly in the composition it was determined the lens distortion in my photograph must have been throwing it off so an adjustment was made to the horizon line. Step two included adding more color to all elements and using a ground sea salt technique to give some texture to the gravel driveway.

Not much leftto do but the details and the large tree that stands on the left side of the house.

I presently have to finish paintings for Saint Davids Art Show on Oct.23&24 then I can finish this house

Commission House (step 1)

Step one included an overall light fill in of colorto get the general layout for the painting and to check the composition.

55 Mercury (Step 4)

I have added more sennilier red to the car as well as starting some of the shadow colors and the background.

The Gondolier

This was my view in the Gondola I rode in for our day canal ride. I wanted to make the viewer feel they were seeing the Gondolier through my eyes.

We had also had a beautiful ride at night the evening before with an accordian player in our gondola but it was too dark to capture him on film.

Note there is also a Gondolier on the bridge in the background.

55 Mercury (Step 3)

Met with my painting group last evening.This is one of four paintings I am currently working on.

I find it helps to have a few on the go so I can work on others while one is drying.

Waiting for a fare

When most people have seen this painting they think I have done a portrait of my husband Nicholas however as Nick points out this Gondolier has grey hair.His facial features are very similar though or I have been asked so much that I now see the resemblance.

Watercolor Painting from Mediterranean Moments.

10 1/2 X 14 framed 18 1/2 X 22

$625

Amalfi Coast

This is another Mediterranean Moment.

This Watercolor painting is my smallest of the series. It is from a photo I took from our Tour bus window. The roads are very steep,winding and narrow.Two buses can hardly pass without their mirrors touching.You can see the bus ahead of us in my painting.

Painting 10X13 framed 18 1/2 X 21

$575

55 Mercury Step 2

I have undercoated the car with Indian Yellow to let the light shine through, This car has a lot of reflection in it and is going to be a challange to paint. I saw this car during Bloomin Artist in Hampton and got a commission to do a painting of it.My pallette is (Quin red, Fr. Vermillon,Sennelier red,Sap green,Thalo green ) at this point.

55 Mercury Painting in Progress

Step 1

The drawing with masking on it

Positano Shop Front,Italy

This is my other favorite from my series "Meditteranean Moments". I loved this vase .The colors in this town were beautiful. The Lemons were huge and they make this great liquor called Lemoncello that you drink chilled out of miniture little mugs.

Positano is one of the little villages we visited on the Amalfi Coast. I would go back there in a heartbeat!!!

Painting is a watercolor 11X14 framed 19X22 1/2

Sale price $675

Trevi Fountain (Rome)

This painting is also part of my Mediterranean

Moments series. It measures 10x16 framed 18 1/2 X 24 1/2.

For sale $675

This is one of my favories of my series and one of the most challanging.Unfortunately this is the best photo I have of it as I neglected taking a photo before I took it for framing.The light area on the top left over the statues head and at the top of the building are reflected light from the glass.

SOLD

Ballons

The Ballons were beautiful!!

My Princess Butterfly

Lily and I went to the Balloon Festival Sat. Afternoon and she got a butterfly painted on her face. She loved it!!!