About Me

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Quispamsis, NB, Canada
As long as I can remember I have been drawing and painting. Although my subject matter may have changed with time, what has not changed it my attraction to nature. Being drawn in by sunlight, shadows textures and details all with rich colors. I know I am best challenged when the work has a high element of complexity. I spend much time and effort exploring my subjects - striving to gather as much information as possible before I begin working. My first love is working with water mediums - from watercolors, through acrylics and most recently water soluble oils. Often I may explore the same or similar subject in different mediums.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

More progress on the lilac painting

When I start working on a painting I have a clear vision of how it will turn out. Often what is missing from the vision is a line of sight into how long it will actually take me to develop the piece. This one of those kinds of paintings.


A full sheet watercolour in the level of detail I aspire to is time consuming - no way around it. It is clearly work. Knowing that I am almost always pulled in by the complexity of a subject. It has to be a challenge or I will not tackle it.

This painting is for all intent and purpose, a monochromatic work rendered in detail – and I think still painterly. I started with a good outline drawing and finessed and filled in as I went along. In the initial stages, a friend saw the work and asked me to do a similar piece as a commission. The hiccup was – there was a tight deadline and I would have to set aside the full sheet paining in order to make that deadline. Yes, more shades of lilac.

And so, I completed a smaller version called “Lavender Lilacs” for my friend. And then to return to this piece you are watching the progress of. At about the half way point I felt discouraged – as I normally do at this stage. The sheer amount of lilac I have been working with coupled with the desire to see more progress, well…..

And so now I see the progress and am re-excited (is that even a word?) by the work and am steadily working towards its completion. I have reverted back to singing and dancing as I work along – and hope to have it completed by August 7th. Fingers crossed. I will post when it is complete.

1 comment:

  1. Those look good enough to smell deeply, one of my favorite flowers. A sure sign of Spring in Michigan. Thanks for the follow on Twitter!

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