About Me

My photo
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.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ruby Red tuLips


This is yet another adventure working on Aquabord.  I am finding this surface is better when worked in a painterly style as opposed to realism and high detail.  It is a good process to go through as it does help to loosen me up as along as I have large pockets of time to work in.  I find when I grab a few minutes to paint – I work in a tighter manner. 

I love the colours of these flowers, not pink, not red and not orange, but really all shades in between.  Tulips when in full bloom make me happy.  I am not completely sure, but to me they represent free spirits. Out in the early spring, bowing in the wind – leaning into the sun. 

This stand grows in my front garden under an apple tree.  The most challenging thing about gardening with tulips is keeping the deer from eating them completely.  As soon as the stalks are out of the ground, I start applying blood meal.  It does help – I also think a spray of safers soap also keeps the deer from munching. I take a lot of photos as soon as the blooms start to open.  Cliché maybe – but I  really like to get shots of backlit tulips.


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Noah - "Learning to Fly"

This is a painting long in the making - I started it forever ago and just finished it this week. I had Noah painted on the swing - painted some of the grass - and finally went in for the face.  Normally I would have started with  his little face - and if that didn't work out for some reason - well, I would either start over or move on. 

This is a painting of the little boy next door - and he is adorable.  I showed the painting to his Grandmother and she turned all red and welled up - you know you have captured the essence of the person when you get a reaction that profound! The painting will be hers!

This watercolor is painted on Arches 300lb paper 12" x 15".