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.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Blue on Blue - Work in Progress

Since the beginning of this past summer, every morning (or so) I would go out onto our deck and admire the amazing shades of blue in our morning glory vine.  As summer progressed and the vines reached the top of the arbor, the shade of changed to a more intense shade of blue.  Several mornings in a row, I would rush outside with my camera to photograph the back lit blooms.  I was afraid it would rain soon and beat the blooms into oblivion.

As summer started to wane, the intensity of blue in the morning sky also deepened.  This is when I realized this little morning obsession I have would have to become a painting.

I was torn – to paint this in watercolour or in acrylic.  Watercolour being my favourite medium, I drew the blooms out on Arches 300lb cold pressed paper. As I began painting, my strategy had to change.  I started with the sky.  With my normal approach, not using a mask (mistake in this case) I started to paint the sky, ever so carefully painting around the blooms.  Three washes later I still had streaks.  This is where the masking medium would have been my friend.

Hmm, what to do? I decided this would be a missed media piece and layered on two more washes, same colours but in acrylic with a tiny touch of white added to help blend out the uneven tones I inadvertently created around the blooms.  This approach worked.  This is now officially a mixed water media piece.  I love the contract and the way the painting is building.

I do believe I will repaint this piece – larger and in acrylic.  In due time. And maybe next summer!

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