A warm, lazy fall day.......

......is the subject of my latest painting.  I took a photo in Southampton during a course there with Don Cavin.  He was taking us on a walk to seek out "paintable" views close to the school.  I was intrigued with the shapes and angles here, and of course the lovely bright sunshine and resulting shadows.  I would love to sit on that bench with a glass of iced tea!

This is the painting that resulted from an acylic demo in a class I taught recently. The demo was so rushed and the drawing on the canvas so inadequate that I painted over it when I got home and started again.  A careful sketch on the underpainting is so important.  I used burnt sienna for the underpainting to bring out the warmth.  I actually changed the colours of the houses, too.  

"Come and Sit With Me"
16 X 20
acrylic

"Positively Negative".......

.........was the name of the workshop I led at the Wasaga Beach Artists group yesterday, April 8 2014.  Such an involved, talented group of artists!  We only had an afternoon to work on our negative paintings, but I hope everyone went home with more confidence in using the concept of "negative".  Thank you to the group for inviting me!

Another fun acrylics class!

Eleven of us worked on acrylic flowers and buildings yesterday, with great results!  I was impressed with the intense focus and determination in each participant.  I hope they will all continue to work on their art at home, somehow carving out the time from busy schedules to practise their skills.  

Remember, take the product lightly, but take the process seriously!  

A Birthday Celebration Painting Event!

What a great idea!  Yesterday I led a paint day for 6 family members in celebration of Grandma's birthday, in a lovely home that also serves as The Colonel's Rest Bed and Breakfast, in Mount Forest, Ontario.  (Check it out at  http://www.bbcanada.com/colonelsrest and on Facebook at The Colonels's Rest B&B. I highly recommend it!)

Everyone completed a flower painting, which will be proudly hung on Grandma Diane's wall at home.  Some members even finished a second painting.  There were lots of laughs, a fabulous lunch was served by hostess Kay, and fun was had by all.  

The birthday girl seemed to be having the most fun of all, of course! Since she was used to oils, not acrylics, it was a whole different experience.  She tells me they just don't blend nicely like oils!

Hostess Kay is starting on her second daisy painting. She created the lovely flower pins we all wore for the day, in honour of Grandma Diane.

I was amazed at how quickly everyone chose a flower composition to work with.
Each person had a different colour problem to work out.  For a poppy, we had to make a translucent red for highlights, not a pink red.  Mixing a lovely orange did the trick.

Here are the finished paintings:  You can tell we are all pleased with the results.  (Even the dog!)