New work....in progress!

Here are some samples of my latest work. This is a sample of 12 model homes that I have been working on for the month of December. They are going to be built in Bradford, Ontario. I get 3 at a time & have approximately one week to paint three & deliver them.( roughly explains where this month has gone!!)   This large commission I started in November & hope to finish as soon as the commercial work has ended. Painting this is more interesting and rewarding than the new homes!

 This watercolour I did in November for a demo for the East Gwillimbury Group. These are samples of what I have been doing & I am working on the last 2 paintings of commercial work which have to be finished by Tuesday Jan. 3rd After that my teaching starts up again on the 11th. With a bit of luck...I may get back to my oils soon! The Gallery's are getting a bit thin with work!

Teaching,Pen & Ink and Watercolour!

Well, it has been awhile...again! I seem to get caught up in everyday "stuff" & then get bogged down with working on my teaching every week and then there is nothing left in me for my own painting. (gotta work on that !)
These are 4 pen & ink drawings some with colour (watercolour) applied either to the original or on a print.
I am also going to be giving a watercolour workshop in November to the East Gwillimbury Art Group for a day. The teaching seems to be going along very well.

 "Copper" with WC

 Landscape

 Colour on print

 Next lesson...fur & eyes on animals

I did manage a 2 day paint-out on my own on Thanksgiving Weekend up to Bracebridge and did several sketches and 2 plein air pieces for future oil paintings. The weather was unbelievable!!!! Mid 20's and sunny! Perfect. There are photos on my FB page. I will Post a couple here as well.

A week behind but finished!

Well, the finished painting. I did it in 2 weeks instead of 1but not bad for me! I am now focused on the next piece. I am extremely busy for the next 2 weeks but hope to get some painting in. The teaching is starting up in late Sept. and classes have to be planned and some exercises done as examples.

I would really like some comments from any viewers....please comment good or bad just let me know your thoughts.... all are welcome!

Well, missed my own deadline...no surprise!

Well, again I missed my time frame. I really have to make painting my priority. It is really difficult sometimes, and I feel I am starting to get into a bit of a rut. For some reason, I have been dwelling on the past. Mistakes, choices and what if's. Maybe it's my pending birthday, who knows. I do have a few things I wish I could have done differently and I'm sure I'm not alone on this. Painting however has always been my main passion but economics due play a major role in self doubt. I only can improve and with so does some monetary gain. I feel I have about 2 sessions left. They are getting longer with less painting. This means I'm thinking about "what" to do to improve the visual. I have kept to my original plan to add less detail but still have the work look realistic. Comments are very much welcome...haven't had too many so far????

Third Session on this piece!

Well, I am pleased with my progress on this painting...didn't meet my end of the week deadline so I am moving it forward till Monday! I have books to do for my accountant, (a job I would put off forever...they were due Aug. 1st.)

This painting I have been trying not to paint every detail I am working on well thought out placement of value and colour rather than every branch. I really admire the work of American artist "Clyde Aspevig" he is a master at painting realism without painting ALL the details. Check His work out at  www.clydeaspevig.com You won't be disappointed! (that's if you like realism).

Second Session of painting!

Well this is the second pass on this painting, and I must say I do like it so far! (Unusual for me) I am trying to achieve a realistic painting with out using great amounts of detail. I feel I lose a lot of "feeling" in my work by over working the piece. (commonly called "over kill") I should leave details to my drawings and commercial work! So, here it is....any comments are more than welcome, even negative!

The Beginning.....again!

Well, here is the first pass on top of an older painting that never made it! It is the "block-in" stage. I am establishing the composition, darks and basic colours. From this point I will develop the whole piece and hopefully finish it within 1 week! I am teaching on Wed. and I have to put together the fall classes' supply lists. I can't believe summer is just about to come to an end...I wait all year for 3 months. Maybe a home in the south? Dreamin' never hurt anyone did it?

A Well deserved break!

We rented a cottage for the week of Aug1st -Aug.6th. It was a nice break from things that have been going on here. The cottage was nice but we were disappointed that the water wasn't suitable for swimming. The photos showed it was on a river opening up to Little Bald Lake. However, it was quite swampy and full of weeds. And our other dog, Dan, got a severe skin infection and had to be brought in to the vets. This wasn't from the water but his immune system was low due to the depression He is having from the loss of Toby. I had to teach on Wed. so we returned home on Tuesday evening and then went back to the cottage on Friday. Needless to say the "vacation" wasn't what we had planned but a needed rest all the same. I have posted 2 photos from the spot. It was good for painting purposes and I started a small "sketch" which will work itself into a larger painting. I did several pencil drawings and they help to keep the "observation" skills honed!
I will be attending a "Meet The Artist" event at Gallery on The lake in Buckhorn this weekend and will have a couple of new paintings to show. (sorry if this is repeat information; I need to keep advertising!)

Finished!

Well, hard as it is to believe...I finally finished this "Winter Light" painting. It is going to be at Gallery On The Lake  in Buckhorn, Ontario; for the weekend event on August 13th from 1PM till 4 PM. It is a "meet the Artist" weekend and I will be there on the 13th. I will have some selected "new works" for the event only. Hope to see everyone there!

When summer mornings look like this I feel so happy to be an artist! It is about 6:30 AM and I was out driving around my Mother's area looking for inspiration...found some! Mosquitoes and deer flies were out in full force and painting on location (for me) was not an option. These biting pests ruin everything!!!

I made some quick notes and a small sketch. I needed the break this past weekend. I am finding the loss of Toby to be quite overwhelming. He followed me continuously and always had to be touching me. A big paw on my foot, a nose on my lap etc. We still have Dan, but he is a real loner and we have to coax him up to meet us when we come home!

Well, on the work front...I managed to get 2 teaching jobs for the start of September. Now I have 3 classes. I can hardly wait! It has made me realize that I need to figure out the why of things. I tend to just jump in to my work and to teach something, you must have a logical and correct way to proceed in order to explain things to students. I have a pen & ink class  and a beginners watercolour class at the Seniors Centre in Newmarket. I also have my watercolour class in Toronto which starts at the end of September.

So, I am back to the easel and will post the finished paintings soon!

Almost There...still adjusting Values!

Well, the snow on branches just isn't right! I want it to look like the sun is coming thru the trees and glistening off the snow tipped branches. I am almost there, but will be into next week.

I have to get in touch with "Gallery On The Lake" and get new work in there. I will post the images they accept.

Today is going to be a real scorcher...with humidity it will be in the forties!!! May just stay in the basement painting today!

Almost Finished this painting!

Yesterday was a Great painting session! I have just about finished this one! I have some value corrections, and then highlights to make the snow "sparkle". Let me know what you think? Maybe I missed something. When you paint on a piece so long sometimes you lose your direction and things are missed.

Busy,Hot andTroubled!

Well, these 3 words sum up how the past few days have been. My 6 yr. old Newfie-X, Toby seems to be losing His battle with bone cancer. I am afraid I have a very difficult decision soon. So this explains "troubled". Hot! I want to get out and do some "plein air" work but the heat is unbearable and thus mosquitoes are thriving! I don't need to "give blood" for their cause. So, studio work has been going rather well.
I am teaching for 1 1/2 hours today, and 1 hour every Wed. so with prep work for classes and trying to get new pieces for myself this explains busy! I need to get "new" work into the Gallery's soon before the summer season ends.

                                                          

                                                    Pastel Study 12.5"X9.5"

                                           Watercolour 21.5"X19.5"

  

Winter Scene  30"X40"

These are the paintings I have been working on (None are complete). If anyone wants to see "Toby" there are pictures of both my dogs on my facebook page.

Finally....getting back to my painting!

Well, it has been awhile since I worked on this painting that I started at the beginning of this Blog! So, as you can see it has changed a bit!!! Larger trees in the foreground helps to draw in the viewer, I am in the process of adding in more snow laden branches to make the wooded area more interesting. I need to adjust the colour value in the distance to give more depth to the painting as well. This is the point I can readily see things that need doing. This painting, I omitted the thumbnail sketch step & I should try and do sketches every time as it eliminates the "puzzle" of figuring out the composition rather than working those problems out on the canvas! (I'm just lazy!!!)

Home Show results!

Well, the show wasn't what I had hoped but I did sell, so...not a total wash out! Saturday we had torrential rains accompanied by thunder & lightning! That kept several art enthusiast's at home. Sunday was beautiful. I learned a few things about home shows. Advertise extensively and everywhere, and hold the show before "cottage" season opens...before May 24th!!!!
I was pleased to have sold 2 of my pencil drawings. I have always liked pencil work and until this weekend have never really felt they were appreciated (they are very labour intensive!) I have posted a couple of images of some of the sales. Now the show is behind me I can get back to painting. I will post the results as they happen, or hope they happen!

My teaching watercolour is finished in 2 weeks and the "Freehand Art School" in Toronto has asked me to come back in September! I am looking forward to it. I learn a lot from the students I just hope they do from me!

Art Studio & Sale!

Well, time sure flies by when busy....but everyone knows that! I have been ill with a terrible cold, still teaching watercolour classes and now getting ready for my up-coming Home show & sale.

It's a way to move art work from the Galleries & studio to make room for new work. I just hope the weather co-operates on June 4th & 5th. For details please see my web site http/www.barbmcguey.com

A Diversion to water colour!

Sorry it's been awhile since the last post!

All oil painting has been stopped and the water colours are out of moth balls...just kidding. I am always dabbling in the water! I have a great teaching gig in Toronto for the next 10 weeks at the New"Freehand Art School". It is one evening a week for 2 hours and last night was the first class. If anyone is interested there are still a couple of spots available. I am posting 2 of the "quick" sky studies we were working on.

If interested their web site is ...

http://www.freehandart.ca

Stuck...?

Well, like I mentioned at the start of this painting...I'm stuck! In order to keep the flow going I stopped work on the large piece and did a couple of "Forest" studies. I have posted the images here. They are just works for colour, experiments in season change and patterns of light. These are 9"x12" canvases that I have ready in the studio  with a wash of "burnt orange" toned canvas. I like the warm orange because I  seem to paint with cool colours and the orange shows thru to warm up my work.
These studies are not finished paintings so I usually "loosen" up and avoid my dreaded "detail". I will probably varnish these and sell them.

Stay tuned...the large one is not forgotten!

Here's the Third session!

Well, I'm starting to see the return of detailing. I really have to sit back at this point and take notice of what I am trying to do. I do like detail but find you really lose the "feeling" with Oils very quickly. My detail works well with illustration and watercolour, as good drawing is usually a great start for watercolours.

However, back to this thing... I put more variations of dark blues,rose and even green into the snow shadows. I didn't blend them either (another problem I have from watercolour, it blends so nice with the flow of water!) My biggest problem is going to be the trees...I would love to put in every branch!!! Yikes...what AM I doing?

I am getting so close to ruining a great start! I did a small 16"x20" that is on my web site that inspired this painting, (Can't See The Trees" named because there are so many and not many branches!). It is much looser because the small size isn't as intimidating to me. I can afford to throw a small one to the pit! (fire pit) I am going to see this through, bare with me! Maybe the next session will be an improvement.

I see I still haven't enticed any followers...maybe I'm just ranting to myself here. I could be losing my own mind rather than a painting. Well one thing is for sure. It is making me think about what it is I am trying to achieve. I've never been a "journal" writer (like Oprah) but she swears by it. So, this is my journal or journey to a better way of painting!

Second session of painting!

This is the second session on this "woods" painting.
I have started to add some darks and establish the cooler blues and rose colour to the snow in shadow. I also have defined some of the trees in the direct sunlight. I am going to study the work so far and decide how I want the cast shadows from the trees to go. I think rather than straight down they should be in a direction either left or right. This would direct the viewer's eye into the painting and be more interesting.

I'll post the next session in a couple of days!

Starting another studio piece!

Well, after a frustrating day of errands...I decided to start a new painting. This will be a woodland scene in winter. i love the colours, warm tones against the cool blues & greens of snow. This is a photo of the first lay -in or wash of colours. I try to establish my lights and rough in of shapes of the trees.
I will post the painting at different stages of completion. I'm sure there will be times of frustration! I usually get "stuck" around the 1/2 way point. I have sometimes put the painting away for several weeks and start something new!

Here goes the journey...                 30"x40"

Still Learning how to blog???

Well, after several re-designs I am getting close to what I like to see when I read blogs! It still isn't too interesting so i haven't notified anyone that I am doing this!!! Seems pointless to have a blog then if no one knows about it!

My introverted self is showing!!!  Art is moving on about as well as this blog! Going no where fast!

Back to the computer? Or to the easel? I think easel....

My first blog post!

I started a blog today to try and get myself to paint on a regular basis and get tips from several other artists and followers.
I hope to post finished paintings as well as sketches and even some commercial work. I will explain my painting process and places I paint from. I am trying to paint more "en plein air".( Means painting outside in all kinds of weather,bugs and changing light! Difficult at first but gets some what easier!

A bit about me...I have been an architectural renderer since 1980 working from plans and painting every brick,shingle and matching builders' colour schemes has kept me on a very narrow and tight style of art. (hope to change)... I am an elected member of the "Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour" CSPWC since 1995 and painted in water colour for years and have recently switched to oils. I love the creamy texture of oil paint and find the  vibrant colour much more appealing!

So,  I hope you enjoy my blog and please make comments or suggestions!