Newmarket's Southlake Hospital
                                         original wc.  24"x14.5"

This is the latest commission piece I just finished for the town of Newmarket, Ontario. It is a sample of my commercial Architectural rendering. I have completed 4 renderings of various locations in Newmarket and there is one more pending on approval. In the meantime I have been busy with teaching my art classes & trying to complete some large oils for the up coming spring opening of Gallery on The Lake in Buckhorn. (they close for the winter season) I will be posting these paintings as I complete them.

Portrait Drawing

We (my drawing class) have been working on individual portraits from a photograph preferably taken by us (the artist). This is mine of my Niece Amanda when she was about 3 or 4. I am also posting the reference photo I used.

 Reference photo

 "Amanda" Graphite on paper  13"x15"

The purpose of these drawings are to help the Artist to "see" proportions of the face to observe how light hits the face to create a 3-dimentional work. Photography tends to "flatten" objects so as we draw the face, we have to pay close attention to the light. I exaggerated the value of the skin to compensate for the flash of the camera. A better photo would have used natural light. (Back then I wasn't aware of how to take better photographs). A superb drawing would have been from a live model where lighting would have played a key role and an extreme challenge of observation. Most of my students are drawing to help in other areas of their art work and are painting for a hobby, so using photograph reference is what they generally will be using.

Anyone interested in questions & answers from Artists?

If anyone is interested in how "we" artists think... how our daily thought process works or if you just want to get answers to some pertinent questions? I would like to recommend you subscribe to "The Painters Keys" a twice weekly letter written by Robert Genn. His clever quotes & wit make enjoyable reading and give the reader a thought provoking journey.  

Here are a couple of pen & ink drawings we are working on  in class. The Daisies are finished.

Click the link below to check out "The Painters Keys". Subscribe, it is good reading if you are an artist or just want to be!

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                     "Mourning Dove" Original WC.  7.5"x10" Framed
                                       (also available in Giclee' Prints)

Hello Everyone: I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in the 2012 Newmarket Studio Tour  as guest artist in the home of my artist friends; Don Chretien & Julie Cochrane this Saturday Oct. 20th., 10:00am.-5:00pm. & Sunday Oct. 21st. 11:00am.-5:00pm. I will have several new water colours & oil paintings and giclee' prints available.
For more information & a detailed map of the various studios on the tour please click the link below:

www.newmarketgroupofartists.org
Follow us on Twitter:
Here is the link for the Newmarket Studio Tour's Facebook Fan Page:
www.facebook.com/NewmarketStudioTour

Hope to see you there!

New on The Easel!

This "little" painting 36"x48" is one I just started. I have 3 on the go now, hoping to get them done in the VERY near future as my Gallery hasn't received any new work yet this year!

My workshop is next Tuesday & Wed. in water colour (painting flowers) so I have to do a mental switch again. My teaching starts in Sept. & I have taken on  6 paintings for a rather large commission all in water colour.

I will try & post more regularly and keep the brushes warm!!!

Well....you would think once you finished your stint of teaching one would have more time to paint!!! Not so. After a 10 day trip to Nova Scotia (not long enough as the place was beautiful!) I just finished a house commission, turned down a HUGE commission due to time restraints..they wanted 4 large commercial areas drawn & completed by Sept. 5th & I was to start today! (Not possible without working like a maniac, & I'm not up to it anymore. So I passed even though the money would have been very nice! Now, I can concentrate on what I LUV to do...PAINT! Hurray!

                                          Leaving Toronto Island Airport

                                          Pleasant Bay, Cape Breton

                                          Atlantic Side of Cape Breton

                                          Just finished House Commission

                                          I took 475 Photos! I have lots of reference now....just gotta paint!

This is the oil painting I'm currently working on. The top painting is after yesterday's session and the lower version was 2 weeks ago.Yesterday, I worked primarily on the upper right side blocking in more background and establishing light filtering thru the trees on the ground. Detailing is still on hold ie. fallen leaves, debris etc. My main concern at this point is to get the "feel" of the place, the "woodsy" damp quiet! So colour and values are very important and getting the colour of moss green correct. So, still quite away to go, but coming along! This is 48"x60" someone needs a big wall space! The Gallery in Clarksburg has requested larger paintings.