Red Hot Pines

Red Hot Pines

10x20"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #64 - This painting came together quickly. My business, Beacon Original Art, was having its 5th show on October 22nd and I hardly had any new work to show. I used the fall colours around me to create this painting.

Apple of My Eye

Apple of My Eye

6x6"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #63 - A wonderful summer with my husband prompted the title of this painting. He's definitely the, "Apple of My Eye". My favourite part of this painting is how the colours of the background and the apple work together. I think the painting has a masculine feel to it. Do you think its due to the colour scheme?

Left in the Shadows

Left in the Shadows

6x6"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #62 - This was the last tomato in the crisper. I liked its vine so decided to paint it. My favourite part of the painting is its shadows. I used my house number on the tomato's sticker.

Peachy Keen

Peachy Keen

6x6"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #61 - Ironically, I wouldn't describe painting this peach as Peachy Keen. I had great difficulty mixing colours and couldn't ever seem to get the true colour of my peach. I like the background colour. I think it compliments the fruit.

BC Cherries

BC Cherries

6x6"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #60 - I painted these cherries right after I painted a landscape with very loose trees. I thought I'd try the same style with my cherries. I like the look - the painting looks cheerful - the same way I feel when I eat BC cherries.

Meaningful Connections

Meaningful Connections

24x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #59 - This painting is in response to a project my students and I are involved in. We are creating an artwork that communicates, "How the Arts Impact my Life." I chose to paint this arch bridge from Prince's Island Park. The bridge is a metaphor for how the arts impact my life. I am a painter. Painting connects me to people, places, things and myself in more meaningful and intimate ways. For example, I can only paint a flower if I understand how it grows and know the shapes of its leaves and petals. Quite often I research my subjects before I paint them. Thus, painting is the tool, the bridge, that helps me learn about my world.

TTFN

TTFN

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #58 - Still sticking with the Information Age theme, this painting represents the acronym TTFN - TaTa for Now. I used more subdued colours in this painting thus, its quieter, not harsh or bright. I'm enjoying learning about colour relationships while working on my abstract series.

BRB

BRB

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #57 - Sticking with my theme, The Information Age, this painting symbolizes the acronym, BRB - be right back.

Spring's Finally Arrived

Spring's Finally Arrived

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #56 - This was simply a fun and relaxing painting to complete. The rhythm of the painting symbolizes the fast pace at which new growth appears all around us in Spring.

Tree of Hope in Rikuzentakata

Tree of Hope in Rikuzentakata

20x30"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #55 - On March 11, 2011 a tsunami devastated the coastal city of Rikuzentakata, Japan. Its beach once drew thousands of visitors a year and was listed in guidebooks as one of the 100 most scenic places in Japan. The coast was lined with 70,000 black and red pine trees that protected residents from ocean winds for more than 300 years. Now all that stands is one 10-metre tree, which locals are calling, The Tree of Hope. Over half of Rikuzentakata's population is still missing, 75 percent of its homes are gone and yet, residents are able to find hope in a single standing tree. My painting depicts the Tree of Hope in Rikuzentakata, and serves as a reminder of the capacity we all have to see the light in times of deep darkness.

WildLife Landscapes

Untitled

12x16"

Acrylic on Canvas Board

Painting #54 - My second exercise from the book called, Wildlife Landscapes by Wilson Bickford. I spent two hours on it. I like the dark values in the foreground and the mid tones at the horizon. These values create a real sense of depth in the painting. My goal in this exercise was to achieve a more realistic version of deciduous trees - clearly, I'm not there yet! More practice will help.

WildLife Landscapes

Untitled

12x16"

Acrylic on Canvas Board

Painting #53 - This painting and several others that will follow are exercises that I am doing from a book called, Wildlife Landscapes by Wilson Bickford. I'm only spending two hours on each painting. My goal is to attain something new - a skill or a method - from each exercise. From this exercise I learned to apply gesso just before applying paint to my sky. The gesso helps keep the paint wet so that my paint moves freely thus, its easier for me to achieve the effects I want. Thank you Wilson!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #52 - Another mixed media painting inspired by a pattern on some paper. I'm not "real" happy with this one. I was in a rush to finish it for my show this Saturday and thus, the colours are not quite working the way I would like them to.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #51 - Another fun painting. Again, I was inspired by the patterns on a piece of paper and collaged it to my canvas. I used coloured gesso to express the lines of an anniversary celebration and used colour to unify the piece.

Marry Me?

Marry Me?

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #50 - This was a fun painting. I used a small piece of paper as my inspiration and collaged it onto the canvas. With coloured gesso I created a line design to depict the happy emotions that come with the union of two people. I was quite pleased to see two abstract forms which could be people appear within the design. Do you see them?

A New Journey

A New Journey

5x7"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting # 49 - I enjoyed painting this bridge, which can be found on Prince's Island in Calgary. The base of the arch bridge gave me some difficulty and I'm not happy with my tree in the foreground. I look forward to more practice!

Incoming Messages

Incoming Messages

24x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #48 - Well, I've completed my third painting using size as a focal point. I enjoyed thinking about what colours and what size of shapes to place where. I find it difficult to paint straight lines and to keep all the shapes from looking like they are slanting upward or downward. I'm going to continue with my abstract series based on messages we receive through technology.

International Women Celebrate Exhibition

Opening night for International Women Celebrate was a huge success. Pictured at AyrSpace Gallery in Ontario are (from left to right) Donna Kaminski, The Honourable Sheila Copps, me and in the back row Jeanette Obbink - coordinator of our book, International Women Celebrate - 100 Women Artists Reflect. The Mayor, Council and over 88 guests were awed by the work of 106 artists.

To date over $3500.00 has been raised for Haitian relief from partial proceeds of the sale of the work and 100% of the contributions at the door. Please consider buying a painting to help us raise more money. All paintings can be viewed online. I purchased a painting called, Motherhood by Padmaja Madhu. To purchase a book please email Jeanette at jeanette@obbink.ca or Jill at art@ayrspace.ca

AyrSpace

44 Stanley Street

Ayr, Ontario

519-632-9030

Inner City Power

Inner City Power

5x7"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #47 - This was a fun painting! Who knew there were so many details up there on those posts - how exciting. I look forward to painting more power lines with a variety of birds relaxing up there.

Skating at Prince's Island

Skating at Prince's Island

5x7"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #46 - Besides the stairs, this was a fun painting to complete. I had fun painting the people and organizing them on the ice to make a balanced composition.

Driving Past Canmore

Driving Past Canmore

5x7"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #45 - Not the best composition to paint. The painting needs something interesting in the foreground. Too bad a couple big eagles weren't flying around!

Tranquility off Banff Avenue

Tranquility off Banff Avenue

5x7"

Acrylic on Board

Painting #44 - My second daily painting while on my annual painting trip. I did this one quite quickly, which I think was beneficial because I didn't get caught up in all the details.

Bow Valley

Bow Valley

5x7"

Acrylic on Board

Painting #43 - I decided to paint a few small landscapes while on my annual painting trip with Kristina. I need to work on my trees and achieving more values in my mountains.

Outgoing Messages

Outgoing Messages

24x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #42 - This painting was a little easier than the last one - as it should be when we do something the second time around. I enjoy the process of being in the moment when making decisions about the colour and size of the shapes. Additionally, I take pleasure in focusing on design fundamentals - in this case, using size to create a focal point.

Information Processing

Information Processing

24x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #41 - My daily paintings have become a little bigger that usual and they are taking more than a day to complete. I've decided to produce a body of abstract paintings for the following reasons:

- to motivate and stimulate my creativity

- to further develop my artistic skills

- to develop my own style, originality, individuality

- to invoke my feelings, intuition, spontaneity, inventiveness and feeling for colour, shape, composition, etc.

- the process will help me learn how to interpret reality better

Dress Shoes

Dress Shoes

9X12"

Acrylic on Board

Painting #40 - I'm happy with this painting - lots of different textures in these shoes - leather, metal and stitching. I like the little green leather straps and the brown leather heel pads. Improvements could be made on the beige cloth of the shoes - I wasn't sure how to solve that problem but I'll get lots of practice as I work my way through my closet.

Jubilation

Jubilation

24x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

If you look at my blog it looks like I didn't paint all of December. Let me tell you - that's not true. I decided to submit a painting for the 100 Women Show - International Women Celebrate in Ayr, Ontario and I ended up painting frantically to have a piece ready. I completed five paintings in all and Jubilation is the piece that I submitted. We also had to include a written submission with an introduction about ourselves, our views about being a woman and about our painting (see written response below). The exhibition is from March 8th to April 10th at http://ayrspace.ca/ . A book will be published with our work and our narratives. One hundred women from around the world participated to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

Jubilation

My name is Tammy Watt. I am 48 years old and live with my husband in Calgary, Alberta. I am an Art Educator and own a small art selling business. My appreciation of art arose from admiring my grandmother’s paintings.

Growing up I had to search for a mother figure. I found the Creator. Consequently, I view myself as a human being before viewing myself as a woman. Thankfully, I do not remember a time when being female has inhibited me. To be a woman means to be strong. I am physically powerful, emotionally resilient and mentally able.

Within me is a mysterious energy that wants me to keep growing. My painting is a tribute to six females who nourish this energy with love, wisdom and fun. I used a predominately primary colour scheme to suggest cheerfulness, vitality and health. I want the energy in these colours to transmit to my viewers, thus sharing the gifts given to me.

Kindred Spirit

Kindred Spirit

12x12"

Acrylic/Gold Leaf on Canvas

Painting #38 - I'm playing around with ideas for the, International Women Celebrate, exhibition. My final painting will include six females who are influential in my life - this is my niece - she is one of them.

Stampede Boots

Stampede Boots

9x12"

Acrylic on Board

Painting #37 - I thought it was time to paint my cowboy boots. They were custom made for me so they may look a bit different from what you would normally see in the stores. They were quite easy to paint, however, I struggled with decisions about the background. I decided to paint swirls and floating shapes to bring a rhythm to the painting, which I hopes captures what these boots do during the Calgary Stampede - they dance.

Stylish Year-Round

Stylish Year-Round

Acrylic on Board

9x12

Painting #36 - Well, white patent boots are difficult to paint - or maybe its the medium I'm using. I find acrylic paint so difficult to blend - especially in Calgary's dry climate. My paint dries immediately after it hits the board. Next painting I will try using a glazing gel - I'll let you know how it goes. I had fun with the background in this painting - the red is so lovely and rich. I really like the circles in my foreground as well - I'm not sure how they found their way in there - I almost want to name them!

Green Patent Bootlets

Green Patent Heels

Acrylic on Board

5x7

Painting #35 - I thought I'd have a little fun with the background - I love swirls and they appear often in my work. The patent was a challenge. I find it interesting that one pair of patent shoes can be so much more difficult - or easier, than another pair. Perhaps its my lack of experience painting this material? My closet is full of patent so I'll be getting plenty more experience!

Waiting for a Night Out

Waiting for a Night Out

Acrylic on Board

5x7

Painting #34 - I bought these shoes within a half an hour of my first visit to New York City - and we explored the night life together! They are easier to wear than they are to paint. Despite my efforts, this painting does not show the true beauty of the shoes.

Purple Magic

Purple Magic

Acrylic on Board

5x7

Painting #33 - These shoes were a bit tricky to paint - there was a lot of shine and subtle patterns. I like the composition and the positioning of the shoe laces. I wish that I would have put a few more washes over the shoes so my values would have blended more smoothly.

In a Hurry

In a Hurry

Acrylic on Board

5x7

Painting #32 - Well, its the start of another school year and I must admit that I'm having difficulty painting daily. However, celebrate small successes - right? When I was typing out the name of this painting I noticed how in line the title was with what was going on in my life. During these past few weeks as I get to know almost 200 new students I feel as if I'm always "In a Hurry." I think the painting strokes in this paint reflect that I'm feeling rushed - it was a big step for me to leave them this way and not go back in and tighten everything.

Red Patent Shoes

Red Patent Shoes

Acrylic on Board

5x7

Painting #31 - I'm back - I needed a short break after my 30 in 30 and then I wanted to work on some larger paintings. I'm happy with these shoes. I thought achieving the shiny look of the patent leather would be more difficult than it was, however, this painting was just like all others. When I find the slight value shifts in my painting subjects I achieve a greater level of realism.

Nectarine

Nectarine

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #30 - I did it, 30 paintings in 30 days. I wish my last painting would have been a master piece... I need say no more! Oh well, on a positive note... I think the background colour compliments the nectarine. What have a learned by the 30 in 30 process? That it takes commitment and a disciplined focus to accomplish this goal. In addition, I learned the value in painting regularly. Painting is a skill - its like learning to play the piano. I will never improve if I do not put in the time.

Half a Pear

Half a Pear

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #29 - Almost there!! Who knew the inside of a pear was so interesting? I like this painting - its simple but yet can hold a viewer's interest.

Yellow Pepper

Yellow Pepper

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #28 - I'm not seeing the slight value shifts in the pepper that I need to achieve a more realistic form. Perhaps I need to use more dramatic lighting?

Cucumber Slices

Cucumber Slices

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #27 - I think the background colour compliments the cucumber. I don't think I achieved the true colour of the cucumber's flesh.

Half a Lime

Half a Lime

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #26 - Lots of effort trying to achieve the correct green for the lime. Believe it or not it was a combination of magenta and light green and thus, I chose to repeat the magenta in the background.

Penny Candy

Penny Candy

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #25 - First time painting a plastic bag. I need further practice. The bag also looks like its floating - a bit of a shadow on the bottom of the bag should solve that problem.

Is Life a Bowl of Cherries?

Is Life a Bowl of Cherries?

Acrylic on Canvas

8x10

Painting #24 - I like the composition and the light on the cherries in the foreground. I wish the edge of my bowl was a tad bit stronger - it wobbles a bit.

Stack of Caramels

Stack of Caramels

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting # 23 - This painting was surprisingly easy. It was the first time I painted cellophane - a few strokes and it worked! I wish I had placed more caramels in the composition.

Cross-Section of an Apple

Cross-Section of an Apple

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting # 22 - That little section in the middle was difficult to paint - I had trouble achieving the depth of the "seed holder". Is there a name for that piece of the apple? I think the flesh of the apple may be too white.

Half a Tomato

Half a Tomato

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #21 - I have discovered that I like painting the "insides" of things - which would make for a very interesting series. Just think - the insides of people - thoughts, feelings, ideas - are much more interesting than the outsides of people. And then there's food - you be the judge - isn't the inside of this tomato more interesting than the outside (see painting #19)?

Raw Egg

Raw Egg

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #20 - Silly me thought I'd try a raw egg. Not bad for my first one ever but I have too much purple in my egg shells.

Green Onion and Tomatoes

Green Onion and Tomatoes

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #19 - I struggled to achieve the colour and the texture of the green onion. The tomatoes came quickly. Over all, I'm happy with this painting. I think the complimentary colours make the composition strong - perhaps a rectangle canvas would make it stronger.

Summer Strawberries

Summer Strawberries

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #18 - I enjoyed painting these strawberries - the process was definitely an exercise in problem solving. The big question was, "How will I achieve the texture without painting every single detail?" Kristina Steinbring and I were on our annual painting trip and I am thankful for her input.

Banana for Two

Banana for Two

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #17 - I cannot believe how difficult it was for me to get the perspective on the bottom half of the banana, however, I finally achieved it. I could have worked on my shadows a bit more.

Orange Pepper

Orange Pepper

Acrylic on Canvas

5x5

Painting #16 - I'm not sure why painting an orange pepper was so much more difficult than painting a red pepper, but it was. I changed the background colour several times and now the pepper looks like a cut-out on the canvas. Oh, well!