The Weird and Wonderful

The Weird and Wonderful

16x20"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #72 - This is my third painting for the, "Love Lies Bleeding" Ballet competition. Apparently the song, Bennie and the Jets is about a popular style of dress in the 70's called, "Glam Rock". This style was defined by outrageous outfits and gaudy sunglasses and in the song, an extension of Elton's personality. I depicted the ballet dancers from the Alberta Ballet dancing to Bennie and the Jets. Since I'm painting an Elton song, I had to throw in a piano.

Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces

20x60"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting # 71 - I went to a Fall Landscape workshop on Saturday thinking that I'd come home with a fully completed painting - 18 hours later.... here's where I'm at. I'm struggling with the trees. A part of me just wants to say, "accept the painting as is", and another part says, "fix those trees!!!" I like the tiny spot on top of the hill. I hope my viewers wonder about what's on the other side.

Timeless Flight

Timeless Flight

18x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #70 - This painting was also in response to the call out for submissions that depict the Elton John songs performed with the Alberta Ballet piece titled, Love Lies Bleeding. This time I choose to represent the song, Rocket Man. This is the first time I ever painted the cosmos and I have to admit I really liked the painting before I added the glowing piano and ballet dancers. I like my decision to add the music notes from Rocket Man up in the sky.

Free to Fly

Free to Fly

24x48"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #69 - This painting is in response to a call out for submissions reflecting, Elton John's song, Someone Saved My Life Tonight and the Alberta Ballet piece, Love Lies Bleeding. I did not enjoy painting the piano keys at all as it was time consuming and tight! I like the sense of depth in the painting but think that perhaps I need more piano keys in the background. Any suggestions?

Autumn Gold

Autumn Gold

10x10"

Acrylic & Gold Leaf on Canvas

Painting #68 - I barely remember painting this tree and just discovered that I forgot to post it. I painted it in October. My business partner reminded me that it was my turn to submit a door prize for Beacon's Fall Exhibition and Sale. Its a true daily done in just a couple of hours.

Full Circle

Full Circle

20x20"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #67 - I saw this tree while on a run through the park and thought it would be lovely to paint. The original tree was mostly yellow but I found the painting was too dull without the reds and the oranges.

The Last Hurah

The Last Hurah

12x24"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #66 - Another fun painting that came together quickly. Its amazing what one can do when they have a show around the corner! I like the sense of space in this painting and the colours really represent the changing of the season.

From the Roots

From the Roots

10x20"

Acrylic on Canvas

Painting #65 - This was a fun painting to complete. Everything just fell into place and I'm happy with the results. The painting reminds me of a friend's cottage on Lake Huron that my family would visit when I was a kid. The trees rested on a high cliff and we had to take a long flight of stairs down to the beach.

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!