"A Quiet Calling"

It was a quiet calling that lead me to this painting, not the riot of colorful misshapen villages i am getting so used to.  I felt rather at peace painting it as well! The color palette appealed to me too and i took a wee bit of liberty with the blues and used deep purples for all the shadow areas and the darks. I still have some village paintings resting against the wall waiting for some attention and a young lady's portrait which is only half done. I'll have to wait until the direction for her is clearer. She is wanting me to take my time. In the meantime it will be fun to do a few more of the trees. I can see now why people paint them so often. The vertical dominance appeals to me as if reaching for the stars or heaven. A place i might like to visit and stay a while.

"Brushes"

I finally got my new brushes in the mail yesterday and had to show them off. These five cost only $39.00 + $10 for shipping. I ordered them from Hofcraft. The excitement i felt in waiting for the mailman reminded me of when i had ordered a Jon Gnagy learn to draw kit which amazingly are still available. (Now i am dating myself.) But i learned a lot with that little kit.

I got the idea for these brushes from a wonderful blog by Carl Purcell who so freely shares much of what he has learned. He has many more valuable tips there for a budding watercolor artist. His paintings are so amazing too!

I do have a good selection of Kolinsky brushes which are by far the best ever. You just cannot beat them for the amount of water they hold and the beautiful point possible.  But i find i am reaching for a workhorse brush like these most often, saving the Kolinsky for larger areas and the fun stuff.  Another fine brush for the money can be purchased at Opus. It is called "Capella' and i quite like them as well. It is my excuse to make a trip to Vancouver just so i can visit the Opus store downtown and the wonderful cafes' and beaches too of course.
Hope all are having a wonderful painting day.

Splash 14: Best of Watercolor Winner

"Meana"

I had the most exciting email yesterday informing me my painting, "Meana" had been selected for Northlight books, Splash 14 "Light and Color".  I have long been a fan of the Splash series of watercolor books having a fair number in my collection, frequently admiring the wonderful paintings and absorbing all the different techniques. Seeing all the beautiful paintings is so inspirational to me and very helpful in propelling my own work in new directions. I dreamt that one day i too would have a painting published in this way.  It seemed unlikely, as i had entered a few times before without success. Not this time! 

If you would like to see who will be included in the Splash 14 edition you can go here to the 

Artists Network

"Pals"

These puppies belong to our vet. She has been so good to us with our own two, i thought it would be nice to do a painting for her. She gave me a black and white photo to work from and also a couple of others to get the colours. At first i was not sure how to deal with the little black guy as he was mostly in shadow and hard to see. This one and the previous one, "On High Alert" are going to her on Monday. Commissions are always a tad bit challenging as you never know if they will work out. Watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper. 16" X 22".

"Barnumtown"

This was another re-do of an older painting i had laying around. I'm finding that by re-doing these pieces it is showing me that often there is so much more that can be done and perhaps i am hanging incomplete paintings. I was at a workshop on the weekend with Brent Laycock and a fellow student asked him, "when do you know that a piece is finished?". He said, "when i cannot do anymore to it.". Also by doing this i realized a lot of the paintings i had done did not have enough dark value in them and tended to be in a safe zone of mostly middles. There needs to be contrast and the tension created between the darks and the lights can be dramatic. As in life, we do need those shadows don't we?
I'm excited to put to use these new understandings and look forward to the next discovery.
This is watercolor on Arches 300 lb. cold pressed paper approximately 8" X 22".

"On High Alert"

This beautiful fellow was a commission for a veterinarian. The pet was not well and sadly had to be put down. The vet wanted to do something nice for the owner and had me do this painting for her. I'm hoping it has the essence of the dog. I'll include the photo here for you to see as well.  This is watercolor on Arches 300 lb. CP paper.  

"Our Town II"

Wahoo! This one fought me tooth and nail. Sometimes they can be a wee bit unruly but perseverance pays off in the end. So often i wanted to quit and start over again. I had an idea for this one which wasn't quite working. The values were all wonky with background things being too warm and pushing forward etc. After much adjusting i think it works okay. This is our great city of Calgary with a little whimsy thrown in. Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches CP paper. 22" X 30".

"Harvest Time"

My cousin suggested to me a wee painting with stooks, wagon, horses, grain elevators, and prairie fields, at harvest time. We are originally from Saskatchewan where all these were a common scene in the early 1900's. This is what i came up with using some old photos, as i had no idea what a stook was until now. Southern Saskatchewan is really quite flat for the most part but i took some creative license just to make it a little interesting. Not that Saskatchewan is not interesting mind you. :) :) There are places where the terrain is varied. Further north you will find lots of lakes, forest and such. It is really a beautiful place and worth exploring if possible. This is watercolor on Arches 300 lb. cold pressed paper. It is 8" X 22".

"Hamlet on Wye"

I decided this painting needed new life. It spent the first part of it's short life in a show in Feb. and then on my studio walls but there seemed to be something lacking. So i took it out of the frame, put it in the shower and washed a lot of the surface paint off. What is left is a very nice faded image of the village that i can use as a base painting. Quite a few of my older paintings have gone through this and the results can be fun. They don't always turn out but it is a wonderful exercise and i find i learn a lot in the process.


Here is the new version which i feel is a big improvement. Shadows really add impact and back lighting is something i've not usually attempted. I have a few more here that will get a shower and a facelift. I do this if i am pleased with the basic composition but want to add something more.

First, i added a building to the right foreground and another behind it. Beefed up the chimneys, and started to lay in some dark shadows using purple. I also added some wee characters to the sky and some more trees and bushes. Finally a whole lot of color went on everywhere.

Stronger shadows will play a new role from here on in and i hope to play with lost and found edges more. Lost edges are a weakness for sure so hope to get better with those.

I came across this video on the Liz Wiltzen blog called,  "Live Attuned".  It is such a beautiful video i had to share it with you, thinking what a great way to close out the year. I've watched this many times over and never lose the awe that it inspires. Hope you all have a great New Year with many dreams coming true. But most of all that you experience first hand the amazing love of the one who created it all in the beginning. He was the first true artist. What an amazing artist He is. God bless each and every one.

"My Town"

The beginning's of a whimsical take on my town, Calgary. Some of the recognizable places are evident like the "Saddledome", "Bow Tower", and "Calgary Tower". The houses in the middle ground represent inner city communities of Sunnyside and Hillhurst. These i plan on doing brightly colored and fun. The city buildings will mostly be grays, blues, purples outlined in white and a sky filled with dancing images and stars. Not too sure what to do with the foreground yet and have to be careful. A painting like this can become too busy in short order. The rows of houses will be the focal point of it all. These are fun to do and i have hopes of doing a series based on local, familiar areas. We shall see. I get sidetracked so easily. Sigh! Hope all are having a great day with new paintings all around. God bless, and Happy New Year.

"Portofino"

Portofino is finally  complete. This was a commission for a lady who saw another one similar to it and asked me to do one for her.  It took me over 18 months to get it done because i kept getting sidetracked doing other things. She was so very patient and gracious. I would have fired myself a long time ago.
But glad she waited as i am most pleased with the outcome and cannot wait to show it to her. This is watercolor on Arches 300 lb. CP paper. 17" X 44".

WIP "Portofino"

This is now about 80% complete. I have yet to do the background as I do not quite have a clear image of what it is to be yet. Also the area on the left side is yet to take shape. Hope to be finished in a couple of days.

Today i was thinking of what a privilege it is to be able to paint. When i dreamt of doing this, i always thought it would be such fun and a very cool way to live. Boy, was i in for a surprise. It is really a ton of work and the work is never done is it? If we are not painting, we are percolating the next idea or maybe thinking of new ways to market our work. Or you might be trying to develop a new technique, re-invent the wheel, or learn to work with new mediums. When i was a kid i can remember asking my mom always what there was for me to do. "I'm bored!" said me. Hehe!  Should have painted. Hope all are having a fabulous day. I'm playing today and having fun!

WIP of Portofino...

This is a work in progress based on the Italian village of Portofino. I enjoy taking a real life village and using it as a starting point. You can see the photo i used on my lap top. This painting will be 17" X 44" when done. So far it is coming along nicely and i look forward to adding the dark areas which bring a watercolor to life and make those whites and light areas pop. Adding little bits of complimentary color nearby also helps. Hope to have the completed piece posted soon.

"Mousehole"

This is based on a photo of the village, "Mousehole" in Cornwall. I really enjoy doing these little villages.
The drawings take on a life of their own and evolve from a photo to a slightly off kilter, whimsical representation of what is really there. For this one, my intention was to keep most of the colors grey and cool except for a few houses. It appears as if the sun is setting and nightfall will soon envelope everyone.
Oops! I forgot to put some people in which i like to do. Next time! Watercolor on Arches C/P 300 lb. paper.

"Limerick"

A wee little painting, only 8" X 10". It just felt good to be painting again after such a long block. I hope to have some more up soon. This is watercolor on Arches watercolor board.

"The Family"

No painting to post but i thought i would introduce part of the family. This is my wife, Natalie and her daughter Katarina. Our puppies, the Boxers are quite happy to sit on your lap anytime they can. This was cute as they both climbed up together and made themselves at home. The white one is Bella, and the other one is Paulo. They keep us entertained for sure.

"Cherry Blossom"

This was painted from a photo i took in Vancouver last spring of a crafty old raven. I love watching these birds and trying to capture interesting perspectives of them. I've had great luck around the big old garbage bins and along the beaches as they are quite the scavengers. This is a little different too as opposed to my more whimsical paintings. I used gouache watercolor and ink on Arches cold pressed paper.

"Water Lily"

Wow, it's been so long since last i posted, i almost forgot how! Since my show i have not been doing a lot of painting but manage to come to the studio and putter most days. To get started again i thought i must do a flower painting as i had not ever done one before. I've now done two! They are actually a lot of fun as there is much in the way of pattern and shape which i am drawn to. I tried new paper too for this one just to get out of the old rut. This is "Waterford" 300lb. Cold pressed and i found it to be more like a Hot pressed and the paper absorbed a lot of the color which made it harder to lift. It did perform pretty well otherwise and i will most likely keep a supply on hand but have returned to the ever trustworthy "Arches". I suppose it is whatever one gets used to.  Hope all are doing well and enjoying their painting time. God bless each and every one. Ross

"Mr. Pezzo"

This photo of Mr.Pezzo touches me deeply as it was taken only a few weeks before he died. His one eye had clouded over some time ago. He was a best friend when my life was at it's lowest. He and i spent many nights and days together roaming the hills behind our house. I, dreaming of a better life, he, playing in the tall grass running a zig zag pattern to make me laugh. A dog can be so intuitive when their people are hurting. He knew just what to do.  God, i loved this little guy.

As you can see by the photo he was quite a lovely, sweet boy. A Boxer is unlike any other dog i believe. They are difficult to manage in the earlier years but as time goes on they become such a devoted and loyal companion. It is hard to be with one and not have them underfoot at all times as they want to be with you no matter what you do. Expect to share your popcorn and the couch when you watch a movie! They are considered to be the "clowns" of the dog world and can make you laugh out loud at times. I'm not so sure i could ever own another kind of dog.  Pezzo was almost twelve which is getting up there for a Boxer and had been losing a lengthy courageous battle with cancer.  We had to take him to the vet for the last time which is such a difficult thing to do. The hardest thing i have ever had to do. With his one good eye he looked at us, at me, not sure what was happening. But he loved us with his last breath as we watched the light fade from him. Yes, a most difficult thing to do. Never thought i could love a dog so much.
I hope to honor him with a new painting and will post when done.
God bless everyone.