Friday, December 16, 2011

Toronto Streetcar, Snow on Queen

8x10 oil on stretched canvas SOLD
The atmospheres and scenes that I choose to paint require the use of gray tones. I have been creating grays using different mixes. For this painting I used ultramarine blue mixed with transparent iron oxide for the main color scheme, and added white, cadmium red, and yellow ochre for highlights.
I purchased James Gurney's book "Color and Light". There is so much info in it, it is mind boggling. In his section on Grays and Neutrals he says "Grays or neutrals are the opposite of intense colors. We sometimes associate grays with blandness or dullness, but they are actually an artist's best friend. More paintings fail because of too much intense color rather than too much gray,"
Passengers board a Toronto streetcar on this blizzardy day.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Spadina and College Rain, Toronto

6x6 oil on board
Spadina is a street full of eclectic stores, wonderful colors, lots of activity, and home to Toronto's Chinatown. This view features the corner of College and Spadina during a downpour in the fall. I am continuing to experiment with color palettes and in this picture I used Viridian, Ivory Black and white for the main background and added cadmium red, yellow ochre, and cadmium yellow as highlights.

 
After my show in July of this year, I chose to devote my time to family responsibilites and my art was set aside. It was an all encompassing path which didn't allow time to pick up a brush along the way, but it was a path that I needed and wanted to take. My beautiful wonderful mother passed away Nov. 20 after a difficult illness. I will cherish every moment I spent with her.




Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

I will be at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this weekend in Booth 262 (white section near the cafe at City Hall.) Please stop by if you are in the area. I would love to meet you.
I have been busy with framing and finishing up some larger pieces, but I will be back with some new postings next week after the show. I'm also looking forward to visiting my fellow bloggers  to see all the work I have missed during the last two weeks.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Heading Home, Union Station, Toronto

24x24 oil on canvas Sold
This is another scene that I was hoping to get finished for the upcoming show. I don't think working under pressure helps creativity. All it does is create stress, but nonetheless, I am still enjoying the intense painting time. I hope to get back to some regular posting after the show.
I did this scene in a 12x12 a while back and wanted to do it on a larger scale. I hoped to keep the main structure of the scene and not work on too many details. When going up in size, its easy to start focusing on details rather than the shapes.
"Suits" head for the Go Train after a day at the office.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Bay Street Rain, Toronto

24x24 oil on canvasSold
There is nothing like an upcoming show to get one motivated. There was a time when I came into the studio, checked mine and other blogs, and procarastinated a "little". Now I come in, pick up a brush, and get going. I have to say that I really enjoy the momentum and the production, even though it is sometimes exhausting. 
I did a similar scene to this a while back, but wanted to revisit it in a square format. My focus this time was the streetcar tracks and cables. I think it is a little darker and drearier, reflecting our weather for the past week.
If you are in Toronto for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibiation, visit me at booth 262.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

FAV 15% in the May Boldbrush competition

12x12 oil on canvas
I am pleased that my painting "Movie Night at the Westdale Theatre" was voted into the FAV 15% in the May Boldbrush painting competition. You can view the FAV 15% paintings HERE.

6x6 oil on board
Here is another Toronto Streetcar using the Zorn palette with the addition of Viridian for some highlights. I like the misty rainy look that is possible with the limited palette. I also tried to incorporate more palette knife work and thicker paint. I often use a palette knife on certain areas of my work, but would like to incorporate it a bit more. For some great videos on painting with a palette knife, visit Tom Browns blog. He has several videos where he paints on a small scale using the palette knife only. You can visit his blog HERE



Monday, June 13, 2011

Taxis On Yonge Street, Toronto

30x40 oil on gallery wrap canvas Sold
I previously did this scene 8x10 in acrylic (view it here) to get a sense of what it might look like on a larger scale. An obvious lesson I learned, is that you have to PAINT it on a LARGE scale if you want to know how it will look. There really are no shortcuts. And then I ask myself why I am doing this,(as I am covered in head to toe paint and the studio is a complete mess) and the answer is "because I have to" and also because the image is kind of fun and funky.
When painting on a large scale, I found it difficult to maintain the value study I did. The details try to sneak in. I had to repaint the middle and far distances three times.
This is Yonge Street in Toronto with the signature Taxicab colors dominating the foreground.


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Toronto Streetcar 2

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas Sold
I've been spending a lot of time getting paintings ready to take to the TOAE in early July. Varnishing, signing (I have a very bad habit of not signing them until I think they are done, and then I forget). I am also painting the sides of the gallery wrap canvas...a lot of work.
There are  a few more pictures that I want to paint to take. I did a smaller version of this one, and would like to do a large (24x24) but decided to try the 12x12 first.
I used a version of the Zorn palette here, but added some viridian for a few highlights. I may do another 12x12 with a more extensive palette to decide which one to use for the 24x24.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Toronto's Painted Ladies

6x6 oil on panel sold
The other day the forcast was for rain and more rain, so I grabbed my camera gear and headed into Toronto hoping to get some nice rainy shots of the Kensington Market area. As the train was pulling into the station, the rain stopped and I was left with a boring gray cloud cover. I decided to head over to the Kensington Market area anyway, took in the Art Gallery of Ontario (more on that later) and then wandered around the streets between the University of Toronto, Kensington Market and  Dundas Street. There are some wonderful Victorians here, some in a state of desrepair, some fixed up nicely, and many of them painted in  unique colors. They are surrounded by fences, gates, and overgrown gardens. As I wandered around, the sun would peak out every now and then, and shine through the many lush chestnut trees that lined the streets. I'll get that rain another day.
6x6 oil on canvassold

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Just For Laughs, Yonge Street, Toronto

24x24 oil on canvas Sold
Thanks everyone for your great comments regarding realism vs impressionism. Reading through them, I realize that I am a little "uptight" in my approach to painting and need to relax a little and not worry so much about a distinct style. There were some thoughtful comments about letting the subject decide, and also to possibly incorporate both styles. A quick read through them will reveal some choice tidbits of  insight well worth taking to heart.
I will be exhibiting at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition again this year and if you are in the area July 8,9,10 you can find me at Booth 262.
The banners advertising the "Just For Laughs" show influenced my title choice for this painting of Yonge Street in Toronto. The Hard Rock Cafe is visible under the Expedia sign.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Your opinion needed:Realism vs impressionism

16x20 acrylic on canvas

8x10 oil on canvas
Renovations, family responsibilities (sandwich generation), and yard work have kept me away from the studio. I don't know what happens when I am away, but when I come back, I feel that I have lost my way. I question my goals and where I want to be artistically. I used to paint realistically, doing commission work. Like many other artists out there in the blogosphere, I am now trying to learn to paint more "painterly" with looser more expressive brush strokes and a more spontaneous look. Sometimes though, I miss painting those wonderful details. I used to have confidence when I approached a painting. Now everything is a learning experience and struggle.
How many of you out there struggle with the transition from realism to impressionism? Or do you find it difficult to "loosen" up in your work. Why is this so difficult to do?
I did this painting of a Maine Coon cat on a marble fireplace  about 5 years ago. Below it is a scene from Dundas that I did today. The lilac bush and mauve colored car caught my eye as the evening sun created long shadows. The house had some great green shutters and door.


Friday, May 13, 2011

Bloor Street Market, Toronto

8x10 oil on canvas
I needed a break from large, rainy, and complicated and this proved to be just what I needed. I took this photo the other day in Toronto. Its still a little early for planting, but a few markets had pansies and a few other items for sale. Early afternoon isn't the best time for photos, but there was a slight overcast haze that helped the atmosphere.
This is Bloor Street West in Toronto.

Yonge Street Rain, Toronto

24x24 oil on canvas
This is the third time I have attempted this scene, and it didn't get any easier. I wanted to do it larger than previously, and as usual, my bad habits came into play. I grabbed the smaller brushes and started doing details. Then, having to be away from the studio for a day, most of the paint dried so I had to remix all the colors. I made sure at that point to keep all the small brushes far away. (Why does the need to do realism keep sneaking back into my style) I did an acrylic sketch of this scene to see how far I wanted to go with the colors. I still subdued them a bit, and the oil allowed for more blending. This is probably the last time I will visit this particular scene, although Yonge Street is still a favorite spot for me.
The store in the foreground is called Pia Pia Fashion Boutique, and some letters of the Zanzibar club sign are just visible next to the yellow canopy sign. This is Yonge Street in Toronto.


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Movie Night at the Westdale Theatre


12x12 oil on canvas sold
This painting was challenging for several reasons. There were too many colors, so I was concerned about maintaining color harmony. I could have chosen a limited palette, but all of the sparkly lights of this old movie theatre and the lights of the stores were a big part of the attraction for me. Using more colors than I normally do, I also worried about having the road turn into a mud color.
This theatre dates from the 1930's and is one of the few, if not the only, theatre of its era still in use in Hamilton. Next to it is the Bean Bar, a great coffee place.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Toronto Street Car on Dundas

8x8 oil on canvas sold
I would like to thank everyone for their insightful comments on my previous posting. I really enjoyed reading about other artist's color choices. I even heard from two writers who had some great things to say. So again, thank you!
We are back  doing some renovations on our little stone cottage, and so the studio was out of commission for a few days. I thought I would get back into painting with this little picture of Dundas Street in Toronto on a rainy day.
To bid on this painting, you can go to the ebay auction HERE

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I need your input and opinions!

12x12 acrylic on stretched canvas
I have been doing some experimenting with color, using limited palettes. I want to find a color scheme that works best  for the urban images I like to paint. I tried the Zorn palette with a sunny city scene, and found it very limiting. So then I thought I would do the opposite, and try a picture in acrylics, using several different colors. I like to use acrylics from time to time...I like the fast drying time, the glazing one can do almost immediately, and the quick changes that can be made.
I would love to hear your opinion about your choice of color. Do you always use the same colors? Do you change for different types of images? Do you like a limited palette or a wide variety of colors? Your information will help me in my quest to find out how different color palettes influence the look of a painting. Thanks!

Oil Sketch of Queen Street in Toronto using the Zorn Palette


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Taxis at the Go Station, Toronto

12x12 oil on canvas
In the previous posting, using the limted palette, I was able to convey a gray misty feeling. The challenge with this picture was to convey the same feeling even though I was adding more colors. I knew it would be difficult to maintain "color harmony" with the variety of colors in my photo reference and I didn't want to change the taxi color as it is typical Toronto colors. I did tone down the colors of the taxi in the foreground, and kept the greens of the trees muted. I'm still wondering if it looks too bright for a rainy day.....so complicated!
Taxis wait at Union Station in Toronto for pedestrians escaping from the rain, while others head down the stairs to catch the Go Train.

Monday, April 18, 2011

"Zorn Palette" Landscape

8x10 oil on canvas
I used the "Zorn Palette" to do this cityscape. I think this palette will work well for rainy misty scenes. I like the look it created, but I found myself reaching for the blue, which wasn't there. I was surprised that I could mix a sort of green color using ivory black and yellow ochre.
This scene is from James Street North in Hamilton. Cars head down hill, under the TH&B railway bridge, going north towards the bay. I may try a larger painting using this palette.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The "Zorn Palette"


8x10 oil on canvas
While reading blogs and other internet info, I often come across what is called the "Zorn Palette". It consists of Ivory Black, Virmillion (or cad red or cad red lt), yellow ochre, and white. The artist Anders Zorn apparently used this palette. Differing opinions suggest he used this palette for landscape, others say he used it for figures. There is also the opinion out there that he rarely used this palette, and had several colors in his studio. Regardless, I want to try a few paintings using the palette he is known for.
I spent a lot of time learning and discovering values, and now I am delving into color. I want to find out how different palettes affect the look of our work.
I used a photo on my monitor as a reference to do a painting of my daughter. I used ivory black, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light. It was difficult not being able to paint her turquiose blue eyes and the matching blue shirt, but thats the beauty of this palette. Not overdoing the details or color.
It has been a very long time since I have done a portrait, but thought it was time.
I'm off to try a landscape using this palette. Give it a try!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

James Street Showers, Hamilton Ontario

12x12 oil on canvas
The colorful buildings in the background on this section of James Street added some interesting colors on this rainy day. The cyclist, on his commute home, also added a nice focal point. We don't have this much greenery yet, but a couple of weeks should see the soft green buds on the trees. I think this will be one that I want to try on a larger scale.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Plein Air, Dejardin Canal, Dundas

8x10 oil on canvas panel
With renovating and spending time with my mother, my studio time has suffered lately. So I'm taking the opportunity to use the small blocks of time to do some more plein air work. I think that working plein air helps our observation skills and teaches (forces?) us to say what we want to say in a faster more spontaneous fashion. I did this picture a couple of days ago on a breezy rainy day. I couldn't figure out why the paint wouldn't go on, and then realized the canvas was covered in a layer of water. Still struggling!
This is a piece of the Dejardin Canal that once connected Dundas to Lake Ontario. The canal was a great plan, and supposed to make Dundas the manufacturing centre in 1850, but then the railway came, and Hamilton took over the limelight.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

April Showers, Yonge Street, Toronto

12x12 oil on canvas
Spring is finally making an appearance here in southern ontario. Almost time to put the snow shovels away, although snow in April isn't unheard of. I was anxious to get back to some rainy scenes. I want to do some larger pieces so will be doing some 12x12 to decide which ones will translate well into some larger canvases.
I love this corner of Yonge Street. It is so busy, lots of different signage, and nice blue buildings in the background.
(I was unhappy with the photo I took of this picture. It came out looking very orange. I changed the white balance setting and it worked out much better. I have been using the "shade" setting rather than the Auto and it has been working well, but with this one, change was required. I don't know a lot about photography, but the white balance setting makes an important difference in getting colors correct.)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Plein air paintings, Dundas

March 26 Waterfall behind the quarry houses
Mar 18 Birches and Path on the sandhill
Mar 24 Looking toward Hamilton from the sand hill
;
March 18 Looking towards the golf course from the sandhill
3x5 water color and gouache on watercolor paper
I am primarily a studio painter, but I want to incorporate some plein air painting into the mix. I would like to have a small kit to take along if I am away from the studio and want to do some quick studies. I was really impressed with Nathan Fowkes and the method he uses. He is truly a master at creating light and drama with simple shapes and quick studies. He uses water color and designers gouache, a little easier than everything needed for oil painting. His painting kit is described HERE He shows demos on his blog, and if you follow along and do one, you get the idea of how he is using the paint in almost an oil painting method. 
 Most of these scenes are within 15 minutes walking distance from my house. I want to do some urban scenes, but I am still too shy to get out in the streets..I need a little practice in more secluded locations before I am brave enough to tackle some urban scenes. Is there a way to overcome this shyness?

Monday, April 4, 2011

Plein Air Painting-Stone House in Greensville

8x10 oil on canvas panel
I wasn't sure if I should post this picture. I struggled with the color palette I chose, it started to pour rain, and the whole experience was quite difficult. I have been wanting to do some plein air work, especially on the days when I don't have a large block of time for studio painting and today I felt like getting outside.
I used Kevin Macpherson's palette when doing this picture. He uses a limited palette of cadmium yellow pale, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, and titanium white. I read about this palette while looking at Rene Pleinair's blog. Rene recently joined our group "daily painter originals". I have often enjoyed looking at Renee's work and noticed that the landscape of the Netherlands looks a lot like the area where I live. I decided to try the palette he uses, based on Kevin Macpherson. People say using a limited palette is easy. I found it very difficult mixing all those grays from so few colors!.
This old stone house is in Greensville, a small town next to mine. This house has sat in a state of desrepair for several years, but someone seems to be living there still.



Saturday, April 2, 2011

Umbrellas on Yonge Street

8x8 oil on stretched canvas
I got a little impatient and decided it was time to do a rainy scene. It actually felt like spring today! Canadians are a versatile bunch. One day of warm weather, and all of a sudden  bicycles, motorcycles, and warm weather gear are seen everywhere.
These young ladies and their jumble of umbrellas head down Yonge Street in Toronto on a rainy day. Shopping must go on, whatever the weather.
$125.00 plus $10.00 shipping
If you would like to bid on this painting you can go to the ebay auction page HERE
Thanks for looking

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Richmond Street Snow Banks, Toronto


24x24 Oil on canvas
As much as I like the abstract shapes and lines of snow banks, and tracks in the snow, I think I am ready for some warmer weather and a good rain to wash away the salt crusted snow that lingers on. I will look forward to getting back to some rainy scenes.
I wasn't sure about the composition of  this piece with the one ray of strong light and the car in the middle, but I think the orange and yellow and the figure on the right has taken the eye away from the car. The snow bank may need some work, but I was afraid to overwork it and lose the dark value.
I am the type of person who likes to set goals. They are somewhat haphazard goals, and often get worked on in the same way. I am trying to get at least ten 24x24 paintings done to take to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this summer (if I get in) and also to start submitting to galleries. I have been waiting on contacting galleries because I want to make sure that I feel ready to start getting my work out there. Sometimes we get too anxious.


Monday, March 28, 2011

Toronto Streetcar and March Sun


12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas Sold
When taking photos, I think the general theory is that the best time to take them is before 10 A.M. or after 2 P.M. The light and the colors are much rich at these times. I took this photo around 4 P.M. and I liked the contrast between the dark buildings and the light coming around the corner.
This is a "double" Toronto Streetcar, at the corner of St. Patrick and Queen Street.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Winter's Last Hurrah


8x10 oil on canvas
After nature gave us several hopeful glimpses of spring with warmer weather and some rain, this is what we woke up to yesterday. School buses cancelled, some businesses closed. Nature has to let us know who is boss.
This was a difficult picture with so much gray, and very little in defining images. The whole scene was pretty much mid value. Not really a pretty picture, but then, it wasn't a pretty picture for anyone who had to face the onslaught of winter one more time.
This is King Street in Dundas, after plows and salters created a path for drivers.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Orange and Blue, King Street, Toronto


24 x24 oil on canvas
This painting was quite a bit more complicated than I planned on. I think I will have to tackle the foreground when I have a bit more energy. I'm a little disappointed with the lack of brush work showing. Getting dramatic brush work is a challenge for me. I don't know if it is fear of putting it on nice and thick and having it look horrible, or maybe just not knowing how. Blogs, besides being entertaining are such a good source of information. I have discovered so much about art by watching  process videos and by discovering new artists from blog lists. Another artist I hope to learn from is Barry John Raybould. He has a virtual art academy that looks very interesting.  In the introduction to his brushwork course he says:
"Brushwork is another of those things (like hue changes across a form) that separates the really great painters from the rest of us. Exciting brushwork adds interest and vitality to your painting, and is what makes a painting a “painting” and not a photograph.  
On another note, I submitted a small painting to DailyPaintWorks challenge. The theme for this week is "Home" and I don't think anything says home like a porch, a wicker couch, and a cat curled up in his favorite spot. All of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to the Red Cross in Japan. To see the entries for the challenge and to bid on a painting go HERE


Friday, March 18, 2011

March Commute, Toronto


12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas
Toronto cyclists are a determined group. They ride all winter long, no matter the weather. This cyclist rides down King Street on a late afternoon in March.
Recently I discovered the artist Colley Whisson (before I saw his work on Lines and Colors) and I bought his book "Impressionist Painting Made Easy". I was intrigued by his energetic brush work, and the looseness of his scenes, so I had to see how he did it. The book is quite reasonably priced and can be bought off of his web site, and shows several paintings from start to finish. Its worth it if you are trying to "loosen" up in your work. How did we all get so "tight" anyway? Maybe starting out in commercial art?


Sunday, March 13, 2011

Slide Show Demo for "March Reflections"


This is my first slideshow showing several steps of painting "March Reflections". I apologize for some glare on the canvas as I photographed my work. I like to have a fairly accurate drawing when I start, even though I will lose most of the lines as I fill in with paint. The final picture in the slideshow is better quality, as I took it when it was off the easel and out of the glare.
My palette for this picture is diox purple, transparent red iron oxide, cobalt blue, cadmium red, phthalocyanne green, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, cad yellow deep, titanium white, ivory black.
The slideshow can be seen on the Daily Painter Originals video website HERE
Or on youtube HERE

Friday, March 11, 2011

March Reflections, Toronto


12x12 oil on canvas Sold
I am a member of Daily Painter Originals, and besides being an online gallery, we also produce videos or slide shows to show the process of our work. I admit to not being much of a techie, but I thought I would give it a try. As I painted this picture, I would stop at different points and take a picture. My son, the in house techie, came into the studio and said "Mom, why don't you put the camera on a tripod and have it set to take a picture every five minites or so (can my camera do THAT? apparently) As it turns out, all the pictures I took will be of varying sizes, but I will attempt the slide show and report back.
I drone on and on about values, and this picture had several challenges. The building on the far right is yellow, but it is in the shade, so it needs to be a cool color since my light source is warm. I mixed a melange of colors that included diox purple, cad red, yellow ochre, and others and came up with this color. Still dark and still cool. As I was painting this picture, I thought it would have made a good abstract subject.
Check out several Daily Painter Original videos HERE. My fellow artists are much better at this stuff than I am.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

March Thaw, Queen and Spadina


12x12 oil on stretched canvas
At this time of year, we hope for spring. But March can bring anything...snow storms, rain, or warm summer-ish weather. In this scene, the left over snow mixed with salt and dirt is melting, creating a mess on the streetcar tracks as young ladies make their way across the street after work on a March afternoon. 
 

Friday, March 4, 2011

Dinner at Adega?

6x6 oil on canvas panel
I ordered some canvas panels online and tried one today for the first time. I couldn't seem to get the paint to work. The surface was very rough, the paint seemed to disappear, and the overall look was dull. I tried adding linseed oil to my paint, and that didn't work. Finally I grabbed a knife, and slapped it on. I may not use these surfaces very often unless I recoat with more gesso.
The painting was challenging because the light was uninteresting. The whole scene was in shade, but I was attracted to the stucco orange/yellow wall and red fabric canopy.
Two young ladies walk past The Adega Resaurant on Elm Street in Toronto.
For some reason, pictures are not showing up on my blog list. If anyone knows how to fix this, I would appreciate the info.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

King Street Shops, Toronto

12x12 oil on stretched canvas
There is the accepted theory that when you have warm light, you have cool shadows. And if it is cool light, then warm shadows. This made it very difficult to paint the nice yellow canopy in the top corner that was in the shade. How does one cool down yellow? I tried it in varying ways...adding purple or red..and then tried a yellow/green mix and it seemed to work. Often when things don't work, it is because the temperature is wrong. Art can be so complicated.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Toronto Facade

6x6 oil on gessoboard
In downtown Toronto, there is a great mix of old and new. This block of lovely buildings has been beautifully restored. I think it is on Wellington Street near Yonge.
This small painting is being offered for sale on ebay and if you wish to go to the auction page to place your bid, you can click HERE
$100 plus $10.00 shipping


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Winter Sun, Yonge and Dundas, Toronto

24x24 oil on stretched canvas
This is a very "busy" city intersection.There is a lot going on...billboards, signs, cars, people, and different and weird buildings. I don't know why these scenes attract me and why I take on the challenge of painting them. Throughout the painting process, I definitely go through a love/hate relationship with the picture.
In this scene, the late afternoon light creates  many different highlights that reflect off of each other. There is almost darkness, and at the same time, light that is almost blinding reflects off of the snow.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Massey Hall, Toronto

6x6 oil on gessobord
Massey Hall was built in 1894 as a Music Hall, and is still used for music performances. It is a great place, full of character. Jazz lovers who are familiar with the Dizzy Gillespie, Charley Parker Recording, Live at Massey Hall...well, this is where it happened in 1953.
I took this picture on Shuter Street in Toronto.
If you are interested in this paintng, you can click here to go to the ebay auction page where you will have the opportunity to place your bid. Thank you for looking!
Check out my website at www.catherinejeffreystudio.com


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Queen Street Shoppers, February

6x6 Oil on board
Queen Street in Toronto is an eclectic mix of boutiques, galleries, bars, cafes, and restaurants, usually in the original architecture. When the sun came out after our recent snow storm, I grabbed my camera and went in to get some photos. I liked the way the sun peaked around this corner building, highlighting these young ladies as they shopped on Queen Street. The light posts are always covered in signs, adding some color and interest.
If you would like to bid on this painting, you can go to the ebay auction page by clicking HERE.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Snow on Queen Street, Toronto

24x24 Oil on Stretched Canvas
When I did an 8x10 of this scene, I was planning to do a larger canvas. There are several challenges to painting larger. I find that the spontaneity of the smaller piece often gets lost when painting large.  I tend to overwork areas. Part way through this one, I went to the local art supply store and bought some LARGE brushes that I was desperately in need of.  Other challeges..winter trees are so hard!
I"m not sure if I am done. I can see from looking at the photograph that I need to soften some edges. I think the tree needs some softening with the blue of the sky. Also, I may need to soften the value of the girl in the foreground. Now on to something nice and small to reward myself!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Queen and St. Patrick, Toronto

6x6 oil on board
I was able to spend some time in Toronto, and took lots of photos. The city provides so much food for the senses. There are so many shapes, textures and colors. There is lots of activity going on, even on the coldest or snowiest days. Its exciting being there, taking it all in, and hoping that I can capture even a small portion of what it has to offer. And of course, the architecture is stunning.
This small painting shows the corner of St. Patrick and Queen, on a cold crisp February day. I plan to do a larger version of this scene.
$100.00 plus $10.00 shipping
If you would like to bid on this painting, you can go to the ebay auction page HERE.