Sunlit Street, Dundas

8x10 oil on Canvas

It was bright and sunny today and it usually means that colder weather is on its way. I started this painting by doing a quick sketch from a photo, painting in the darkest darks, coating the canvas with transparent red iron oxide and a little diox purple. I then painted it with a palette of permanent alizarin, ultramarine blue,cobalt blue, cadmium red, cadmium yellow dark, titanium white. I constantly study other artist's work to discover how they get their pictures to look a certain way. This palette is similar to Jennifer Mcchristian's plein air  palette: white, cad yellow medium, cad red, alizarin, ultramarine blue, and yellow ochre. Indian yellow and sometimes thalo red rose as an underpainting. (I read this in an older post, so I'm not sure if she still uses this)

This painting is a street in Dundas near University plaza.

Messy Commute, Dundas On

8x10 Oil on canvas

Snow in southern ontario cities is "idyllic" for about one day. After the cars, plows, and salters are done with it, it is a messy dirty soupy mixture.  I like "monotone" scenes, but I knew this one would be difficult. As I painted, I realized that this misty snowy day was loaded with subtle color. The challenge was to maintain the misty feel, while adding just the right amount of color. A challenge I need to work on.
These cars are heading west on King Street in Dunda Ontario, stopped at the lights on Cross Street.
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Sun after Snow, Dundas Ontario

8x10 oil on Canvas board

This is an oil sketch that I tried to complete in an hour. I wanted to keep it loose and not labour over details. I took this photo the morning after a big snow storm. This scene is from a house on Melville Street in Dundas.

My new computer finally arrived and after fighting with the set up, I think everything is good to go. I would just like to say that I hate computers..(.not really) but they are such a pain. It is definitely much faster than my poor old dying one...and with all the paraphenalia that comes with blogs and web sites, the speed is necessary when perusing various sites.

Late Afternoon Traffic, James Street Hamilton

16x20 oil on canvas

We have had some extremely cold weather lately, -9 F...really cold for southern Ontario. (I know you folks in Alberta and Manitoba get this all the time) I froze my hands when I took this photo, thank goodness there are several Tim Hortons around to duck into for a coffee.

This scene shows traffic heading south on James Street, ready to go under the T H and B railway tracks and then head up the mountain. These cold crisp days bring lots of sunshine.

Sun and Snow, John Street Hamilton

6x6 Oil on Board

At this time of year, a day of sunshine is a welcoming and rare occasion. Most often sunshine is associated with very cold temperatures. I like this colorful block if buildings on John Street in Hamilton. The salt that we put on the roads melts the snow and ice and allows for  great reflections.

A nonstop parade of family visitors and a dying computer have kept me from painting, posting, and visiting my fellow bloggers. My new computer was due to arrive a week ago, but I am still waiting! I will make the rounds and visit as soon as I can. Presently, it takes about 10 minutes for a blog to load.

Thank you all for your comments on my previous post. They are always so inspiring.

Snow Plow on King, Dundas

8x10 oil on canvas

This is a painting from last years snow storm. We haven't had any really dramatic storms yet...so we don't have a lot of snow on the ground. I love a good storm...everyone gets to stay home if it arrives at the right time. Down south, if a freak storm hits a city, the city pretty much shuts down. Here, with a forecast of snow, our plows are ready to go, day and night.

Joseph Webster House, Dundas

8x10 Oil on Canvas

I am fascinated with light and how it affects the surrounding areas. I would like to learn how to do nocturnes in a variety of settings. It was late afternoon when I took this photo of the Joseph Webster House, a beautiful historical stone house on the outskirts of Dundas. I wanted to change the scene to an evening view and so I looked at Marc Hanson's blog for ideas. He did a series of nocturnes and shares several ideas on the subject. Well worth looking at. On his side bar, you can find the nocturn postings and also a reference to his web site to see them all.
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