Postal Truck at Ryerson, Toronto

8x10 Oil on Canvas Sold

A very wet dark day near Ryerson University in Toronto.

Biffs, Front Street, Toronto

8x10 Oil on Canvas Sold

I've been enjoying some of the colorful touches in the scenes on Front Street. Front Street has great shops, coffee bars, pubs and the St. Lawrence Market. In this scene, the red door is open, as if to say,"Come on in, its raining, the coffees hot and the beers cold."

Queen and York, Toronto On

18x18 Oil on Canvas

We can learn a lot from fellow artists and their comments. Mike Barr paints beautiful rainy scenes and absolutely amazing beach scenes, all very atmospheric. He recently left a suggestion on one of my postings to try something different. He said to "do a whole painting with a fairly big flat brush then spend just a few minutes at the end with a small one for detail..it will help your painting a lot and it's FUN ;-)"

I tried his suggestion with this painting, and I think I like the result. I probably spent a little too much time on the details but everything takes time. Check out his work here.

Light after the Rain, Front Street Toronto

8x10 Oil on Canvas

I love the rain, but almost everyone else is a sun seeker. This adage would apply to the owners of these lovely outdoor patios that sit vacant during a summer rain. This patio is at the Papillon Restaurant on Front, a couple of doors down from the Expresso Bar I found when storm chasing.

I recently rented a couple of  DVD's by Richard Schmid. He is so methodical and careful in his placement of paint and brush strokes. I was amazed. In one segment, he talked about using a knife to get a nice crisp line. He said that you have one go at it...it must be done right the first time... to which I thought to myself, "Not in this lifetime :)"

Flatiron Building, Wellington Street Toronto

18x18

Oil on Canvas

This building is Toronto's "Flatiron Building", similar to the examples of this style in New York and Atlanta. It forms a wedge shape at the corner of Wellington and Front Streets. Its color stands out in an area of light  high rises. It was a challenge to make it fit in. I actually waited for the turquoise taxi  (a common sight in Toronto) to show up and snapped a few photos. I thought it would balance nicely with the turret color.

I have been having a look at Richard Schmid's  book and decided to try two colors he uses. Viridian and Terra Rosa. Mixed with other colors, one can make some amazing grays. For the background buildings, I used Terra Rosa with cobalt blue and white. Also, viridian and alizarin crimson makes a nice dark green. Having his color charts in the book really helps :)

(Sorry for the photo glare...will get a better pic later.

After Work Showers, Toronto

8x10 Oil on board

Storm chasing can be a lot of fun, especially when there are lots of great scenes to be captured. A few days ago, I headed into Toronto when the forecast called for stormy weather. Mother Nature cooperated, and there was a wonderful steady rain. I took lots of photos so hopefully I will be inspired by a few! The best part of the trip was discovering an espresso bar where I had the best latte that I have ever tasted!!! I love Toronto.

I am finding that getting ready for this show is creating anxiety in my life, and putting a damper on my muse. If anyone has any suggestions on how to de-stress please send them my way! (Of course I am trying to finish every painting I wanted to take along.)

Orange Glow

28x18 Oil on board

Hamilton and Burlington are home to the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens. We have the most beautiful iris garden(called the Laking Garden) with every shade of iris one can imagine. I took some photos in the evening and caught this orange beauty as the sun was setting. I painted this a couple of years back and my focus was more realistic with tight edges.

There is a month and a half to go before the show, and so I am working like mad to get the pictures completed that I hoped to take. Its summer...I want to relax!!!!!! Oh well.
 

Yonge Street Patterns 2, Toronto Ontario

24x30 Oil on Board

Another Yonge Street scene. I often comment how other artists bloggers and their opinions can be very helpful in our growth and development as artists. I sometimes  worry about being repetitive in my subject matter. I often revisit the same streets and scenes. Marie Theron has a wonderful blog where she paints pictures, tells stories and gives an historical account of the west coast of Africa. She also leaves great comments. This comment she left for me was just what I needed:

"the fact that you study the weather and go back to the same area is an important contribution to art.
I was fortunate to see a Jasper Johns exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. His slogans were also painted on the walls in larger than life fonts: "Take an object, do something to it, do something else to it!" and also: "Every solution is a new beginning"
And that is exactly what you are doing here."

 Thanks Marie! Visit her blog and you will be in for a visual and descriptive treat!

Red Mustang, Yonge and Queen Street, Toronto

18x18 Oil on Stretched Canvas

I couldn't decide whether to call this painting "Strongbow"or "Red Mustang". Often there is something about a scene that really grabs me and in this picture it was the "Strongbow" beer sign. I  have a tendency to want to paint these things with more detail, so I gave in and painted the sign a little tighter than the rest of the painting. Still deciding if I like the contrast.

I also received notice that I have been accepted into Toronto's major Outdoor Art Show this summer at Nathan Phillips Square. I am very excited about this!

I have been "down" with the flu, so I hope to make the rounds soon and see what everyone has been up to!

Dundas Cottage and Lilacs

6x8 oil on canvas panel

I always feel a little lost when I am in between paintings and not sure what I want to do for the next one. Also, the last few days have been too beautiful to describe. The sun is out, the lilacs are blooming,  irises are starting to show their colors and there are blossoms everywhere. It doesn't get much nicer than that, except maybe a gentle rain and beautiful reflections everywhere :)

 I decided to do a few smaller paintings while I get motivated for the next larger one. This little cottage with the lilac bush in full bloom is just around the corner in Dundas.
$50.00 Click here to go to ebay auction

Parade of Umbrellas, Yonge Street, Toronto

18x18 Oil on Canvas

From quiet to busy. This scene had so much pink and red, I decided to introduce a new color. Quinacridone rose by Graham and Co. One has to be careful about adding too many colors, as often a limited palette works better at keeping the painting together. But I wanted to have some fun with color.

Another Yonge Street scene with the Hard Rock Cafe in the background and the Eaton Centre to the right.

Quiet Yonge Street, Toronto

24x24 Oil on Canvas

Doing this painting was almost enough to make me want to quit painting. I painted and wiped and painted and wiped the reflection and then the buildings. And still had the values wrong. Also, sometimes what you like about a painting is what makes it difficult. I liked the abandoned feeling of the street, allowing the reflections to be front and centre. But the lack of any dominant shapes, such as people or cars, seemed to leave an emptiness to the composition and the scene. I decided it was time to get away from it, let it sit around for awhile and revisit later. (Before I wiped the whole thing)

The Old Mill House

7x9 Oil on Canvas Panel

I occasionally try painting plein air. It is really difficult. I spent some time at my Moms in Ancaster, a great little town close by. There is a great old stone mill there that has been converted into a restaurant. This painting is of the home that accompanied the mill. The blossom is a very delicate tree like bush that is blooming now. I think it is a Service Berry.  I am completely out of my comfort zone when painting outside.. I want to overwork everything rather than staying loose and spontaneous. I think it takes lots of practice and time...which I don't have a lot of. (I ended up finishing it in the studio.)

Red Umbrella

8x8 Oil on Board Sold

I wanted to try a painting using a pinky/red ground rather than the transparent red oxide I usually use.I'm starting a larger painting that has lots of red/pink colors in the signs and reflections, so I wanted to see how it might look. I know that Jennifer McChristian uses a ground that shows pinky/red in her finished paintings. In one of her posts, she said that she uses Indian Yellow and or thalo red rose as an underpainting. I used an acrylic base of primary majenta (the only pinky red in my paint box). She is having a workshop as we speak (I mean type) and Carole Marine and Becky Joy are in attendance. Jennifer must be very good.

Does anyone out there use an underpainting or ground? What is your preference?

Click on painting to enlarge and see pinky/red

Taxicab Blues, Bay Street, Toronto

10x8 Oil on Canvas

I liked the combination of blue and yellow in this image.

$125.00 plus shipping

Just a Walkin' in the Rain, Yonge Street Toronto

20x16 Oil on Canvas

This was a different composition, but I wanted to try it anyway. Not being sure whether it would turn out ok, I didn't want to spend too much time on it and tried to stay loose and finish it in one go.

Revised:Red Coat and Strappy Sandals

16x20 Oil on Canvas Sold

I knew I couldn't leave it alone. When something is bothering me about a painting, I can't let it go. I can't start another one, even though I am tired of the one I just worked on. I am in some strange in between stage of leaving one and starting another. I had done a small value study sketch before starting the painting, and thought the values were interesting. After completing it, the picture seemed a bit flat. I decided to make the background less detailed and more blue/gray and changed the road reflection to match. Then I did some highlights around the figures in the foreground using a bit of yellow hopefully adding some depth and then added some brighter reflective color in the dark value area.. 

Red Coat and Strappy Sandals, Yonge Street Toronto

16x20 Oil on Stretched Canvas

I did a 6x6 of this image a while back and wanted to try a larger version. I was attracted to the busy scene and the multitude of colors, especially the young woman with the red coat and sandals. Some Toronto Cabs are turquoise and orange...a strange blend. Also, red is a difficult color to work with. I think I need to find a way to bring the woman more into the foreground. Maybe introduce some yellow lights in the store window since so many of my colors are cool.

I have been busy with family stuff and renovating and so I haven't been around to see new postings, but I hope to stop by soon and see what everyone has been up to!
Click on image for larger view

A Place to Rest, James Street Hamilton

11x14 Oil on Stretched Canvas

This is pretty much the weather we have been having for the last two days. I put more greenery in than what we have now..there are only a few bushes and some trees starting to show green. I was a little excessive in the "texture" that I put on the canvas before painting. I always add some texture to a canvas or board. Richard Schmid and Mike Svob describe their techniques in their books. After applying gesso and letting it dry, I apply modeling paste with a palette knife and then go through it with a brush. When dry, I can start the painting.
Click on images for a larger view

Yonge Street Rain, Toronto

18x18 Oil on Stretched Canvas

I decided to do the monochrome block in again. I used transparent red oxide and then added some ivory black to get the darkest darks. In the final painting, I made the left hand side a little darker in value, as it seemed to fade out of the picture. Adding some darker areas allowed everything to stay together.

We can learn a lot from each other in blogville. Carol Schiff's painting of green grapes made me think a lot more about adding dabs of reflective color. Also, looking at Tammy Hext's work and process with the palette knife has allowed my to be a little braver adding more knife work. I used it in the sky and to add a few dabs of reflections and pure color.