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.

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.

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

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.

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!
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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.

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!

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.

Waterdown Victorian

6x6 Oil on canvas

Cold cold weather and bright sunshine add atmosphere to this house in Waterdown, a great victorian town up the hill from Dundas.
$100.00 email for information

Ancaster Church

6x6 oil on board

I love these old stone churches. Architecturally, they are quite magnificent buildings. This stone church is in Ancaster, a town very close to mine. The wrought iron fence in the foreground seemed to bring it all together.

$100.00 plus $10.00 shipping

February Sun, James Street Hamilton

16x20 Oil on Stretched Canvas

I knew what I liked about this piece when I started it, but as I worked on it, I realized how complicated it was. Most of the painting was about problem solving. Keeping the temperature of the shadows consistent was a challenge. And keeping detail at a minimum was important. This is one that will have to sit in the studio for a bit while I decide if it needs much tweaking. For now, I need a break from it.

Snow on Queen, Toronto

8x10 oil on canvas

We recently had the biggest snow storm of the year ( so far). As far as severe storms go, it was fairly tame. We had white outs, and school closures, but didn't get what was forcasted. It still created a lot of great snowy scenes. In this painting, young woman waits to get on a streetcar on Queen Street in Toronto.

A fellow blogger asked me what my palette is for my rainy and snowy scenes. Lately I have been using Diox purple, Transparent red iron oxide, cadmium red, cadmium yellow dark, yellow ochre, Ultramarine blue, and sometimes a little ivory black.

Snow Banks, McMurray Street, Dundas

8x10 Oil on Canvas

Fresh snow after a snow storm is illuminated by morning sunshine on McMurray Street in Dundas.

Dundas was once a manufacturing community before Hamilton became the larger city and took over. Dundas is mostly a bedroom community, but still has pockets of industry. This street leads to a manufacturing company that has been inexistence since 1840.

I was asked in the previous comments if I always use a limited palette. For sunny pictures, I usually use the limited palette mentioned in the previous post. For this picture, I added cadmium yellow light to mix the color required for the turquoisy/blue sky.

(I felt the snow banks were painted with too sharp edges, so I softened them and retook the photo.)

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.
$150 plus $10.00 shipping

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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