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.

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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. 
 

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!
Check out my website at www.catherinejeffreystudio.com

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.)