Mountains

Mountain Vista, 24x36,  acrylic

I remember when we first moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1968 from a seaside town in England. We took a drive into the Rockies and were just mesmerized by the mountains, they were breathtaking. Forty two years later I still feel that way. This piece was inspired by a trip to Whistler. I stylized the shapes and colours and tried to capture some of their majesty.

Verticals

Shoreline Magic, 24x12, acrylic

Some subects just call for a certain format. This one I felt needed to be a vertical. I enjoy the long narrow shape, whether horizontal or vertical, it seems to make for an interesting composition. In this one I wanted to put the highlight on the bubbling surf at the shore. At first I thought that I would make the background island more indistinct but I couldn't seem to help myself and added more detail. Overall I am pleased. It seemed to capture the feel that I was after.

Rework

Island View, Hornby, 30x40, acrylic

I brought this piece home from a gallery and decided to rework it. I love that I can do that, acrylics are so versatile.  I completely redid the sky and made a few changes to the foreground. Usually if I am not pleased with an older piece I am tempted to just repaint the whole thing, so I consciously try to take my time and really think it through. Maybe I won't need to change as much as I thought. I can look at an area and think it needs to be darker, but maybe the area next to it just needs to be lighter. It is all relative. The real frustration is when you know it needs something but you just don't know what.

A Favourite Place

Beach at Savary Island, 18x24, acrylic

This is an older piece, but it is one of my favourites. I like the atmosperic misty feel in the background. Savary Island is near Powell River on the Sunshine Coast, it is a beautiful spot and this one takes me back there.

Another Trail

Forest Trail, Tofino, 30x30

Well I just can't resist these trails. They are so full of character and atmosphere. The trees are so old and the branches hang down and reach out creating wonderful patterns. I always find the values to be a real challenge in this type of scene. I tend to try and simplify it by making the foreground dark and the background light. It is easy to get carried away with lots of little highlights dancing all over the place but that can fragment the whole image and take away the strength of it. I also painted this with quite a limited palette. Ultra blue, cad yell light, aliz crimson, brt sienna, yellow ochre, thalo green and titanium white.

Skies

Sunset Glow, Tofino, 16x20, acrylic

I have lately been very attracted to painting different skies. I have done some larger pieces that were almost exclusively sky and I enjoy being able to interpret the wonderful colours and shapes on the canvas. Skies can offer such a wide range of possibilities in a painting, everyone a little bit different. The colours can range from the most beautiful silvery greys to vibrant oranges and reds, great stuff for a painter. The sky being the source of light in a landscape will always set the tone of the piece. This sunset set the stage for this one, I wanted the sky to be the main character, but I also wanted the crashing waves to play a supportive part so I kept them a little more subdued.