Front Yard White Tails

11x14 oil portrait

We are lucky enough to live in the rural area of our province and also have agriculture surrounding us. The deer are very plentiful as my lack of tulips will prove! These two spent the summer visiting our front lawn and checking out the gardens in search of the now extinct red tulip!

Eugene 14x9 oil portrait Private Collection

Eugene is a stray who made himself at home despite the many efforts to keep him out of the house. The young lady of the house snuck him into her room each night and when it became evident that the lad was housebroke and appreciative of his new digs, Mom relented.

Eugene now spends his day alternating between reupholstering the furniture with copious amount of white hair  and flopping in front of oncoming vehicles in the driveway. This last stunt garnered him the title of "Worlds Smartest Speedbump".

All visitors are warned of his propensity to race out in front of your approaching vehicle and immediately flop on the ground in what can only be described as a feline version of Gandalfs proclamation "You SHALL not pass."

You have been warned.

Storm Day Turner style  30x24 Acrylic Private Collection

Some days you have to jump in feet first and do the new scary stuff. I decided to go to an Al Chaddock workshop and despite it being an acrylic workshop dealing with water/marine themes (two subjects I usually avoid like the plague) I decided to go full throttle. That is until I got in the door and realized that , despite looking at my equipment list multiple times, I still had the wrong sized canvas with me, so with minimal urging from my friend Marilyn, I hightailed it to the closest art store to purchase a large canvas (I have 3 at home ...opps) so I could experience "the full effect of the workshop". Marilyns words not mine.

Who knew I could cover the whole thing in paint in one day?

I was told to bring in reference photos. I did. I just did a really poor job of copying the photo. I think I got the blue part right... Landmarks probably do not resemble any known landmass on this planet but hey,  I have artistic license, might as well use that special privilege.

Funky Gold Geometric Pacer 10x20 Mixed Media

Life is odd. As a child you get told to do well, exceed, prosper and maintain a good life. You are told that if you succeed at this then your adult hood will just be just  a step away into the rest of your normal happy life.

I was waiting for the mythical life everyone said would happen if I followed the "Plan". I finished high school, went to college, got a job, actually many jobs, returned to University, got more jobs and then life got odd. Again.

Maybe I am a free spirit, maybe I just am not content with a normal life. Pretty sure I would not know what normal is if I had a chance to embrace it.

Seems like I do everything the hard way. The hard way has better views when you are navigating your "Odd" life but sometimes you just have to wonder...Am I doing it wrong?

I feel like that 10 year old girl who was told by her  mother, father, grandmother etc that all I needed to do was get an education and get a job and all would be alright. My Dad had the same job for 4 decades. He and I could not be more different. The only thing I have ever had that lasted 4 decades in my life is my art.

Even that is changing. I spent the majority of my life doing it normally. Follow a plan, be regimented and it will work out. Everyone says if it ain't broke don't fix it, but life is too short to follow the "Plan". This painting came to me in a dream. I rarely dream about art, horses yes, beaches in the winter yes but never completed pieces and never like this one.

I do not work in acrylic, mixed media or modern concepts. I always work in my studio and I always follow the "Plan". I always give good proper titles to my paintings.

Well, that did not work out this week and I could not be happier. I had a picture of a full strided pacer to focus on and a dream to fill in the blanks. I worked with media I usually scorned and embraced the kitchen table much to my families dismay. And I like what happened.

My give a damn ain't busted... it's relocated!

Tongue Tied 12x16 oil portrait

Sometimes a painting has a life of its own. I usually try to aim for a more detailed realistic outcome and do not usually dabble in the impressionistic style but something about this piece just felt right. I had fun and enjoyed pushing paint across the canvas with quick racehorse like movements.

As usual, this fellow was one of the horses at the local track. I have enough reference photos for a million paintings but I still return for more excitement and inspiration. Who knows what I will paint next?

Ciera's Dog 6x12 Oil Portrait Private Collection

Sometimes you get asked to do a piece that is a little out of your comfort zone. That can be a good thing. I usually avoid landscape pieces. Do not get me wrong, I love  landscapes, I usually love everyone elses landscapes, I just do not care to do them as a rule. I am more of a fur and feather artist, not a grass and twig painter.

This came to me as a really simple photograph that was originally a colour photo but the exposure made it look like a near black and white. At first I was worried about being asked to make it a colour painting but I was drawn to the picture and thought this would look really cool as a B&W. The owner agreed.

That was the plan. So a simple B&W, should be easily completed but as I got working, I found myself thinking of crisp winter mornings and how so many colours went into the colour of snow. Since I make my own black it did not take too long before I started having subtle colours in the painting. Soon it became this soft, gentle portrait that captures your attention with how simple it is.  I was worried that the owner would disapprove and offered to redo it if she disliked it. Once she saw it and realized she liked the orginal simplicity of the piece she put aside my fears and took it home.

Its all about taking chances... and accepting the responsibilty!

Sundance 10x8 Oil Portrait Private collection

It has been a while since I painted a dog and this one was fun to do as she had many different colours and the blue eye just captured my heart.

Hedley's Mare and colt 10x20 oil portrait

I love photographing horses and when my farrier told me his mare had just foaled out, I could not resist. It was one of those glorious sun soaked days that makes everything seem so alive! I started painting it this past winter, and the colt turns 3 this spring! Time flies for everyone!

MacElmon LadySlipper on Denim

Oil

New year, New painting and I am thinking of warmer weather and sunnier days!