Mom & Dad

Mom & Dad, 18x24 oil

Well here's the portrait of my parents that I have been working on over the past few weeks. I've noticed that the photo is distorted so I'll have to re-take it. I'm very pleased with it... I hope they like it too.
Friday May 10 is the Hamilton Art Crawl.  The group that I paint portraits with on Thursday nights will be having a show for the evening and my husband Andy Griffiths will be the musical entertainment.  I think it'll be a fun evening!  If you happen to be in town, it's at 175 James St N, 3rd floor, Hamilton, Ontario.

First Position

First Position, 24x12 oil

Back to basics for my daughter. I asked her to pose for me in her old beat-up ballet slippers. She was into ballet for years and was a beautiful dancer.  You can tell she was a ballet dancer by the way she moves so gracefully.  When she gave it up and moved on to other interests, everything was packed away.  We searched everywhere for her pointe shoes without success, probably packed away in a box somewhere with various costumes. 

Shelling Beans - Sold

Shelling Beans, 6x6 oil

I'm back! Not that I went anywhere, I just haven't had much time to paint lately. One time-consuming yearly event is mainly to blame...taxes.  Gathering receipts and all that pertinent information that suddenly has become very important.  I'd rather be painting!!! Maybe that's why I chose to paint these fava beans, somehow they remind me of counting pennies.

Simply Sweet - Sold

Simply Sweet, 4x4 oil

I found these amazing strawberries the other day.  I thought they would be great with some chocolate, but after tasting them, decided that they really didn't need anything at all. 
Today is the first day of the silent auction at the Dundas Valley School of Art.  It runs until Saturday April 13. The live auction is on the evening of the 13th.  I'll be heading over there sometime to see all the wonderful work that is on display and perhaps bid on a painting or two.  It's really a popular event.  I went to it last year to check it out and headed home with a few pieces of pottery.  Some of my artist friends who have been submitting work into this auction every year told me that I should give it a try.  I did, and have 4 pieces of art in it this year!  It's great exposure for the artists and 50% of the sales goes to help fund the school.

Pieces of Pear

Pieces of Pear, 4x4 oil

I'm really having a lot of fun painting these 4x4 inch panels.  Currently I am working on a larger portrait of my parents together (18x24), so painting these little panels gives me a refreshing break.

Snack Time

Snack Time, 4x4 oil

I was about to eat this apple, but thought it would make a nice little still life sliced up horizontally like this. A perfect subject to paint on my new 4x4 painting panels that I picked up the other day.

Missing You Already

Missing You Already, 12x8 oil

Wish I could say this is a plein air painting, but the wind is blowing outside and snow has been falling off and on all day.
Whenever I go anywhere, there are images that I see that capture my eye and my heart. On the lucky days I'll be out there with my paints, but a lot of the time I just have my phone or maybe my camera. I have so many photos filed away on my computer with images that I would have loved to paint, but are long forgotten.  I started digging through them today, and painted this scene that was captured last summer during my holidays in Newfoundland.

March Paintings 2013

March Paintings 2013

Well here is my collection of paintings for March.  Hopefully with spring here, warm weather will arrive soon and I'll be able to paint outside more often...en plein air!

Monkey Business - Sold

Monkey Business, 22x14 oil

When I was a very young child, I used to imagine that all my toys came alive once I was asleep.  If I were to imagine what my mischievous sock monkeys were up to when I was out of the room, I think they would be up to no good!  When I suddenly would turn on the lights, this is what I would find.

Seeing Stripes

Seeing Stripes, 6x6 oil

I recently read a book called "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Everything in the circus is black and white. It inspired me to pick up this back and white striped material and include it in a painting. It was fun to paint, seeing how the stripes move through the glass, but I was going a bit crossed eyed by the end!

Hard Boiled - Sold

Hard Boiled, 6x6 oil

Easter is just around the corner and I've got eggs on my mind.  When the kids were little, it was a big affair in our house to decorate eggs. A couple of weeks before Easter, I would drain the eggs through little holes and then we would take all day to create our masterpieces, (yes, me too). Then they would be proudly displayed on a decorative plate until Easter. 

Mom

Mom, 6x6 oil

Here's a little 6x6 of my mom. I love my mom and her big beautiful smile! You can't help but smile back, no matter how you are feeling.

Cherry on Top - Sold

Cherry on Top, 6x6 oil

While painting this cupcake, I kept imagining little hands reaching up to grab a taste of this enticing treat.  I recently went to my niece's son's birthday party. He just turned two years old. The simplest things put a wonderfully big smile on his face. I brought home one of the cupcakes from his party, but it flipped upside down during the drive home.  I scraped off half the icing and tried to repair it, but I definitely was not able to reconstruct it, so I painted this one instead, (although his cupcakes looked very different from this one).
So if it's my niece's son, does that make me a grand-aunt? If so, I think I'll just stick with aunt.

The Old Mandolin - Sold

The Old Mandolin, 8x10 oil

There's an antique/old junk store my husband and I drop into once in a while, just to see what interesting items we can find.  One time we found this old mandolin. It's not playable at all, and is a bit rough around the edges, but it looks beautiful. 
Recently I bought a CD; 'Kevin Breit & the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra'. Of course I had to play the CD while I was painting the mandolin.  It really gave me appreciation for the instrument and seemed to bring it alive!

Dad

Dad, 6x6 oil

My parents live a couple hours drive away, so I don't get out to see them as much as I would like.  When we went out to visit them in February, I took a few photos for the sole purpose of painting their portraits.  I would like to do a larger painting of the two of them together, but I thought I'd start small, just to practise. 

Hope you like it Dad!, Mom, your next!

Citrusy Scents - Sold

Citrusy Scents, 8x8 oil

Lemons, limes and oranges, a fun painting to do! This is the third painting of this 'series'. The other two are 'Ample Apples', and 'Plate of Peppers'. I will be submitting these into a show that will be at a gallery in Hamilton at the end of the month. I'll tell you more about it at a later date.

I don't know how much painting I'm going to get done this week, it seems that I've come down with the flu! I thought it had passed me by, but here it is. I usually go out painting Monday afternoon, but today I think I'll take a nap.

Half Cup of Milk - Sold

Half Cup of Milk, 8x8 oil

The other day I made some banana chocolate chip muffins. I was thinking how nice the measuring cup would look in a painting, an item that is hard working around here but seldom ever appreciated. This is my ode to the humble measuring cup!

Balanced - Sold

Balanced, 6x6 oil

Sometimes, it's not about the cupcake!  A glass of cold milk, so refreshing, can only add to the enjoyment of anything that it accompanies.

February Paintings 2013

My collage of February paintings. I cheated a little, including March 1st painting so that there would be an even number. Wow, time flies! The first two months of the year are already gone! There are a few submissions that I am working towards, so this month is going to be a busy one.

Over the last few days I've been preparing for a show that I'm in this coming Thursday, 'An Evening of Art and Music'. It's at a local Burlington recording studio called Btown Sound. I've never done anything like this before, but it sounds like it could be an interesting evening.

White Gerbera - Sold

White Gerbera, 6x6 oil

Gerberas are one of my favourite flowers.  I tend to bring it home more often than any other flower.  It seems so sturdy and strong, as if it will last forever.  I've had this one for a couple of weeks now, waiting patiently to be painted.  I think it's a good subject to start a new month with.

Peas and Carrots - Sold

Peas and Carrots, 10x16 oil

Peas and carrots are such common vegetables, that it's easy not to see them as anything but part of your next meal. Yet they are so vibrant in colour and have interesting shapes. Walking through the produce section of the grocery store can be very inspiring, imagining how each item would look in a painting, never mind how it would taste in a meal.

The Dory - Sold

The Dory, 8x10 oil

Here is another painting from my holiday last summer, (I think it's my last one).  My niece's husband, in St Pierre, resurrected this old fishing boat. It took a lot of hard work to restore it, not sure if it's seaworthy yet though. It certainly looks like it is!

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse, 8x8 oil

When in Newfoundland, the landscape cannot be ignored. The rocky hills battered by the wind and ocean make the buildings seem so fragile and temporary. This painting is a plein air painting from my holidays last summer.

Fisherman's Houses - Sold

Fisherman's Houses, 10x8 oil

The wonderful days of summer.  Last summer my family and I went to my neice's wedding in St Pierre & Miquelon. If you've never heard of this place, it's off the coast of Newfoundland, but is not part of Canada, it's a little piece of France.  I love going there, especially with my paints, because everywhere you turn is a painting.  I painted this on the little island called 'Ile aux Marins'.

Be Mine - Sold

Be Mine, 6x6 oil

I know it's not Valentine's Day but I wanted to paint this cupcake before it was demolished. Now all that remains of it is this painting. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed it.  Just for the books, I don't really care to eat cupcakes, I just like the way they look...really!

The Tracks in Welland

The Tracks in Welland, 7x5 oil

Yesterday I happened to be in Welland, Ontario. I did this quick little plein air painting of a few dormant trains, (so I thought). Luckily I had painted most of it before an engine came along and took some of them away.

The Gibson - Sold

The Gibson, 6x6 oil 

Happy Valentine's Day! This painting is for my Valentine, Andy. He loves his guitars.

The House Next Door

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The House Next Door, 8x10 oil

One of my favourite destinations for a summer holiday is Eastern Canada as well as St Pierre & Miquelon. Last summer my family and I headed out east for a wedding. This painting was started sitting at the kitchen window of a house that we were renting in the city of St John's, Newfoundland. The colourful houses seemed to be crammed into place, up and down the hill that leads to the harbour. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there and would return in a heartbeat!

After the Snowfall - Sold

I love snow. It absorbs sound and the world becomes a quiet peaceful place. It covers everything in a blanket of white and creates the feeling of warmth and togetherness.

Snowmen start to pop up everywhere and the hills become high traffic zones with tobaggans flying down them. The recent snowstorm brought us a good amount of snow!



A Good Read - Sold

A Good Read, 8x8 oil

A quick little sketch of my daughter. At home for the day because of a snow storm, she catches up on some reading. The snow keeps falling outside, muting the usual sounds, except for the sound of a shovel scraping the frozen ground.
I painted on paper meant for oil paint, although it looks just like watercolour paper. It's quite different than what I'm used to. I'll have to try it out a bit more to decide if I like it.

Red Red Radishes - Sold

Red Red Radishes, 5x5 oil

Beautiful bright red radishes. I don't eat them very often, (not a favourite of mine), but I do love their bright red colour. Which reminds me, Valentine's Day is a week away!

Sweet Temptation - Sold

Sweet Temptation, 8x8 oil

Here it is, not even the middle of February, and I'm thinking of having breakfast on the back porch. I guess I'll have to wait a while still. Although according to the groundhog, we're supposed to have an early spring.

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Here is a compilation of all my paintings from the 30 day challenge. It's fun to see them all together, which reminds me, I still have to finish Day 3 painting. The next step is to do all the grunt work of painting the edges of the canvases, finding frames for the plein air panels and attaching the wires for hanging. My work is never done, sigh.
I am looking forward to next week! A new week and a new month of paintings! I like the idea of making a compilation of the month's paintings. It's a nice review of what I have done. I think I will do this every month!
See you next week!
Helen

The Gathering - Sold

The Gathering, 24x12 oil

Day 30, 'The Gathering' of food for preparation, the gathering of paintings in 30 days, the gathering of people doing and watching this challenge! It's been a great experience to be a part of this gathering. I will definitely continue painting daily, therefore I will be posting regularly, but some paintings will require more than a day to paint, so the postings won't always be every day. I will be taking my weekends off though, (mostly). Thank you for being a part of this with me; I really have appreciated your comments and encouragement. 

One More for the Road - Sold

One More for the Road, 6x6 oil

Day 29 a little treat. A fun little painting, playing with the different tones of the inside of the box. My second last painting for the challenge!

Afternoon Light

Afternoon Light, 8x8 oil

Day 28, I painted what's sitting on my window sill. So far it's managed to stay alive, despite my neglect. Ivy is a bit more forgiving than most plants, (I'm guessing).
Two more paintings to go and the 30 day challenge is complete! So what shall I paint next...?

In Hot Water - Sold

In Hot Water, 6x6 oil

Day 26, I painted a monkey tea infuser. I just couldn't help myself! I found this at the market yesterday and I had to buy it. I like to paint teacups and I have a little monkey collection. It was destiny!

On the Chopping Block - Sold

On the Chopping Block, 8x8 oil

Day 25, shallots. Continuing with the farm theme, I went to a 'Winter Market' today and among other things, I found some shallots. I wasn't planning on painting them, but when I poured them out of the bag, they looked so playful with their twirly ends, I thought I would give it a go.

Here is a photo of the painting in progress.

The Strut - Sold

The Strut, 6x6 oil

Day 24, I painted a rooster. Painting farm pictures brings back fond memmories of when I was a child. My Grandparents used to have a small farm in what is now pretty much the centre of a busy city, (Mississauga, Ontario). My family lived in Toronto; it was such a treat to drive out of the city to visit them.

Morning! - Sold

Morning!, 6x6 oil

Day 23, grapefruit! I was at a bit of a loss as to what to paint today, then I saw the grapefruit. The deep pink colour of the flesh was gorgeous. The unfortunate thing was that I had to find something else to eat!

Five Flavours - Sold

Five Flavours, 6x6 oil

Day 22, a package of candy. I started with a partially opened package of Life Savers Candy, that I thought would make a nice little painting.  Then I had the idea of displaying every colour of candy in the package. Well of course I had to open the whole thing before I was able to find every colour! So this is what I ended up with.

Done for the Day - Sold

Done for the Day, 12x6 oil

Day 21, a pair of skates. These skates can say so much, depending on how they are placed on the floor. With the laces all twisted, and the skates leaning over, it makes me think of a child who is tired after a fun afternoon of skating. The skates are dropped by the door and forgotten until next time.

Following the Stream

Following the Stream, 8x8 oil

Day 20 started off as a plein air painting, but it started to snow. I quickly took a few photos, so I could finish it at home, and packed up my gear. This is a painting of a beautiful spot in Ancaster, Ontario. With the big rocks and boulders, the stream, trees and surrounding hills you could easily forget there is a bustling city 10 minutes away!

The Boat to Nowhere - Sold



The Boat to Nowhere, 8x8 oil

Day 18, I painted en plein air in North Bay, Ontario. Luckily it had stopped snowing long enough for me to get this little painting done. I'm not too sure if this ferry boat is in use during the warmer months but it's certainly not going anywhere soon. It's on Lake Nipissing. There were a few fishing huts, and snowmobilers on the lake and in the distance I could see the Manitou Islands. Wish I could have stayed there longer.

Who's Setting the Table? - Sold

Who's Setting the Table?, 8x8 oil

Day 15, I'm half way there! I love the way these bright colourful plates look all stacked up, sitting on the tablecloth. The challenge in this painting was certaintly the plates through the bottle of water.

The Forest - Sold

The Forest, 6x6 oil

Day 14, I can't believe I've been painting every day for two weeks. What a wonderful way to start the year off! I found it really tough in the beginning but now it's just routine. After the 30 days are over I think I'll take the weekends off, so I'll be refreshed for a new week of painting. Todays painting was inspired by my daughter asking me questions about my global footprint, as I was putting away a few remaining decorations from the holidays.

Blue Skies - Sold

Blue Skies, 6x6 oil

Day 12, a cupcake! The recent warm spell, (January thaw), had me thinking of sunny days and picnics, and you can't have a picnic without cupcakes!

All In a Row - Sold

All in a Row, 24x12 oil

Day 11. Wow I'm finally done! I couldn't help but paint this arrangement! I knew it would be a long haul. These cups keep appearing in my paintings, so I thought that they deserved to be the feature of this painting.

The Sheriff

The Sheriff, 6x6 oil

Day 10, I painted my dog Keefer. Yes, I have two dogs. He is straight forward, kind and strong, our watch dog. When I give him food, he eats, when I tell him something, he listens, (with a tilt), and he is always at my heels. One of his special talents is walking up stairs backwards when he's carrying a toy that is too large for him. His very favourite thing is getting a treat.
That's my dog Keefer.