Sunday, January 26, 2014

Mt. Assiniboine/Cascade Mountain-Early Morning-Canadian Rockies


I'm always on the edge before I add paint to a canvas. I look at the canvas, think about the direction I want to go and the process…..then I dive in;)

I always use Winsor & Newton paints, and in a small cup mix Winsor Blue (green shade) with Cobalt blue, then throw in a touch of Alazarin crimson for some early morning colour. Once the sky is completed you have to work on the light…where is the sun rising, what direction is the light coming from, how does it hit the peaks, what are the colours/shades, where are the shadows….I love it!

Mt. Assiniboine/Cascade Mountain-Early Morning-Canadian Rockies


I'm very fortunate to live in the mountains with subject matter to paint in every direction I look. I have painted Mt. Assiniboine in different seasons, different times of day, but I may only see the mountain once a year and sometimes not for two to three years. Cascade Mountain is in my back yard. I see it every day when I go to work, when I go home, and from the windows of my home. Interesting enough, I have not painted Cascade that many times, even though I have seen her in many beautiful poses.
This next journey of my painting is to paint both mountains at the same time. While one is drying, I'll work on the next one.

To begin the process I have prepared two canvasses with gesso so the watercolours will adhere to the surface. The next step is to draw each image, mapping out what I want to paint. The third thing I do is mask out the outline between mountain and sky so when I begin to paint there is a crisp, clean division between the two. Enjoy the journey as I begin to work on two new pieces.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Mt.Assiniboine Clearing-A New Year-Canadian Rockies

It's a New Year.
A time for reflection on things past, a time for planning for the future.
I haven't had a show for quite a few years, and I feel 2014 is the time. Not sure where or when, but the show will be paintings from "My Favourite Places".
This is the first for the collection, Mt. Assiniboine, one of my favourite mountains.

Mt. Assiniboine Clearing
Watercolour on canvas
12" x 9"
$125