I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus!

'I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night' 

Transparent Watercolour 23 by 17.5 inches

I couldn't resist painting this one for Christmas. Have a look into Isla's eyes. Can you see the silhouette of Mommy kissing Santa?

 I hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season. I am going to be taking a break now for a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will have lots of  new ideas to paint and share with you all next year.

My Thinking Cap

 With all the hate and animosity on the web and news at the moment I do wonder about how this is affecting our children and how they think and feel about what is happening.

'My Thinking Cap' Transparent Watercolour 24 by 16 inches

 I wanted to capture this in a painting. In the background I have written quotes about love and hate, racism versus tolerance of others, good and evil. The child thinks about these things. They become part of him and how he views the world and the people in it.

 In front of him is largely a blank canvas representing the future. As he stares ahead he will, over time form his own thoughts and this empty space will be filled in.

 Please be kind to others and not hateful towards those who do not feel the same way as you. Show some tolerance, love and understanding of others thoughts and beliefs so our children learn by our example and fill the years ahead of them with love, understanding and tolerance too.

Careful the things you say 

 Children will listen 

Careful the things you do 

Children will see And learn 

Guide them along the way 

 Children will glisten 

Children will look to you 

For which way to turn 

To learn what to be 

Careful before you say 

"Listen to me" 

Children will listen 

 (from Disney's Into the Woods)

I love the idea behind this painting but for some reason I am not totally happy with the way it's turned out. Something is wrong. I think I will just put it away for a while and then maybe look again in a couple of weeks. So for now I'm calling it done but we will see.... I will let you know if I decide to make any changes.

From Little Acorns

I finished the painting I have been working on this morning and am calling it 'From little Acorns'. This  is part of the well known saying 'Mighty oaks from little acorns grow' and is so true.  Many great things do grow from small beginnings.

My inspiration for this painting was the parallel between the young child full of hopes and dreams and the young oak sapling.  At the moment both child and oak sapling are small and vunerable and need tender loving care to grow but both are also so full of potential for greatness. Just as the tiny acorn sapling given the right conditions will grow into a mighty oak tree the young child's hopes and dreams given the right support and encouragement will be the gateway to their greater destiny.

Transparent Watercolour  Approx 21 by 20.25 inches

Thought Bubbles

Our thoughts are like soap bubbles floating in a gentle breeze on a summer’s day. Some are large, like dreams that glisten full of hope and promise. Others are smaller and less flamboyant but perfectly formed.  

Just like our thoughts, the fragile beauty of each rainbow coloured liquid orb is fascinating. For a short time they are a floating miracle, until they are no more.  Nothing is permanent, and like our thoughts and dreams, all things change.

Thank you for all your lovely ideas over the past few days about what the child might be thinking. I have a very creative group of friends. I will leave it to your imaginations to decide what thoughts she has in each bubble. (Transparent Watercolour 28.5 by 18 inches.)

Soap Bubbles are such fun to paint. This 10 minute video shows me painting a simplified version of the bubbles I created in the painting above. It isnt an instructional video. It was simply a first attempt at videoing me painting. I am really happy with the mount that my husband has made for the video camera so it can be suspended right over my painting area but we do need to work on better lighting as the glare from the wet paper is distracting and the colours are quite dull. Nevertheless I thought you might enjoy seeing my very first video attempt. (If you are subscribed to my blog e mail notification and are reading this as an e mail you will need to go to the blog if you would like to see the video)



Ona

Think and Wonder, Wonder and Think

 'Think and Wonder, Wonder and Think' is a quote by Dr Seuss which I love and I have decided to use it as the title for my first painting of 2016.

 Let's make 2016 a year in which we look for the beauty in the world around us and to remember there is beauty within each and every one of us also. It would be a very boring world if we were all the same so let's celebrate the rich diversity of life around us in all its forms.

I chose to use a hummingbird in my painting because 'legends say that Hummingbirds float free of time. They open our eyes to the wonder of the world and inspire us to open our hearts to loved ones and friends. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and to savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere and every personal connection has meaning.' (Papyrus)

Is the girl really looking at a hummingbird? Or is the small bird merely symbolising the child's thoughts as she stares into space dreaming of a world where there is acceptance and harmony, where beauty in all its forms is celebrated.

Transparent Watercolour 27.5 by 17 inches

Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

 For those of you that have been following my progress or watched me as I was painting at Tastes of the Hill last weekend here is the finished painting.

 Mischief and Giggles, Fun and Love, That's What Little Boys are made of. This young child has found a snail and is seeing how well he can walk the tightrope. It's a long way down!   

This was a lot of fun to paint. Hopefully it brings back memories of when you, a sibling or your children were young and would get up to mischief. If you have any stories, I would love to hear them.

Ona

Flight of the Imagination

I really enjoy creating imaginative paintings such as this but I am now struggling to think of a title.
'Flight of the imagination'? This was the only idea I had. Let me know if you think of any good ideas.

Even after many hours painting this the baby's delighted expression still makes me smile.

Ona

A penny for your thoughts

 Let's hope the meaning behind the saying 'A penny for your thoughts' doesn't die with the actual  penny that at least in Canada is being phased out. Keep that sense of wondering alive and keep collecting those pennies of thought. Your life will be much richer for it.

I thought you might like seeing a close up of the child's face in the painting. Bringing a portrait to life on the paper is a challenge as even a millimetre change to any of the main features can effect a likenes and alter an expression or emotion but it is so rewarding to do too.

Ona

Taking Time

'A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.'

(WH Davies)

I finished the painting this morning. One of the things I most enjoyed creating was the contrast between the background and the child but playing with light is always such a joy when working in transparent watercolour too. I wanted to create the backlighting to add to the dreamy feel of the finished piece.

Ona

Once Upon a Time

This young child is fascinated by an old typewriter. There is no delete key, no editing button but the mechanics of how it works is intriguing.

I'm really pleased with the lighting which was my main focus in this one. Some other parts I would like to have done better but that always the case with any painting I do :)  The two references I used were taken with inbuilt camera flash so the lighting was dull and boring. I'm planning a series of paintings where lighting really is the key so I wanted to paint something fairly standard just to practice changing and enhancing lighting. This was my result. I did have a lot of fun with the background too.  

Ona

Only as much as I Dream can I be

"Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be."

Karen Rayn

I would love to know what this child is dreaming about. Maybe she represents each and every one of us. We all have dreams but how many of us just stand on the safe side of the fence and do not venture into the unknown and follow our dreams.

I just loved this child's expression. It was this far away moment that was the inspiration for this painting.

Its good to dream. Don't be afraid of failure. Catch those dreams and follow them. Yes, sometimes its a risky journey into the unknown but its also an exciting one. I am enjoying following my dream. Are you following yours?

Ona

Dreaming WIP 2

 

I've had a lot of fun playing with the effect of light on the fence as a way to draw more attention to the dreamcatcher. I still have some work to do grounding the fence and adding in the shadows on the floor and darkening the far portion of the fence a little more to recede it into the background but its nearly done.

I played around a lot with the composition of the fence during my initial planning stage. I had originally thought of having a fence snaking off into the distance but after doing some initial sketches this felt either too distracting or too enclosing depending on the direction the fence took. I didn't want the fence to lead our eyes out of the painting but equally I didnt want the message to be one of imprisonment if I curved it behind the child. Fences are often used to symbolize a barrier so it felt appropriate to have the fence ending. This way it provides an opportunity to lean on it momentarily and dream  but also to allows the freedom to walk around at some time in the future should the child want to. After all it is up to each one of us to choose whether to have the courage to go forwards and follow our dreams or not.

Ona

2011 Art Cure Exhibition Acceptance!

I had some more good news this morning. Both of the paintings that I entered in the Art Cure Exhibition which will take place in Aurora during  next couple of weeks have been accepted. The 2011 Art Cure Exhibition will be held at Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church Street, Aurora from June 18-26th. The theme of the show is exploring art as an instrument of Healing. This is a show which includes all mediums of art work. The two paintings that I have had accepted are 'When you need a friend' and 'Guardian of Ra'. If you would like to see these and the other paintings that will be in the exhibition click here.

  I have also finished the second commission that I have been working on. I was commissioned to paint this to mark the welcoming of the girl in the painting, who has been adopted, into the family. So here she is with her new brother. My clients wanted a fairly formal studio look background to the painting with a slightly informal feel with the boys arm around the girl. Apparently he is a bit mischeivious so I tried to put a twinkle in his eye. The girl is full of life and is always ready to say hi to anyone. 

Ona

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, We Love You!

Here is a photo of the finished painting. I added a couple more paint colours into the mix for the car to create a more vibrant, toy car yellow. I also increased the values of the darks on the car making it ours as well as the child's centre of interest. To me it just made the painting feel more intimate that way, making us the viewer part of the imaginative experience too. I hope you feel the same way.

Ona

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang WIP3

 I have finally managed to take a decent WIP photo of this painting so I thought this would be a good stage to share my progress with you all.

I'm still keeping to the very limited palette with this painting so far because I don't want the child to be the main focus. I am however increasing the tonal ranges when I paint him compared to his reflection. I still obviously have lots of hair to paint, some reflective shadowing in the corner of his face and another couple layers on his sleeve before I can move onto the car. but it's beginning to come together.

Ona

...and all because I had this spare frame...

If you remember I had to buy a frame locally for the MEH!! painting because the one I had ordered over the web had not been shipped in time. It has now arrived so, with a spare frame to hand I thought carefully about what I could paint to fit it. I wanted to choose a subject for the painting that not only fitted the frame colour scheme and size wise but also one in which I could have the opportunity to experiment with glazing to create different effects again.

My inspiration for this painting came from an old photo of my son playing with a bright yellow car that he fondly named 'Chitty' after seeing the stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This is a quick snap shot of me adding the final details to the drawing on the watercolour paper. The paper is flat on the table hence the slightly strange persective but it gives you an idea of the size of the painting which is about 24 by 15 inches.

In my reference photo I loved how both the car and Alexander were reflected in our coffee table and it was this that gave me the idea for the title of this painting to be... as both Alex and his reflection stare dreamingly at the car I can almost hear them thinking  'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you!'

Ona