Commission Work in Progress

I am currently working on a commission and have been given permission to share it with you as I paint it.  Thank you Sally.

As I 'set the scene' I am working from about 7 different photographs to capture both the lighting and the detail. My subjects are masked because there are a lot of light areas on both of them that I do not want to accidently get paint on.

Ona

International Watercolor Artists Book 2: Handbook for Aspiring Artists and Art Lovers

I am very excited to be one of the 48 artists featured in this newly published book. It is now available for sale through both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

  

Amazon lists this book as: 

"A Handbook and Coffee Table book, to be both enjoyed and studied for artists, artist aspirers and art lovers alike. There are 48 artists in this book from 39 countries. Each artist has two pages 8.5x11 where his/her paintings are shown along with bio backgrounds, picture of the artist, answers to many questions relevant to their work, and advice for aspiring artists. They exemplify the best in watercolor world wide."

Thank you to the editor K Coralee burch Ph. D for including me in this book.

Ona

International Watermedia 2015 acceptance

I had some more good news this morning.

'We are pleased to inform you that our juror Ted Nuttall has selected 'A Penny for your Thoughts' to be displayed in the Pikes Peak Watercolor Society's International Watermedia 2015 exhibit. This exhibition is being held at the beautiful and innovative Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado.'

The exhibition will open on June 1 and run until June 30, 2015


Ona

CSPWC Watermark Ontario Exhibition acceptance

I had some good news last night. Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future' has been selected to be part of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour 'Watermark Ontario' Exhibition.

The exhibition will take place at the Santa Fe Gallery, 828 Third Ave. East, Owen Sound ON. May 23 to June 20th.

Ona

Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society demo

I had a lovely evening yesterday demoing for the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society.

This was the high key painting I created using just 5 colours, each glazed individually.

and a couple more photo's of the evening as I was working and talking to the members.

 

Thank you to everyone at NFWS for making me feel so welcome.

Ona

Don't Fret

Sometimes an idea for a painting just pops into my head and I have to stop and create it right away. This is exactly what happened with my latest transparent watercolour 'Don't Fret'.

Seems the cat in my painting has found a sunny spot on the fretboard of a guitar. What unusual places have you seen cats sleep in? Please share any stories if you have them. I would love to read them.

Eleanor Farjeon's poem is so true:

"Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere"

Ona

On the Wings of song

I found out yesterday that my painting 'On the Wings of Song' has been selected to be part of 'Art Muse' a celebration of Music and Art, in Toronto later this month.

It will be projected onto a large screen during the performance which is based around the theme of music in the natural world. I have also been asked to make a brief presentation about the inspiration behind my painting afterwards.

Ona

Sugar Sugar

 These little hummingbirds are eager for sweet nectar at this time of year and seem to have discovered or 'noted' an unusual source for their energy rich drink. You know me, I just can't resist letting my imagination fly away with me at times like this.  I don't know how musical you all are but I also took some artistic license with the musical term at the beginning of the music. 'Volante' means light and fliting/flying. I thought it would make my little hummingbirds feel right at home.

 The painting is 25 by 15 inches in size and is painted on Arches 140lb cold press paper.

Ona

'Sugar Sugar' WIP 1

It seems like this little hummingbird is watching what I am painting very closely. I wonder what she is hoping for?  This is a small section of another fun Music themed painting that I am working on this week. 

I am longing for these little magical creatures to return to Canada once the spring weather finally decides to stay. It's tempting us to believe its on the way with the odd warmer day. Hopefully it won't be long.

I have two more hummingbirds left to paint and some shadows to add in. I will post again once I have finished. 

Ona

Giocoso

Giocoso means playful and merry and is used chiefly as a direction in music. I think these kittens are taking the whole musical term a little too literally though, don't you? I bet there will be trouble when the musician returns.

  This was such fun to paint. Its a transparent watercolour and is 28 inches by 12.5 inches in size. Hope it makes you smile too.

Ona

Giocoso WIP

It's such fun taking the name of a musical term and creating a painting based around its meaning. This time I decided to use the term 'Giocoso' which means  to play a piece of music in a playful and humerous way.  The painting is still a work in progress with two more  mischievious kittens still left to paint but I hope you can begin to see the fun I am having with my idea. Any guesses what the two  kittens  that I still have to paint are  going to be doing?

Ona

Louisiana Watercolor Society 45th International Exhibition Acceptance

I woke up to some more good news this morning.  'Taking Time' has been accepted into the Louisiana Watercolor Society 45th International Exhibition and will be making its way to New Orleans next month.

The exhibition will take place at the New Orleans Acadamy of Fine Art from April 18- May 8 and then  the Atrium of Place St. Charles 201 St, Charles Avenue from May 9-23.

Ona

Transparent Watercolor Society of America 39th Annual Exhibition Acceptance

I had some wonderful news yesterday evening. My painting 'Acceso' has been selected  for the 2015 Transparent Watercolor Society of America's 39th Annual Exhibition. The exhibition will be held at the Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Avenue, Kenosha, Wisconsin from May 2nd to August 2nd 2015.

Ona

From Major to Minor

" Life is like a piano; the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness but as you go through life's journey, remember the black keys also create music."

Ehssan

We cannot really appreciate happiness without its mirror emotion sadness. Both are part of our  journey of life. Happiness provides satisfaction and resolution, sadness on the other hand helps us develop perseverance and strength.  Accept both and hopefully you’ll be playing a perfect concerto. 

It doesnt really come over well in the small jpg but I tried using several contrasting elements to help accentuate the mood in the 2 sections. In the main happy section my model Mira is using all white keys and in the reflection using mostly black keys. I also played with the sense of light in the main part of the painting versus the comparitive darkness of the reflection to help enhance the happy or sad feeling and lastly I used warm reds for the happy section versus cooler purply reds for the sadder reflection. These subtle colour differences are really lost in the jpg, sorry.

Ona

From Major to Minor WIP 2

It's been a while since I last posted progress on the painting I am working on, mainly because the maroon reds that I have used are so hard to reproduce accurately in a photo. I feel as if I have a love/hate relationship with them. Its a real struggle getting it to look even vaguely like the actual painting and has kind of put me off taking many photos along the way. I love the look of them and the atmosphere they create in the painting itself though.

I  just have a few more glazes on Mira's sweater to do. Then  this section will be finished and I can start on the reflection of Mira in the paino.

Ona