Feed the Birds WIP 1

I realised looking back through my blog this year I haven't done a single WIP. I think I've been either so absorbed in the process  or had a crisis of confidence in what I was trying to do that I have shy'd away from sharing as I paint. I thought that today I would change this, as the little face looking at me and my brush right now just radiates such happiness that I hope it will make you smile too.

As you can see I have a LONG way to go with this but the child's delight has reminded me to just enjoy the moment that is now.

Whatever you are doing today, whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving as many of my US friends are doing or it's just a normal  Thursday as it is here in Canada, I hope you can find some joy too.

I am not sure how speedy I am going to be with this as the holiday season is fast approaching but I will try to share my progress with this as I go.

Ona

Art Journey Animals

Harry can't wait to get his own special copy with my drawing of him on the jacket cover. Art Journey: Animals is now available to pre-order from North Light Books and is estimated to be shipped around the 15th December. I wonder if Santa will manage to get Harry's copy here in time for Christmas? 

Ona

Light's Rainbow

As Watercolour artists we know that every colour works as a team to create the white light that we strive so hard to capture in our paintings. Although the light we see in the world may appear colourless, the sunlight we strive to capture in our art is actually white light that is composed of all the colors of the spectrum working together. You don't see the individual colours most of the time but they are there working in harmony: a rainbow is proof of this. The sum of all the colors creates the white light. By working together they create something pure and beautiful and uplifting.

 With this in mind I chose to use all the colours of the rainbow in this painting to help me create an illusion of pure, simple white light on my paper. Its only through the diversity of my palette that the beauty of the light shines out.

 (((Hugs to you all today, whatever your race, colour, beliefs, or philosophies. Remember, just as in this painting, diversity can be our strength not our weakness if we work together in harmony.)))

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.

Cheap Joe's Award 2016 NFWS National Exhibition

I had a wonderful message yesterday evening from fellow artist Cathy O'Neill letting me know that my painting 'Thought Bubbles' won the Cheap Joe's Art Stuff Award in the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society's 13th National Exhibition. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the opening reception yesterday afternoon. The composite photo below shows NFWS vice president Cathy Skeeter with my painting and the painting label with juror Thomas Schaller's comment. Thank you both for taking the time to pose for, take, and send me the photo. I really appreciate it.

Thanks to all at NFWS for making this exhibition possible and to juror Thomas Schaller, Thank you also to Joe Miller for donating the award.

Puppy love

   I've spent the last couple of days curled up on the sofa drawing with my faithful friend beside me watching my progress. This is him as a youngster. He is now 14 years old but he still knows how to leave paw prints on my heart with those soulful eyes of his.

' Puppy Love ' Pen and ink (10.5 by 7 inches)

Love, they say, is patient,

Love, they say, is kind,

It sees beyond another’s faults

For love, they say, is blind.

Love will not diminish,

Or rush or fade with years,

But it will gain its strength

From time, from laughter, joy and tears.

Love is God’s own gift to us.

A present from above,

He gives us peace, He gives us joy,

But first He gives us love. (Anon)

Photo's from the Studio Tour

It was a lovely weekend at Covernotes Tea and Coffee House in Richmond Hill. We had lots of visitors. There were many familiar faces and some new faces too. Thank you to everyone that stopped by to see my work.

For those of you too far away to visit I hope you will enjoy these photos. If you are interested in any of the paintings please let me know. All are now available for sale.

These two sold during the weekend. The new owners kindly allowed me sharing their comments about the artwork with you all.

'We went on this life long dream vacation to Africa this last spring for our Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration and your pen and ink 'The Touch of love' just captures EVERYTHING about that special time and our lifelong love for each other. It might only be 11 by 14 inches framed but, to us it is HUGE in the emotion it conveys.'          Nancy

 'I have suffered from Depression for years and at times feel like a huge cloud hangs over me. Your painting 'After the Storm' gives me such hope each time I look at it. However heavy those dark clouds may feel there can be such colour awaiting us if we just plough through. I am putting this piece of work up in my bedroom so that its the first thing I see each day and the last thing at night to remind me of that message. Thank you for reminding me that hope and light and colour and strength and power is just behind those clouds.'        Han

Thank you for all the e mails, messages and phone calls about the weekend and my work. They touch my heart.

Ona

Ona invites you to Covernotes for the Richmond Hill Studio Tour

 Details of opening times and address of Covernotes can be found on your invite below.

I will have over 20 original pieces of art on display and for sale. I will also have over 40 different art card designs, my new book, and various other gift items for sale or to order.

Hope to see you there.

Leaf me be

There are times in our lives when we just need to take a break, to disconnect, to figure things out. At these times we need to be alone. We don't need to be comforted by others, we just need a quiet moment to take things in, all that has been, time to pull ourselves together again, or time to just let go.

'Leaf me be' Transparent Watercolour 20 by 28 inches

Creating this painting at my busiest time of year, for me has been my time out, my alone time, just me and my brushes, time for me to gather my thoughts. It has just been an odd hour here and there over the last few weeks but my 'alone time' with my brushes during these odd moments was just what I needed. 

Make sure you take the time out to take care of yourself however busy you are. You deserve it.

Awarded NWS signature

I had a call today from from Ken Goldman, president of the National Watercolor Society. I have been accepted as a signature member of NWS! This good news couldn't have arrived on a better day as it's our celebrate watercolour day here in Canada today.

This painting 'Sognando' which means to dream, was one of the ones I submitted. I chose it because an NWS signature was my next BIG dream!

CSPWC Open Water

It's always an honour to have a painting selected to exhibit in a Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour International Open Water Exhibition.

From Little acorns has just been accepted into the exhibition this year. The exhibition is open from October 20th to November 18th at the JOHN B. AIRD GALLERY, 900 Bay St. Toronto, Ontario.

Art of Watercolour Magazine Issue 24

I am honoured have one of my paintings inlcuded in the latest edition of 'The Art of Watercolour Magazine' Issue 24 as part of an article on the latest works of previously featured artists.

 Thanks to Laurent Benoist, Janine Gallizia and the editorial team of the magazine for the excellent job you do.

You can order the full magazine as a pdf to read on line or the actual physical magazine from http://www.artofwatercolour.com/ 

Strokes of Genius 9 Winner Notification

I had some amazing news to end my birthday yesterday evening:

"Congratulations! We are very happy to inform you that 'Forever and Always' and 'Act-Ted' have been selected for publication in North Light Books' Strokes of Genius 9!"

Harry, my labrador, just LOVES being in the Strokes of Genius books. This will be his third. 

and Little Act-Ted.... well you know how much my Teds enjoy being in books! The theme for this one is 'Creative Discoveries' and it will be published in the fall of 2017.

A magic moment

Sometimes you have to grab those magic moments in time. This little cygnet seemed to know I love to paint animals as she lingered in the water beside me just a little longer than her siblings before moving away. I just had to try capturing her wonderful expression with my brushes.

 (Transparent watercolour 7 by 10 inches)

 
I used a very limited palette, kept it pretty high key to help me to convey the softness and delicacy I was striving for and then added just a few darks to really help accentuate the cygnets coy expression. Sometimes just a few brush strokes can capture so much.

Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society 13th National Exhibition of Transparent Watercolors and finally a new painting!

It's been a busy couple of weeks with lots of exciting news.   

 I had an email yesterday to ler me know that both 'Thought Bubbles' and 'Accelerando' have been accepted into the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society's 13th National Exhibition of Transparent Watercolors! The exhibition will be in Lockport, NY, October 30-November 13th. The juror is Thomas Schaller.

I haven't done much painting this month because I have been slowly working on framing these newer paintings and getting my new art cards designed ready for printing. The Ted book has also taken up a fair amount of my time but I have completed one smallish painting. It was well out of my comfort zone but I enjoyed the challenge.

Thank you Paul Jackson for challenging me to paint a city night scene. I really enjoyed creating the illusion of light in the darkness. I chose to paint the sparkling city lights of Toronto because, well you know me, there is always a story or some meaning behind my paintings.

Toronto is a beautiful, almost magical city at night, especially when viewed from across the water. But, to me the light in the darkness is on more than one level. Yes, it has its faults, nowhere is perfect and there will always be dark moments but the light that shines metaphorically through the love and tolerance people show for each other here is very noticeable. I hope I managed to capture a little of both the physical light in the darkness and through my colour palette the love, tolerance and acceptance that this city shows the world is possible.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that" Martin Luther King Jr