Little Tree, Deep February

Collage offers a slightly different sensibility. Yesterday I worked for about 6 hours on a self portrait collage....unusual for me because most things take me less than 2 hours.....but I couldn't get it right so I kept going. It finally arrived at a place that seemed of interest....we'll see what it looks like again tomorrow....I purposely didn't bring it back home, only partly because I wanted the AP Drawing students to see how it progressed.

Art Talk in Warkworth, Ontario

I will be giving a talk on my work on Saturday, March 5th, in Warkworth, Ontario.

Mid Winter Thaw

Half the snow cover was gone in one day. Later on in spring, the snow melt always creates unexpected design in the landscape....a very pleasant time to paint for a number of reasons.

Lost Dog Hill, From the North

Approaching Lost Dog Hill from the North.....cold, mid February.

Midday Roadside

....it was the start of a long weekend....driving home early.....the early afternoon light on some roadside evergreens

Upper Trout Pond, February

A very bright warm morning....it was pleasant walking to the upper trout pond.....no human tracks here for quite a while......just raccoon.

February Thaw, Trout Pond

In a day or so much of the snow cover disappeared in a February melt......these never last. It's much colder today. But at least there was a hint of spring.

White Hill

...at the start of a February melt that is most pronounced today. I stopped on one of the backroads on the way home and diagramed this motif.....4 things together...the grey sky, dark trees, orange bushes and white foreground.

I was pleased that the sky ended up looking wet...as it was. In this case, the result, not entirely predicted, of dragging the brush in a certain way.

Blue Hint

....into the latter part of February....winter starts to issue hints of spring. I wish I could climb this hill and explore, but it's private property.

Snow Day

Acrylic on gessoed paper laminated to masonite panel, 6" x 8". The best kind on winter day,....cold, clear, and still. Looking northward.

Garden Hill, February

Today was very windy and cold...but there was a hint of spring in the air.

Small 6" x 8" panel. I laminated heavy artist's paper onto gessoed masonite panel as a way to stop a pink bleed that was happening through the gesso. I love painting on this surface.....it's much more intimate than straight panel and more sturdy than paper....best of both worlds. I'll see if the infatuation holds, but at the moment it's my favourite surface to paint on. This is the 3rd or 4th on this type of surface.

Rail Bridge 1912, Morning Sunshine

I made a little diagram on a short drive during my lunch hour....painted at about 8:00 pm that evening. I like this hidden road with the old rail bridge at a turn....the morning sun was beautiful and encouraging.