Art Log

I just received an e-mail today to let meknow that my piece "September Sunflower" was awarded an Honourable Mention by the jury of the Federation of Canadian Artists for the 'Bloom' show in Vancouver.

Hello, hello,

We are sequestered inside except for our brisk walks in the sunshine here in Osoyoos.  I had a file of images I wanted to express in paint on canvas but I couldn't seem to settle down to the task, instead I was pacing, restless, starting a project, abandoning it, starting another.  Perhaps the pandemic had a psychological effect on me but I've surfaced again.  

It took me a while to complete this piece as I hadn't tried to create woodgrain in oil paint, only acrylic.  In 2019 when I was in Cambodia dragonfruit seemed to be on very plate, the Cambodian version has a bright pink interior--a fuchsia--with tiny black seeds.  

Oil on wooden cradle board 9 X 12" $150.  Shipping extra.

I am so pleased to announce that my painting, 'In the Company of Trees' won third place at the Federation of Canadian Artists South Okanagan Chapter awards presented by Ron Gladish, President.  The show continues Tuesdays to Saturdays 12 to 4 p.m. until March 28th, 2020.

Hello, my friends,

I submitted two paintings which have been  juried into the FCA - South Okanagan Similkameen which opens March 7th with refreshments.  My paintings as well as the paintings of others members will be on display and available for sale.  Here's your invitation and I would love to see you there!  The show is on until March 28, 2020.

When I meet people on the street here, they ask if I'm still painting.  It's been over a month since I painted because I fell ill  but I'm back, and just finished a painting I started what seems like long ago.  In the meantime I've been thinking about this painting and after getting my strength back, I couldn't wait to get back to work on it.

'In the Company of Trees' was inspired by an early morning late summer visit to Haynes Point Provincial Park here in Osoyoos when the sun is lower, the skies are an unbelievable blue, the breezes are soft and cooler, and n the full sun, it still feels like summer but the changing of the leaves' colours indicates that fall is around the corner. Several years ago I wasn't painting in oil but I committed to painting more oils in 2019 and 2020 so I felt I could tackle the job of blending the season's hues on many leaves.

Oil on canvas 30 X 24 X 1.5" I hope you like it. If you have a question please contact me.  Comments on my Guestbook page are always received with joy.

Urban Sunflowers was both a delight and a challenge to paint as the petals in the photograph are nearly transparent from back lighting.  It was a delight to paint because as fall sets in the days get shorter and the oil paint and subject matters seemed to glow like the sun.  Perhaps you need a little more sunshine in your life?

Oil on canvas, 24 X 24 X 1", prepared to the highest standards and ready to hang.  Please contact me if you're interested.  $900.00

Hello, Everyone,

You haven't heard from me in a while because I am working on several large canvases at the moment.  However, I want you to know that this upcoming week is the last chance to see my recent fruits and vegetables combined with textiles at The ART GALLERY Osoyoos.  The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday noon to 4 p.m. I will be painting there this afternoon.  Here's a peek of some of my fruit/vegetables paintings with textiles.

You're invited!  

Opening Reception on October 12th from 12 to 2 p.m. Refreshments served Artists in Attendance.

My recent still life paintings with textiles will be shown.

I will be painting from 12 to 4 p.m. Friday, October 11th 

from 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 19th

from 12 to 4 p.m. Thursday October 24th

Come join us at the opening and share a toast to the painters.

The show continues until November 2nd, 2019.

I drove to Oroville, Washington, just a few minutes away over the border when I entered the grocery store produce department which had a tremendous array of Mexican chiles: cascabels, habaneros, serranos, poblanos, pasillas, guajillos, anaheims and chilacas. Perhaps it's the produce department lighting or just the irregular shapes of the chiles that drew me over. How to portray them as distinctly Mexican? Mexican tiles, of course and we have a supply of small tiles at home which we purchased in San Miguel de Allende one year to frame a mirror. Challenging to paint, in that greens always test one's abilities to mix a sufficient range of hues and values. I love the boldness of the image.

12 X 9 X 1.5" acrylic on cradle board prepared to the highest standards. Shipping extra

Some additional photos of San Miguel de Allende: where we stay in SMA, Cinco flores a block from the central plaza.

One of the giant puppets which accompany a parade or a wedding.

San Miguel de Allende is the most authentic of the colonial towns, founded for its silver content.

Colour, colour, and more colour, that's Mexico which caters to all tastes and interests.

In January of this year, my husband and I flew to Delhi, then toured magnificent Rajasthan.  Many of our stops included carpet factories where woolen and silk carpets were made and sold but the last stop was in a rural area of Jaipur where we stopped at a cotton Dhurrie cooperative. The dyes are all natural and the weaving is done open air with a rug sometimes taking months, even a year, to knot, tie and cut, forming intricate or bold patterns.  I was stunned by the colours of these rugs as they were tossed into an open courtyard for us to view and purchase.  Here are some photos of the proprietor and his wife, their works and those of other cooperative members.

During our trip we also visited textile dealers who made silk and cashmere wraps for Liberty of London.  Some are on display in these photos:

No one on tour could resist purchasing one or several of these beautiful wraps or other cashmere or real pashmina wraps (made from the underbelly of Kashmiri goats, not the rayon scarves sold here as pashminas).  

I have been heavily influenced by what I saw in India and I still remain under the spell.  While it is harvest time here and the zucchinis are in, I wondered how I might incorporate the fabric images.  First a sketch:

Then the painting of the zucchinis . . . and finally the yellow Indian carpet for a background.