#16 30 in 30 Heading Home

#16 Heading Home   8x6   Oil on Paper/panel   $125.00

Takes me back in time painting these little ones at a local ski hill. Guaranteed in no time they'll be shooshing down the hill. I wonder how many local kids have learned their tricks on this hill?

#14 30 Paintings in 30 Days Clearing the Rink

#14 Clearing the Rink   6x8 Oil on Paper/panel   $125.00 unframed -Jan.

Most of the neighbourhoods in Edmonton have a rink and keeping them up properly is quite a chore. It's time consuming and very often needs doing when a person would rather be in front of a warm fire. The same industrious fellow has tended our rink for many years which is the height of neighbourliness!
I was drawn to this scene by the golden light in the background and the patterns on the ice.

#12 30 in 30 Winter Walk in Louise McKinney Park

#12 Winter Walk in Louise McKinney Park 8x8 Oil on Paper/board  

I hummed away while I was painting this scene because we had friends here from the west coast and we all went out for a winters walk in the real cold! That probably sounds crazy to some of my friends from the south but to put it in perspective, -25 is when the kids have to stay inside for recess. 

Somehow the colder it gets, the sunnier it usually is!

30 Paintings Collage

Well, this project is finished which leaves me feeling a little excited and a little sad.  If you have a picture you'd like to have painted in this style, you can get in touch on my website. The paintings are available until Feb 15th for $100. They are applied to a birch panel and are unframed.
I have so many ideas for the next project, I wonder what will sift to the top? It is February so there is still lots of time before plein air season. Some of these scenes will be painted on large panels for the Scotia Show.
If you're interrested in seeing the collages of all the participating artists go to Leslie Saeta's blog. If you're interested in doing your own collage we used picMonkey.

Family Hour

6x8   Oil on Paper

 

Yeah, this is number 30 of the 30 in 30 challenge. Now the final bit of the challenge is to learn how to do a collage of the project so that's what I'm up to today and I'll post that as soon as I'm done.

Stay tuned!

 



Look Both Ways First!

8x6   Oil on Paper

This Mom's using caution before heading onto the ice! Have you notice a familiar theme with the bright jackets? Keeps us feeling excited for Spring!

This is my 28th painting in January but I will finish the last 3 before I close this project and start painting large for the Scotia show at the end of the year. The challenge was posted by Leslie Saeta in California. She promised to direct us to a site for collaging our finished paintings and she's posted it today. Pretty neat, I thought you might want to check it out.

Taking a Spin

6x8   Oil on Paper

All of these skaters and many more were on the ice, the challenge was deciding which shapes to include. I really admire that even the tentative skaters are willing to go out on this vast sheet of ice with no walls to grab  onto if the need arose!

On Her Way to the Duchess

8x6   Oil on Paper

On a very cold Saturday morning recently, I was taking pictures in Glenora when I came across this woman ardently striding along and asked if she minded having her picture taken. Not at all she smiled, just be quick! Now before you start feeling sorry for us, we were all headed for a fantastic bakery in Edmonton called The Duchess. If you don't live here, I'm sad for you but if you come to visit, you have to go!

Doesn't Matter How You Hit the Rail!

8x6    Oil on Paper

It doesn't matter whether you hit the rail on skis or a board, the point is getting there. Our son is an avid boarder but he tells us that lots are going back to skiing these days! 

This painting was really difficult to photograph so you'll just have to see it in person!

Riding the Rail

8x6   Oil on Paper

Riding rails in a competition is what get these kids out of bed on a cold winter morning!

This was really fun to paint, the excitement the kids felt seemed to transfer itself to my brush. Looks like the beginning of a series.

Winter Field

6x8   Oil on Paper

This scene is a field on my cousin's farm east of the city. It is painting 16 in the series and it actually feels like I'm over the hump the last few days. Having said that, I really need to get the Christmas ornaments put away so I guess I'm not that over the hump!

Heading for the Rink

8x6   Oil on Paper

This little guy was striding to our local skating pond with such purpose. Turns out it's his first time on ice but it won't be long before he's sporting a hockey stick with his determination!

Gathering For Another Run

6x8   Oil on Paper

This family had taken to the little slope away from the rest of the crowd at Silver Skate. I'm sure they thought the hill was huge!

Silver Skate Festival Sleigh Ride

6x8    Oil on Paper

The sleigh ride is one of many things to do at the Festival besides just putting on your skates and going for a spin. This festival is held in Hawrelak Park, a beautiful park in the River Valley. The City of Edmonton does a great job hosting festivals all year but when it really counts is in the winter to get families out enjoying the weather!

Silver Skate Festival Teepee

6x8   Oil on Paper

We're heading back to Edmonton today, I found some pictures from our Silver Skate Festival a couple of years ago that offer the opportunity to paint lots of figures in gesture.  It was a really cold day as you can see from the sky but that never matters, lots of folks were out with their families. 

I'm not naturally drawn to winter sports but fortunately my boys are so it's gets me out to enjoy the day!

Speed Skater

6x8    Oil on Paper

This speed skater was amazing, he smoothly navigated around everyone including this babe in sled. I felt that it might be better as a vertical composition so I'll try that today. I did like the little background figures!

May Snowstorm

8x6 Oil on Paper

This is the first painting in a series that I am painting this month as part of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. It's biting off a fair bit to paint and post a painting each day but the benefits are tremendous. Focus on some learning goals, determination and a good reason to go to my studio in the cooler days of winter. It brought back wonderful memories painting this scene, none of could believe our eyes when we looked out the window and saw this big dump of snow in May!

I will put the paintings on my website but will hold them until the end of the month to enjoy them together for a day or two.

 

Urban Barn

8x10 Oil on Panel
This little barn is one of a matching pair on a small farm in Edmonton that has become surrounded by a bus barn, an ecocentre and a big box mall which somehow all adds to it's charm for me. I love that the farmer has steadfastly held onto it!
Happy New Year to all!

Windermere Barn

Windermere Barn     8x10     Oil on Board      $325 framed
This barn is on a farm that has been surrounded by new subdivisions just south of us. It would be great if it would stay like that but there is a nice big For Sale sign on the fence. Meanwhile the horses and other animals seem oblivious to all that is going on around them. It's such a peaceful resting place for the eye and the soul. There are a few more barns on the same property that I have in mind to paint while they're still here.

Barn at the U.

5x7   Oil on Canvas    $200 framed

I took my paint box with me one Saturday morning  when I went over to the market on the University grounds and this little scene caught my eye.  I love this farm at the U. because you're in the middle of the city but you could easily be out in the country. Also the Green and Gold Garden donate all the proceedings from the market to a Women's Shelter in Rwanda. It was fun doing this one with a palette knife. It's a great tool for plein air as the cleanup is quick and you can use big juicy strokes.
This painting will be in the Alberta Oil Painters Fall Show at the Dow Centre through October.