Orange Glow

28x18 Oil on board

Hamilton and Burlington are home to the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens. We have the most beautiful iris garden(called the Laking Garden) with every shade of iris one can imagine. I took some photos in the evening and caught this orange beauty as the sun was setting. I painted this a couple of years back and my focus was more realistic with tight edges.

There is a month and a half to go before the show, and so I am working like mad to get the pictures completed that I hoped to take. Its summer...I want to relax!!!!!! Oh well.
 

Yonge Street Patterns 2, Toronto Ontario

24x30 Oil on Board

Another Yonge Street scene. I often comment how other artists bloggers and their opinions can be very helpful in our growth and development as artists. I sometimes  worry about being repetitive in my subject matter. I often revisit the same streets and scenes. Marie Theron has a wonderful blog where she paints pictures, tells stories and gives an historical account of the west coast of Africa. She also leaves great comments. This comment she left for me was just what I needed:

"the fact that you study the weather and go back to the same area is an important contribution to art.
I was fortunate to see a Jasper Johns exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. His slogans were also painted on the walls in larger than life fonts: "Take an object, do something to it, do something else to it!" and also: "Every solution is a new beginning"
And that is exactly what you are doing here."

 Thanks Marie! Visit her blog and you will be in for a visual and descriptive treat!

Red Mustang, Yonge and Queen Street, Toronto

18x18 Oil on Stretched Canvas

I couldn't decide whether to call this painting "Strongbow"or "Red Mustang". Often there is something about a scene that really grabs me and in this picture it was the "Strongbow" beer sign. I  have a tendency to want to paint these things with more detail, so I gave in and painted the sign a little tighter than the rest of the painting. Still deciding if I like the contrast.

I also received notice that I have been accepted into Toronto's major Outdoor Art Show this summer at Nathan Phillips Square. I am very excited about this!

I have been "down" with the flu, so I hope to make the rounds soon and see what everyone has been up to!

Dundas Cottage and Lilacs

6x8 oil on canvas panel

I always feel a little lost when I am in between paintings and not sure what I want to do for the next one. Also, the last few days have been too beautiful to describe. The sun is out, the lilacs are blooming,  irises are starting to show their colors and there are blossoms everywhere. It doesn't get much nicer than that, except maybe a gentle rain and beautiful reflections everywhere :)

 I decided to do a few smaller paintings while I get motivated for the next larger one. This little cottage with the lilac bush in full bloom is just around the corner in Dundas.
$50.00 Click here to go to ebay auction

Parade of Umbrellas, Yonge Street, Toronto

18x18 Oil on Canvas

From quiet to busy. This scene had so much pink and red, I decided to introduce a new color. Quinacridone rose by Graham and Co. One has to be careful about adding too many colors, as often a limited palette works better at keeping the painting together. But I wanted to have some fun with color.

Another Yonge Street scene with the Hard Rock Cafe in the background and the Eaton Centre to the right.