Classic Serenity

Finally quenched this insatiable thirst to attempt a waterfall. First one and I think it's not half bad. :) This is one of those paintings that I would just LOVE to dive into. The searing tranquility and quiet of this is so entirely appealing. Anyone who has been following this blog understands how captivating I find water and this, is the epitome of that emotion. I think everyone should have a waterfall in their home. ;)

Samples for a mural

Three paintings that I quickly did up for work. I have been commissioned to paint a mural on one of the walls and needed to provide a few samples for selection. Still working on a couple to submit. 

I ADORE the beach/water one. Took me the least amount of time and it just feels like something I'd love to jump right into. The other two are peaceful to look at, but the colours in the beach one just bring me something that I cannot put a finger on. There is a feeling of calmness and happiness that swarms the mind and makes whatever is going on in my life that's upsetting, somehow okay. I need a larger one like this for my wall. lol Maybe I'll do a mural at MY place. :)

Auburnesque

Oh how I wish I had had more time for this one. It was a wedding gift, and of course, I left it too late. :( So in the rush to finish it, I am not 100% satisfied with it, (I know; how unusual for me). :P

Still, I LOVE the colours in this. The inspiration came from a friends deviant art post. It was a photograph taken somewhere in Peterborough and I fell in love with it. It seems so ... dusky and mysterious. Anyway, the couple loved it, so I guess I'm okay with it for now. Will try another one of these when I can spend more time on it.

For now, I'm going to try and do up some quick paintings for a showing maybe. ;) Hopefully I'll be able to get on here more to post them. Thanks to my pal, John Carter for coming up with the title of this. It fits perfectly!

Fish Ladder

A painting requested by my mother to give to a friend of hers for her birthday. I'm finding balancing the colours found in nature with my own internal palette to be quite trying at best. The thing is to take the picture away from the real life scene and examine it for its own elemental merit. I decided getting the water just the right colour was unecessary, as the colours that emerge as I paint are far more interesting and beautiful. This turned out with more green than expected, but the murky brown that the river looked on the day of photographing left much to be desired. 

Anyone familiar with the Port Hope area will reconize the Ganaraska River and our infamous fish ladder. I wish I had a photograph of this from the seventies. I believe their was a foot bridge that spanned the width of the river at the top of the ladder. In any case, this holds a bounty of memory and emotion. I hope Cheryl enjoys it.

Serenity

I did this for someone special who told me that water is his inspiration and serenity. I hope that when he looks at this, it calms and soothes the soul and inspires him in the best ways possible. I let go of the perfectionist in this and I love how it turned out. More than I have in a long time. This is closer to where I want my paintings to be. I haven't given this to him yet, but hopefully he finds as much pleasure in it as I did creating it.

I love the colours I found in the sky. I think I probably spent the most time on it. The sun gave me the most grief. It is so hard to capture the exact movement that I want. *sigh* It's still something I truly enjoy doing. When I paint, I feel more free than at any other minute in the day. :)

Dolphins at Sunset

This was a definite learning experience. I spent a very long time working this over and redoing much of it. It still didn't turn out the way I wanted or envisioned. But so many have expressed appreciation for this, I couldn't ignore sharing it. I'm still learning about colour and how to create motion in my paintings. And as frustrating as it is, I am still loving the learning experience every time I place paint to canvas. Stretching boundaries and finding my niche, so to speak. And I read something recently that made me realize perfection isn't everything.


 "Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything." ~Gustave Flaubert 


Somehow I must learn to be satisfied with less than what I perceive is perfection. To accept and embrace the style that is inherent in my art.