Letting Go 16 x 16 Acrylic on Raised Canvas

Happy New Year! Thank you for all of your support and encouragement in 2013. It was an amazing year for me and I hope to keep the momentum in 2014, . I decided to call this guy "Letting Go" as it seemed fitting for New Years Eve. For me, it means letting go of my "junk" and creating more space for wonderful, creative opportunities, xo

Blue Feet Acrylic on Canvas

Happy Holidays! I'm sorry for the lack of posts, my family has been under the weather this Christmas and things are just starting to get back in control. It's been wonderful hearing from those who received my paintings as gifts, and I am very grateful for the amazing support and encourage I have received throughout this past year. Here is a Christmas commission that I'm excited to finally get to share. The photo was taken on their honeymoon and hubby wanted to surprise his wife with a painting of this crazy guy. I had no idea what kind of bird he was or where the photo was taken, but he looked like a fabulous challenge. Here is the reference photo

 

He was so much fun to paint. I love his unique look. I went with a bold green background (out of the box a bit for me) and I think he looks great.

T-bone 16 x16 Acrylic on raised canvas

 

I went back to my comfort zone with this one. I've used this reference photo before but I still experimented using a deep, rich yellow background, and a larger canvas.  I like how he turned out, and it was fun to paint on the larger size.  

Tweet 8x10 Acrylic on raised canvas

I started this guy a while back, but once again I got stuck on the eyes and highlights. He has been sitting on my wall with zombie eyes for a few weeks. I decided to tackle my fear (of screwing him up) and finish him. I'm glad I did as I think he has quite a bit of character and for those that may be wondering, he is based on a real bird called a Titmouse,

Chuck 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

I've been feeling a bit of a block lately - turns out it might be a kidney stone. I finally started to feel better yesterday thanks to some good medication and I was able to finish a few things up. It's been a while since I did a cow and this guy helped me get back into the groove.

Costa 12 x 12 acrylic on raised canvas

This guy had been sitting on my wall waiting for his final touches for a while. I often wait until the end to put on the highlights and finish off their eyes (my studio is often filled with Zombie critters waiting to be finished). I finished Costa up last night and I really like the results (especially his feathers),

Chubby Chirp 10 x 10 Acrylic on Raised Canvas, sold

I went with a different composition with this one and tried to have more negative space. I'm really happy with the results and I've already sketched another similar bird in an even larger scale (24 x 24).

Three Little Birds - 8 x 24 on wood panel

I recently was asked by a very special friend if I can paint a painting with three little birds.  She is starting her cancer treatment, and she told me that image of three birds remind her of a song that makes her happy.  This is what I came up with.  I usually stick with only one "critter" in my work, so the three were a challenge.  I really like the blue and rich burnt orange combination.

Homesick 18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

This is the first bison I have tried to paint. At first it was going great, and then I seemed to go back and forth for about a week trying to finish him off. He just seems to be one of those guys I could get lost in. I love the contrast of the rich warm yellows against the deep purples and the bison brings me back to my Manitoba roots

Chirp 6x6 Acrylic on raised canvas

I've been exploring different colour birds and different colour backgrounds and I think this one is a favorite. It didn't stick around my studio for long, it got picked up today and is off to sit under a tree for a bit. I hope it brings happiness to its new home,

Bentley 8x8 Acrylic on raised canvas

'Tis the season for hummingbird orders I'm honoured by the number of people contacting me looking for hummingbirds as Christmas gifts. This little guy is being picked up on Monday - I love the orange peeks through the back ground colour

Boomer 6x6 Acrylic on Raised Canvas

Happy Thanksgiving to my American Friends!

I've been trying to experiment using different colours lately and I love the shapes you can create using colours other than black. The only black that I used in this painting were for his eyes. I hope you enjoy 

Au Revoir Harold

I'm pleased to report Harold the Great Blue Heron I posted yesterday is off to his new home in South Port Maine.  He sold in a record 4 hours from being posted.  I hope he "makes someone's Christmas" and puts a smile on their face everyday,

Harold 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas

I'm lucky I get to see these great majestic birds all the time living in Squamish. I love that they have an eeriness to them. This is actually the second heron I have painted (the first one I painted sold right away at the Pemberton Library). This guy was lots of fun to paint, especially his feathers and beak. I hope you like it

S. Gonzales 12 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas.

I thought it would be fun to experiment with an even larger hummingbird than my last one.  This one is just a wee bit bigger, and also has a much brighter background.  I think I was inspired by all this wonderful sunshine we are having in Squamish.

Nugget 20 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

Moofasa 12x12 Acrylic on Canvas

One of the cow commissions that I recently completed (I think she was the third).  I love the look in her eyes,

Marshall 24 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

Meet Marshall! I have finished the layers of background colours (you should still see some bits of orange poking through). I must confess he is one of my favorites - I am full of ideas for other bears....

Marshall 24 x 24 - more work in progress

My apologies if the lighting is a bit off in this photo... the background colour is a bright cadmium orange and not yellow (just like the wall behind it). At this stage I've been working on blocking in the pieces while trying to maintain the shape

Marshall - 24x24 Work in Progress

It's been a few months since I have posted a work in progress, so I thought I'd share what I have been up to. Normally after finishing up a big deadline I typically loose momentum, but this time I feel even more inspired (probably thanks to everyone's kind words and support). Plus, I'm definitely in a "bear" mood. Most of my inspiration comes from my everyday life in Squamish, such as the sounds of cows and roosters from near by farms, local talk of going hunting, or the anticipation of waiting to see your first bear of the season. I was happy with how my other smaller bears have turned out, and I thought it would be fun to experiment with going bigger. At this stage, I have put down my "base" colour and sketched him out.

Patches 12x12 Acrylic on Canvas

I was recently commissioned to paint four different 12 x 12 cow paintings for a friend's recently reno'd entrance. I enjoyed trying to come up with four different cows that would work together on display. This is the fourth. I hope she likes it 

Pemberton Library Show for the month of November

Sixteen of my paintings are calling the Pemberton Library home for the month of November. This is my first "solo" show and I thought everything looked fantastic on the walls. Big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen, xo
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pemberton-and-District-Public-Library/75469770237?ref=br_tf

Taking Charge 12 x 24 Acrylic on canvas

I had no idea roosters and chickens could be so much fun to paint (loving the reds of course). I tried a different background this time instead of my usual blue / turquoise. This bad boy will be going up to the Pemberton library this weekend,

Mr. Big 14x18 Acrylic on Canvas

I thought it would be interesting to try a larger hummingbird. I was a bit concerned how a little bird would translate on a larger canvas. Since I went a little bigger I was able to play more with the details in his expression and I'm happy with how he turned out. I think I might try to go bigger next time.  

Crazy Chick 24 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

I have been busy preparing new work to hang at the Pemberton Library for the month of November. This is one of the pieces heading up to Pemberton, Crazy Chick. She is 24 x 24, acrylic on canvas. I confess that I had tons of fun painting this one - I love how the reds pop out,

Red Red Rooster, 16x20 acrylic on canvas

This guy was inspired from a recent family trip to North Arm Farms in Pemberton (just north of Whistler). At first it was a bit intimidating trying to go that much bigger, but it was worth it to be able to play so much with the various shades of red,

Al - 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

I have been enjoying playing around with painting animals and birds. If someone would have told me a year ago this is what my subject matter would be, I would have laughed, but I'm happy I took a leap and started to experiment. I love when I finally get to paint in their eyes and they seem "look back at me",

Brown Cow Says Moo; 8x8 Acrylic on raised canvas. Available

I thought I'd try a cow in a different colour to mix things up. I found the brown to be easier to work with than the white faces that I have been doing. Now I just need a few more reference photos so I can keep experimenting.

Humming in the Rain 6x6 Acrylic on raised canvas - available

I thought I'd try painting a different coloured hummingbird yesterday just to mix things up. I've tried different colours in the past, but always end up painting over with red and green (not sure why). I'm pleased with the results.

Red Rooster 4x6 on wood panel

This is one of the new pieces I had to show for the Lions Bay function that was cancelled.  I was looking forward to hearing people's response to him as he is my first attempt at a rooster. I really enjoyed painting him (I always love the challenge when you are painting with reds ),

Garishly Pink Cow

At one of the workshops I recently attended, the instructor was teaching us about using different ground colours and how they can bring impact in your painting (this is the base colour - for example I like warm orange). The instructor (who was from another province) commented that she couldn't understand why so many West Coast artists use such bright, GARISH (said with disgust) colours, and the worst offender was pink.... I took this as inspiration and just had to give it a try  I love the results!

First Bull 12x12 Acrylic on raised canvas

This is the first "cow" / Bull painting I did. He was a challenge and I almost gave up a few times, but I think I "got it" in the end. I will be trying him again for some practice / experimentation...

Moo, 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

This is the second painting in my cow series.  I tried to keep loose and a bit more abstract.  I'm happy with the results and enjoyed the challenge.  I think I will be trying a few more cows in different sizes with some different expressions.

Jay 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

I tried to see if I could duplicate "Red" but in a blue jay. It was fun to experiment and play around. I might even try another but perhaps with a different colour back ground (I had a tough time settling on yelllow),

Red 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

Red (and orange) are my favorite colours to paint with, so I really enjoyed working on this one. Red can be a challenge to "brighten" because you can't just add white (otherwise you get pink) but it can also be a lot of fun to play with. I enjoyed painting this one so much that I've already sketched out a few more cardinals to experiment on,

Rob 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

Rob 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas
I put the finishing touches on this one this afternoon and I'm pleased with the results. I think I'm finally figuring out the "strokes" to create better definition in their faces. This guy is one of my favorites to date

Feels Like Fall 12 x 16 Acrylic on Wood Panel

This piece is being donated to the silent auction for the Lions Bay Fire Department's "Fire Fighter Day" fundraiser happening this Saturday in Lions Bay. Here is the event details for anyone who might be interested in attending - it's always lots of fun 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1407284009494746/

Finding Fall 30 x 40 Acrylic on canvas

It was fun to paint on a larger canvas using some bigger brushes.  I want to try a few more and keep playing with the shadows.  It will be a lot easier once the kids are back in school and we have some better routines in place (it'll be nice to have some uninterrupted studio time).  I will work harder on regular blog posts too.  We are off for a little family fun for the long weekend - see you in September,

Steve's Bird 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

I was super happy with how this one turned out. I tried to mix up the composition a bit on him and create a bit more "depth".  Too bad he couldn't stick around. He left for his new home this am....

Bright Little Wren 6x6 Acrylic on canvas

I love the personality in this little guy (or at least I think there is)  I found it tricky to get a good photo of him without any glare (I even tried several different times of the day too).

Wren 6x8 acrylic on wood panel

I love these little birds - there seems to be a bunch living in my hedge and I see them all the time at coffee shop I visit. I just wish I could get close enough to one to get a good photo.

Look what I found

I've been starting to feel a lot of stress and anxiety over some of my upcoming commitments. It's tough to feel inspired when your stressed and wound up.  And then look what I found at the post office this morning in the book exchange basket.  Seriously - Birds & Bloom magazine Hummingbird edition from 2005!!!  This even exists!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Feeling Orangey 12 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

It's been fun mixing up smaller pieces with some bigger trees in between. I find it helps me when I start to struggle and need a break from a piece.

Speaking of struggling on a piece....  I feel so inspired by the colours of all the flowers in my garden right now, but can't seem to get it to translate onto canvas ( usually it is the value or portions for me).  So I decided to take advantage of naptime and a gorgeous afternoon with a pencil and a sketch pad.  Nothing like "taking it outdoors" to raise your mood.

Slick 6x6 Acrylic on textured raised canvas

This made my day!!!!
I am a member of a site called Daily Paintworks - It's a site that I can post my paintings in my own gallery for people to purchase as well as other artists can post supportive feedback / comments.  There also is instructional videos, artist challenges, etc (the link to my gallery is on the right of this blog).  Well "Slick" made their facebook "pick" of the day - I'm super excited as there are so many gifted artists on this site - this made my day :)

Handsome Little Hummer, 8 x 8 Acrylic on canvas

This one took a little longer than usual - I'm definitely feeling the impact of the little ones at home and finding it tough to get some of my own studio time in. But little Maggie & I did manage to paint a lovely little tea set and bamboo wind chimes

Fat Boy Blue - 8 x8 Acrylic on canvas

Another in my hummingbird series.  He somehow got a little chubbier than I'd like but I think it adds to his personality

Look Up, 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

I just dropped off this little guy, along with some other pieces, to Stock Home Design on The Farm in Squamish. Elisa has some amazing and unique products, and I am honoured that she carries my work.  Please stop in and take a look if you have a chance.  Now I'm off to try out some Fat paint that I bought while I was there,

The Observer, 6x6 acrylic on canvas

I'm very happy with this little one. It seemed to flow together easier than others and I managed to stick with a looser brush stroke,