Sunsets and Coffee Cups

Well, here are two pictures painted with low autumn evening light. One took me 5 sessions and about 15 hours, the other only 2 sessions and about 6 hours. Can you guess which is which?

"Sunset, Willows Beach" 14 X 18" Really Fresh Oil on Canvas.
I started this last night, and finished it today, so no overpainting. I am happy that I am becoming more comfortable with my 3-colour system and finding myself more and more able to handle grays and rich dark areas. 10 years ago I would have never taken this on. I like this little peice. Sometimes, instead of getting all uptight over a larger, carefully planned canvas, I get the best results by just getting in there and slapping it on! I may not retouch this one, even if it needs it.


"Mt. Doug from Hillside". 16 X 20" Oil on Canvas, natch.
I like the intensity in this baby. Like a long blues riff in colour. I did listen to a lot of blues painting this one. I got the light down, and it has a feeling of air. The structure is great, and kinda Cezannesque. I resist atmospheric perspective, but do create a bit of depth through overlapping planes and intersecting horizontal and verticle lines, as in Cezanne. I love the painterlyness of this one and the sometimes illogical bits, like the tree in the forground. Particularily like the bits on the far left. Colour nuances, dry overpainting, vibrations. The horizontal line is a powerline, not a shoreline, as it may look. I did add that little green tree to offset this impression a bit.

Most of all, I like the abstract quality of this peice, and the sheer joy of painting this one (although the final touches were nerve-wracking). It is painted over an underdrawing of a still-life that I bailed on. You can see some of the lines still in the yellow poplar trees. If you have a good monitor, you will be able to see the true intensity of these colours. Or, better yet, come over some time.


"Small Single Americano" Pencil on Paper.
It was cold by the time I got around to drinking it :)

Be kind to other people.
C

Recent Drawings

A bit discouraged with the painting at the moment. No biggy, just a lack of creative energy. Things are going good in that department, but not as fast as I'd like. Got a big one of Harry Lake, and almost finished a bright 16 X 20 of Mt. Doug from my window, replete with fall colours and all.

But for now, here are some of my most recent drawings. Yes, Caroline, this post is for you :)


"Portrait of J.S.S." Oil on Canvas. 11 X 14" Unfortunately now covered by paint. Spot on the way it was. Why did I not just leave it like that!? Aaargh.


"Self-Portrait" Pencil on bleached tree fibre stuff. 8.5 X 11" My eyes are too large and close together, but this is a pretty good attempt at a self portrait. I just sat down and drew it. It would have been better if I had drawn from life rather than a photo. Life is always better, if the image is static. But the distortion, glasses and tie makes me look like some kind of severe modernist dude. Which I'm not, but I don't mind the emotion of this drawing. And I am proud of the fact that I do know how to tie a Half Windsor (Half Nelson?)


"Rooflines, Hillside" 8.5 X 11" Westall St., on my secret back route to the Mall. Sitting on the curb across the street, looking down somebody's driveway. the chimneys are to scale and in proportion. I have been looking at this one for awhile out of the corner of my eye. I hope I will be doing more like this, and paintings, too. I have been in Victoria for 4 1/2 years now, and am only just starting to see it.


"Coffee Shop Dog" 8.5 X 11" This critter and his twin where hanging out with their owner and entertaining some ladies outside Bean Around the World on Fisgard St. one Sunday. Size of small ponies. I managed to get the shaggy, goofy essence of this one down in about 30 seconds.


"Chess Pieces" 8.5 X 11" Craig, if you are reading this, you gotta know I was thinking of you the whole time!

I think you'll agree that the knight looks rather more an alpaca than a horse.....

Some exciting news today: I am entering a painting in a group show in Fernwood next month. I guy I spoke to in August called me up out of the blue. Has me pencilled in for a full-blown solo show in July. Good times.

'Night,
Nicholas