Category: General

I have been working into doing some larger paintings over the past while. I bought a pad of inexpensive paper for practising, since I’d rather mess up a $4 sheet of paper than a $30 one. I felt like working on a larger one today and poked through my photo collection to find a suitable subject.

This is from a camping trip to Marsh Lake Territorial Campground (no, Google Maps, it is not a “state” campground.) It was taken down on the shore on the path past the cook shack shelter. I really don’t like this particular paper, but I need to use it up.

Marsh Lake twilight. Watercolour on paper, 16×20 inches.
Painting of the day #1824.

It’s a rather nice feeling when you start with a blank piece of watercolour paper and fill it with something you really like. My taste is different from that of anyone else, of course, and I’ll often get comments on how a good a painting was on social media after it’s been converted into a dozen pieces of scrap in the recycling bucket.

This was one of those paintings that, as you work through it, make me rather optimistic about the end result and I’m quite content with how it developed. And, although the exhibit is in July, a nice winter painting is always in fashion.

This is from a photo taken in the woods just off the Fish Lake Road (N60° 43′ 21″ W135° 11′ 00″).

Sunset off the Fish Lake Road. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1822.

After decades of teaching, I still agonize over doing workshops.
What should we do? Is it within the skill levels of the participants? Will it take longer than the allotted time? These questions are only the openers and I usually worry about more.

I have a workshop coming up for the end of next month and after several hours of trying what to do, I think I’ve settled on this painting. The theme is sunlight coming through trees. I did this one this morning, although I suspect we’ll make a few alterations in the final version.

This one has a lot of spattering, which in a workshop with 1o people, should be somewhat… entertaining.

Morning in the forest. Watercolour on paper, 8×10 inches.
Painting of the day #1821.

I have an exhibit coming up in July, tentatively called Against the Horizon.

The name and theme is a bit of a joke. I’m a member of a Facebook group of reference photos for landscape artists. I submitted a few photos the other day, but they were declined. The rationale was that, since they were of moon shadows on the snow and fox tracks under a tree, they had no discernible horizon and therefore, weren’t “landscapes.” I’ve never seen that criteria in any art dictionary.

Anyway, joke aside, here are two potential paintings for the exhibit.

Moonlit trees. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1817.

Mount Martha Black. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1818..

I think I may actually be tiring of winter. I like winter, but the last few days have been windy with -30°C wind chills and it hasn’t been pleasant. Therefore, it was obviously time to do a non-winter painting.

This is from a photo I took on a photo run a few years ago. I went out to Dezadeash Lake, took a LOT of pictures, and have probably done more than 80 paintings from that one trip. This is the view from the highway look off by Kathleen Lake.

Mount Worthington. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1812,

This one did not turn out as I had planned. I went out the other night to take some photos of the full moon. I decided on two to choose from early this morning and in trying to do one or the other, somehow this painting developed itself into something different. I like how it turned out but I’m still a little surprised with the end the result.

Standing in stillness. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1810.

I finally got down to doing my final version of a poster competition submission. I had a few issues with contrast in the earlier attempt and I didn’t think it had a very balanced look. I sat down today and decided on the what the final would look like, which is important considering the deadline is tomorrow.

Coming home. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1809.

I seem to be on a northern lights kick, but they were out again last night so you can’t really blame me. This a view from the dock and boat launch looking across to Mount Vanier.

Northern lights, Kusawa Lake. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day 1808.

I seem to be on a northern lights trend (my current plan for tomorrow’s painting is in the same vein.) This is from a photo taken a few years ago in the fall looking northward down Marsh Lake from the west end of the Tagish River Bridge.

Marsh Lake. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1807.

We’ve had a number of northern lights tours here lately, and I have sold out of northern lights paintings at one gallery. So, I’d best get off my backside and paint a few more. This is a view of Lake Laberge from near the mouth of Deep Creek.

Lake Laberge. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1806.