Open Farm Day

Today was Open Farm Day.  And I missed it!  I had scheduled one of my children's birthday party for today and by the time it was over we were all done for.  So we went home and played with new toys (them) and cleaned up (me).  At least I am learning something and we had the party at the bowling alley.  Money well spent to outsource the location.  Much less cleanup, need I say more?

So I missed my chance to visit with local farmers.  At least four farms in the near-by area opened their grounds to the public today, giving us all a chance to meet them and learn more about what it is that they do.  I am lucky, I have met all these people before and know they grow good stuff.  But they always put on a good show for us on Open Farm day with activities for kids, yummy snacks and animals to see and touch.  And the weather was perfect for those who did go.  I will try harder to get there next year...

On an agricultural note, my painting of my family haying has won some recognition,  which is very exciting!

Finalist- Outstanding Watercolor, Bold Brush Painting Competition (August 2010)

While the Sun Shines, 14 x 21", watercolour, 2010

Waiting for Earle

Reflections on a Sailboat, 7 x 10", watercolour, August 22, 2010, SOLD

Another Paint the Town painting.  These boats are all one sailboat that I sketched as it swung back and forth on its mooring.  There was only the one sailboat there that day but I wanted to do something more interesting that just a portrait of that boat.  This is the result. 

This one is from Paint the Town and there is yet one photo to come.  (I know that I said last night that there was only one photo left but I forgot about this one)  I also painted another one of sailboats sailing down the Annapolis Basin toward Digby but neglected to photograph it.  If you are the owner of that one (you would have bought it on Sunday at Paint the Town) I would love to hear from you.  Especially if you have not framed it yet and are willing to email me a digital picture.

Meanwhile,  we have battened down the hatches here in Digby County.  The eye of Hurricane Earle is expected to pass very close to us tomorrow morning.  The weather office says that it will likely all be over by noon tomorrow so we shall see how right they are.  Last year's Hurricane excitement was provided by Hurricane Bill which passed over here quickly as well.  I was driving to Cape Breton that day and ended racing the hurricane up the length of the province.  I am glad that I do not have to do that again!  I remember the colour of the sky.  When the rain was just beginning as I got on the road outside of Annapolis Royal the deeply overcast sky was an odd green shade. 

If you want to know what is happening here tomorrow you can always tune into CBC radio from anywhere in the world.  They livestream their broadcasts on the CBC website and this includes the Halifax station.  It sounds like there will be local radio all morning.  During Hurricane Bill they did a good job of keeping us informed of what was going on (when I could hear the radio over the din of the water on the roof of the car!) 

Glare over Granville, 7 x 10", watercolour, August 22, 2010

And this is the last Paint the Town painting.  With the dark clouds in the background I thought it a suitable picture to end with tonight. 

Paint the Town Volunteers Rock!

Here is the second to last painting from Paint the Town.  I am saving the last one for tomorrow's post, when I can talk about the impending hurricane Earle or lack thereof...  (we should be so lucky!)

                                    Go Fly a Kite, watercolour, 7 x 10", watercolour

This one actually acquired a bid as it was being picked up by a friendly Paint the Town volunteer.  These wonderful people walk or ride their bikes around town, transporting fresh paintings in pizza boxes.  They converge on the Legion where they deliver the brand new works of art into the hands of yet more volunteers who hang the paintings and prepare them for bidding. 

This event could not happen without these volunteers.  They put a fabulous effort into making this event a success.  I find it humbling that a town of 500 people can pull together over 100 volunteers to make this event so remarkable.  Hats off to the people of Annapolis Royal!!

(Oh, about the painting...  this shows the waterfront boardwalk of Annapolis Royal.  There were lots of people walking along the board walk that day, including one child with a kite.  I thought that such a nice day needed more kites, so I added some!)

More from Paint the Town

Cafe Compose, 10 x 14", watercolour

This shows the rear of a lovely restaurant in Annapolis.  It was the last of the paintings that I did on that Saturday.  After I finished the painting and delivered it to the Legion for auction, Robert and I had a lovely meal there.  It was a real treat to rest out of the sun and relax after a long day spent painting.

Morning Marsh, 5 x 7", watercolour, SOLD

This one was the first from Sunday.  I struggled a bit with it. The light was changing quickly and I was painting tighter than I wanted to.  I eventually got it so it said what I wanted it to say and then moved on to the wharf where I spent the rest of the day.  I finished this one at 9:30 in the morning and wrapped up at 5 pm with another one of a similar subject, but handled more loosely. 

Church Reflections, 10 x 7", watercolour, SOLD

When I arrived at the wharf the reflections were picture perfect and mirror like.  The tide was just reaching full so a breeze sprang up quickly and spread bright stripes of blue ripple across the water.  There were artists everywhere painting the river, the boats and the people around them.  From where I was working I could see Wayne Boucher and David Lacey and was lucky enough to meet many lovely new painting aquaintances as well. 

Please forgive the clips visible in the last two photos.  That is what comes of operating a camera while the right brain is fully engaged!

Another field sketch

Hayfield sketch IV, 5 x 7 ", watercolour, July 2010

Here is another sketch of the field.  I am experimenting with where to place the trees and the resulting placement of them changes the look of the painting quite a bit.  If you compare this one to the one I posted yesterday you will see how the absence of the trees on the left gives a different feeling to the sketch.  In the one above my eyes go to the trees in the center and tend to stop, not moving around much.  In the other one (below, I reposted it to save you scrolling up and down so much) I feel like my eyes enter the painting at the lower right, travel up the shadow line to the mass of trees on the left and then along the treeline to the buildings and back down the hay bales to the center of the painting. 

I have been following Stapleton Kearns blog recently and am learning a lot about painting design.  I highly recommend reading his blog to anyone who has any interest in art and landscape painting in particular.  He is a New England painter whose passion for art rings clearly through his writings.  He is very generous with his insight into what makes paintings "tick".  His blog is well worth studying.  And he has a wicked sense of humour.  If I am laughing at the computer I am usually reading his blog. He did a series of posts on Winslow Homer's watercolours last month that I have already reread a few times.  A great blog.  Enough said. 

At the demo that I did recently I mentioned another site that I have found very interesting and extremely helpful, this one specifically for watercolour painters. If you have ever had a question about the physical properties of watercolour paints, you will be able to find the answer at handprint.com

East Quoddy Light, III, watercolour, 5 x 7", February 2010 Click here to view and bid on ebay.ca

Here is a one of a series of the East Quoddy Lighthouse on the island of Campobello, off the coast of New Brunswick. We went for a great day trip last summer. It truly was a day of island hopping. We took 2 ferries to get there, first from the mainland to Deer Island. Then from Deer Island there is a seasonal private ferry which takes one to Campobello Island. After that there are still 2 more islands to cross to get to the light house, though this is done on foot, and only when the tide is low enough. The lighthouse is situated on it's own tiny island, sticking out into the Bay of Fundy. According to some sources, it is the most photographed lighthouse on the eastern seaboard. It really is a gem, this pristine white tower with a bright red cross on it's landward side, it is nestled in a complex of buildings which continue the theme of red and white. Also listed on ebay for this week: Fishing Boat at Wharf's End III, 5 x 7" (ebay) and click here for blog post and Blueberry Pickers, 5 x 7" (ebay) and click here to read my blog post about this painting

More ebay paintings

Abstract Landscape I, 7 x 10", watercolour, SOLD on ebay.ca

Sailboat Racing II, 5 x 7", SOLD on ebay.ca

click here to view auction

Sailboats III, 5 x 7", watercolor, soon to be listed

These small paintings are either now or soon to be available on ebay.ca. Check it out and likely you will get yourself a bargain!

Fall colours

Allain's River, Annapolis Royal, 7 x 10", watercolour, Oct 1, 2009  $250

The leaves are were just starting to turn last week when I stopped in Lequille to take some pictures.    I am sure that if I went back this week the colours would be more dramatic.   I also drove through Bear River where the leaves were fantastic.  I would love to get back there to paint sometime soon.

I am not sure of the name of this river as a nearby plaque referred to the Lequille River.  The Department of Highway's sign called it Allain's River, so that is what I went with.  Please let me know if I have misnamed it.

Paint the Town 2009

Work on the motorcycle painting is on hold for the moment while I take part in some out door painting events. 

Here are the paintings that I did today (Saturday) at Paint the Town in Annapolis Royal NS.  

I had planned to paint tomorrow as well but there is this little disturbance brewing offour south east coast called Hurricane Bill which has forced a change of plans.   

These paintings are available for silent auction at the Legion in Annapolis Royal tomorrow, unless they sold today.  If you are near the area, go check it out!

Sparkle, 7 x 10", my favourite from today!

(all are watercolour)

There is more than one way to paint a boat!, 10 x 7"

Private Collection

Scallop Boat, 10 x 14"

Private Collection

Juxtaposition, 10 x 14"

Private Collection

Is it Clearing?, 7 x 10"

Private Collection

Gone Fishin', 7 x 10

Private Collection

Fog on the basin, 7 x 10"

Private Collection