This year I’ve been using smaller formats and I’m finding they have a very nice vibe. I started in the winter by putting some gesso (acrylic primer) on watercolour paper and then adding acrylic and water-mixable oils. In theory, I’d paint every day, but of course I never quite got there. I’ve been continuing my program of small paintings, in plein-air using 8″x10” canvases and working in oil. Working small in plein-air has some great points:
- I can often get something done in an hour or two which tucks in with other parts of the day;
- There’s a low threshold to start, with each being a modest project, so it’s easier to take that first step and “just do it” – it’s difficult to get going sometimes eh!
- When I’m not happy with my effort, I can get back in the saddle quickly and do another;
- Back in the studio it’s fun picking the twigs and grasses out and (occasionally) fixing a couple of “bugs”;
- A natural series develops – groups of images always look good together – floating the weaker ones in the process;
- One idea leads to another, so I’m shortlisting ideas for later studio work!
Last chance to catch the National Gallery’s exhibition “Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons”
National Gallery of Canada’s exhibition “Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons”. https://www.gallery.ca/whats-on/exhibitions-and-galleries/canada-and-impressionism-new-horizons Runs until Sunday, July 3.
Christopher Pratt – 9 December 1935 – 5 June 2022
Paula Rego – 26 January 1935 – 8 June 2022
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/jun/08/dame-paula-rego-obituary
France’s Jack Pine
A few of you have asked about the painting hanging at the back of the studio during our Zoom sessions. Once upon a time, France painted her interpretation of that most iconic of Canadian paintings: Tom Thomson’s “The Jack Pine”. France had managed to paint the canvas whilst I was away on business and unveiled it, paint still tacky, on my birthday (a big one). I was blown away.
France still comments that the palette of her painting is different from that of the original, but to me that’s a big part of it’s appeal. The more electric colours all work together, perhaps recalling a different time of day. It’s a testament to the enduring strength of the original image and also France’s eye for colour and design.
As artists we make choices all the time and then question them. There’s no right or wrong. Nothing’s going to collapse because we are partial to a particular colour, degree of abstraction or level of finish.
Clean-up of our On-line Course Dropbox File Storage
In order to preserve space in our Dropbox account (in advance of our Fall program courses) we’re doing a little housekeeping and removing folders set-up for previous on-line classes. The shared folders that we set-up in 2020 will be deleted on the 1st of August. This should not affect many: not all participants used Dropbox and those who did will have kept originals and/or images. As a courtesy we wanted to let you know.
Planning Fall Programs
We’re expecting to run a range of programs this Fall: David will be back teaching downtown at the Ottawa School of Art and we have a couple of weekend workshops proposed at the Shenkman Centre in Orléans. We’re finalizing some on-line sessions as well and look forward to nailing it all down shortly.
Break-a-Brush!
David & France