Churchyard in Burnham Market
Posted: September 17, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Big Sky Art, Burnham Market, church painting, North Norfolk, The White House Inn, watercolour 23 CommentsAfter our chilly day in Wells-next-the-Sea, the wind died down for us and we had a most productive morning sketching in the churchyard at St. Mary’s Church in Burnham Market. We chose this view of the building primarily because it was so warm in that spot, but I’m never really sure what the protocol is for sketching in cemeteries. I’m always careful not to stand on top of a burial plot and not to touch the headstones. I guess each cemetery is different. This was a popular place for dog walkers and others out for a stroll, and even though I was sure a caretaker would ask us to leave, it never happened.
The rhythm of the overlapping headstones was what I found most fascinating about this scene. I painted them with a variety of dark tones, mostly using Umber, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue to get a range of earthy and mossy darks, and I used a bit of splatter too, for added texture.
Worth the drive
Posted: July 16, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: boat painting, boats, Pointe Claire, Pointe Claire Yacht Club, watercolour 20 CommentsEven though I now live a little further away from the boat club in Pointe Claire, it’s still worth the drive to sit under a willow tree and paint the masts and the sail covers at the boat club. Even on a very humid day.
I love the complexity of this scene, and of boats in general, and I’ve missed painting them. For a composition like this, after my initial pencil drawing, I start by painting the bigger shapes first: sky and water. And then, because all the colourful darks of the sail covers are somewhat connected, I paint those next. That sets up the light/dark contrasts. My third section is to paint the boat hulls and reflections with a variety of middle values. And the last — but probably the longest part of this — is to get lost in the details. First the masts, and then the shapes in between the sail covers. I use an inlaid liner for those small details, starting with dark paint and finishing with Titanium White watercolour.
Chez Sauvé
Posted: May 24, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: architecture, Hudson, sketchbook, urban sketch, watercolour 29 CommentsIf you want to get a good sketchable view of Casse-croûte Chez Sauvé, go on a Monday or Tuesday when it’s closed. During the rest of the week there’s a constant stream of cars parking in front of it, and you won’t be able to see the small building from across the street.
I’ve been wanting to sketch this Hudson institution for years, but it’s only now that I live nearby that I’ve been able to get here on the right day of the week. At lunchtime during spring and summer, it’s packed outside with people eating hot dogs and fries, which makes it perfect for people sketching, but if you want to sketch the classic snack bar exterior, then you need to go when it’s quiet. Because it’s on Main Road in Hudson, people still park in front of it, but luckily most everyone who saw the sketcher across the street moved their vehicles. The kindest one was the school bus driver who moved his big orange bus when he saw me, and then came over to see my sketch and chat. Hudson is a very friendly place, as I am finding out.
These are a few of my favourite things
Posted: May 15, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Hudson, sketchbook, spring, street scene, urban sketch, watercolour 31 CommentsIt’s finally warm enough (and I am home long enough) to sketch outside. That’s a reason to celebrate. I’m still discovering new places to draw, and of course trying to find places that look like my old favourites. The village of Hudson reminds me so much of Pointe Claire, especially now that it’s spring and the main street is getting busy again.
Today I ordered coffee from Furley’s Bakery and sat outside on their terrace to draw the view down Main. I felt SO rusty so I started with something I feel comfortable with: the bins and the utility pole! My drawing grew organically from there. The tree was next, then the yellow picket fence, a bit of the building, the awnings, etc. It made me so happy to be outside, to be looking at the things I love to draw and to watch people going by.
There’s plenty to draw in Hudson, including lots of charming buildings, a lakeshore and even a boat club. I’ll happily be discovering it all with my sketchbook this spring and summer.
My brush with royalty
Posted: December 28, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, exhibition, painting, watercolour, watercolours 125 CommentsIn all the commotion of our recent move, I forgot to share a few bits of exciting news. A few months ago, along with six other Canadian watercolour artists, I was invited to contribute a watercolour that would be part of a gift to King Charles III to commemorate his coronation in May, 2023. I should mention that King Charles has always been a keen admirer and collector of watercolour painting, which has a long and rich tradition in Britain.
And so, half-sheet watercolours by me, Poppy Balser, Neville Clarke, Linda Kemp, Peter Marsh, Lin Souliere and Rayne Tunley are now part of the Royal Collection Trust at Buckingham Palace. Pretty thrilling stuff, right?
And then in the November issue of Plein Air magazine, more great news: an article about the king’s interest in painting and our gift to him. You can see all of the paintings on the second spread of the article (below).
And then yesterday I received this update about our gift to The Royal Collection Trust: I wanted to let you know that the seven watercolours gifted to mark His Majesty’s Coronation have recently been framed and hung in the Redgrave Room at the Queen’s Gallery, London. This is our space for lectures and other special events, so while they are not ‘on exhibition’ as part of the normal visit to the Gallery, they are being seen by all those who attend such events. The watercolours will probably remain there through June, so if any of your artists happen to be visiting London in the next months, we would be more than happy to show them in situ!
Alas, I won’t be able to see my painting hanging at the Queen’s Gallery anytime soon. But I will have the satisfaction of knowing that several pieces of Canadiana will be there. The painting I chose for the collection was “Winter Boatyard”. I wanted something that was authentically Canadian, and what could be better than a snow scene from one of my favourite spots in my former neighbourhood?
Thanks so much to Linda Kemp for organizing this special gift and to Poppy Balser for connecting with Plein Air magazine!
Pond and lake
Posted: April 24, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Montreal, plein air painting, pond, watercolour 5 CommentsThere’s a certain thrill painting outdoors when you have the elements working against you, and I guess that’s what makes it such an adventure. It’s really still too cold to paint outside because of this freezing spring we are experiencing, but I’m trying to get out there anyway and catch some quick impressions despite the frigid winds near the lake. I set up my easel by the pond in Baie d’Urfé, and tried to capture the layers of blue: sky, lake, far pond, near pond. I think my lake section could probably have been a bit darker but I was painting in full sun and that makes it hard to see. Now that I’ve scanned the sketch and see it on screen I may go back in with a light wash to separate the lake from the bit of sky. Or not.
