Friday, October 09, 2009

"House on the beach" (Ocean Boulevard) Oils 12 x 16

Today I re-sized the house THREE times on my canvas before I was happy with the composition. Fortunately, I used charcoal and could wipe the image with a paper towel each time. I had it much bigger but it seemed to be in my face, so I gradually got it down to what it appears now.



My thanks to Richard Schmid for showing me the way in his "Alla Prima" book. I have read it many times over and still I'm finding something new ...

Ocean Boulevard is that thin strip of land between the sea and Esquimalt Lagoon in Victoria, BC, Canada. To approach the house one has to drive across an old wooden bridge and park close to the sea. I saw a kayaker, hundreds of seagulls, human strollers and even a few horses out to play. And of course, 30 other artists from the Al Frescoes - including my artist daughter Jenn!

Saturday, October 03, 2009

"Mugo Pine" watercolour 8 x 12

Tree experts Fred Hook and Mike Meagher told me that this tree is a Mugo Pine. Usually a mugo is a smallish bush but it can be as tall as a tree. They also know the whereabouts of this specimen which is in the Ross Bay cemetery - Fred says that many of these trees were planted there in 1937 but few survived.


As long ago as the second of September 1996 I painted this watercolour en plein air with a few FCA Victoria members, this small group of outdoor artists was to evolve into the present-day Al Frescoes.

Only this week when I attended the AGM of the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team did I learn the actual name of this tree that I had painted thirteen years ago