"The Letter" 4x4 oil $200

I am having such fun painting these minis - if you like this one, let me know and it's yours for $200 (I like PayPal)

email me at ronjbw@shaw.ca

"The Letter" 4x4 oil

"Wild Tree at the Seashore" 11x14 oil

There's a wild tree growing right on the edge of the sea at Cattle Point on Vancouver Island. The changing leaves are a jewelled mosaic, and their shadows cast a spectacular filigree on the sand and rocks below.

Hit the image for a bigger view and call me if you want this one.

"High Oaks barn" oil on gesso board 9x12

As Spring is on its way there are more artists to be seen painting on location. This was a busy scene on a rural road on Vancouver Island. It blew a little, some easels fell, but at least we had blue patches of sky above. Hit the image for a bigger view. Call me if you want this one.

"Gillian" oil 12x16

"If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium" - who remembers that movie? Well here in Victoria BC if it's Tuesday it must be Goward House Portrait Painters. Gillian sat for us today. The sitter sits for free but may choose a portrait or two from the dozen or so portraitists to take home free. The session takes less than three hours.

"Michell's Plain" oil 12x14

The flooded field is where cabbages grow normally but today the rains came and dosed the seedlings.
Farmer Vern Michell calls this field the 'mailbox.' Dunno, but HEY he's the boss. Vern is up there like me, so his grand-daughter Nicole does the emails, leaving Vern more time to get on with it!
Author/artist Ian Roberts has been helping me vicariously with my dynamic compositions through his book, so a big shout-out to you, Ian, and your "Mastering Composition." 'Glad to see you're producing even more  DVDs and books to help artists to focus on the essentials.
Hit the image for a bigger view.

"Saanichton Park Inlet" watercolor

You've heard me mention this before - when I try ANOTHER medium (other than my home medium of OIL) I find that the arkward one helps my main one. So this week my plein air painting was devoted to watercolour which is difficult for me - I'm still learning.
Apart from a prelim thumbnail drawn in pencil in a separate notepad, I drew this watercolour with a large wet brush, no pre-wetting of the paper.
Lesson learned - only use top grade w/c paper. this WASN'T....next time I'll use Arches. One needs the paper to offer solutions - not complications. OK Wilson.

"With a view of the water" oil 11 x 14

Islanders love this - a home with a view of the water...(I should have been a realtor)! No matter how tiny - the view is special. My sister and her husband have this very view in Nanaimo BC where they live. It's an oil and this time I used as much paint as I could, making like a millionaire artist. I can dream. It turned out OK, and if you want this one, email me and I'll give you the price!
Thanks

Ron
Hit the image for a bigger view.

"Edith" in oil and Conté pencil at Goward House

Edith in oil, I had a few minutes to sketch her portrait in Conté pencil too:

Almost every week a dozen-or-so artists gather at Goward House to paint portraits. This week we painted our own Edith - a patient sitter who dressed up for the sitting! Please click the image to see a bigger image.

"Sunbathing" w/c 7.5 x 10 inches

Vitamin D even in the wintery sun is a big deal for each of us. Reclining on the rocks at the beach is what the doctor ordered. Click for a bigger image - email me if you want this one (already framed professionally at a good price).

"Sean Thompson" master drummer, pastel 11x14

Sean is an amazing drummer who can also play bass. He can mix it up with any band or orchestra,Sean is  inventive, creative and just a regular nice all-round guy. (I guess by now you've realized that he's my talented nephew). Hit the image for a bigger view. Comments welcome.

"Rhosalia" pencil 9 x 12

Rhosalia sat for the Goward House Portrait Painters today. For a change I used graphite - not the pencil kind but the solid stick, I find that moving from one medium to another kinda helps the other media waiting in the wings - it's like jogging helps one's cycling because you get fit.

"Jannice" oil 16 x 20

Jannice sat for the Goward House Portrait Painters today.

Jannice tells me that I had sketched and painted her husband, Doug Foreman,  on a previous occasion - so now they have matching portraits, so soon after Valentine's Day -- I know what you're thinking....aawwww.  Anyhoo, press the image for a bigger view. It was fun.

"Cedarhill Willow" oil 11x14

Windy conditions. Oils on my box, my bag and my clothes. Boo-hoo, but nothing spoils the joy of painting outside. Spring is busting out already, so I exploded this budding willow at the edge of the Cedarhill golf course  Hit the image for a bigger view. Painted with broad brush and palette knife - BAM!

"Brian and Mary" oil 11x14

We were delighted to find TWO sitters at our Goward House Portrait Painters group this week. I decided to go for a sixty-minute oil sketch. I was worried that if I did apply more detail I would run the risk of smoothing my brush strokes, and I was intent upon keeping them unsullied. Another thing - sitters don't really see themselves in profile, so the resultant portrait can be a bit of a surprise to them. Anyway, it was a good session and the artists did very well.

"Early morning beach walk" oil 8x10

Getting up EARLY is akin to dieting - it seems a good idea and it IS a good idea. How 'bout this couple of beach strollers with Rover the Scottish Kelpie? Want to own this painting? Contact me for a fair price cos it's unframed. Bring your own.

"The Ledge" pastel 9 x 12

The Ledge as we know it here in Victoria BC. It's the Legislature of  British Columbia, designed by Rattenbury. Seen from the Royal BC Museum and simplified a lot, artist's decision of course.
Pastel. Hit it for a bigger view.

"Fiona" pencil portrait 9x12

Fiona sat for the Goward House Portrait Painters. We were graced with the attendance of Clement Kwan again today - his charcoal rendering of the sitter is stunning, it is inspiring working alongside a world-class artist!

"Dinghy Tenders" watercolour 6x9

The simplicity of a forceful yet gentle watercolour - you leave out the nonsense and emphasize the
essentials.
Click for a bigger view and contact me if you want to own this one.

"Crow and Cedar Rail" watercolour and acrylic on paper

Crow perched obligingly on this cedar rail fence on the edge of Holland Point, Dallas Road, Victoria BC.
I liked the atmospheric distance (thanks to the sea mist) and the abundance of wildflowers. This started out as a watercolour (and I left it be at the top quarter) but I decided to finish the painting with acrylic paint. 'Glad I did. Now it is a mixed media work!
Hit it for a bigger view. Let me know if you want it. I'll sort out a special price for ya....Ron

"Bald Eagle" graphic pencil new for 2014

New for 2014, an updated drawing of my Bald Eagle  - this new one is being submitted to the Art Gallery of Victoria's exhibition "Black and White Drawings"
scheduled for mid-February.  Ten years on, my new rendering is more crisp and edgy. See if you like it. Click it for a bigger view.