I’ll have a few paintings in this upcoming art show held by the Ontario Plein-Air Society. All the paintings in the show must be plein-air paintings, in other words, painted on location in the great outdoors.
For more info, see their press release. OPAS is a new group open to all plein-air painters, both amateur and professional.
I went landscape painting after class again last Friday. It was very windy and I had to attach both of my bags to my easel to keep it from flying off. And it was so cold! I only lasted about two hours, but managed to paint this small study.
Cool Fall Day
West Humber Parkland, Toronto
oil on board
8×10
Fall colours are irresistible to plein-air painters! Here are a few recent paintings.
Saturday, I went out to Rouge Park with the Ontario Plein-Air Society. I found a secluded spot along the Little Rouge River and completed this study in four hours.
The Little Rouge
Rouge Park, Toronto
oil on board
9×12
This second one was done last Friday after teaching my morning class at Humber College. The college is happily situated near trails along the Humber River, who’s muddy waters inspired this painting.
The Muddy River
Humber River, Toronto
oil on board
8×10
John is a landscape painter who occasionally goes out to paint with me. I photographed him and painted this in the studio, with the help of a colour study completed that day in the park.
Painting in the Park
Petticoat Creek Conservation Area
oil on board
11×14
Spring Walk
Petticoat Creek Conservation Area
oil on board
11×14
I attended my first outing with the Ontario Plein Air Society on January 2nd. We went to the Scottsdale Farm on a VERY cold day. I had so many layers on, I looked like a snowman myself. I never thought anyone could paint on a day like that but surprised myself by completing this small study. I had started another larger painting, but the lighting conditions changed drastically, from bright and sunny to cloudy and I had to put it aside.
A Light Snow Cover
oil on canvas
6×8
This is the first sketch I had painted on my excursion to Martintown in August. I finally took the time to adjust a few things, mostly lengthening the barn. That might seem like an odd thing to adjust, but the barn had this feeling of being really short, or sunken into the ground. I originally painted it as it was but realized afterward that due to the lack of scale in my painting, the barn didn’t look right. I had to adjust its height to get the right feel for it. Does it now work? I’m not sure!
Overgrown Barn
Martintown, Ontario
oil on canvas
8×10
Here is a small painting of an overgrown field near Martintown, Ontario.
REVISED:
I adjusted it since first uploading it here. I deepened some shadows and added a few accents. Here is the final painting.
Martintown Field
oil on canvas
6×8
Here are two landscapes I touched up recently. The first one is in a field near NavCan in Cornwall, ON, overlooking the St Lawrence River. Environment Canada predicted rain but I took my chances because the sky was so spectacular. The poplars blowing in the wind attracted my attention, more so because rays of sunshine occasionally illuminated the field. I did get rained out, after completing the sky and trees. The grass was done at home.
Poplars in the Wind
oil on board
9×12
This one is from an outing with Don to Colonel Danforth Park. I completed the water on location and touched up the rocks and grass at home.
Rapids after the Rainfalls
oil on board
9×12
Here is a little tree study (8×6) I completed in Mount Pleasant Cemetery yesterday. This cemetery doubles as an arboretum and has beautifully landscaped grounds. It’s a great place to practice painting trees! This one is some kind of nut tree, but without a label I can’t identify it. I’ll keep my eyes open next time I’m walking there to see if I can find a labeled one.
