Roadside Treasure

 What's a plein air painter to do on a miserable day? Well...I picked some daisies ….and thankfully the cats left them alone ...so today was a daisy a day dear!

Roadside Treasure

Pastels on toned multimedia paper

Size aprox. 5 X 7 in.

The Swamp - monoprint

 The Swamp

Monoprint 1/1

Size 11 X 14 in.

Completed from a recent charcoal sketch (Derwent coloured charcoal pencils and blocks plus some vine charcoal) at a local swampy area behind the Miramichi mall in Newcastle, Miramichi. I transferred the charcoal drawing to my Gelli plate and used Mat Medium for the pull onto Strathmore Tan Toned mixed media paper….finishing off with a bit of soft pastel work over selected areas. I was especially drawn to the foreground trees…such character! ….and the colour of the early spring grasses…..If I waited another week or so the entire scene would have been too green for my liking. I love the colours and textures of spring.

Sunrise Monoprints- set of 3

 This coming Sunday Kelly and I will be giving a Gelli plate monoprinting workshop for members of the Miramichi Art Core. In advance I thought I would do a few more examples. I will be showing them how I use charcoal transfers for making fine art monoprints. Included here are the examples I’ve created this past week - 

Sunrise Over The Miramichi 

Waterside Reverie

 Sitting outside the camp overlooking the Bartibog River a few days ago I hauled out my pastel kit to create the following painting. I just got around to finishing it up in my studio here at home today. (Where I have more colours to work with) I love our little piece of heaven on the Bartibog….it offers me endless scenes of wood and water for both quiet contemplation and painting.

Waterside Reverie - Pastels on Pastelmat - approx 11 X14 in.

The Hidden Gem (Wilson’s Point)

 Out with a some of artist friends to Wilson’s Point a couple of weeks ago..a beauty of a day..warm sunshine with just a pleasant light breeze. The little replica church here is the Interpretative Center for the area where I have been Artist In Residence for several years now and display some of my Wilson’s Point artworks during the summer months. I will also have some greeting card prints available there for purchase this summer. Stay tuned to see them also. 

Centennial Bridge

 High snow banks made it difficult to find a view lately… but here’s one I found yesterday… The Centennial Bridge in Miramichi. Mixed dry media on toned paper - size 5 X 7 in.

January Day at Ritchie Wharf

 Friday January 10 was about 3° C outside and myself and an artist friend decided it was a good day for some car painting …That is, we each drove to Ritchie Wharf with pastels to sit inside our cars to paint. I kept my side window open for better light and my scene was also outside that side window. I find if the window is up , I cant’s see true colours through it. My battery heated vest kept me nice and warm and I listened to music through my wireless earbuds. We both finished up in about 2 hours and I took mine home to the studio to finesse a bit… Here it is: (Touch to enlarge)

January Day at Ritchie Wharf - pastels on Pastelmat - 8 X 10 in.

First Snow at the Point

 Out for a bit of sketching yesterday at one of my favourite locations, Wilson’s Point Historic Site. I just had a short time to spend…about an hour but it was definitely rejuvenating to get out. Due to the time constraints I choose to work in graphite pencil on a gray toned paper. I loved how the late sun was hitting a few places on the little replica church and here and there on the trees and snow. Today I was looking at the drawing…thinking this one could do with a bit of colour….and off to the studio I went….grabbing some charcoal pencils and pastels. See both versions below. (5 X 7 inches) Which do you prefer?

View From Strawberry Marsh

 A little late getting this one up as we were closing the camp for the winter and then cleaning house in preparation for company…. This is a mixed media drawing on Strathmore Gray Toned Paper. I was attracted to the brilliance of the sun hitting the right side tree and other smaller spots in the landscape…along side the darker values in the overcast sky and trees….a very dramatic feel which I loved capturing. This scene is looking west from Strawberry Marsh.

Fun on the Farm

 A glorious day to be out painting at Fletchers Farm in Nelson Miramichi. Fields of Sunflowers were the catch of the day….resulting in this Soft Pastel painting on Pastelmat. Size about 8 X 10 in.

Summer Fun

 Here’s a couple of small works from last week. ( click for larger photo)

A sketch done on location at the camp..I found a quiet shady corner, enjoying a a view of some trees by the edge of a high bank near the Bartibog river…on a breezy warm day. I was attracted by the shift of light and shadows. I just used some hard pastels for this one in a pastel sketch book ..about 5 X 7 in

This next one, a watercolour on 600lb. Arches paper …5X 7 in. Was done on location at Wilson’s Point Historic Site during their annual Scottish picnic. There were about 6 artists working there during the event….lots of music, food and fun to be had. …A very warm day…so I took refuge in a shady spot near the little replica church. (Click to enlarge)

The Old Wagon Music Hall

 Just got back from a few days away to Camp Green Haven… this pastel painting was completed yesterday….just a few steps away from our camp. The Old Wagon used to be a Music Hall where Billy Haschey used to play with his band The Burger Blues and Jazz.

The Old Wagon - Pastels on Pastel Mat - Size  9 X 11 in. Touch to enlarge

Wilson’s Point Pastel

 A little sketching with charcoal and pastel at Wilson's Point Historic Site this afternoon…sometimes less is better…a charcoal pencil and small tin of pastel pencils…and a couple of pastel sticks….a nice little kit for sketching on my lap in the car. 

Entrance To The Point

The box can be bought on Amazon