Colour Workshop - Let's Paint a Cow!

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013

Cost: $100  (1 canvas included)

Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Location: Calgary School of Art

531 Manitou Rd SE Calgary AB

All levels welcome

Do you want to understand more about how to make your colours sing? This workshop will teach the fundamentals of colour and then delve deeper into how to bring your paintings to life by avoiding muddy colour!  Understand colour temperature and the importance of neutrals.

The morning will be divided into lecture and exercises.  In the afternoon we will put your new knowledge to work and paint a cow together!

You can see some of my work including "Got Milk" at the Artistic Entities Exhibition located in Scotia Square,  700 – 2nd  Street S.W. from 9-3:00 until March 22nd.

 

To register please contact the Calgary School of Art at 403-287-7448

Federation of Canadian Artists Exhibition and Sale

The Federation of Canadian Artists (Calgary Chapter) is holding their Spring Exhibition and Sale tomorrow from 10-4pm in the community of Edgemont.

Note: Due to a water main break the new location is #115 Edwold Drive NW in the Mother Mary Green School. 

I have 6 of my paintings accepted into the show and will be doing a demo from 12-2:00 pm.

Stop in if you have a chance.

Figurative Painting Donna MacDonald

"Coming and Going"    11x14   Oil

I'm happy with the figures but still feel the building and background could be looser. Oh well there's always tomorrow =).

by Donna MacDonald

 6x6 Oil

16x20 Oil

Although most of my paintings are done in one or two sittings while wet, occasionally I have paintings that need a bit more time.  I have in the past been reluctant to work on a dry painting for fear of taking the freshness out of it but am now more confident about being able to improve upon the brushwork and composition.  The above two paintings sat around for a while but I wasn't really happy with either. I reworked them and I think that they are more successful now both in technique and design.

International Exhibition

I'm thrilled to have my painting "Passing Time" showing at the "Just For You Gallery of Fine Art" in Healdsburg, CA in their International Juried Exhibition.  The painting will be available February 9 - March 31, 2013, Artist Reception February 9th 5-10pm.

Here is another little painting (8x10) that started out as a demo and completed at home.

Proko TV Shading Light and Form - Basics

 I came across this youtube video that explains the light and shadow found on all lforms.  This little tutorial is fantastic and well worth a look.You can find more information on www.Proko.com.

Cabbies Urban Painting

"Cabbies"  20 x 24  Oil on Canvas

I've had the photo reference for this painting for quite some time now and finally decided to tackle it.  I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with it yet so I will just let it hang around in the studio for a few days.  Sometimes it helps to have a fresh eye on it after it has been set aside for a time.

Mother's Love - Small Wonder

16x20 Oil on Canvas

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a young mom (a fellow artist) and her baby.  We took several shots out in her garden where her little boy was fascinated with the abundance of flowers.  A tender moment.  I tried to be a bit bolder with the paint application using a knife and colour shaper.

Passing Time by Donna MacDonald

12 x 16  Oil on Canvas

I'm really having trouble naming my latest painting.  Sometimes I think it is easier to paint the painting than it is to name it. 

My daughter thinks there should be something about red...I was thinking maybe something about rain or maybe time  See what I mean....Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pig and Cow Painting

 "Got Milk" 8x10  Oil

"Piglet" 6x6  Oil

These two small paintings are good examples of the "light rule". Got Milk has warm light and cool shadows and Piglet is the reverse, cool light and warm shadows.  

While driving nears High River, Alberta we came across the amazing cow with her beautiful markings.  In hindsight I wish I would have taken many more photos of her.  The little piglet was photographed while at Butterfield Acres this past summer.

Crosswalk Urban Painting

These ladies looked like such good friends, they made me smile  Judging by their shopping bags I think they probably had a nice day of shopping downtown.

Good News by Donna MacDonald

I'm excited that "Tonka" has been selected to appear in the "Small, Smaller, Smallest" Federation of Canadian Artists Exhibition at the  in Vancouver, BC.

Good News is my latest 6x6 painting.  My favorite colour combination, purple, green and orange....love that combo!

New Painting and Studies

 "Tonka"    6x6     Oil on Linen Panel

A few more studies that I did at the Jeffrey Watts Workshop.  

Here's another one of Jeff's amazing demos.

I don't think I have mentioned before a technique that Jeff uses with his palette knife.  Quite often in the process of painting he will take his painting knives and slash through a passage of paint.  For example he'll paint the perfect eye and then take a knife and stroke through it.  He says its how he gets the "magic".  It takes bravery but try it - I think you'll like the effect.

Upcoming Exhibitions

  

 High River Rotary Club Art Sale (50% of Proceed to Cancer Treatment Room)
102 - 24 Street SE, High River
Opening Reception Friday Oct. 12, 5-9, Saturday Oct. 13, 10-5pm


Calyx Fall Art - 24th Semi-Annual Art Exhibition and Sale
Saturday October 20,
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Crescent Heights Community Centre
1101 - 2nd Street NW, Calgary, AB

Mad About Art
Oct 27, 2012
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Haysboro Community Centre
1204 - 89 Avenue SW Calgary, AB

Here are a few more studies I did at the Jeffrey Watts Workshop in September.  The exercise was to copy other paintings to study the brushstrokes and colour choices made by other artists.

An interesting contrast of warm light/cool shadows versus cool light warm shadows.

Urban Painting "Waiting on Red"

"Waiting on Red"

9 x 12 Oil on Linen Panel (Sold)

I have lots of fun taking photos as reference for my paintings.  This fellows expression was priceless!

Portrait workshop

I will be holding workshop at the Calgary School of Art on October 27th.
This workshop is intended for those wishing to explore portraiture in a loose and painterly manner.

This workshop will be an introduction to using head studies and sketch portraits as a way of increasing your skill level. Numerous small studies will be done which will help us in learning to get the "big picture" and not to get caught up in too many details.

We will be working from photos in the morning and a live model in the afternoon.

Some experience in painting portraits is required.

Original Oil Painting

Jeffrey Watts Intensive Workshop

Here is the next installment from the fabulous 6 Day Intensive Workshop with Jeffrey Watts.  One of the exercises that I found very enlightening was to take a painting done by a Master Painter and copy it.  Jeff did a copy of a Mian Situ painting as a demonstration.  He explained that when you study a painting during the 3 hours exercise you are able to digest more of the technique used by the artist.  I have collected images from magazines of artists that I love (including Mian Situ) and I look through them periodically marveling at the talent.  But by studying and copying I think your understanding of colour, edges, and brushwork is exemplified. I plan to make this part of my regiment.

I copied one of Susan Lyon's paintings and here is my effort.

A Couple of Demos

I will be doing a couple of demos this weekend. Please stop by if you have a chance.

Friday, 5:15 - 6:00 at the Calgary School of Art's Meet the Instructor Night

Saturday 11:30a.m. - 1:00p.m. at Art Central/Swirl Fine Art Gallery as part of Art Walk

Jeffrey Watts Workshop

Just returned from Encinitas, California where I attend an intensive workshop with Jeffrey Watts.  What a wonderful teacher!!  If you have a chance I would highly recommend you attend one of his workshops. The next few posts will show some of his demos.  Day One he demonstrated a monochrome "pick out" from a photo using Burnt Umber.

He fixed the drawing with spray fixative.

Then he applied a thin wash of burnt umber.

Next he put in his darks with a bristle round.

He continued to work on his values by alternately putting paint on and picking paint off using q-tips and cotton rags.

For the finish he abstracted the background and fluffed over the paint with paper towel to add noise and interest to the darks.

 

In the afternoon we worked from a live model and this was my effort.

Stay tuned for more posts about the workshop.

Ranch Hand Portrait

This is another practice portrait for the Jeffrey Watts workshop I will be attending.  As the date gets closer I get more and more worried about it.  This is how it usually goes.......At first, I'm ecstatic that I will be in the company and learning from a great artist whom I admire immensely.  Then the self doubt.....Should I  have signed up for the workshop, maybe I'm not good enough, will I make a foul of myself,  maybe I'll get lost, or the rental car will break down..  Then the day comes and I'm over the moon with excitement again. 

I've learned to ride the roller coaster of emotions.  I'm in the self doubt mode at the moment but know from experience that this will pass and give way to an amazing learning experience.

Sunshine on a Rainy Day - Urban Painting

11 x 14 Oil on Linen Panel

$495 framed

Well, this is the final painting.  I pumped up some of the reflections and emphasized the warm sunlight against the cool pavement.  Then I pulled on some of the paint to give the illusion of rain.  I kept the background trees fuzzy and diffused to help push them into the background. 

Urban Painting

Here is an update on my latest painting.  It is an 11 x 14 done in oil.  I'll post the final version tomorrow.

Urban Scene WIP

This past weekend my daughter and I went to an Diamond Willow Artisan Retreat near Turner Valley, Alberta.  Pat and Doug are fabulous hosts and their property is beautiful.  

 

While there I started an urban painting.  Here are the first two steps.  Transparent Oxide Red and Cad Yellow Light was used to lay out the composition during step one.  In the second step I started to lay in colour working from back to front.  I kept in mind that the colour for the  distant trees needed to be cooler and less saturated in order to create depth.

I'll post the next steps tomorrow.  Have a great day!

"The Hat"

 

I am attending a workshop by Jeffrey Watts at the end of the month and I'm doing my usual panic preparation. It is a 6 day Intensive Workshop - I think there are 2 spots open.  I am hoping to practice as many portraits as possible before I leave in the hopes that I will get as much out of the workshop as possible. I have found a group in Calgary that holds a 3 hour pose so that should help as well.

 

 It's funny there are times that I feel like I'm really getting it and other times I feel like I'm floundering.  From talking to other artists I think that this is quite common and that gives me comfort =)

High River Library Exhibition

Come see our current show at the

High River Library

909 - 1st St. SW

This show has over 100 paintings in a variety of mediums and styles and runs for the month of August during library hours.

Join the artists on 

August 9, 5:30-7:30

for tea, goodies and chat about art.

Sandy Beach Painting

"Sandy Beach"      9 x 12      Oil

This little painting went through many transformations.  It started out with lots of people in the background on the beach and a single figure walking in the foreground.  I decided it was too "muddled" and lacked focus so I took out the extra people.  Then the single figure seemed lonely - that's when I conjured up the dog to keep him company.  Then the composition seemed lopsided so I used a composition layout whereby a large object can be balanced by placing a small object on the opposite side.  I added a few hints of boats in the water and added hits of red to tie the figure to the background. Some paintings just take a roundabout way of coming together =)

Canadian Brushstrokes Magazine Finalist

It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog due to our vacation but I'm excited to ramp things up again......Let the painting begin!!!   Yahhh!!!!

I loved this video that Dreama Tolle Perry posted on her website.  She is a fantastic artist and  blogger who shares tons of interesting information.  The video reminds us that there is beauty everywhere; we just need to take the time to see it.  In my paintings I try to capture snapshots of our busy lives and the beauty that is often overlooked. 

I'm thrilled that Canadian Brushstrokes Magazine has selected "Light Reading" as a finalist in the "All About the Light" contest. My paintings appear on Page 6 and Page18.