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A few weeks ago, five of us artists in Osoyoos lost a total of 22 paintings in a fire. I lost six, it was not like losing a family member, a pet or event a wallet with all my ID's, so at first I said "" Oh well!"" . A while later I said "" Oh no!"".

This went on for a week or so, I was thinking 2 of the paintings I did'nt like, so what, 2 where my last oil, maybe never to paint with oil again, allergies, and the last one was a watercolour of swans that I watched one winter 3 years ago, staying at the Poplar Motel on Osoyoos Lake, those I cared about. I started to feel the lost and that week things did'nt get any better. What's the use of it all.

After another week of not seeing colour in my day, the need came back. I needed to do what I figured to be a distraction, something light and easy. A little pochade 5"x 7" was born, full of lines and colour. It was fun and it look rather nice. This is it, I said, its easy and bright and I never did anything like it before, that's a good way to learn.

Deciding on the size , I had some canvas 11 x 14, that was good and big enough. Now how to proceed.

I did a full size drawing on paper, then another idea came to mind, what not do a mirror image just for the challenge. I was back in the game.

Using carbon paper I re-drew my lines so that it printed on the backside of my drawing then transferred each side to the canvas. What medium, it could only be acrylic because there's more control. Colour choice came next. Deciding on a warm painting was easy, I needed colour, with cool complementary . What I though was easy turned out to be more challenging.

The challenge was to keep the same hue in each space. Therefor, I painted on both canvases at the same time. Always counting spaces and lines, It was dizzying process, had to take a few breaks in between.

Then came the black. That's an other story. Keeping ones hand steady is not so easy. After a few mistake, some shapes got changed on the right canvas and then after other mistake the right canvas got changed.

Finally some result.

Sixty Re-Visited 2 canvas 11x14

Left Right

The name was inspired by what a colleague said looking at my pochade

Now I'm going back to reality with a flower w/c project, sometime in July

Hope you all enjoy this!

The promise of a blank canvas.

Some artists are down right afraid of them. As for me, it hold the promise of a new beginning, of a great unseen master piece to be materialize in front of my eyes, until I reach the end and the watercolour did not quite work out.

This is a watercolour wrap around on stretcher bar, 140 cold press Fabriano , it doesn't wrap as well as Arches. I'm not sure how this paper do using this method. But here we go. Crows looking for direction a painting name

You Forgot the Map!

That is it, not a good beginning, I did not like the Fabriano paper so I cancel the first painting and went on to the Arches watercolour paper on stretcher bars.

Here we go : Act 11

Colour choice:

Quin Rose == Cerulean Blue==Indigo Blue== Thalo Blue(grumbacher) ==Hansa lemon yellow

From blank paper to sky and billboard

Very loose and wet, it dried in 24 hours . Then I remove some pink from the sky with Mr Clean magic erase.

Next the bill board , very loose for the background with the 3 primary colour for a colourful grey and a little on the green shade. After a good dry out, one more day, some dry on dry painting, green made out of the same primary colour but this time using 3 different blues.

A few days off , to think and reflect on the birds drawing and colour combo.

Decided that anything and everything goes. Same colour as before plus some Ivory Black and Grey of Grey

The result.

Almost finish.

I would like to varnish pray one coat and the do the feet of the middle bird, as feet are some what difficult it will be easier if I fail, just wipe and try again but this time using acrylic ink which is acceptable as it is a watercolour too.

Then a few more coats of varnish .

So folks here it is , the first painting of my new season. Something to look at and enjoy this summer

You Forgot the Map!

Sold July 20 2016