Small fun painting and Red Bubble feature

After my detailed painting Where is My Gondola, I wanted to work on a small, fun painting. I have just finished a 8" X 8" watercolor, a fairly stylized waterlily: it is on SP Fabriano glued to a 1" cradled wood panel. I will be painting the sides black and will be varnishing it.

This watercolor is adapted from a picture by Ellen of Ontario on Wetcanvas. I have realized that the SP Fabriano, at least when it is glued to a wood support before painting, does not readily accept much lifting...I have several panels  ( some quite large) already prepared with the Fabriano; I will certainly want to try this process eventually with my faithful Arches 140 lb CP.

I was very pleased to see that RedBubble has featured my Where is My Gondola in its Painters Universe Group. Thank you, Red Bubble!

Next week, I will be working on a new Venetian mascarone. It is already sketched on 300 lb SP Fabriano - I have not used this paper before - I am looking forward to this new experiment.

Have a great weekend!

"Where is my Gondola? " ready to be varnished

"Where is my Gondola" is ready to be signed and varnished. It's a 14" X 14" watercolor on paper glued to a 1 inch cradled wood panel. I know it's terribly busy, but Venice is terribly busy:-) I had been looking at the photograph of that scene since I took it in April 2010 and really wanted to paint it. I really thought that its complexity was way beyond my skills...nevertheless, I wanted to attempt painting it.  What attracted me so? The beautiful lantern, the gondolas with their wonderful blue covers, the colors, the multitude of poles in the water...well, it's Venice:-)

Please let me know what you think.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

New WIP and photography show at Foyer Gallery

Do you find that days go by faster and faster? I have started three paintings since my last post, but have made sufficient progress to post on only one of them.  I was distracted partially by worries about my daughter in Manhattan: first, because of Irene, then with the terrorist threat last weekend. This is not conducive to painting:-(

This is again from my Venice photo references, but it is something quite different for me...and it includes water, which is not my strong point...and if you look carefully enough two tiny human figures ( again, something new for me:-). It is a super busy scene: after working on this painting for a few hours, I wondered why in the world  I had chosen this scene with all the poles, the boats, the five hundred windows..It was a moment of artistic insanity, I suppose:-) Nevertheless, here is a picture showing my progress so far...the painting should be finished within a day or two and I will then post the final version.
It is on paper glued on a 14" X 14" cradled wood panel. I will be  varnishing the final painting.

The Foyer Gallery now has a new show: a photography show.The gallery includes several excellent professional photographers with awesome work. I was allowed to enter a few pieces:-) Here is one with some photoshop manipulation...it represents an anchor chain I photographed at Perkins Cove in Maine. All matted and framed, it is rather nice:-)

Great Show Opening at Foyer Gallery

Thursday night was the opening reception of the show "Pure" at the Foyer Gallery of the Nepean Sportsplex.  The show featured the seven artists recently juried into the gallery as permanent members. I was very proud to be part of these seven. Several of my friends came to the opening to view the varied artwork and to show me their support. Thank you so much to all of you who came: your presence meant a lot to me!

The above picture was taken at the opening in front of my varnished watercolor, The Two Sisters. I am the second person from the left and am shown here with some dear friends.

The show continues until Sept. 11 and the gallery is open from Wed. to Sunday. ( check the times on their website).