Florence - Going to the Duomo

"Florence - Going to the Duomo" original oil painting 18" x 24" x 1.5" from my own reference photo taken in Florence, Italy.
I was really scared to attempt painting this scene, especially in oil, but I am rather pleased with it. It brings back wonderful memories of my trips to that beautiful city!
I damaged my camera a few meters from that scene and the damaged lens currently blurs the top left of my photos.
I am falling in love with oils. So far, the only thing I don't like about them is that I have to wait a while before I can varnish them.

Now Sold

Catching Up!

Trying to catch up with my posts!
I have been busy in the past month even though I have not posted any news on my blog. Let me quickly provide an update on my art activities.

"Meditation" - 40" x 30" -Acrylic

"Meditation" - detail

"Meditation" is a quiet abstract, as the title suggests. It is meant to calm and to bring quiet feelings of serenity.

I had a "two-artist" show at the Green Door Restaurant in Ottawa. It is a large vegetarian restaurant that serves outstanding food ; it is extremely busy from opening to closing time.

A few of my abstracts at the Green Door Restaurant

A few examples of my "Spirit of Africa" series at the Green Door Restaurant

June will be another busy month with a new show from June 2nd to June 25th.

"Energy" - 40" x 30" Acrylic Abstract

"Energy" - 40" x 30" Acrylic Abstract- SOLD

More info

When he saw my last abstract, my son said: I like it, but you have to go big and bold!". Well, this painting is the largest abstract I have painted and if this is not bold, well...:-) "Energy" is 40" x 30" x 1.5" acrylic painting on canvas. Layers of paint create depth in this painting. From a distance, it creates a strong impact. As you get closer, you discover more and more subtleties to it. A painting to keep on discovering I think.

Autumn Magic framed!

Autumn Magic framed!

My latest watercolor, Autumn Magic, is now beautifully, and professionally, framed in a nice black wood frame that measures 27" x 33". You can see it here just propped on my fireplace and then on the floor. I will bring it probably within two or three days to the Kevin Dodds Gallery & Studio at 1101 Bank St.in Ottawa.. 613 -286-8512
I certainly like it in my house right now:-)

Pacific North West Salmon - Pewter and Acrylic

Pacific North West Salmon

Pacific North West Salmon  12" x 12" x 1"

 More info

Another artwork in my series of acrylic paintings with hand embossed pewter.


I have been developing a series of artwork to celebrate the North using pewter that I emboss free hand and sometimes acrylic gels and emulsions to translate the ice and snow.

This painting "Pacific Northwest Salmon" is on a specially prepared 1" cradled board with many layers of acrylic in the background. The embossing is hand done on top quality pewter that contains absolutely no lead. The patterns embossed on the fish are inspired by native pacific North West designs but are all my own. Textured accents are in silver leaf.

A beautiful statement piece! It is wired and ready to hang. The edges are painted black, but could be repainted white to go with those in the series that have snow. The artwork has been varnished to protect the pewter and the acrylic for years and years.


I can produce similar pieces with kayaks, inukshuks, polar bears etc...in much larger sizes such as 24"e; x 24"e;. Please contact me if interested.

Keywords: fish, salmon, native, water, pacific, North West, pewter, metal, north 

Autumn Magic - Large original watercolor

"Autumn Magic" - 19" x 25" Watercolour on 300 lb Fabriano Artistico

                                                                        More info

This is a large original watercolor on heavy 300 lb Fabriano watercolor paper. I loved creating depth and layers in the forest floor and painting the contrast of colorful leaves against bark and stone.Autumn is my favorite season and nowhere is it more beautiful than in the woods. Enjoy the calm and beauty of the forest.

This painting is unframed and unmatted andt it will be shipped flat since it is on heavy watercolor paper. It has been painted with professional quality watercolor paints.

Please note that colors usually vary from monitor to monitor.

First 2017 Post - Arctic Commute

                    

12"x12"X1" - Arctic Commute

 More Info

Painting: Acrylic and Metal on Wood.
Another artwork in my "Polar Series" with hand embossed pewter.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic and fell in love with Inuit culture and art.

I have been developing a series of artwork to celebrate the North using pewter that I emboss free hand and acrylic gels and emulsions to translate the ice and snow.

This painting of an "Arctic Commute" in a kayak is on a specially prepared cradled panel; the pewter is top quality and contains no lead.
A beautiful statement piece! It is wired and ready to hang. The edges are painted white to continue the idea of ice and snow landscape on the sides of the painting.The artwork has been varnished to protect the pewter and the acrylic for years and years.
Please note the flash reflection on the main photo...the pewter is hard to photograph.

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for 2017!

Spring Beauty Miniature

Spring Beauty Miniature

Spring Beauty Miniature 4" x 4"

SOLD

 

This original painting is on an 1/8" Ampersand Aquabord panel that I love more all the time because of the vivid colors and very special effects that can be achieved on it. In "Spring Beauty" I had a lot of fun creating depth and using negative painting techniques to hint at leaves in the background. I finished the painting with a varnish, then glossy resin-like coating that increases the depth and the shine. These miniatures do not need glass!!!
I like to display these little gems on a mini easel which is readily available ; it is so easy to find a special little corner for them on a shelf, a table, near a computer. Naturally, they can also be inserted into a regular photo frame or a painting frame. 

Autumn's Gold

Autumn's Gold

 

SOLD

This original mixed media painting is painted on an ampersand panel affixed to a 1.5 deep cradled birch surface. This means that it has deep sides and is ready to hang or to display standing on its own on a shelf or on a table.
It is painted with watercolor and gold leaf and was sealed before a resin-like finish was applied to the surface to give an almost glass-like finish which is very reflective and enhances the depth and color of this beautiful painting.The finish adds greatly to the painting; it has just enough texture and irregularities to confirm that it was hand applied.
It is wired at the back, the sides have been painted black. It is ready to hang and enjoy by you or as gift by a special person.

Below are more photos of this artwork. 

Forest Floor Tapestry - A Watercolor painting

Forest Floor Tapestry -Watercolour - SOLD


I have finally finished my 20" x 20" watercolour of millions and millions of leaves:-)
I will put it aside for a day or so before looking at it again to see what needs to be modified.
It is on 300 lb Fabriano Soft Press Paper.


I really enjoyed the hours and hours I spent playing on this piece.

My New Wall at the Kevin Dodds Gallery

I am a permanent artist at the Kevin Dodds Gallery at 1101 Bank St. Ottawa. The owner has just done some changes in the gallery and I love my new spot!

He has put quite a few of my miniatures and smaller paintings either on two narrow tables or on shelves. Thank you, Kevin, for displaying my art so well.

My newest painting is on the top left: a colourful giraffe with a textured gold leaf background. Looking at it makes me smile every time:-)

Have a wonderful week.

"Anticipation" -Semi-Abstract Bird's Nest

"Anticipation"- SOLD

 Here is my latest "Bird's Nest" painting. It is 11" x 14" in acrylic on an ampersand panel. I framed it very simply in black.  In a semi-abstract way, I tried to suggest a bird flying with the bird's nest on top. I really enjoyed creating implied textures especially near the edges of the painting.
This painting is now on display at the Foyer Gallery in Ottawa.
Do let me know what you think.

The Glebe Fine Arts Show and Upcoming Shows

My Booth at the Glebe Fine Arts Show

I should have posted this photo two weeks ago. It represents part of my booth at the Glebe Fine Art Show, September 19th and 20th.  It is a wonderful show and am so happy to have been juried in...I now have right of return as long as I don't miss a year.

I will have a fairly busy fall. Here is a look at my upcoming shows

•  a small group show at the Glebe Community Centre starting this coming Monday with the Glebe  Fine Arts Association
• Oct. 20-Nov. 8: Foyer Gallery,  Group Show, "Shape of Art"
• Nov- Dec.  Solo show at the Biagio Italian Restaurant in Ottawa
• Dec. 1- Jan. 3 - Foyer Gallery -Group Show, " A Little Art"
• Dec. 4-6 - Nepean Fine Arts Fall/ Winter Show and Sale, 
• Dec. Ottawa School of Art - Annual Fundraiser Show ( dates to be announced)   

And of course, my work is on permanent display at the Kevin Dodds Gallery 

I think I won't have time to get too bored :-)

Have a great weekend.

What I Have Been Up To

My last post was weeks and weeks ago! Unforgivable!

I have been busy in spite of a pinched nerve in my back and inflammation of the sciatic nerve....I am slowly getting better.

Here are some of my latest paintings...small ones, since my back was not cooperating:-)

Beautiful Giraffe -SOLD

 "Beautiful Giraffe "  is on a 5" x 7" Ampersand Aquabord that I am starting to really like. I have been working quite a bit with gold leaf and, as for "The Zebra" below, I decided that it would be perfect for the background: the gold translates the heat of the burning African sun.
I then sealed the gold leaf and varnished the entire painting and added a resin-like finish. This finish adds depth to the painting and its shine makes it look almost like a ceramic tile. Really interesting!
I am very pleased with this piece....I hope you will be too.

The Zebra - SOLD

 I found the perfect little frame for The Zebra. It sold the first day it was posted,on DailyPaintworks.

Below are two acrylic paintings with negative painting à la Linda Kemp with whom I took my 5th or 6th workshop in July. She is great!

The paintings of birds nests are on 8" x 8" Ampersand Claybord.I have not yet had a chance to look for frames for them. With their one and only egg each, the paintings are called "Precious I" and Precious II.  I would like to make a series of these and intend to try much larger sizes...The intricate interweave of twigs in the nests really fascinate me...perhaps because I was a hand weaver many, many years ago:-)

"Precious I" - Available

"Precious II" - Available

I hope your summer has been great so far! Thank you for stopping by!

My Polar Series in Canada Day Window

My polar series in hand embossed pewter

Above is part of the Canada Day window display of the Kevin Dodds Gallery in Ottawa, Canada. Kevin chose my hand embossed pewter works to add a very Canadian touch to his holiday window.
All these pieces are on a wood panel with the pewter work on an acrylic background. The polar theme includes polar bears, Inukshuks, wolves, kayaks, whales...and a maple leaf to complete the Canadian theme.
I am very fortunate to work with a gallery owner who is so supportive of my work.

Busy and Fun Times

 In the last few weeks, I have been very busy with great shows.
First, April 24-26, I participated in the annual Spring Show and Sale of the Nepean Fine Arts League.

I was especially keen on getting feedback on my two latest watercolors: "Those Eyes", pictured above, from Michelangelo's David sculpture and on  another Florence-inspired watercolor, Neptune. I had these two framed professionally in a wide wood frame...more costly than the regular metal frames, but more suitable, I think for these two pieces.

In the photo above, you can catch a glimpse of three of my Spirit of Africa Series in gold leaf, hand embossed pewter and copper on cradled wood panels. This series which I was presenting for the first time in such a show was very popular.

Overlapping the Nepean Show, I am currently showing in a three week show at the Foyer Gallery featuring four artists. Last Saturday was our official show reception and the show runs until this Sunday, Mother's Day.Shown below from left to right: M. Chwialkowska, Liz Arbuckle, Luminita Serbanescu and myself.

It was hard to decide how to divide my paintings between these two shows and at the same time keep a dozen of them at my main gallery, the Kevin Dodds Gallery:-) I love these busy times.

 I seem to need deadlines to do my best work. Are you like that too?

My website

News

What happened to my great January resolution to post regularly on this blog??? Well, I will try to redeem myself over the next few months:-) Maybe it has been just to cold here in Ottawa to think about blogging:-)

For the past week, I have been the featured artist at the Kevin Dodds Gallery  in Ottawa, Ontario. I am a permanent member in this great gallery representing local artists and the front window exposure has brought me several nice sales!
 
I have several shows coming up and two that will take place at the same time in the last part of April! Yikes! It means I will need enough paintings to cover my two regular galleries ( the one above where I always have over a dozen paintings and another where I only have 3) and two shows. Consequently, I am feverishly working to produce new artwork! The first show will be at the Foyer Gallery where I will be returning after a one-year leave of absence. It  will be a 4-artist show from April 21 to May 10th.  The next show will be a great weekend show organized by the Nepean Fine Arts League on Aprils 24th to 26th.

I was thrilled to be selected as one of the two new artists to participate in September in the Glebe Annual Fine Arts Show, one of the best shows in Ottawa. Once an artist has been juried in, she has right of return; new artists are juried in only when one of the 30 decides to leave. The quality of the work in this show is very high and the venue is beautiful. I am really looking forward to it although it will be only a few days after my daughter's wedding...another busy time coming up:-)

I will be back next week with another post...Take care.

Revisiting Neptune's Fountain in Florence

Very strange! My post seems to have disappeared.
Here is the painting I had shared:

"Neptune"- from Neptune's Fountain in Florence, Italy

It is my latest watercolor painting and measures approx. 14.5" x 21.5 inches before matting and framing. It is on Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper.
About a year and a half ago, I painted the lower part of that fountain, my " Neptune's Sea Horses" and wanted to paint the top of that fountain, Neptune's head.I fell in love with the details of this white marble face. I decided to add warm colors on the left hand side of the painting and cool colors on the right hand side. The photo was taken inside with a flash ( still too cold in Ottawa to take photos outside,I feel), so the colors are not entirely accurate.

It represents the head of a huge marble statue by Bartolomeo Ammannati (1563–1565) which was commissioned on the occasion of the wedding of Francesco I de' Medici with Johanna of Austria in 1565. The Neptune figure, whose face resembles that of Cosimo I de' Medici, was meant to be an allusion to the dominion of the Florentines over the sea. It stands in the middle of a beautiful fountain.(Wikipedia)
I hope you will like this painting!

Happy 2015!

It is hard to believe that it is now 2015!!!

I have identified some of my goals for 2015...and one of them is to post regularly on my blog since it is always such a source of online feedback, support and friendship.

I have just finished grouping many of my paintings in a new website. I hope that in the coming days or weeks, you will have a chance to visit and let me know what you think. It is a "free" website, but it seems to offer all I need.

Meanwhile, here is the last painting I created in 2014.

Spirit of Africa - 12" x 12" on cradled wood panel

The palette for this painting with hand embossed pewter is quite the departure from my Polar series of hand embossed pewter polar bears, inukshuks, kayaks etc. This piece has gold leaf in the bottom third, a pewter elephant and a copper sun on a very warm background. The painting incorporates glass beads, texture paste, and slivers of copper and pewter...It may be the start of a new series.

It is available either from the Kevin Dodds Gallery in Ottawa, Canada, or on my DailyPaintworks site.

 I wish all of you a healthy and creative year!

Palette Knife Painting - Nature's Glow

Nature's Glow- Acrylic 18" x 24"

I could not resist painting a fall landscape and decided that palette knife would be a great technique to use to translate the density and richness of autumn foliage.

This painting is 18" x 24" on canvas and is mostly from my imagination and memory although I have been collecting fall photos for quite a while.

Please let me know what you think.

Enjoy this glorious season!