Like everything else that I’ve done this summer, I’m a little late in getting out to paint in my garden. That’s why in this week’s bouquet, the blooms are all a little past their prime. But that makes them so much more interesting to paint. I get droopy petals, curled leaves and darks where there […]
I got an early start at the breakwater today, in an attempt to beat the heat. The morning started off hot and sunny (I set up on the shady side of my car), but then a heavy, humid air mass rolled in, the sky darkened and the air was still. My washes started off quite […]
I’m a little late for the start of boat painting season but better late than never. I’ve painted this view of the Pointe Claire Yacht Club countless times but it never gets old. I have my spot under a tree, in a beautiful park, in the good company of picnickers, dog walkers, cyclists and the […]
We’ve had a lot of rain over the past two days. So much that my hydrangeas are flopping over and blocking the view from my studio window. It was my intention to paint the old bottles on the window sill today, but when I saw the hydrangeas, I thought I would incorporate them into my […]
My favourite thing this summer season is going to the U-pick garden when I collect my weekly CSA farmer basket at Ferme Tournesol. This year the zinnias have been terrific — such a variety of different shapes and bright colours for me to paint. For this summer bouquet, I used a palette that I have […]
Today was supposed to be a day of scanning all my sketches from a recent trip to Europe, but my scanner did not cooperate. After 15+ years as “my trusty scanner”, it has either died or needs a new power adapter. I hope it’s the latter, which is a much cheaper option. The adapter is […]
In my studio, I still have piles of sketches (from this spring’s travels) waiting to be scanned. Here’s one from my recent workshop in Connecticut. The property of the inn where we were based has beautiful landscaping and plenty of hanging baskets and flowers in containers. But for a first day exercise we used a […]
Have a look at the Silas W. Robbins House. You’ll understand why I wanted to draw it. It’s an impeccably maintained Victorian home in Wethersfield, Connecticut. I won’t list all of the architectural details but if you are interested in the history of the house and how it was restored after a roof fire, you […]
Hi! I’ve been absent for a few weeks, on a family holiday in Crete. I’ve missed writing, but since it was a family holiday, I wanted to be fully present for whatever activities everyone wanted to do. It turned out that there was a lot of time spent sitting on various beaches, which is where […]
Alice is a bit like me during hockey playoffs. There is too much tension in the tv room so she tunes out. I like to think that she is listening to the play-by-play and imagining the game in her mind. When I draw her, I try not to use good sketchbook paper because I have […]