The Dick and Jane Art Co.

Hello all,

Here are some of the paintings we have done in the last week or so – it’s been a productive week.

As well, please check out our course offerings at Fanshawe College Continuing Education. Corinne is teaching a Basic Acrylic Painting class – it’s definitely going ahead as there are currently enough students. I am teaching two classes this semester, a “How to Paint like the Impressionists” offering, and one entitled “How to Paint like the Group of Seven”. Both aren’t yet full, so if you’re in London or area and want to learn to paint and have some fun, please check out my classes.

Very happy with this one, came off the brush in one long session. It almost painted itself while I watched. Very special when that happens.

Corinne did some plein air painting in the park at the end of our street, and then worked it up further in the studio. A nicely painted piece.

I tried to recreate the effect that I achieved with the above painting, Windswept, with this piece. Came up with something a little different, I think. happy with the overall balance, and light.

More next week.

So it’s almost autumn. Summer has come and is nearly gone. Our kids are back in school, and we are hard at work for our winter studio show. We’ve both been painting continously, but have been occupied with commission work. Also Peter has joined a Plein Air painting group, and has been busy making pictures out in the sun around London. Here are some shots of paintings we’ve been making:

This painting was done while we enjoyed a week at Bon Echo park, north of Belleville. Large clouds gathered over the lake and it got really cold and windy. I knew that I wanted to paint this subject, and all the vibrant greys and blues of the water and sky.

 

This painting was done last week, kind of a break from a large, complex commission that I had just finished. Tried to get a cluttered, stacked effect.

Corinne painted this piece from the dock at our summer cottage. She worked all afternoon on this one, and then did a bit more in the studio later.

This piece was done again, from the dock on the lake, probably the next day from the painting above. The rock is the famous rock of Bon Echo, that people come from all over Ontario to see. It’s quite stunning as it rises about two hundred feet from the water. At the waterline many pictographs can be seen as well.

This was painted at Bon Echo again. I rowed Corinne over to the rock face in my boat, and  dropped her off at a really small landing at the base of the cliffs, where she set up and did this small oil sketch. People were surprised when they would pull up their kayaks and canoes, and there is someone painting a picture on the sheer rock face!

This little panel was done en Plein air, at Gibbons Park here in London this past Tuesday with an art club that I joined, the Gallery Painting Group,here in London. I go out every week or so, when I can get the time and go with this talented group of painters. This time we went to Gibbons park and tried to paint what we saw. Most everyone else tackled the running river but I wanted to walk really far with tons of gear so I could get this sketch done of the bridge, because why do anything easy?

Tried a new alkyd medium with this one (above). It’s not of anything specific, I just made up the scene so that I could lay the oil on really thick and lumpy. I like it!

This one was done while we camped at the Pinery this August. I just set the easel up right beside our campsite. (The colour in the image of this painting is really off – it looks much more lifelike, but sometimes photoshop does that to paintings.)

Corinne wanted to do some sketches at the Pinery too, so she set up and did this one of a lovely cedar that our kids are drawn to. Each year they come and try to climb it, and by the looks of the trunk, many other children do the same. A nice sketch by my very talented wife!

I set up on top of the beach stairs one day, while Corinne an the girls went down to the beach and played in the water. Not entirely happy with the results here, but I think I got the look of the heat haze in the sky. 

More to Come…. we’re painting every day now and lots of ideas are flowing!