Bird of paradise

Bird of Paradise

Acrylic on canvas, 30"x40"

Lupins in Close-up

One of the most beautiful sights when driving through eastern Canada, especially New Brunswick, is the profusion of wild lupins growing by the roadside. Though the flowers are themselves rather small, they tend to cover large expanses which creates a strong visual impact.

Roadside Beauties is representative of New Brunswick lupins but with a low and up-close perspective. Obviously this exaggerates their size relative to the background but makes them the most prominent part of the picture. Wild lupins typically tend to be in the blue-red hues with a multitude of shades in between.

Roadside Beauties, Acrylic on 140lb paper, 4"x6", $25 (unframed)

Summer Flowers

This post continues the Italian theme. Palatial villas and unassuming homes set along the shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy make for numerous scenes worth capturing on canvas. The ageless buildings are often harmoniously tucked together despite the apparent lack of planning or design behind them. It is almost as if the brilliant sun, the lush mountains and the evergreen foliage serve to smooth out any visually discordant note.

Summer Flowers was composed from several photographs taken during my last trip to Italy. This is my first painting on plywood and it took a bit of experimenting to get used to the grain, but I was not looking for a smooth look so the grain actually helped.

Summer Flowers, Acrylic on plywood, 8"x8", $50 (unframed)

Love of the landscape

Recent interest in the abstract aside, my first attempts with painting in acrylics were landscapes and I continue to be fascinated by them. The possibility to depict the natural environment with a few brushstrokes on a two-dimensional plane is at once challenging and exhilarating. The same vista viewed many times over leads to endless opportunities for a different interpretation. Of course, this is what leads to an unlimited source of inspiration for landscape artists -- witness Monet's prolific output during his years at Giverny.

Water Lillies, Acrylic on canvas board, 5"X7" (Not for sale)