THE REJECT CUPBOARD

 Well, the last two months have been unusual for me; some family issues cropped up and my painting time became very disjointed.  I found it difficult to concentrate and to plan and execute any new larger work so I turned to my 'might be salvageable' cupboard where I keep a stack of paintings that didn't work for one reason or another.  I like to play about with them when I have an odd hour here or there. Sometimes adjustments to the colour or values is all that is needed or the brushwork can be cleaned up or the painting is too tight and some bolder brush or knife work might liven it up.  Or, at the time, I didn't have a clear idea how to handle a new subject but later I can see my through it.  Of course there are those pictures that just shouldn't have been started in the first place - the ones where I scratch my head and wonder what ever was I thinking!

The painting below was done from some reference I gathered when visiting with a friend on his boat at a marina in Sidney.  It started life as a 24x18 with a fairly faithful representation of the boats in the background, a lot of rocks and water in the foreground and some geese in the middle bit.  It didn't work.  It was boring and it ended up in the reject cupboard.  Recently, I hauled it out and tackled it again.

I'll post the new version first followed by the 'reject'.
I invite you to play 'spot the difference'. 

What did I do?
I sorted through my reference files and found another group of boats with the same lighting and, without planning or drawing anything, I started on the right and worked across to the left.  First I broke up that dull wall of green with some sky and a suggestion of buildings and added some rocks and beach and then the boats and reflections.

I decided that the large rock upon which the two geese are standing was too large and dull so I flattened it.  And the row of sleeping geese which I had once thought made an interesting shape, had to go.  I started replacing them with water and reflections and some more mud but stopped before eliminating all of them. I probably went to make a cup of tea.  I'm glad I did because I think the two that I left are fine.

I then tried a number of approaches to the bottom third but nothing worked so I stuck a piece of masking tape across it at the 18" mark.  Better.  I took out most of the rocks and mud I had painted and went back to a larger area of water to lead into the painting. This time I kept it simpler allowing the top third to draw the eye.
Better still.
I think this one can stay out of the cupboard........

SIDNEY SHOW

The Sidney Show is a large exhibition that takes place annually on Vancouver Island, BC.
I was pleased to have the two paintings I submitted for adjudication accepted and even more so when each went on to win an award.  Below are the two paintings.  

The first was painted from a field study done on the Saanich Peninsula and reference photos.  It is a favourite view of mine looking across the valley over the Lochside Trail and various horse farms to the sea and islands beyond.  I love it.

The second is also a subject that I love.  These are fishing boats in the town of Rye in East Sussex, England.  I spent several weeks painting in and around Rye during a 3 month painting trip a few years ago.  A tidal river runs through the town which makes for endless interesting subjects and views.  At low tide the boats are left on the muddy river bottom, at high tide the scene is transformed.  Grassy banks and fields adjoin the river and sheep are all over the place.  They were often very nosey when I was working.

VALLEY BY THE SEA  20x24 -  Show Organizer's Choice Award

TWO BY TWO 18x24 -Juror's Choice Award

A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A MORNING:

Jim McFarland and Clement Kwan working hard on a gloomy but interesting day at Gyro Beach

The view at Gyro Beach

Lots of mornings at Willows Beach and Oak Bay Marina.  I love to get up very early in the summer, walk on the beach and then do a quick study.

I was giving a lesson at the marina one morning and this family joined us - the little ones all settled in for a nap not 20 feet away

One of McFarland's favourite beaches

Joined a bunch of friends to paint overlooking the Lagoon

Ken Faulks lurking in the bushes

At Pearson College

The view at Pearson College

Ken Faulks lurking again 

PROCESS

I don't have a formula but this is a fairly typical start to a painting. I've blocked in most of the areas with the exception of the roof of the building. I started by placing the main shapes on the panel with diluted warm reddish brown and then scumbled in the darks in the shadow of the boat shed, the boat on the bank and the undersides of the docks and foreground boats. I laid in the red sail as it is the focal area followed by the greens.  It is basically a composition made up of horizontals (the greens and the blue-greys of the sky and water) broken by the verticals of the masts. 

This is not the best photo - it came out a bit dark but it gives a suggestion of the finished painting.  I wish I had photographed it in between the two stages.  I think I would have liked it better one stage before this one......

TWO STAGES

This is fairly typical of the way I block in a painting.  I usually start with a bit of line done with a bristle brush and diluted Transparent Oxide Red.  Then I scumble in the dark areas.  With this painting, I laid in the foreground in broad washes hoping to leave a lot of it showing in the final version.

HORSES   14x24

The finished painting -  as usual I find I prefer much of the loose block in with it's vigorous energy.

PIC FOR THE OPA SHOW

I entered the Oil Painters of America Exhibition this year for the first time.  I only joined last January and missed the deadline for 2014 but I made sure to enter this year.  And I'm really pleased to learn that I had a painting accepted.  They allow two submissions from each painter but only one will be accepted.  This is the one they chose.  This painting also was awarded FIRST PLACEin the OPA Spring Showcase.  It is available at the West End Gallery in Victoria  http://www.westendgalleryltd.com/

Twelve Small Boats, oil, 26x36

I often think I will take photos of a painting at various stages along the way but get so involved in what I'm doing that I forget to take more than one or two.  With this painting, I did take one shot right after the layout stage when I had just started to block in the darks and shadows.  Later on I made a few compositional changes so you can play 'spot the difference'.  And you can decide if I might have been well advised to leave the composition as I had it in the initial block in.

Initial Block In

I also took a close up of some of the small boats showing the sort of brushwork I used:

Detail  showing some of the boats

LANDSCAPE COMPETITION

'Pasture' oil 9x12

Finalist in the International Artist Magazine Landscape Competition and now featured in a one page article in the Dec/Jan issue of the magazine. It is available at the West End Gallery in Victoria  http://www.westendgalleryltd.com/