Turtle Time

I was able to finish this small painting in time to include it in my show at Pynelogs Cultural Centre this week and next.  

I love the way the little guy is trying to join the others on the log.  Is he asking if he can join or apologizing for being late?  Whatever it is he's determined not to miss out on his time in the sun with the others.

Turtle Time
8 x 10
acrylic on gallery canvas
SOLD

Pond Royalty

The day that I visited little Dorothy Lake to check out the turtles, I was fortunate to encounter this wonderful Great Blue Heron.  Having completed "The Gossips of Dorothy Lake" I was eager to try to capture the regalness that is this heron. It seemed to command its place with a quiet dignity.

Pond Royalty

8 x 10

acrylic on gallery canvas

Another Painted Turtle

Having completed Turtle Tales for the Pynelogs 100th Birthday Gala I found myself drawn to painting another turtle. 

While visions of Dr. Seuss' Yertle the Turtle" sprung to mind, I could help hearing those childhood chants of "I'm the king of the castle!"

This little guy seems to shout "This is MY log!".

King of the Log

8 x 8

acrylic on gallery canvas
SOLD

Song of the Forest

I so love creating these magical places on black canvas that I was inspired to do this one. I can hear the soft tinkle of the water and smell the sweet air in this one.  When I'm hiking, these little places capture my attention and draw me into their magic. While my husband rushes to the mountain tops, I pause to savour these little gems and find myself loath to move on.

Song of the Forest

16 x 20

acrylic on canvas

Turtle Tales

Turtle Tales

12 x12 acrylic on canvas

This is the second painting I completed to donate to Pynelogs for their fundraising efforts at their 100th Birthday Gala.  I had so much fun working on these little guys! I'm even thinking of doing another turtle one on a smaller canvas.

 I love turtles.  They have such an ageless aura to them.  Every time I visit Pynelogs I scan Dorothy Lake for a glimpse of them. For me they are an integral part of the Pynelogs experience.

It seemed like the perfect image to capture as belief has it that the Painted Turtle is able to teach you the power and use of colour. I like the way they seem to enjoy each other while getting some “r and r” in the Sun.

 The delicate stripes of cadmium yellow on the turtles’ outstretched necks and the pyrrole red of the undershell are highlighted by the ebony background. The use of black canvas is a departure for me.  It is a great backdrop for adding dramatic emphasis to a subject matter.

The Gossips

I created this painting for a fundraising gala for Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere.  Pynelogs is celebrating its 100th birthday and a hundred artists were asked to create a work of art for donation.  

I walked from my daughter's house down to the small lake adjacent to Pynelogs in search of some inspiration and to see if the Painted Turtles had come out of hibernation.  

Indeed they had.  One log was covered by twenty of them basking in the sun's warmth.  I was delighted to notice a Blue Heron fishing for lunch.  As I made way closer to the water's edge to get a better look at the turtles out on the lake, I looked up to see the heron had landed on this log with a solitary turtle sunning himself.  A spot of whimsy had me imagining the heron and turtle having a rather chatty time gossiping about the upcoming party and Pynelogs.  I couldn't help but smile to myself and think what a perfect image to capture on canvas.

I am having so much fun working on black gessoed canvas that I felt compelled to paint 'the gossips' on black.  

The Gossips of Dorothy Lake
12 x 12
acrylic on canvas

More Black Magic fun!

Funghi 1

After completing Forest Magic I decided to continue the fun and created these three small paintings.  I love using the black gesso of the canvas as part of the image.

My apologies for the lack of imagination in the naming of them.  I tried very hard to find out the proper Latin names but it seems that is a job best left to experts.  I don't have enough information about the underside of the caps, the gill and their attachment to the stem, nor the spores to make any conclusive identifications.

All three paintings are done in acrylic on 5 x 7 gallery canvas.

Funghi 2  

Funghi 3