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How Does Life Affect Artwork?.. Let''s Go Fishing.. The Storm.. Heavenly Hydrangeas..
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How Does Life Affect Artwork?
I was just thinking the other day how great it was that I had not let the awfulness of my childhood affect the way I paint. I have seen the darkness in the work of many other artists' who had similar childhood experiences and I felt good that my own work is very colorful and cheerful in subject. Then I realized that it was because of my lfe that I painted this way. I have been determined my whole life not to let my experiences ruin my life and to think of the good and I automatically filter the evil from my paintings, preferring rather idyllic scenes and bold, vivid colors to brighten my work.
To paint in any other way would be, to me, letting the evildoers win. There is simply no way I can allow that. I spoiled my family with kindness and I paint pretty, happy scenes to reflect the goodness I want from life. Amazed, I realize that life always affects art, it just depends on what we want to show - the ugliness and evil or the exact opposite. Artists have used their art to show their despair, their happiness or their political feelings for centuries and I guess I am no different than anyone else.
     
Let's Go Fishing
This theme seems fitting now that the days are getting warmer and longer. A day out fishing for lake trout in this old boat would be great. I painted this a while ago as part of an exercise for the acrylics group on WetCanvas. It is a rather large painting for this particular subject, measuring 30 X 36 inches. This is acrylic on canvas and I am not sure it is completed. I am toying with the idea of adding oars inside the boat and perhaps a fishing tackle box and rod on the wharf. This was fun to do an yet a challenge at the same time because it seems somehow too simple.
What do you think? Would it look ok if it was framed? Where would one hang this? Can you imagine this in a fine art gallery? Is there anything redeeming about this piece? Should I add more to it or just scrap it? Please leave a comment.
The Storm
My apologies for the delay in posting, I have been away from home for a while and left the computer behind in order to take a fresh look at what I am doing. I did this painting before I left, but was not sure if I was finished with it, so I let it sit on the creaky old easel for a while.
This is acrylic on 20 X 24 canvas. I rather like the dark moodiness of this one and decided it was finished after all. Let me know what you think of this one. I have a few new artwork projects in mind and would like to do a few new ones in oils, but am waiting until I can open the windows in the studio to avoid the fumes. I am anxious to get started.
Heavenly Hydrangeas
I just finished this floral and thought I would share. I just love hydrangeas, and can only hope I have done them justice. This 20 X 24 inch acrylic painting is still not signed, I am not sure if it needs a little help. This will be posted in my gallery for sale very soon, I just thought you might enjoy the preview.
Afternoon in Pink
Here is the latest artwork from my easel, a set of flamingo paintings I am trying to decide on a name for. These photos are really awful, the paintings match much better in reality. I am not a very good photographer, and I cannot take the paintings outside right now due to piles and piles of snow. No matter how hard I tried I could not fix them in photoshop either although I am sure it can be done!
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I would love to hear your comments and any suggestions as to how to name this pair. This is the first time I have attempted to paint a diptych or set of paintings and it was quite a challenge to keep the balance and color match between the two.
Winter Blues
This is my first acrylic winter painting. It is painted on a small six inch square canvas and was painted using only three colors. Winter Blues seemed like the appropriate title for it as it expressed my emotions as well as the cool palette.
I am not sure if this one would be considered fine artwork as it is so small, but it was done using all the same skill and techniques as the larger canvasses.
Morning Glow
Since I seem to be in a painting slump at the moment, a real case of "painter's block", I thought I would share with you a painting I did a while ago. This one is called Morning Glow.
Unfortunately, this one is no longer available for sale and is in a private collection. However, I can do a similar piece if anyone would like one. Just email me and we can set up the details.
The Turquoise Dragon
This is the latest dragon in the series. It is the same style as the blue one with the open wings. You can see that he is just as gorgeous in this color scheme.
 They make a wonderful pair on top of my entertainment center. They shine in rich metallic colors that blend smoothly into one another. 
They look good from any angle, don't you agree?
Blue Open Winged Dragon
  Here is a dragon I finished yesterday. He stands about 16.5 inches tall and is about 9.5 inches wide. This is the view from the front. I have taken several views of this guy so you can get a good idea of how he looks in real life.
This is the view from the back so you can see the gold scales all along the back and tail as it curves around the old dead tree stump.
Here is a close up of the head so you can see the details.
Green Dragon
Since I had a very favorable response to my blue dragon, I decided to share another one with you. This is the front of the two-headed dragon: and this is the back of the piece:
 
What do you think of the color combination? I am working on another right now that I will post as soon as it is finished. I love doing these as much as creating a painting on canvas. Leave a comment with your thoughts and suggestions.
My Dragons
Another passion of mine is painting ceramic dragons. I buy the pre-molded greenware, sand down the rough edges and make sure the piece is well put together, and then take the fragile piece back to the ceramic shop where they fire it for me until it is a hard ceramic piece called whiteware. I usually basecoat the entire piece with a dark charcoal gray, and then begin building up the color in a series of washes until it reaches a point where it satisfies me. The blues and purples (or green and gold, depending on whatever color scheme I am using) blend into each other and then I apply a touch of irridescent color. Highlights are picked up in gold or silver and the horns are done with liquid leaf. I varnish the dragon in a gloss and the castle and/or rocks are done with matte varnish.
 
I started painting these dragons for my daughter who loves them, a delight she has passed on to her own daughter. My grand-daughter loves the Dragonology series and has a flying dragon suspended from the ceiling over her bed. For me, it is more about the colors and artistry of the dragons than the mythology surrounding them, but I must admit to a certain amount of interest in that as well.
Season's Greetings
As the days slide ever closer toward Christmas, I am sure you are much too busy with preparations to read blogs so I will keep this one short. Have a wonderful holiday season, stay safe and warm, and enjoy your family.
Christmas is coming...
As usual, Christmas seems to have suddenly appeared on the horizon. Of course, I am not ready for it, I never am. I have only one painting that seems Christmassy, and that is this red hibiscus:
I am thinking of doing hand painted cards this year as I have only a few to do but have a box of ready made ones just in case.
I have 3 paintings on the go, but have not spent much time painting lately. My husband has decided we should move again and it may happen before Christmas. I am hoping to wait until spring but whatever will make him happy, I will do. He is so unhappy in his current job and I hate to see it. The move won't be a hardship for me as I have a son there and also some very good friends. I can paint anywhere.
Well, that is the update on my life. See you soon!
Anthurium
As the snow drifts slowly down, I sit here enjoying the view. A lovely warm mug of cocoa keeps the chill away. Oscar, my little chihuahua, is snuggled under a blanket on my lap. The trees outside my window are holding the snow and look like a Christmas card. Today I want to share with you my latest painting. It is of an unusual plant. The petals and leaves are waxy and firm feeling. I hope I captured some of that in this painting. The picture I have is not that great as I am using my scanner while my camera is out for repairs. it is too large to be scanned so has to be done in sections and merged. I hope you can get a good sense of it anyway. This is painted in acrylics on a 16 X 20 gallery wrapped linen canvas. It looks stunning on the wall! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I really enjoy getting feedback. Even negative comments can help. Any tips for selling these would also be appreciated. See you soon! 
Bougainvillea and Resting Geese Paintings
Well, at last I am getting around to posting something with some artwork! This is the latest painting I have done: It is acrylic on 16 X 20 canvas. I have not done very many animals so it was a bit of a challenge for me, but one that I enjoyed. I love Canada Geese, hearing them honking overhead has been a sure sign of fall as far back as I can remember. Growing up on the prairies, I watched them settle into the nearby sloughs and marshes, gleaning the nearby grain fields on their way south. I hope this painting does them justice.
The following piece was the first piece I did after coming back from a bout of illness. It was a fun piece to do and the second rendering of a photograph taken by a friend on a trip to the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida.  It is also acrylic on canvas, though a smaller 14 X 18 size. Both these paintings will be available for sale on my website www.MyArtClub.com/Sue.Cowan
Where I Live and Create
As I sit here sipping my moccha, I ponder what I should have to say today. I guess I should begin by telling you a bit about where I live. I live in the northern BC town of Terrace, located on the Skeena River 153 km (96 miles) east of Prince Rupert and 581km (365 miles) west of Prince George. Terrace is 58km (36 miles) north of Kitimat, home to Alcan Aluminum. We boast of a population of about 11,000 in town and about 18,500 in the surrounding area. We are in a hybrid coastal/interior rainforest climate with about 129.5 cm (51 inches) of rain annually. This is a view of Terrace from Thornhill Mountain:  and an aerial view:  There is also great fishing in our area as shown here in this photo of my son: and this one of my husband:  In fact, the world record spring salmon was caught at the junction of the Kalum and Skeena Rivers with rod and reel, weighing in at 41.7 kilograms (92.5 lbs.)!! And finally, Lakelse Lake, situated between Terrace and Kitimat, where I live:  So you can see it is a beautiful area, full of wonderful things to photograph and paint. See you soon! 
The First Post
I am new to blogging and hope that you will have some patience as I learn what it is all about. I suppose admitting that is not cool or hip and probably makes me sound a little behind the times. For the most part, I guess that would be correct. My life has mostly been spent raising a family and now that they have all spread their wings, it is my turn to see what the world has to offer me. Most days I spend my time checking out other art sites and trying to figure out how I can get into the mainstream and promote my art. With the rest of my time, I like to paint, read or do other craft project such as sewing, knitting or embroidery. You may think that being an artist is easy, just splash a little paint on a canvas and hang it on the wall. Just the opposite is true, a lot of hard work goes into each painting, hours of searching for reference photos; sketching and resketching to get just the right composition, hours spent taking photographs and cropping them and juggling them and composing them on software (like Photoshop); hours spent studying the subject (who knew there were so many different kinds of deer and that their antlers are all different?); checking perspective and other details to ensure correctness; maintaining brushes, paints, canvases and other supplies. Just as writers get writer's block, artists have white canvas block. Then, when you do get something on your canvas, you need to sell it so you can buy more supplies and continue the circle. So we are back to learning to blog and getting up to date.  To get started I will show you my latest effort and if you like it, please check out my website www.MyArtClub.com/Sue.Cowan. This rooster is an oil painting I did as a quick study and was a lot of fun to do. I mostly use acrylics but occasionally like to mess around with oil paints. I named this blog Art Bistro because I will mostly be writing as I have my coffee and a snack, and as in a bistro, it will be friendly discussion of various things mostly regarding art. 
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