Pastel, Plein air painting in Mountains and at the Beach-- Costa Rica this January

It hardly seems like it's been almost a year since our first trip to Costa Rica. We had so many new experiences painting in new territory.
This year, Martine and I decided to do things a little differently. Partly because I want to know the country better, and have many new things to paint. I've been painting mountains a little bit the last few years. The Cinque Terre in 2012, and on hiking trips to the Adirondacks-not with a group I am teaching, but just when I've been there hiking. .
I've been outfitting my hatchback with easel and art materials, and can pull up anywhere I see fit and make a little piece. Even if it's raining, I just huddle in the under the hatch.
So I am getting some experience there under my belt, and look forward to the very lush hillsides of Costa Ricas Mountains.
We'll spend 4 days there, then hop over to the Osa, this time we're renting a house with our own chef, and it's on the Gulfo Dulce, so we don't have to worry about rip tides. Here's a place to see loads of animals in their natural habitat. Last year we took a boat tour, and saw literally hundreds of dolphins. We also swam amongst many gorgeous tropical fish. Now there's different subject matter for you!

   If you are interested in joining Martine and I in Costa Rica this Winter, Jan. 10-19/2014 check it out at:

                          http://e2.ma/webview/vwcyg/32d2a7611e642a087777495c86a4f4a3

Here's some samples of my work from Costa Rica from last winter,....enjoy,.......remember less than an hour for each piece this is plein air....

 This is called the Welcome Plant, and is the most beautiful shades of red. I tried to capture the rich reds, and not sure I really got them. Love red though!

 This painting was done as part of our sunset challenge. We'd go to this hill right on the ocean, about 30 minutes before the sun set. We'd set up our compositions, then observe the changing colours as the red orb travelled to the other side. Quite a show. I was more transfixed here on the light on this ordinary weed, and it's gorgeous reach out to that orb. The sky and water merged in a lovely smudge of pastel colours.

 I thought this piece would be good to include for those stymied by a sea of green. You have to be creative, use your imagination, contrast light and colour, and stay away from that pesky detail. I get mys students to focus on compositional elements instead of getting caught up in detail or distractions. 

 This is a round room, at the entrance to Casa Grande, at Finca Exotica. My first stroll into the dining area, I knew I wanted to capture the light on these cushions. Isn't it inviting?

I've already mentioned getting creative. In this piece, I played with composition, a variety of rich and intense colours, and kind of a different dimension of picture plane. Experimenting with unusual picture planes can make for dynamics within your painting. I enjoyed all the different fruits in the southern hemisphere.

Back Home from France

         Good bye to 25 + weather and sun every day, good bye to meals made and only time to paint and teach. We did it again. Another bunch of plein air painters came to France with me this October. This trip, we seemed to be painting all the time, so great! Whether we were in town or out in the countryside, there's always something beautiful to paint. In fact, once I get warmed up, I see paintings absolutely everywhere. This can also be frustrating, when energy levels can't keep pace with. I can become a painting machine once I'm warmed up, then generally fall flat on my face from fatigue. Sound familiar anyone?
             The failing colours here in Canada didn't have me down this year, as I knew France would be behind schedule. However, with the exception of Ivy, turning bright red, the colours were barely coming on when we left. So I have already hatched a plan in my head-to paint the fall colours here til October is overm then hightail it over to France for November. I'm sure south of France November beats grey and cold Canada November, hands down. Another year, I will do this.

Chasing Shadows 

October layers in Fraysinnet

                                     

                                                              Souillac Lazy afternoon

Ivy Glory

        For "Chasing Shadows", a bunch of us were driving into the valley, trying to find the perfect angle of low sun for vivacious shadow work, late in the afternoon. We did find them, then I chose to do this scene anyways, though there are no shadows. It's a 5 minute drive to Fraysinnet, our retreat. Paintings, everywhere you turn. "October layers in Freysinnet" is the backyard of Le Vieux Couvent. I kept adjusting my stance just so I could get all the bits of colour that accented this scene. "Souillac, lazy afternoon", was by the river in the quaint little town of Souillac. The Ochres in these trees had me pulling out this vibrant pink--purple pastel paper to paint on and boy -- did it give me colour harmony! Ivy Glory is the eastern stone wall of Le Vieux Couvent, with the Ivy in all it's glory that I had talked about. Time to get out all reds, burgundys, purples. Mmmmmm.
         All these paintings took around an hour more or less. I look at plein air painting like training, like life drawing. You put yourself in an unknown environment, and you must act in the moment. Very free, spontaneous thoughts and choices always lead to freshness in your work. That's been my experience.  it's also risky and much more challenging than studio work. I am not complaining!

Back to Fraysinnet, France

Who knew, back in August of 2008, that I'd be trekking back to Le Vieux Couvent, so many times! Tomorrow we leave again, for a 10 day painting trip with my students. I've been painting the turning colours here as much as possible the last few weeks. In Fraysinnet, the colours are just starting to turn, so we'll be doing it all over again. One of the things I love about this trip, is being away from my house and usual responsibilities. To wake up every day, and your only objective is to paint! I have so much more energy, and can get excited about the gorgeous countryside around this art retreat, that I seem to continue to love and go back to. Corrine Campbell, owner of this retreat, has been hard at work renovating. Every time we go, there's some new improvement, and the place is really lovely. I can't wait to see what changes are in store for us. Also, I have never painted in France in the Autumn, so I'm open to this new experience as well.

      The only thing I'm worried about are my students. This group is largely made up of the group I took to Tuscany last year, where I wam-boosled them with a trivia quiz, based on art history and facts from the website of our retreat there. They weren't entirely impressed, and "roasted" me the next night, with their own trivia quiz. I have something similar in store for them this time, so Game-On! Girls!! 

Thanks Bonnie, for the photos. The first two photos are from our grand lunch at the Arts and Letters Club. A fabulous meal. In the third photo, curator Scott James shows us the Symbol for the Club, designed by none other than JEH MacDonald. It's a ship, representing our journeys into creative endeavours. And finally, just outside JEH MacDonalds' House, not quite the whole hang, but many of us there. Great time, thanks everyone, Margaret

In the footsteps of Tom Thomson and the group of Seven- in the GTA Sept. 2013

Good Morning from a cool but sunny Ottawa morning.
I am just back from Toronto where I was teaching, (with the help of some of my students), a most awesome workshop, based on the group of seven. We were 15 people all together, and I'm very fortunate to have had a great group.
Our workshop started in Kleinburg, at The McMichael Art Gallery-our only somewhat rainy day, but it cleared up very quickly. The workshop was opened with ceremony, by observing the "graves" of most of the group, singing Oh Canada, and "pinning" our American participants with Canada pins, to make them honorary Canadians for the week, while quoting a great Canadian and Artist, J.E.H.MacDonald:

Every day advanced the passing of the leaf, and soon our painters had to go in quest of the desirable 'spot of red.' The hills that had been crimson and scarlet with maple were changed to purplish grey. The yellow leaves were following fast. They realized one night of breaking cloud that there was a growing moon, and they looked at old star friends from the car door - the Dipper lying flat among the spruce tops, and one rare night bright Capella dimmed in a jet of Aurora. After such a night the trees could resist no longer, and they saw many a one cast off all her leaves in one desperate shower. Birch woods, that were dense yellow in the morning were open grey by night. But the wild cherry leaves still hung as though the high fifes and violins were to finish the great concert of colour. They were another of the notable little graces of the bush, daintily hung in every shade from palest yellow to deep crimson against the big blue-gold hills of the Montreal Valley. (J. E. H. MacDonald)

How appropo for our plein air week, with the leaves just starting to turn. 

We viewed the gallery with my student and McMichaels' docent, Cheryl Ward (Thank you Cheryl!). The collection included several pieces from every member of the group and Tom Thompson too. Thompson died before the group was formed. It was critical to view the work, as we study composition, plein air painting, and consider the current movements in art at that time, that influenced the group. We're talking about Impressionism, Fauvism, and Art Nouveau. 
After a great lunch there, we were treated to a little sun, and painted, en plein air, right there at the conservation area that is part of the magic of McMichaels. 
When our day was done, the traffic surrounding our way out was intimidating enough. So we decided to spend rush hour in the local pub, Chartreuse (great food and service). A really hard way to end the day. There's a really funny comedic waiter there who never disappoints, had us all laughing. 

Tuesday, we started at Thoreau MacDonald house, where his father, J.E.H. Macdonald moved his family, in 1916 (?-various different dates in different material as to the year, but 1913-1916, in there)). He wanted to get away from all the Who-ha of living in the big city. This was a 10 acre farm when he moved in, and this influenced others in the group to move north and out of the city. The house is now on a 2 acre lot, surrounded by trees, and is a protected public park. A whole day to paint! 

Wednesday was a really special day for us all. We started out at the AGO where the collection of artwork is truly awe inspiring. Their collection of group of seven is really very impressive. Alyson Wiley, another one of my students and docent there, arranged a great tour for us.  Seeing this collection took me to a different time and place, thinking what it would be like to be alive in this exciting time of change in the art world. 

We had just enough time to see the groups' work, and toddle down the street, to the Art and Letters Club, which was founded in 1908, with many of the group of seven as quite involved with the goings on there. We had a superb lunch, and a tour with their curator. Scott James, was very knowledgeable about everything, they have a very interesting and thorough collection of historical art books, especially covering early 1900s'. We could have stayed a long time, but fortunately/Unfortunately we had to leave.

Why? Because we had a meeting in the prints and drawings archives room back at the AGO. We were met by the curator of this area, which houses over 70,000 pieces of artwork. The curator had chosen out unusual sketches and paintings by the group of seven for us to have a look at. These pieces are hung in matts that protect them, but no glass, etc., allowing us to look very close up. We could ask to see anything in the collection, and also viewed drawings by Degas, and many Japanese prints. A truly awesome experience, just being up close like this with art. I love the idea that public art really is accessible. I do have to thank Alyson for this though, as she is the one who arranged this special visit. 

Thursday and Friday had us back at JEH, painting all day, critiquing at the end of the day, with totally glorious weather.

A great group, great weather. The only glitch was my Friday morning breakfast, when I wanted to serve porridge to everyone. Lawren Harris fed his colleagues a breakfast cereal called Roman Meal every morning when painting on location. There are bits and comments in various journals, describing this feeding frenzy each day. I got a kick out of this fact, and thought we could share a laugh over this. I had all the ingredients, but forgot a pot to cook it in!

Here's my offering, 3 paintings I did of the House itself, Thoreau Macdonald House. If you hear me refer to the house as J.E.H., that's my short form name for J.E.H.Macdonald. The City of Vaughan, who own this house, officially call this house Thoreau  MacDonald House. Thoreau was J.E.H.'s son, and he was also an artist and

also lived in this house.

What insight, to provide this house for exhibition and workshops in the GTA. I certainly do appreciate this! In painting outdoors, I find it useful to contrast the complex and overwhelming amount of foliage with something completely different, whether that's in value, colour or texture. In this case, the house provided a lovely uplift in value to the deep rich treatment of trees, bushes and grass. 

A long time coming

Well I've done pretty badly on the blogging front for 2012. On the other hand, I've had a pretty exciting year so far. I am still putting projects in motion to simplify life.

This summer, I had the priveledge to travel to Italy with my daughter Solange. We visited the town where my grandfather was born. We both fell deeply in love with the Montferrato hills. Why this is a relatively unknown part of the Piedmonte in north-western Italy, I'll never know. Gorgeous, gorgeous scenery (see pics above). We then travelled east to La Spezia, Porte Venere, and our final destination, Tuscany. Italy has fabulous and diverse countryside.

New Beginnngs

Isn't it great? Every year, renewal, changes and choices. A Re-invention of ourselves.
As an artist, I find a new challenge to further develop my human experience, every year. One year, it was-What, is faith? An artist must possess faith, otherwise, how could we pursue onward? We have to know, our time will come. To that end, this year, my challenge is simplicity. These are not new concepts. But the relevant ones just keep popping up at the right time. So this year, every time an oppurtunity flies in front of me, I'll be asking whether this works in simplifying my life or not? All decisions, leading to unburdening myself from unimportant responsibilities, in order to set myself free artistically.
I call it Permission Pie, Dues Paid.

Talking about what is important this year, for me, will be getting time to paint, and making the most of our upcoming trip to Tuscany, Italy. The lush greens in this pic of watermill plein air painters at Monte dei Bianchi square give me hope for what's ahead in August 2012!