What's New?

June 20, 2014


June is here.  My favourite month.  Roses and peonies abound in my garden and I
love being out in the fresh air painting.  Wish it would stay like this all year.  But alas,
not to be, so we have to take advantage of the weather now

Last weekend was spent at the Baldwin Resort on Lake Rosseau. A great time
spent painting, drinking wine and singing with a group from Central Ontario Art
Association.  It went by too quickly but looking forward to Geneva park and another
retreat at the Baldwin's next year.  So good to get away from the every day musts. Oh, another
thing, there were NO black flies.

Yesterday I was painting at the Paletta Estate in Burlington with Burlington Fine
Arts Plein Air group.  Lovely day with very nice friends.  I took my water soluble
oils and did a small painting of the house.  I came home full of inspiration and continued
painting this time with watercolours.  The peonies from my garden are almost finished
and I like to have at least one large painting plein air of these beautiful flowers.  If you
have not painted plein air.  Try it!  You just might like it.  Paintings done outside have
a spirit to them that eludes some studio paintings.  It is helpful in teaching you to
actually see what you are painting, not just looking! It almost feels as if you are playing
hookey, it's so much fun!

My classes at the Oakville Art Society are finished for the season but will start again in
the Fall for eight weeks.  Check with the Societies website for dates etc.

Come November I will again be in the Art in Action Tour in Burlington.  Looking
forward to seeing everyone and painting with this in mind.  Doing some small
oils to show.  Now that the weather is good I can paint outside with oils.  Asthma
prevents me from using the oils in my studio during cooler weather.  Seriously thinking
about doing plein air this winter.  Might make the winter fly by quicker.

Took the Mel Stabin workshop in May at Oakville.  What a charming and accomplished
man he was.  Mel is one of the first painters to do workshops around the country , his and
ours.  He was taught by Edgar Whitney who gave a start to so many wonderful workshop
teachers.  It was a great week and a good refresher course for me.

Have a wonderful summer and keep painting.  It is only by "just doing it" every day
that we become the artists we are striving to be.