Highway X22

Oil on Board 8*10
I have wanted to paint the mountains for such a long time and everytime I try they have been shrouded in mist or snow. I wanted to try a Mountain cloud thing, small mountains lots of clouds. I tried and I ended up with a frisbee, the clouds went by too fast and a storm front moved in. So I sat in the side of my car and put the tripod outside and painted, I was pelted a few times with hail, it was great.

Millerville sky

Oil on Board 8*10

I have driven past this site several times on the way to other places and I have always like the qualities of the place.

Prairie Sky

Oil on Board 10*12

This past month of april was a bit of a wash out for me as we had Snowstorms rain and all types of weather.
Here are three paintings I was able to complete.

Bragg Creek Creek

My wife and I went today to Bragg creek, I was able to find a couple of places whilst exploring and this was one of them. Here I am standing at the waters edge with a foot of Ice under me, 30cm for those who only understand metric. I was close to the edge and the weather is getting a lot warmer will it crack and break off dragging me into the 6 inches of freezing run off rapids, we can only hope.



Oil on board 8*10

I have only ever done one other river before and that was from a photo and it was an autumn scene so this was a challenge to get the light right and to get the edges in the distance to receed properly. Painting snow, Whooo weee, snow has many colours and greys so make sure your white pool is clean.

Near Bragg Creek

Oil on board 8*10
I tried this place last year and I didn't see anything at the time so it does pay to go back to previously visited places at different times of the year, and I can see different possibilities, As I was painting got pretty stormy and cloudy in the background but up close it was pretty bright, I will have to start exsaggerating shadow more as in paintings opposites are good, it adds interest, cool against warm, light against dark in focus out of focus, each one either dominant or recessive.

Spring Farm

Oil on Board 8*10
This one was the second one that I did, I was looking pretty much all day for something that would spark my interest, I drove out to Okotoks, a town South of Calgary, found a couple of possible places to paint but there wasn't anything I looking for, so I'll go back there later, Couldn't find anything else even though I had stopped a few times, nada, went home and got something to eat.

I went out again to a place I have been telling myself I should paint. Tried to paint the scene, over an Hour and Half battling with this thing, I said stuff it and dumped the board and started again. I painted this other scene I was also interested in, by now I had been dazzled by the light hitting my paintbrush, cold due to wind and pushed for time, as I had to get back home as I had my Scouts that night. So I slapped that paint down I really just went as fast as I could within reason. using the colours that I had used for the previous painting.

Cloudy sky

Oil on Board 8*10

I saw these clouds on the way home and they looked really good we had just has a sugar rush so I had to work it off.
I haven't had success with clouds I normally avoid them, because they are elusive, that means I have to paint them, so that I don't avoid things that are hard, I tend to do that.
I also learned that you have to squint to see if you have the values and colours right, to not only squint at the landscape, but also at your painting to make sure it is cohesive.

Golden Fields

Oil on board 6*8

This was a warm up piece I knew that there was a painting here that I had to do, So I poked around till I found something.
I had the family with me in the van, so I was hoping that they would be still and quiet as sound carried really far out there. We saw a lot deer Bouncing on all fours, a bit like four legged Kangaroos
When I had finished the painting we went to Nanton and visited the Sweet store there where they have a ton of sweets we haven't seen before like the German Mentos that are Lemon Yogurt oohh tasty.

Backroad 594

Oil on Panel 10*12

I tried something different, I went out in the foothills to see what I could see, and I found this place plus some pick your own Fruit places I can go with the family this Summer and an interesting Gardening store.
I like exploring and finding new places.

Coalhill road

Oil on Panel 8*10

I have painted here a few times before when I first started painting and it is interesting to see how much my work has progressed, I am a lot freer or confident with my strokes and I have a more contrast in the darks and lights.