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.

Near Turner Valley

oil on board 6*8

I drove around and got to Turner valley and knew that I had gone too far, I kind of get this nagging feeling, so I turned around and drove back up the road to Calgary, then I noticed this road I hadn't been to before, it said Dead end, the best ones are Dead Ends. So idrove all the way up and mmm didn't see much turned around and then came back and saw this scene which I have liked before but didn't have the skills at the time to paint it.

Snow Shadows

oil on board 8*10
I went out to this place I remembered last year in my travels, These little red huts stuck in the middle of nowhere with numbers on them. I liked the shadows and wanted a have a go at painting them and the Snow, which I knew to be tricky.

Snow Storm

Oil on Board 6*8

Well I got out today and I painted in the snow storm, Yehaa.
While I was driving with my car it was white out conditions partly because my windscreen ( windshield ) iced up on the inside and the side windows too, I was driving like an italian grandma looking through the defrosted section between the steering wheel.

I tried first to get to Fishcreek park but went round in circles, so I decided to go to South Glenmore Park instead. I was going to paint at the side of my van with the door open but the snow kept blowing so I huddled over my steering wheel and painted looking through the front window.

I liked the challenge of this painting , I did learn a couple of things painting it so that's good. See what happens next.