Baby Buddha in the Wabi Sabi Garden

Last summer I completed the infrastructure for a zen garden for my wife. This little Buddha found itself well placed under my dwarf Japanese maple tree. It got quickly enveloped by some ground hostas, so I moved it this year to sit on a rock near the water fountain I rigged from a reclaimed cement … Continue reading Baby Buddha in the Wabi Sabi Garden

Strange Perspectives before Being Eaten

When editing, I always take a look at the photo in greyscale to see where the light and shadows belong. When I pealed away the colours on this one, something strange developed that I just can't put my finger on. The whole perspective shifter from one where I felt to be looking down into the … Continue reading Strange Perspectives before Being Eaten

A Little Yellow Peeks Out

I'm not sure what this little weed is; I only know it's beautiful! There are a few that pop up around my garden, from under a heavy cover of other plants. They almost always only have a single yellow blossom showing at a time and several waiting their turn. It is only about 2mm x … Continue reading A Little Yellow Peeks Out

A Very Green Affair

I've been cultivating wild sumacs into a nice hedge for a few years now and they are always growing. The baby leaves are tiny and almost insect-like. When I shot this macro, the sun was extremely bright and it looked like white heat was emanating from the plants. All I needed to do was hike … Continue reading A Very Green Affair

A Procession of Pink

My Cabot roses are fading early this year, or so it seems to me. They only seem to last a day before wilting, but I may be imaging things due to my busy work schedule. I'm only really looking at them every few days. Regardless, I am endeavouring to capture the vibrant pink every chance … Continue reading A Procession of Pink

Lil’ Devil Fighting Boredom

Another lunchtime break that felt too long and being in the art room is a little like my being a kid in a candy store... so much temptation to take and use the abundance of art materials. I let my respect for karma dictate my actions and leave most of the stuff alone... I only … Continue reading Lil’ Devil Fighting Boredom

A Day at the Beach – Solving an overworked Sky

The burnt umber outlines really helped me see a new direction for the sky. I wanted the figure to stand as the main focus of the composition, so I needed a muted background to go against the skin. I was not happy with the b blues I had on it previously and felt strongly that … Continue reading A Day at the Beach – Solving an overworked Sky

A Day at the Beach – Laying in some colours

It feels like much longer than a week since I added colours to the initial layers as seen in the previous posting. I had started with bolder colours and felt that would be where it was meant to go, but it really wasn't. I started in on adding textures and movement in the sky behind … Continue reading A Day at the Beach – Laying in some colours

A Day At The Beach – First layers of paint

It is amazingly satisfying to pile on paint with a pallet knife... simultaneously obliterating the texture of the underpainting and creating a whole new surface texture. I also feel like the paint is more alive when it's very thick. I want to continue painting and adding colours, wet on wet, and see the messy magic … Continue reading A Day At The Beach – First layers of paint

The Bathers – Complete – Sorry for the delay

I've been a little preoccupied with report cards and year-end curricula for my first graders, as well as my daughter's high school graduation... add to that life keeps me busy with many other things. So, I haven't taken the time to try and escape the painter's block I felt. I moved the painting around the … Continue reading The Bathers – Complete – Sorry for the delay