Fish with Colour!

Fish in oil pastel

This painting is from a weekly drawing event on Wet Canvas. I couldn't resist the photo of fresh caught, silvery grey fish in a box for some reason. But I saw them in all colours of the rainbow.

I love oil pastel and the direct application of pure colour that you can draw, paint and blend with. I didn't like the dark background in the photo so I laid them on a bed of ice.

Landscape Workshop for Beginner Painters

Landscape for beginner painters

I am holding another landscape painting workshop this Saturday May 19, 3 - 5pm at the Art Experience, Michigan. The emphasis is on fun and the workshop is aimed at people who have not painted before or have limited experience. An 11x14 canvas and all supplies are included in the fee of $26. We will be painting the scene above in acrylic paints.

There is still time to book a place on this workshop if you do it by Wednesday May 16. More details on cost and booking a place on this Landscape Painting Workshop can be found by contacting the Art Experience on line or telephoning 248 706 3304.

Unfinished painting #2

Unfinished acrylic painting #2!

Another one pulled out of the stack between the supply shelves! A painting I started a long time ago. This painting is in acrylic on canvas of my two sons fishing on a lake near Barton City while on vacation up north in Michigan a few years ago.

Our last family vacation we spent together, complete with cat and dog, in a little cottage not far from Lake Huron. Lots of fun just exploring the countryside. I'd better get those rods and lines painted in if I want them to catch anything!

Kittens! Painting of Kittens Finished!

"Gina's Kittens"

Finished! Final tweaking done and the the kittens painting was finished last week, varnished and ready to go in it's frame. Had a couple of other projects on the go the last two months - not just painting - life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes ;-) A larger image of the kittens can be seen on my fine art site along with owls, dogs and other assorted animals.

I'm quite pleased with the outcome and wonder why I couldn't have finished it sooner. Oh, well I have another one pulled out from between the supply shelves that I will be working on over the next few weeks. In the meantime here is a close up of those adorable kittens:

Kittens Acrylic Painting - detail

Mystic Hare Painting

Mystic Hare

Well this blog is called Eclectic Easel! It echoes exactly what art finds its way onto my easel. I enjoy exploring different media to express different ideas and moods. So no paint, paper or sparkly stuff (see detail below) is left out of the studio - or off the canvas!

I love hares - all animals in fact. This painting echoes our view of animals  in mythology and animism as viewed by early Celts.  The hare, often associated with the moon, I placed in the celestial plane.

Mystic Hare: detail

 I collaged paper from photos of star fields for the body of the hare, bursting through and part of the constellations. The close up above shows some of the beading I incorporated with the paper, acrylic paint and medium. The detail in the mixed media painting continues over the frame.

A simple foray into mixed media / collage that will be revisited to try out textures and possibilities. If you have tried collage please share! Some of the reasons I paint can be found on my About the Artist page on my fine art website.

Progress on Kittens

Kittens Painting - a bit further on

Over the weekend I made progress on the kittens painting, finally I think the end is in sight! It's amazing sometimes how a few strokes with the brush and very little paint can make all the difference. I feel quite satisfied with the ginger and white cat's nose, nice and soft. There is still work to be done on its head and softening the fur on the head of the other kitten.

Started puttng in shadows on the table, more to do along with work on the basket itself. Then I want to do a something with the window behind the sill. Found an old frame at the studio that I will gesso, paint and then finish to set off the painting. Looking forward to finishing.

Colour Sketching

Colour Sketch

This time last week I was walking around Grand Rapids from Art Gallery to Museum on a cold and blustery day. I was trying out my new camera and endeavouring to put into practice some of the tips that I had learned at a photography class I'm taking to acquaint myself with its features.

After I gave up trying to remember how to check light, pull up the histogram and set other features we had gone over in class using creative modes on my Canon, plus juggling the manual in my soon frozen and numb fingers I did manage to get off a couple of shots. Nothing I would like saved for posterity you understand, but maybe the first steps in choosing what I want the photo to be, depth of field, etc, and get off the auto button. Well we all have to start somewhere!

Grand Rapids from one of the pedestrian bridges

 
The lighting and focus were off in most of them and I was too cold to hand around long outside if I wasn't moving. At least I had some source images for ideas on painting city-scapes. Back home (in the warm ) I quickly did a colour sketch from some of the photos I took while on a bridge looking at buildings along the waterfront. Good material for playing with colour and abstract painting. Well I didn't have my painting gear with me and I definitely would need a warmer day or several pairs of wooly gloves to go plein air!