Second Second Saturday Spashdown

Today was the second of the "Second Saturday Collectors' Special" series offered in my studio and that of fellow Williams Mill artist Carmen Hickson.

Carmen and I each create a new painting that is not unveiled until the second Saturday of each month. For that day only, each of our new paintings are offered at only a fraction of  their worth.

For example, this month's 18" x 24" oil painting one canvas " Study for Summer Fun" - completed just this morning - was only $100 plus HST.  It's wholesale value is $300 plus tax.

Why was this work offered as a lost leader?

Visitors to our studio are always enthusiastic about our work, but  through conversation, it would seem that many of these visitors have never bought original art.

So, we have set about to ease the struggle  the potential collector  may feel in taking that first  step  in buying original art. We sincerely want to help people experience the joy that comes from owning original art ...and it is a joy!

We also have the fun of challenging ourselves in what special work we will create for this special day.

And to add to the excitement - other Williams Mill artists have decided to take part in August's Second Saturday Collector's Special.  Now we can hardly wait for August. What wonderful works and special deals will August bring?

The Artist Studio - Big Cats "Spring Into Art"

[slideshow] Above are a few photos of my studio - all cleaned up for this past weekend's  "Spring into Art" Open House - an annual event on the first weekend of May  at the Williams Mill Visual Artist Centre. Lots of black oil paint going on it those giant paintings of cats! I changed the "wet paint" sign to the more effective "Warning   - Big Wet Cat".

Artist Carmen Hickson supplied the tulips, and not seen,  I had lilacs and crabapple blossoms. As an aside, lilacs are out  in Mississauga, are simply buds in Halton Hills, and a visitor told me are not yet in bud in Ottawa. The coffee was ready to brew on the Keurig, and the chocolates were out. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by. I always appreciate your investing in my art.

Couldn't make it this time? My studio, as well as the over 30 others at the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre are open Fridays and Saturday 12 - 5 pm. The Williams Mill Gallery is open Wednesday to Sundays 12 - 5 pm.

The Williams Mill is in the western GTA (Greater Toronto Area). It is only 5 minutes south of Terra Cotta, and  is 15 minutes north of Winston Churchill Blvd. and the 401 in Mississauga.

Today's New Oil Painting #5 in Scotsdale Series by Christine Montague

Painting No. 5 (please note: now sold) in my oil series - One Cold Winter's Day - Scotsdale Farm. Scotsdale Farm, a heritage property now owned by the province of Ontario, is a beautiful Bruce Trail farm property with American Colonial architecture just north of my Williams Mill studio in Halton Hills . Standing down by the barn, I turned and looked back across, what in summer I imagine is a lovely green lawn, but is now covered in snow boldly banded in shadow. One strongly edged tree stood directly in my line of vision . It stood out in the circle of trees. I have given this 8" x 8" painting the title "Centre of Attention" but perhaps  "Poser"is more appropriate?

Today's New Oil Painting #4 in Scotsdale Series by Christine Montague

By 6:15 a.m. this morning, I was out of the drive through at Tim's and on my way to the studio. I finished this little 8" x 8" oil painting of the bird feeder at Scotsdale Farm by 11. Don't be fooled I did not get this painting done in just a couple of hours. Although, I paint with confidence and rarely go back on what I do - these 8 x 8's still always take 8 - 10 hours of solid uninterrupted painting to complete. This is the fourth in my series of 8 x 8 inch paintings based on my January 2nd , 2010 visit to Scotsdale Farm with the Ontario Plein Air Society (OPAS). It was - 25 degrees C. that day and we experienced everything from bright sunshine to grey snow swirls.

Scotsdale Farm is a heritage property  on the Bruce Trail, just north of Georgetown and my Williams MIll Studio in Glen Williams, Halton Hills, Ontario.

Today's New Painting #2. Scotsdale Series by Christine Montague

Up and out early to my studio in the Stone Building of the heritage Williams Mill this morning, I was painting by 7:30 am.  This little painting 8" x 8" oil painting of the stone silo at the province owned heritage  site, the Scottsdale Farm. This beautiful old stone silo  is on the Bruce Trail  (a popular walking trail - part of the Niagara Escapement in Ontario, Canada).

I love the architecture of the American Colonial Buildings at this farm which I visited for the first time January 2 of this year with my plein air painting group OPAS. With three works of art inspired by this visit completed already, and other ideas lined up ready and waiting - I guess a Scotsdale Farm series is in the works! The photo below is very glossy as so fresh off the easel & it was still too dark out to take outside in more even light.  Not a bad start to my day! And here is a better picture of "The Fourth Tree"  - also a Scotsdale Farm painting.

Today's New Oil Painting: The Fourth Tree. #1 in Scotsdale Series

Finished January 31st, this is an 8" x 8" oil painting on canvas. The long shadow lets us know exactly what the fourth  tree  - by the little white shed at the Scotsdale Farm -  looks like. Cold, crisp winter day in Ontario. That snow didn't stay for long though. Pretty to paint, but more attractive when gone.

Doing my best to stick to schedule and keep the art work coming. Exciting to see the new art work begin to line  up in my Williams Mill studio.

Scotsdale Farm has a wonderful array of white American colonial style buildings that are as wonderful to photograph as paint. It is part of the Bruce Trail, in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada, and is not too far a drive from my studio north of Mississauga.

New - 3rd Oil Painting in Ontario Series

My first oil painting of 2010 - the third the series "the Reluctant Tourist". 24" x 24".   Seaforth  is a pretty Ontario town we passed through on the way to Bayfield ( Bruce County, Lake Huron cottage country), Ontario, Canada. My daughter was victorious in her finds in a second-hand store.  Now on to the next in the series, after I finish the little Scotsdale Farm painting I am now working on.

Warming up to Plein Air Painting

Minus 32 degrees celsius with the wind chill did not deter 8 members of the Ontario Plein Air Society (OPAS) from meeting at the heritage Scotsdale Farm, on the Maureen Smith trail area of the Bruce Trail in Ontario.

This was my first visit to the lovely American colonial style farm buildings, and my need to explore and photograph, took precedence over my need to paint. Long tree shadows crossing over white clapboard buildings, a stone silo dusted in snow, and weather vane topped cupolas made for inspiring photo taking.

As there was so much to see, it took me a while to settle down to draw with my Cray pas oil pastels. But by the time I did, the weather changed - everything going grey. Still beautiful, but we all became a little more conscious it was winter. Shadows disappeared, and snow  swirled off the roof tops, as in the little 8" x 8" oil pastel drawing on canvas I did, and am quite fond of, even though it was quickly produced, for the grand jaunte it represents.

By drawing on location, my feet buried in the snow,  in a farm pen that I had to climb over a fence to get to, for the view I wanted, I can still feel the crispness of the air, and replay the image of the snow swirling past the silo I was drawing. The paintings of Scotsdale Farm that will be created  in the comfort of my Williams Mill studio - these paintings, will certainly benefit from the plein air experience.

To see a video by Zan Barrage on this plein air day, with some great tips (e.g. how to use socks..) click here. For the OPAS blog with plein air painting info, click here.

A New Plein Air Painting

Today was the third gathering of the new group Ontario Plein Air Society.  Nine of us met at the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre in Glen Williams.  We used my former studio in the beautifully restored old yellow mill - which can now be rented by the half day - as a home base, but painted down the road by the Credit River.

In my secluded little spot on a couple of feet of eroded shoreline, and only a foot from the water, I painted the tree line that stood at my eye level, resulting in the oil painting on canvas above "Spring Growth by the Credit River. A Glen Williams, Halton Hills scene) . The day was hot, and very bright, but in my tiny shady oasis, I was cool and relaxed by the lapping water. That is, after I decided to ignore the huge yellow jacket that buzzed in front of my eyes every 20 minutes, and the clouds if midges that wafted above now and then!

Some terrific paintings were produced by all, and it is always fascinating to see each artist's interpretation of  the same location.  I am always surprised how  3 hours of painting outdoors feels like a happy day away! (Please note: this plein air painting is now sold)

Today we were honored that J. Bandini, President of the International Plein Air Painters Worldwide Organization drove all the way from Niagara Falls to join us.

And for those of you who think you might like giving painting out doors a try - the following is info on OPAS. By the way OPAS is free, and anyone is welcome. It is a way for plein air painters across the GTA and beyond, to link up to paint.

http://ontariopleinairsociety.blogspot.com

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