Camera! (No) Action! Animals!

Recently, I have had access to a small private forest.  I set up a motion camera  to get a voyeuristic look at the creatures of the night. My real hope was to get images of a coyote in the brush before foliage appeared. I wanted to use this personally obtained reference for a  painting about solitude and alienation. For the first month the only evidence of any wildlife was the tiny silhouette of a bat far off in the darkness.  At least I knew the camera worked, but I had to reconsider its place. The results?  Something more suitable to a children's story. "Mr. Racoon, Mr. Possum and Ms. Cat live Alone in My Forest".  I have more animal action in my urban backyard.

Recently, when I was able to check out the camera, a new character arrived on the scene.  About 20 minutes after Ms. Cat prowled by, this fellow appears, and changes his course to follow what I believe are the cat's tracks. Hopefully, on my next check of the camera, I will see that this lovely fox was 20 minutes too late.

More Little Portrait Paintings

For those of you who don't know I am gradually filling one of my studio walls with my 100 Little Portrait Project a series of 6" x 6" portrait oil paintings on canvas portraits. Here are a few of the portraits commissioned before Christmas.  I work from photos e-mailed to me, or from photos I take, if the subject comes to my studio on my "open to the public" days.

But so far, to my surprise,  almost every painting commissioned  is as a surprise gift for a loved one. Do you know that goes for my large portraits, too? They are almost always a gift!

Related articles

• Alert! Mini Portrait of a Big Bear (christinemontagueart.wordpress.com)
• Pet Portrait is No. 14 of 100 Little Portrait Paintings (100littleportraits.wordpress.com)
• New Little Portrait Painting No. 12. Two Year Old Toddler. (100littleportraits.wordpress.com)

Cat Not Out of the Bag...Yet

Any one who has owned a cat, or even been around one for a while, knows that cats have a thing about bags. If a bag is open, the cat will do its best to make its home. Well, this seal point Rag doll cat, has set up house in a paper bag, his "cat cave", if you will. He figures that if  he can't see you, you can't see him, and all is well with the world. From the safety of his trusty paper bag he will watch the world go by until he succumbs to a nap.

I finished this larger than life cat painting of a Seal Point Rag Doll cat in a bag, today. It is the latest in my series of big cat paintings. As you may have surmised, by "big cat", I don't mean tigers and lions (and bears, oh my). The reference is literal in meaning. Domestic cats painted big. Very big.

These oil paintings pay homage to the character (talk about character) of our feline friends, by the fact that we look up at the subject portrayed. But  the cat, himself?  He probably thinks that these paintings show us in our true light as something much, much smaller (see "Who's For Dinner?").

Whatever the case, this cat,  drying on the easel in my studio in the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre, is not yet ready to be out of the bag and on the wall.

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

The large 48" x 48" cat painting seen at the top of the photograph is an original oil & oil stick painting entitled "Who's For Dinner?!"

This graphic painting with a bit of dark humour to it,  has received so much  positive attention from visitors to my Williams Mill studio in Halton Hills that I am now offering a giclee reproduction on canvas print of it.

The original painting "Who's For Dinner" is 48" x 48" . It is a black, silver & white oil stick and oil painting on gallery mount canvas. The edges are painted black. Please feel free to contact me about the original painting's price.

There are two sizes of giclee.

36" x 36" giclee on canvas is at the introductory price of $300 Cdn + HST.  The  slightly metallic silver oil paint looses this metallic sheen in the reproduction, but as you can see above, the two are remarkably similar. The print is also on gallery mount canvas and the edges are black. Only for the original will be 48" x 48".

12" x 12" giclee on canvas is at the introductory price of $79 +HST. It is also on a gallery mount canvas.

Perhaps, the poor Golden Lab "Guilty",  should be "Concerned".

What do you think?

Yes, Virginia, There Are Art Cards in the Studio

It is always a good day when I open my mail super box & see a key, because a key means that I have a parcel. And who doesn't like a parcel? Inside this parcel, were 90 fine art greeting cards with images of my paintings on them. After having repeated inquiries for greeting cards in my studio, I relented. I ordered a small trial batch before Christmas...and without any effort on my part, they sold out! Seemed only natural to order more.

Now I had nothing against greeting cards. It is just that self producing them, i.e. printing & packaging, is a time-consuming process. If you consider the value of the time better spent in the studio, time spent making one's own cards, well.. it just wasn't for me.

So when I heard of a company that not only prints them, but packages them nicely too....well... I reconsidered, gave them a try, and here I am, checking out 10 different styles of cards.

I have to admit it's pretty fun to open a box filled with cards with my paintings on them. Now, just to someday open that box with the books with my paintings in them............

Anyhow, there are art cards in my studio and I hope you'll like them too.

"Who's For Dinner" at the Dragonfly? It's Art.

 

If you are up in the Orangeville area - just north of Brampton and north-west of Toronto, be sure to drop into the lovely "Dragonfly Arts on Broadway". My larger than life oil and oil stick painting of a cat , seen from  the viewpoint of "something" much smaller, is featured in the window there until Halloween.  I have heard great things about the Dragonfly Gallery over the past couple of years, but had never been there myself until last week.

Broadway is the "main" street accessed directly off Hwy 10, so the gallery is easy to reach. This main street is attractively maintained, has a variety of shops and eating establishments and the parking is free!

"Who's for Dinner?"  - a huge attraction in my studio - is the latest in my big cat series. I don't paint with decorating in mind, but with its dramatic scale, use of black and silver, I have not been alone in  imagining it over a leather couch or over a server in a contemporary dining room. See it at the delightful Dragonfly Arts on Broadway Gallery http://www.dragonflyarts.ca/ until the end of October.

Now You Know How the Mouse Feels

Finally! I  finished the third in the series of "Big Cat" oil paintings. Although visitors to my studio especially love the Big Cat 1 painting and it inspires many a conversation, I have great fondness for the humour behind this work. Wouldn't want to be the mouse. I envision this painting in someone's dining room over the sideboard. It's really title should be " Who's for Dinner?"

Cool Cat

Imagine this big Main Coon cat  greeting you in the hallway when you get home or on the big wall at the stair landing! Well loved by all that visit my studio - even by those who aren't cat fans  (as one woman stated "Imagine if it was a horse!") this cat would be a unique art work for the home.  Painting #2 in the Giant Cat Series. 60" high by 40" wide. Black and white oil painting with gold and silver oil paint and oil stick. Next up - "Who's for Dinner"  - the 3rd in the series is almost finished too.

Ten Little Cat Paintings

These ten little 5" x  7" cat  oil paintings may, I am thinking, be the first of a series of 100. In this first set most are of cats and wallpaper. One is an "Es-cat -ment" (a play on the Niagara Escarpment) , and one is a "harlecat". Most have silver or gold oil paint.

New mini cat oil paintings

In contrast to the 5 foot cat portraits I am working on, these new  5" x 7 " oil paintings on canvas  were a rewarding change of pace.

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.

Taking Shape: New Cat Painting Begins

A new giant cat is emerging from the dark in my latest oil and oil stick painting - seen here in my studio at the Williams Mill.

The Colour Shaper tool is again proving useful to both add and remove paint creating great fur texture. Read all about the Forsaline & Starr Colour Shaper & how to use it here.

Finished Big Cat Painting Today

I didn't want to leave the studio today until I finished this painting - I was so anxious to see it completed. Although I adore painting in oils, drawing was my first love, and so, it was exciting for me  to both draw (oil sticks) & paint (oils) in this art work. This piece also combines my love of portraits, my love of animals and my love of black (I am only painting in black until they invent something darker). Equally as fulfilling was my use, for the first time, of silver oil paint as my "white" - although its reflective values proved a little trickier to photograph. My iphone camera, couldn't quite do the trick.

Do you know that many artists give a lot of thought to the placement & appearance of  their signature on their paintings? Well, I am one of those artists. This new work called for a different look to my signature. Traditionally, on my carefully rendered, realistic paintings, I carefully print my full name in block lettering. I don't like my signature to distract from the work, and even will use more than one colour to print it so that the signature  flows with the work. This painting called for something more expressive. Artist Carmen Hickson of www.theredpigstudio.com lent me a nifty colour pushing brush* ( a rubber chisel tip instead of bristles). It was perfect for carving out a cursive signature with values that suited the painting.

By the way, "Big Cat Painting" is not the official title of the painting...

* I don't know the official name of these rubber tipped brushes, and tried unsuccessfully to  google them for this post. My son, who used to work at Curry's Art Supplies, informed me they weren't big sellers, but I sure found it terrific to use.  Do you know what this type of brush is called?  I did however find this new neat little cleaning gadget while trying to find the rubber brush name https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=A021B006823&Source=Search. I could have used this when washing piles of black oil paint out of about 8 brushes this evening :D

New Art - Giant Cat Portrait Painting Continues

Yesterday I mentioned I used Tri-Art's sludge as the preliminary step (the canvas was already gessoed in white)  to starting this 60" x 48" cat painting. I was quite enamoured of the taupe, neutral colour of the sludge, and began the day by ensuring areas had the sludge show through. This was not my original vision for the painting. Sometimes it pays to go with one's instincts, but in this case it was keeping me from connecting with the portrait. If I don't fall in love with the face, I know something is wrong.

So back to the plan - Black and silver oil paint for this silver tabby. What appears white in this painting, or light gray is actually silver. The painting is not done yet. But the concept that one side of the cat disappears into the darkness, and the other side is awash in silver light -  is becoming clearer.

This oil painting incorporates the use of oil sticks as well as oil paints.

New Painting Begins: Giant Cat Portrait

I just finished a series of 8" x 8" paintings  - Scotsdale Farm: Snow & Shadows. I needed to stretch my wings after painting so small.

A larger than life portrait painting of a Maine Coon cat in silver, black, and white oil stick and oils seemed the natural next step.

What I have done so far -

• It is the first time I have used Tri-Art "sludge". I used it to cover the white canvas and add some texture.
• After applying the sludge, I saw a large cat eye, ear &  head looking right in the swirls of the paint.
• Decided to go with my instincts. Found a photo of my silver tabby  Main Coon cat to use roughly as a reference.
• &  voila ... the painting begins. The face emerges some more out of the darkness.

The Fine Art of Mystery, Migration in Mississauga

This is one of two drawings I have started with two very different paintings in mind. I normally don't work on more than one painting at a time  - but both themes have equally grabbed my attention. This drawing , with my son as a model, expresses the sentiment of a young man waiting for arrival of  news that will take him away from his suburban home. He knows he will not hear until the spring.

Migrating birds have settled in the yard on their flight south. The young man startles them and their sudden flight brings catches him in the moment.  He wants to be leaving too.

This suburban yard, and landscape devoid of summer foliage holds no interest for him to stay. He is like the one lawn chair (at the end of the deck) waiting to be put away. The house across the street , representing "man and his castle" is in shadow.

The Cat Series: Here is a marker and pencil drawing to get a feel for "The Visitor" . Although unintentional, I like that  I started the series on Feb. Friday the 13th. The real mystery? How shall I execute this (how Friday the 13th)? A painting done in a graphic novel style? Realistically? Only the shadow knows...at the moment:)