New Art!

First off, a confession of sorts.  The artwork featured below is not exactly new.  It was completed towards the tail end of last year but got buried in the formidable list of responsibilities that go with moving ones' home and business.  In fact, I am busy with a number of new pieces now that I am fully set up in my new studio.  It is my hope that they will move along quickly and be up here to show the world before too many weeks have passed.

In the meantime, here are four 'new ' pieces to share.

Back in the hills

Not the first old truck 'frontal' I have depicted, and almost assuredly not the last.  
From an era where cars and trucks featured shapely curves and powerful forms, this Mercury pick up retains those striking elements and is now seasoned with the unique markings left by the passage of many years. 
When reviewing my artwork, there is typically one area, or aspect, often small or secondary, that I am especially satisfied with.  In the case of this work, it has to be the little speck of rich blue, located primarily above the headlight, on the fender.  In a painting of deliberately muted hues, this tiny flash of strong colour, draws my eye towards it like a magnet.     

---

Guelph House

Well, not the first old house painting for me, and again, definetaly not the last either.
Before Meaford became my new home, I lived near and visited often, the City of Guelph.  Like most places, it is changing, expanding and growing.  However, it is the older, long settled areas that I favoured; when seeking inspiration, or just somewhere to walk in the city.  In the central neighbourhood where this home is located, there are numerous  compelling older homes lining the streets.  This elegant home, smaller and less grand than many, caught my eye none the less.  I admired the simple yet sophisticated assemetrical design and complimentary colours that politely 'popped'.
This home painting is a sort of 'prototype' for a new artistic venture for me.  It is my intention to offer 'home portraits' to owners and admirers of historical homes of note.  More to come on this soon!   

---

Lookout

Working with paint and colour on canvas is a wonderful and challenging process, to be sure.  That said, there are times when I need to escape for a while and I use that time to reacquaint myself with my old friend, the pencil.  
Be it old films or black and white photographs, there is an unrivaled richness possible when the image is boiled down to simple variations of tone.
My favourite pieces are the ones that successfully communicate a feeling or mood.  Here, I wanted to capture that serenity that occurs when the paddles are lifted and the canoe is let to slowly glide along, while the scenery moves past in slow motion.  

---

Awaiting bailer

When the challenges of existing as an 'artist' have required, I, as many before me, have worked in other occupations to get by.  The direction I turned to was agriculture.  While worlds apart from creating art, farming does share some common traits.  Both reward careful study of the land and weather, and each demands long hours of hard work.
You can really only know a field and its surroundings, after you have travelled up and down it repeatedly, from early spring working, till late fall harvest.
This field was situated directly behind my last home. Although I walked it countless times over the last six years with only my dog as companion, I never tired of the task.     

---