I was reading The Artist's Magazine today and found myself entranced by the amazing work of a fellow pastellist. Stacie Seuberling... She paints pastels of landscapes on paper using a tonal exploration of her subject that is then complemented with color. She produces atmospheric landscapes that are evocative and produce strong emotional responses. Mood paintings reaching deep into your soul to elicit a recognition of a time and place. I hope you will visit her website and read the article about her work and discover how the subtlety of her touch is so powerful.
http://www.stacieseuberling.com/
http://dev.artistsnetwork.com/medium/pastel/stacie-seuberling?r=tamchar081511&lid=tamchar081511
Explore the beauty of nature with me
Winter Landscape Northern Ontario
oil on linen on board 9X 12
Rushing Water - a work in progress and a shift from previous styles...
leave a comment... if you like the new approach
Rock Resting in the Stream
pastel on Sennelier paper
Birch Basking in the Sun
Pastel on Sennelier La Carte sanded paper November 2010
Snowy Sunshine in the Bush
Snowshoeing at Christmas at 40 degrees celsius below zero
Sunlit Trail
Bruce Trail in Ontario Pastel on Sennelier La Carte sanded paper
Sunlit Forest Pastel on Sennelier Paper
Bruce Trail near Hilton Falls
Calm Amidst the Storm
Contrasts in nature involve contrasts in light and dark, and colors contrasts but sometimes it includes subtle contrasts such as the gentle pool of water framed by the raging stream
Sunny Day in Dingle Park - Oakville
Pastel on Ampersand Board 16 X 20
Cedar Fence 2
On the Road to Brooks Hollow... Pastel on Sennelier La Carte sanded paper
Walk Through Dingle Park
What a Sunny Day
Dusk by the Dock
Norhern Ontario offers wonderful views just before night fall.
Cedar Springs near Lowville
Pre fall river around the time the fish come up river to die... Some of the trees have lost their leaves but the background has not really changed colors yet.
Cloudy Sunshine Day by the Lake
Love that water
The Lantern
Oakville is distinctive by the many homes with older style home and gates that still exist.
Northern Treeline
Love that sky ... Northern Ontario near Kapuskasing in December sometimes goes down to 40 below with a windchill of minus 20
Ferns Basking in the Sun 2
Wonderful shimmering sunshine on the floor of the forest. Bruce Trail extending from Crawford Lake to Rattlesnake Point
Midday on the Pond
not quite finished but almost there
Ferns Basking in the Sun
On the trail at Rattlesnake Point - Pastel on Sennelier
Autumn Fence Pastel on Sennelier La Carte paper
On the road to Ottawa
Big Puddle of Water
A river near Quebec city
Puddle of Water
Capturing the flow of water is an interesting challenge. Some people think of water as blue. Water is clear and it takes on the color of whatever surrounds it. Now it is blue, now it is green or brown or yellow. Water takes on the color of whatever is behind it or whatever is in front of it.
Lawn Birch
Yukon Stream
Many people comment that this painting has a Groups of Seven feel to it. I can't say that I understand that statement but as long as people seem to enjoy it.
Autumn Colors Pastel on Sennelier La Carte
Fiery Bush
sometimes called Two Birch standing...
Open Gate 1
One of those idyllic Oakville scenes that will disappear with the new monstrosities being built
Open Gate 2
The same gate - a different perspective - a different season
Yukon Wonders
Fishing Pond
Plein air Pastel on Sennelier La Carte paper
Big Icicles Create Rivers
Northern river
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
To Landscape Or Not No Landscape
I am always amazed as I peruse through the work of fellow artists how diverse the interest areas tend to be. Abstact painters tend to paint abstract pieces and they often have preferences for certain forms and certain color patterns... Some people's work is saturatted with red or blue while others prefer charcoal as the main protagonist in their work.
I am focussed on the colours and forms present in the forest and streams. I am particularly interested in the way sunlight creates highlights certain forms and underlines others with shadows.
Where does the motivation to paint a stream or a brightly lit path through a forest come from? I am not sure. However, I spent three hours wandering with my camera and my sketch pad yesterday in the middle of a gorgeous sunny fall day just soaking in images. The main question on my mind was how I would paint that patch of red leaves framed by the dark blue of the lake in the background.
Yesterday, I set out to try and capture the great egret that I spotted earlier in the week. I planned to get closer and try and get close up shots given it is not camera shy like the great blue heron. In fact as birds go, I would suggest it actually enjoys showing off for the camera. I did spot it but from a distance and in a location that I could not approach. I gave up on the egret and I found myself entranced by the beautiful fall colours mirrored on the pond. Three hours later, I woke up and realized I had been wandering from one spot to the next... sketching a crook in a tree, birds basking in the sun on a log, and taking multiple pictures of one thing and another.
I have always been captured by nature... I have always talked to the trees... I have always sketched mushrooms and rocks and trees and mountains... It is this strong connection to nature that comes out in my painting. It is the desire to capture these moments of visual pleasure and share them that interests me. I am further attracted to water in all of it's forms... calm and reflecting the world around it or churning rapids ripping through everything in it's path. I struggle to decipher the dancing of sunlight through the various layers of water. Water offers a variety of views simultaneously. A lake presents a mirror like reflection of the trees in the distance while simultaneously allowing a transparent view of the rocks soaking on the shore at your feet.
I paint to express this feeling of amazement about the wonders of the world around me. I don't expect it to change the world. I hope that my paintings allow people to experience some of the feeling of amazement present when I first encountered certain places. Maybe some can enjoy the pictures for a moment and forget about the hardships of everyday life.
I am focussed on the colours and forms present in the forest and streams. I am particularly interested in the way sunlight creates highlights certain forms and underlines others with shadows.
Where does the motivation to paint a stream or a brightly lit path through a forest come from? I am not sure. However, I spent three hours wandering with my camera and my sketch pad yesterday in the middle of a gorgeous sunny fall day just soaking in images. The main question on my mind was how I would paint that patch of red leaves framed by the dark blue of the lake in the background.
Yesterday, I set out to try and capture the great egret that I spotted earlier in the week. I planned to get closer and try and get close up shots given it is not camera shy like the great blue heron. In fact as birds go, I would suggest it actually enjoys showing off for the camera. I did spot it but from a distance and in a location that I could not approach. I gave up on the egret and I found myself entranced by the beautiful fall colours mirrored on the pond. Three hours later, I woke up and realized I had been wandering from one spot to the next... sketching a crook in a tree, birds basking in the sun on a log, and taking multiple pictures of one thing and another.
I have always been captured by nature... I have always talked to the trees... I have always sketched mushrooms and rocks and trees and mountains... It is this strong connection to nature that comes out in my painting. It is the desire to capture these moments of visual pleasure and share them that interests me. I am further attracted to water in all of it's forms... calm and reflecting the world around it or churning rapids ripping through everything in it's path. I struggle to decipher the dancing of sunlight through the various layers of water. Water offers a variety of views simultaneously. A lake presents a mirror like reflection of the trees in the distance while simultaneously allowing a transparent view of the rocks soaking on the shore at your feet.
I paint to express this feeling of amazement about the wonders of the world around me. I don't expect it to change the world. I hope that my paintings allow people to experience some of the feeling of amazement present when I first encountered certain places. Maybe some can enjoy the pictures for a moment and forget about the hardships of everyday life.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The trials and tribulations of Plein Air
I went out today... a beautiful sunshiny day to paint near one of my favorite locations, Dundas, Ontario. Falls, streams and mountains all collaborate to make it an exciting place to hike and explore.
I found a fishing hole that I wanted to paint... with the sun in the background... the shadow of two large willow trees strewn across the stream in a long reflection shattered by the quivering of ripples... Beautiful indeed!!!
I sat with my coffee to take it all in and then set up having mentally captured what I wanted to paint... I set up my easel, my paper on a board and my boxes of pastels...
An hour into it, having blocked in the main elements and the large color masses, I stood back 5 feet to get a better look. Out of nowhere, one of those small twisters came flying off the lake and threw all of it up in the air. It was not really high... Just enough to upset the whole thing... I was able to catch the easel in mid-flight with one hand and steady the attached box of pastels with the other, thereby minimizing the damage and preventing the whole thing from being spread all over the landscape.
The painting was not affected in any way but half of my pastels were littered in the sand. Needless to say, that the next 30 minutes was spent on my knees picking up the precious pieces of pastel, cleaning them up and fitting them back in the box. After this, I did manage to spend another 45 minutes working and felt satisfied that I had produced a reasonable start to a painting that I could work from in the studio.
The pleasure of plein air are accentuated by the unpredictable. The elements, whether it is the sun, the wind or the rain often contribute to make moments memorable. Today's adventure will certainly remain a souvenir for a long time.
I found a fishing hole that I wanted to paint... with the sun in the background... the shadow of two large willow trees strewn across the stream in a long reflection shattered by the quivering of ripples... Beautiful indeed!!!
I sat with my coffee to take it all in and then set up having mentally captured what I wanted to paint... I set up my easel, my paper on a board and my boxes of pastels...
An hour into it, having blocked in the main elements and the large color masses, I stood back 5 feet to get a better look. Out of nowhere, one of those small twisters came flying off the lake and threw all of it up in the air. It was not really high... Just enough to upset the whole thing... I was able to catch the easel in mid-flight with one hand and steady the attached box of pastels with the other, thereby minimizing the damage and preventing the whole thing from being spread all over the landscape.
The painting was not affected in any way but half of my pastels were littered in the sand. Needless to say, that the next 30 minutes was spent on my knees picking up the precious pieces of pastel, cleaning them up and fitting them back in the box. After this, I did manage to spend another 45 minutes working and felt satisfied that I had produced a reasonable start to a painting that I could work from in the studio.
The pleasure of plein air are accentuated by the unpredictable. The elements, whether it is the sun, the wind or the rain often contribute to make moments memorable. Today's adventure will certainly remain a souvenir for a long time.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A New Adventure
Well, I have moved from Oakville to Toronto and am well set up both in my new place and in the studio. I have enjoyed heading out to Walnut Studio in the am and working for a few hours in the solitude of the studio. I love the sound of silence in a large space... I just finished a portrait of my best friends recently departed wife... and am struggling with the question whether to give it to him or not... It is not always clear in these instances what is best...Letting the thought sit for awhile and the decision will eventually let itself known...
After working for a few hours, I get to do my power walk to the office 30 minutes away... see my clients and families... at the end of the day around 8 or 9 pm... I walk back and end the day painting...
I like the pattern of short spurts of painting... it lets me ponder what my next move will be... I tend to choose subjects that I respond to emotionally but that also present a technical challenge at the same time. Therefore the painting is a learning experience... There are times I have to walk away and let it sit while I work on another piece to let the problem percolate and to allow myself to have fresh eyes... Whenever the work becomes to laboured or strained, it is a sign that should sit down in my rattan chair and literally look at it for awhile...
I try to practice mindfulness looking and just see what is there without any thoughts about my previous plans for the painting. This new pattern of twice a day visits will allow me to carry this out...The other benefit for me is the end of the day painting allows me to let go of the day of doing family therapy and provides a transition to rest and eventually into sleep...
It should be interesting to see how this new work pattern schedule pans out over the winter months as the walking is made more difficult by the snow and slush...
The third benefit of this schedule is to increase the time devoted to walking to control my diabetes... Walking calms me and allows me to let go of the day at the office and prepares me to focus in on what I am painting.
Looking forward to this new adventure of painting from a studio instead of out of my own space.
After working for a few hours, I get to do my power walk to the office 30 minutes away... see my clients and families... at the end of the day around 8 or 9 pm... I walk back and end the day painting...
I like the pattern of short spurts of painting... it lets me ponder what my next move will be... I tend to choose subjects that I respond to emotionally but that also present a technical challenge at the same time. Therefore the painting is a learning experience... There are times I have to walk away and let it sit while I work on another piece to let the problem percolate and to allow myself to have fresh eyes... Whenever the work becomes to laboured or strained, it is a sign that should sit down in my rattan chair and literally look at it for awhile...
I try to practice mindfulness looking and just see what is there without any thoughts about my previous plans for the painting. This new pattern of twice a day visits will allow me to carry this out...The other benefit for me is the end of the day painting allows me to let go of the day of doing family therapy and provides a transition to rest and eventually into sleep...
It should be interesting to see how this new work pattern schedule pans out over the winter months as the walking is made more difficult by the snow and slush...
The third benefit of this schedule is to increase the time devoted to walking to control my diabetes... Walking calms me and allows me to let go of the day at the office and prepares me to focus in on what I am painting.
Looking forward to this new adventure of painting from a studio instead of out of my own space.
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