ARROWLEAF LAKE

ARROWLEAF LAKE
8" x 10" Cradle Board
Ready to Hang



April Fool!

No not really. If you think you've seen this before, it is a similar painting to ARROWLEAF DAISIES from a few days ago. Sometimes it's a challenge to come up with new and pleasing compositions, so if I like a composition I create a mirror image. Sometimes these work hung together, but in this case they will be showing at two different venues.

Arrowleaf, or Balsamorriza Sagittata, are a type of wild sunflower in the Aster family. They cover our grassy hills in the spring and summer. They have large fleshy leaves shaped like an arrowhead, hence the common name. All of the plant can be eaten and is an important source of tribal medicine. Read more about them here.

For years I called these "Brown Eyed Susans", but I think I'm wrong.

GOING FOR A PADDLE

GOING FOR A PADDLE
8" x 10" Cradle Board



A big lake and a tiny kayak, but our lakes really are huge around here.

LAST LIGHT

LAST LIGHT
8" x 10" Cradle Board



This is an inspirational painting that started with a desire to show the graded blues of a lake. I was going to put flowers in the foreground, but they tend to close up at this time of day, so I chose a marshy rivulet. I wish you could see the true glory of that glow on the blades of grass.

I think this one is destined for my airport location because their lighting will suit the glowing nature of the painting. My upcoming solo is in quite a dimly lit area with barn wood walls so I don't think this will show to it's best advantage there.

ARROWLEAF DAISIES

ARROWLEAF DAISIES
8" x  10" Cradle Board



On Saturday, a venue that I've been trying to get into for 4 years found space for me. My solo exhibition is April 9th - May 7th and I need about 50 paintings. Of course I have many paintings on hand, but I feel that most have been exhibited in the vicinity before, so I reckon I need about 20 new works, not to mention packaging and mounting art cards and prints. I also need new work for my two galleries and a submission for spring/summer at the airport. Suddenly I'm ridiculously busy.

Today I got up, had a coffee and a smoothie and went straight into the studio. It wasn't until 8pm that I realized I hadn't checked emails or written a blog. I had been in the studio absolutely focused for about 10 hours, only coming out for tea. It's simply ages since I've done that and it feels good. I did feel somewhat guilty that I had missed a call from my Mum, but apart from that, apparently the world carried on without me.

P.S. I've called these daisies, but they are actually in the sunflower family. See more here.

Above is one of the new paintings.

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16) POSTCARD ARRIVAL - ANGELA and SHEILA

Now my work is in Arkansas. That's a first. Angela of Fort Smith, AR USA posted this image of her inspiration wall.

And Sheila of Wildomar, CA USA showed off her latest side swaps by laying them on her watercolour painting board. Sheila is my greatest fan. You will often see her comments beneath my blogs. We often swap things back and forth. I can't wait to receive her swap card. You can see her blog post here.

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16) POSTCARD ARRIVAL - LOUISE, SHARON, EMILY and DIANA

When you receive a swap postcard, it is customary to post an image on the Facebook event page here. This is the image and tribute that Louise Mamet in France wrote when she received mine. 

"Train wheels are running through the back of my memory
When I ran on a hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece..."

Bob Dylan and Band

I was inspired by these words upon receiving Sea Dean's side swap of Liberate your Art 2016... Sea is an amazing artist capturing so well the expressions while portraying these pets. Her website is paintamasterpiece.blogspot.com, now you understand better why I thought of the above lyrics... 

On a more personal note, the ceramic dog standing next to Sea's postcard was my mother's pet when she was a little girl... So precious ️

Bloggers Note:  I look forward to receiving Louise's side swap in a few weeks time when I can share her art and hopefully her website.

Emily received a swap postcard in Ashburn, VA, USA and her cat Mister was not impressed

I have received word that three of my LYA 2016 postcards have arrived, one in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, one in Ashburn, Virginia, USA and the other in Fullerton, California, USA. I will have to check my list, but I think that's a first for my work in Iowa and Virginia.

Sharon with one of her "Shedders" (I had to smile) and my postcard in Iowa City, IA, USA. Apparently her doggie was a bit camera shy

KAT SLOMA LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 15) POSTCARD SWAP - 2015 REVIEW

For the annual postcard swap I sent 5 of my new pet portrait postcards off to Oregon in the decorated envelope below. 

Now I'm waiting for my swaps to arrive. The big swap day was March 13th when Kat and her elves fixed address labels on hundreds of postcards from artists all over the world and sent them on their way. Kat mails the swap postcards in batches, so some may not arrive until the late April. I will post about them as they arrive.

Here are the postcards I received last year. There are seven because Kat Sloma always sends one of her own and I also received one from my friend Sheila Delgado who introduced me to the swap. Sadly as you see one was damaged in transit and the artist didn't include contact details so I can't do a link.

CARLYN CLARK

ERIC BRUTH

MARJORIE THOMPSON

REBECCA HILL

SHEILA DELGADO

JAIMIE

KAT SLOMA

ADULT COLORING BOOKS

I think adult coloring books are one of the greatest ideas since sliced bread and I'm peeved I didn't think of it. The idea has really taken off and no wonder. I believe that inside every adult is a frustrated artist who would love to return to kindergarten and play with crayons. The adult coloring book trend taps into this urge, making it easy to be a kid again.

Things have moved on since most of us were young,. Sure there are still wax crayons, but now there are all kinds of pens, pencils, pastels, paints and masses of different brushes and applicators. We can have fun like we never had before.

If you want to buy an adult coloring book, you can buy them at book and craft stores and even local art supply shops. They come in a range of sizes so you can slip one in your pocket and color during your lunch break or on the commute home. The large format books are great to invite your kids, grand-kids or even your best friend to join in the fun.

One artist that has produced some of these books is Alisa Burke and she often gives away free pages.
Here is one to get you started
Here is another

If you're an artist or illustrator you could create your own book quite easily. Just select about a dozen original works and use one of a hundred low or high tech ways to make line drawings from them.
Create an eye catching color cover. Ask your local printer to print two up back and front on 11" x 17" sheets for larger format and voila! This is a great project for your local gallery or school to raise funds. Using local content makes it even more perfect.

JOURNEY II - ON THE MOVE

JOURNEY II by Sea Dean - 9" x 12"

This is one of my recent abstracts that I am most proud of. The subtle layering means that it looks different from each angle. Sometimes a dynamic silver cross is visible; sometimes it looks more blue and then more multicolored. A special piece indeed.



Currently this painting is available at Daily Paintworks, but it will be moving to my Artfinder shop soon, so now is the time to buy before it is gone.

OCEAN BREEZE

OCEAN BREEZE by Sea Dean - 12" x 24" Deep Wrap Canvas

I will be moving many paintings over to my Artfinder website in the coming months, especially some of my larger pieces. For now, I will continue to present small paintings and challenge pieces on Daily Paintworks, but if you're looking for a larger painting, abstract or sculpture, chances are that it will be found in my Artfinder shop.

BORDERS - ART IN CANADA - THE AUTOMATISTS

BORDERS by Sea Dean - 10" x 8" Gallery Wrap Canvas

The painting above was created by photographing the accidental marks on my painting desk, cropping an interesting section and copying the strokes onto a larger canvas. This method forces me to step back and allow chance to shine It gives me an opportunity to remove myself from structure and simply allow the color and brushwork to speak.

An observer may comment that there is no creativity in the work, but I would argue that it is the cropping of the original image that demands an artist's eye. This method makes the painting a great candidate for pairing with work of the Automatists below.



THE AUTOMATISTS OF MONTREAL

I discovered this old movie somewhere while I was looking for something else. It's quite an interesting look at art in Montreal, Canada about 60 years ago. This was at a time when abstract art was relatively rare and not well embraced by the general population. Montreal has always been one of the forerunners of avant garde thought in music and art, so I decided to give it a look.

Although quirky, I really enjoyed this old NFB documentary. Even today, Montreal is one of the few places in Canada that a man is likely to wear a suit for the sake of grooming and fashion, not because of convention

https://www.nfb.ca/film/artist_in_montreal

Artist in Montreal by Jean Palardy, National Film Board of Canada

FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - SIR JOHN LAVERY

Woman with a Golden Turban (Hazel Lavery) by Sir John Lavery 1929

SIR JOHN LAVERY

Belfast-born John Lavery attended Haldane Academy in Glasgow in the 1870s and the Académie Julian in Paris in the early 1880s. He returned to Glasgow and was associated with the Glasgow School. In 1888 he was commissioned to paint the state visit of Queen Victoria to the Glasgow International Exhibition. This launched his career as a society painter and he moved to London soon after. In London he became friendly with James McNeill Whistler and was clearly influenced by him.

Lavery's first wife, Kathleen MacDermott, died of tuberculosis in 1891, shortly after the birth of their daughter, Eileen. In 1899, he married Hazel Martyn, an Irish-American known for her beauty and poise. Hazel Lavery was to figure in more than 400 of her husband's paintings.

A Summer Afternoon by Sir John Lavery 1884

A Rally by Sir John Lavery, 1885

On the Riviera by Sir John Lavery 1921

Lavery was appointed an official artist in the First World War, but Ill-health prevented him from traveling to the Western Front. A serious car crash during a Zeppelin bombing raid also kept him from fulfilling this role as war artist. He remained in Britain and mostly painted boats, planes and airships. After the war he was knighted and in 1921 he was elected to the Royal Academy.

BLOGGERS NOTE:- What I found most striking in reviewing Laverys work, is the stark difference in mood and color between the bright pre and post war paintings and the 1914-1918 period. I think he was greatly moved by the First World War and wanted to covey the fear and horror of the time, rather than the gay sendoffs of the soldiers. His paintings before the war show carefree afternoons and activities and lavish portraits of the wealthy. After the war his work seems even more brilliantly colored than before but more structured and less light-hearted. He survived into the Second World War, but was writing his memoirs in Ireland. He died soon after they were published, perhaps disheartened that the "war to end all wars" did not.
 

War Room by Sir John Lavery 1914 - 1918

A Coast Defence - an 18-pounder anti-aircraft gun, Tyneside, 1917

by Sir Joh Lavery

A Convoy, North Sea by Sir John Lavery 1918

The Wounded at Dover by Sir John Lavery 1918

During his time in London, he and his wife, Hazel, were tangentially involved in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. They gave the use of their London home to the Irish negotiators working on the Anglo-Irish Treaty. In 1929, Lavery made substantial donations of his work to both The Ulster Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery and in the 1930s he returned to Ireland. Sir John Lavery died in Kilkenny 10th of January 1941, aged 84 and is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery.

See also

• 379 Paintings by John Lavery at the BBC Your Paintings site
• John Lavery, The Life of a Painter (1940 autobiography)

• 19th-century Irish painters
• 20th-century Irish painters
• Irish Impressionist painters

LIBERATE YOUR ART - 2015 Video

Last year for LIBERATE YOUR ART, I swapped my "MOUNT WASHINGTON IN AFTERNOON SUN" postcards. The organizer of the swap, Kat Sloma, creates a video each year showing many of the postcards that were swapped. You can see "Mount Washington" at 0:37

You can purchase this and more of my postcards and art cards here.

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16)

The "Liberate your Art" postcard swap took place on Saturday in Corvalis, Oregon, USA. Artists from all over the world send 5 postcards of their work to the swap and eventually receive 6 back. They are collages, paintings, digital art, etc. and all quite different. This year I have arranged 10 side swaps and I've already seen some of the postcards I will receive, but most will be a lovely surprise.

The postcards are mailed from Oregon in six batches. As postcards start to arrive the artists will share images and destinations on their blogs and on the FB event page here. The organizer will also be producing a video of the postcards and there is a blog hop event starting soon to display some of the received cards.

The postcard I chose this year is my new pet portrait postcard that I'm going to be distributing at local vets and grooming parlors. It is a collage of completed commissions and one exhibition piece. Any pet can be commissioned, but I've never done a pet bird, hamster, or more exotic pet. There's always a first time though.

ST PATRICKS DAY with THE CHIEFTAINS and MICHAEL FLATLEY - THE GREEN COUNTRY ACEO

THE GREEN COUNTRY ACEO by Sea Dean

Currently on exhibition so contact me to check availability.


I have a passion for Ireland and all things Irish and I always look forward to St. Patrick's Day. Actually I was convinced I had Irish blood for quite some time, but extensive genealogy work proved me wrong. My British ancestors lived within a few miles of where I was born for hundreds of years, with a minor connection to France in the 13th Century.

But today I'm going to pretend I'm Irish. Here is the beautiful rich sound of THE CHIEFTAINS playing O'Sullivan's March. Take a while to enjoy the video of the Emerald Isle.



And this is an album long compilation of THE CHIEFTAINS music, sadly with no video but you can listen as you work.



Then there is the inimitable Michael Flatley who burst onto the Eurovision stage 21 years ago and Irish dancing has never been the same since. Remember this?



The closing performance of Riverdance. I just love that look on transcendence on Michael Flatley's face at the final applause.



And my favourite ... Lord of the Dance. I just love that look on transcendence on Michael Flatley's face at the final applause.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR POST IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING LOOK LIKE AN ORIGINAL

SISTERS
by Sea Dean
(after Two Women with Mango Blossom
by Paul Gaugin)
Approx 18" x 13" Canvas Panel (European Canvas Size)
NFS

This painting was a commission for a Paul Gaugin work. It has been sitting in the purchaser's closet waiting for the right frame for over a year. When I asked why, it was because there was no reasonably priced frame available in the local area. The original has a beautiful antique handmade frame and the patron wanted something similar.

Two Women with Mango Blossoms - Paul Gaugin - Original Frame

So I put my thinking cap on. Luckily there was a handy frame shop in the area selling very basic frames, but the owner was willing and had the equipment to cut and assemble, if I could find the right fancy frame it could be fitted. I looked high and low and came up with some gold framed religious icons which were nice but very flimsy.

Then I had an AHA moment. What if I took an inexpensive mirror that had a nice quality gold frame and cut it to fit the painting. The search was on. I eventually found the right look in a low end department store; my friendly framer did a great job cutting and assembling for a reasonable price and this is the result. Much nicer in real life of course. The owner is thrilled.

Do you crave a real Monet or Vermeer? I'm happy to copy any public domain painting and even go the extra mile to find a spectacular frame for it. It's much more reasonable than you imagine.

BLUSHING MAGPIE

BLUSHING MAGPIE
6" X 8" Strathmore Windpower
Sold unframed (image is an example of how it would look with a soft white mat and brushed silver frame.



I completed this pretty painting last year, but I've never framed it. When I discovered the matshop MAT-O-MATIC ap, I wanted to see how it would look in a brushed silver frame. I love it.

The blushing magpie is a real bird that I saw just outside my home. The pink was for real. When I searched the internet there were more sightings of pink magpies in other parts of the world but none locally. It's a mystery, but I hope the magpie comes back to visit me again this year.

BLINGORAMA

BLINGORAMA
6" x 8" Strathmore Windpower
Sold unframed
Shown how you could frame the painting

This is a fun abstract piece that I rediscovered when sorting for an exhibition. Although it's not that apparent here, there is some crystal bling to it. I think it looks really stunning on a neutral grey wall with a silver frame.

EASTER BONNETS and RED DOLL

RED DOLL
24" x 12" Galllery Wrap
No frame required



Easter is coming and time to dust off your bonnet.

This Belle Epoque Parisian doll has donned her brightest and best outfit to wow the young men as she strolls by the Seine.

IDEAS FOR ALL KINDS EASTER BONNETS

EASY AP TO PICTURE YOUR WORK FRAMED

FOREST LIGHT

Acrylic with wax finish

5" x 7" Panel

unframed

Image is an example of how the painting would look lined and framed. I'm loving this mahogany plum and dove grey combination.

I sometimes purchase mats and frames from the Mat Shop and so they always send me emails. I was clicking around their website the other day and I found a great tool for seeing your painting with various mats and frames. This is useful when deciding how to present your work, but you can also download files and use them for marketing even if you sell your work unframed.

MAT O MATIC

UNDER THE JACARANDA TREE
4.75" X 3.25" Sennelier Watercolour Paper
For sale unframed

(image is an example of how it would look with a brushed silver frame and soft white mat.)

See my Daily Paintworks Gallery here for this and paintings ready to hang with mats and frames.

APATARAO

APATARAO
by Sea Dean after Paul Gaugin
Acrylic
16" x 20" Gallery Wrap Canvas
SOLD

"Don't copy nature too literally. Art is an abstraction. Derive it from nature as you dream in nature's presence, and think more about the act of creation than the outcome."                   PAUL GAUGIN

About ten years ago I had the good fortune to visit French Polynesia and of course included visiingt the Gaugin Museum which was expensive and difficult to get to. I'm glad I did. As for the rest of the islands, they still feel remote and wild. The Polynesian people are delightful and beautiful and I can see what drew Gaugin there.

Recently I received a request for a tropical landscape by Gaugin. I'm always happy to receive a commission for a master work. Sometimes I can suggest a painting and other times the patron is very specific. In this case the painting was to reflect the owner's tropical garden. We thought it would be easy to find a luscious landscape, but we were wrong. Most of Gaugins Tahiti paintings are filled with scantily clad Polynesians and so are the later Marquesas and Martinique works. We viewed over 500 works debating whether to leave out figures and animals, but this early landscape seemed the best choice.
In 1891 Paul Gaugin moved to Tahiti and in 1893 he completed this view of the center of Papeete.
As Gaugin was a newcomer, he was having difficulty finding life models, hence a landscape without people.

Gaugin worked with unique paint which had most of the oil removed and a touch of turpentine added to create a gritty glaze. This meant he could use many layers and it would dry fast. However, this paint and the available surfaces, deteriorated more rapidly than most. So unless a Gaugin painting has been extensively restored, it is often faded and flaky, which makes it difficult to determine it's state when new.

I had much cause to dislike Gaugin as I tried to determine the brush strokes, technique and amount of aging that had affected the original. However, one of the things I love most about studying a master is analyzing the technique and almost communicating with them. If you study a painting for several hours, you see how the artist used color theory and composition, how they applied the paint and worked through various challenges as they progressed.

I've worked with Gaugin before, but this was him soon after he stepped off the boat, struggling with climate, supplies, studio conditions and the birthing process of his new technique.I discovered that he began with painting rough outlines in a dark colour, possibly deep crimson or burnt sienna. He then filled in the sections, constantly returning to areas to adjust the tone or color. He didn't thoroughly cover the previous color, but added thin washes with rapid vertical brush strokes. It seems like he was working feverishly, dancing from one spot to another, using a brush load in several areas, then creating a different unique color and using that throughout the painting, until the many layers of slightly transparent paint captured light and created unusual hues. Gaugin must be one of the most difficult artist to forge for this very reason.

I'm not interested in forging, which is illegal and much more complex than just studying a public domain art work. Forging involves recreating the exact same paint, finding canvas or substrate of the same age, falsifying signatures etc. I am doing what I learned in Art School, which is trying to get close to a master artist through hands on study. When that magic moments occurs it ls blissful to draw back the curtain to another world .... the history of a famous painting.

MONCHO MEXICAN BANDIT

MONCHO
by Sea Dean
16" x 12" Wrap Canvas
Acrylic
NFS

My nephew was one of those kids that always brought home strays. Actually he still does, but he's a busy 24 year old now. One day when he was still a small boy he brought home a stray he found in a garbage bin. After a bit of persuading, Moncho became part of the family. He was one of those great dogs that loved everyone and was always willing to join in.

Moncho, therefore, was my nephew's childhood dog. The kids played with him like a living doll and he never complained. When they dressed up, Moncho had to be dressed too and he was a good sport. This painting is from a photo of Moncho on one of those occasions.
 
Eventually Moncho aged and succumbed to illness. He left the family at a ripe old age and his presence on the patio is still missed.

I love painting large portraits of pets, from the owner's photos, so contact me to reserve a spot for your favorite pal.

WILDFLOWER MOUNTAIN by Sea Dean

WILDFLOWER MOUNTAIN
6" X 6" Mixed Media Paper
by Sea Dean



This floral piece was inspired by the hills and mountains of the Okanagan. In the spring the upper pastures are full of lovely wildflowers fed by the melting snow. This was painted on turquoise mixed media paper which gives a lovely fresh glow behind the flowers.

SPRING BLOSSOM ACEO by Sea Dean

SPRING BLOSSOM ACEO
3.5" X 2.5" Canvas Card
Mounted in 8" x 10" soft white mat



Spring is on it's way. My thoughts turn to Cherries. Yay! Come on July.