U 100 Grape Mask, Painting and Soft Sculpture Set

This Soft Sculpture is a bit bigger than the others so far. All the submissions must be under $100 and under 100 sq inches, so this is still within limits at 8 inches square. Its funny how my mask sales go in trends. Currently in my Etsy shop this fabric is one of the most popular ones, six months ago is was Grey Grunge. 

This art piece, is the fourth of my ten U100 pieces. A soft sculpture entitled DARK BLUE EAGLE

Yes it is a mask, but it is also a painting and a sculpture. The piece can be hung as is, for an interesting memento of this Covid year. Alternatively the mask part can be removed and worn and the matching painting hung on the wall. Another possibility is to buy the set as a gift for one person, or two. There are so many options.

A little about my masks.

I create masks all the way from XS to XXXXL. They are available in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SEA2YOU  I have included a large sized mask in all my soft sculptures, it really does fit most teens and adults. The XL, XXL, XXXL and XXXXL masks are only for large men and large men with large beards. Thankfully I don’t need one of those and neither do most other mask wearers. 

You will instantly see a difference in quality when you examine one of my masks. They are couturier constructed with no loose threads or open seams. The fabric is top quality 100% cotton in most cases unless you have chosen one with white wicking lining: This is all natural, 40% cotton, 60% lyocell wicking fibre, 300 thread count as opposed to regular quilting fabric at about 60 thread count; the tight weave gives excellent protection and the wicking effect is amazing for those with glasses, active people or warm climates. Lastly the mask has fully adjustable head elastic, adaptable to ear loops and interchangeable for your own cord or ribbon. Wow!

U100 Turquoise Pear Mask, Painting and Soft Sculpture

This year the feature wall will be filled with food art. This is in honour of the local food bank and a representative of that great organisation will be selecting pieces for the wall from the food art submissions. I have several to submit.

This the third of my ten U100 pieces. A soft sculpture entitled TURQUOISE PEAR. 

Yes it is a mask, but it is also a painting and a sculpture. The piece can be hung as is, for an interesting memento of this Covid year. Alternatively the mask part can be removed and used and the matching painting hung on the wall. Another option is to purchase as a gift for one person, or two. So many possibilities and at a special reduced price to help support the gallery.

The best color rendition is the studio shot of my painting.

I have also listed these in my Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SEA2YOU

Macintosh by the Lake - One finger drawing by Sea Dean - 28/30

MACINTOSH BY THE LAKE
One finger drawing by Sea Dean
6" x 8" Canvas Print ready to mount
$59 + shipping

My Limited Editions are available in a variety of sizes  and surfaces up to 8" x 10"
Contact Here

Half way through this drawing I almost scrapped it because it just wasn’t co-operating. Ilet it rest overnight because I liked the water so much that I wanted to try and save it. I’m glad I did, because this morning I turned it into an apple tree and now I love it. Hope you do too.

I'm one of the artists taking part in the Leslie Saeta 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. This is the ninth time Leslie has held this event and I've taken part in each one. This is # twenty eight of the thirty iPad drawings I plan to complete by September 30th.

I'm pleased to be part of the challenge once again and look forward to adding 30 new drawings to my Limited Edition Collection.

See all the Challenge Artists Work here

I'm at #8

PS My ipad is getting full, so rather than cropping the ragged edges and saving another file, I do that in the online print program. Therefore you will see nibbled edges in my blog which of course I crop off. I quite like that my readers can see part of the drawing method, like having a private viewing of the borders of a masterpiece in a museum. Feel free to give me feedback about this.

Grapes a Go Go - One Finger Drawing 23/30

GRAPES A GO GO
iPad drawing by Sea Dean
6" x 8" Canvas Print ready to mount
$59 + shipping

My Limited Editions are available in a variety of sizes  and surfaces up to 8" x 10"
Contact Here

Occasionally I get the urge to go richer and deeper with these drawings and it occurred to me that I should try a black background. I discovered that black is very useful in this app because it can be another form of erasing. As the highlighter tool, it can also be used as a brightness modifier. Hmm I must do more of this. The result is more time consuming that most of my iPad work, but follows in the line of my most popular One finger drawing ABALONE and the fun TARPON TYRANT.

I'm one of the artists taking part in the Leslie Saeta 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. This is the ninth time Leslie has held this event and I've taken part in each one. This is # twenty three of the thirty iPad drawings I plan to complete by September 30th.

I'm pleased to be part of the challenge once again and look forward to adding new drawings to my Limited Edition Collection.

See all the Challenge Artists Work here

I'm at #8

Birch Apple

BIRCH APPLE
4" approx. Birch Slice
Archival Seal
Use with small easel or hanger attached
$49 + Shipping



Or click here

We are working our way through fruit season here in the Okanagan. The smoke blown from nothern forest fires has returned, but it doesnt seem to have affected the fruit which is delicious. All our fruit is a bit late this year because the summer was late, but so far we've had scumptious strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries. Now apricots are coming on, with peaches close behind. Then come the apples, pears, grapes and plums. Our farmers markets are bubbling with local fruit growers, jam and juice suppliers and of course wine.

APPLE DANCE - Challenge prep

APPLE DANCE
by Sea Dean
8" x 10" Birch Cradle
Acrylic

As I was finishing this painting I kept imagining the old apple trees linking branches and dancing to the music of spring. Apple Dance almost made it into the last submission for Skyway at Kelowna Airport, but I just couldn't resolve it to my satisfaction. To my surprise seven of the last group have already sold and another ten requested, so this is part of the new Skyway collection. Now the painting is finished it is my favorite of the group.

The painting is on hold and will probably sell through Skyway in the coming months, but if you love it I can paint a similar one for you in a size that suits your space. Just contact me through comments.

Posted as 153 on Day 1 Leslie Saeta 30 in 30

GRAPES WITH BENEFITS

GRAPES WITH BENEFITS
12"  x 12" Gallery Wrap Canvas
Sea Dean and Daniel Dearborn
(sorry about the shine at top right)

This painting is on show in the annual Intergenerational Exhibition - Art Through the Ages. The Exhibition opens on Wednesday at Lake Country Art Gallery, Lake Country, B.C. Canada, my local stomping ground. This is the third time I've taken part in the Intergenerational and each year I stretch myself out of my comfort zone and collaborate with someone from another generation. This year is no exception.

The basis for Grapes with Benefits was a painting of grapes spontaneously gifted to me by Daniel Dearborn, a local artist who I much admire. I tried to find somewhere to hang the painting in my home, but as this is a location where clients often come shopping for a new art work, I couldn't find anywhere to put it. It was of course not for sale and not by me. I spoke to Daniel about this predicament and asked if I could make some additions and enter it into "Art Through the Ages". Cheeky, I know, but he agreed as long as I took his signature off the piece, which I have done. I thought it only fair that I should leave my signature off as well.

It should be pretty clear where Daniel left off and I began. His work is all the nice impressionist, flowy grapes and leaves; my bit is the wine glass. I hardly touched Daniels work and managed to slip the glass into a space between some impasto grapes. It was a huge challenge to match the colours Daniel had used and integrate the glass into the scene. It's easy to think that glass is transparent and if you add a few bits of white as reflections you're done. The glass actually took me two days to get right. My biggest mistake was making it lighter to depict shine, when actually I needed to darken most areas. Then I needed to add colour to the white wine, which is more golden than water.

I don't think I will embarrass Daniel too much and I will be quite proud to see it hanging in the exhibition.

THANK YOU - ON THE VINE

Yesterday a patron purchased a large pack of my ON THE VINE art cards for an upcoming event. Wonderful, thank you.

While I was chatting with her I was reminded that I still have some reproductions left from the Art Walk campaign. Large 11” x 17” limited edition prints, perfect for gift giving. They ship rolled and ready to frame. At only $50 they are a steal.

ON THE VINE Limited Edition Print by Sea Dean 

The original painting is also still available.
Purchase by contacting me in comments or by email
16" x 20" Framed in Expresso
$395 unframed - $450 framed

THE VINEYARD

THE VINEYARD
5" x 7" Canvas Panel
White Frame



One of my favourite paintings from last year. I'm showing it because tomorrow it will be on the main wall of my solo exhibition. It's very difficult to paint vineyards realistically, and I have several unfinished paintings from last year to attest to it. This is one of the survivors.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - # 15 - UNDER THE CHERRY TREES

UNDER THE CHERRY TREES
3.5" x 4.75" Fine Water Colours on French Watercolour Paper

I enjoyed my Jacaranda painting of a few days ago so much, that I thought I would paint some cherry trees. Painted with fine watercolor on high quality French paper from Sennelier in Paris which combined make the painting glow. I've painted blossom many times with acrylic, but there is nothing like delicate layers of watercolor to do it justice.

SHIPPING 16th MARCH 2016 OR LATER - SOME PAINTINGS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPPING FROM MY OUTLETS AS NOTED IN DESCRIPTION ON DAILY PAINTWORKS

Stay tuned for more new paintings in the next 30 days.

If you are an artist and would like to join in, here is the link - 30 in 30
Posted as # 25 on 30 in 30 Blog

ALL TIME MOST POPULAR BLOGS - DANIEL DEARBORN DEMO AND PROCESS

ALL TIME 6th MOST POPULAR BLOG

Yesterday I went to a demo by one of my favourite artists, Daniel Dearborn. He has worked in many different media including pen and ink, watercolour and oil, but is currently having fun with acrylic. He loves painting plein air, and his work reflects a love of the outdoors and careful observation over many years. This collage was created from a demo I attended last year.

Artist Daniel Dearborn

This year started with a bang with Daniel creating 24 paintings 24" x 24" which will be in their first exhibit today at Lake Country Art Gallery Art Bazaar. At that time his style was evolving into a painterly style with swirling lines, the beginnings of which can be seen here in the sky.

Daniels style has now moved towards pointillism with bold strokes of colour straight from the tube. Here is a detail from a recent painting. Daniel's demos are friendly, relaxing and easy to follow. If you have the opportunity to attend one, or to visit his studio in Lake Country, BC, Canada, I highly recommend it.

Three things I took away with me this time are:-

1. Starting mid tone and painting the darks and lights towards the end
2. Painting the upper sections and working your way down.
3. Painting with a dirty brush (or at least not fanatically clean). I figure this adds just enough mid grey to dull the colour off the sometimes too vibrant acrylic brights.

Like me, Daniel will be holding open studio sessions where you can follow along as he paints and create your own work at the same time. He can be contacted through his Facebook page here (of course you must be a member of FB to access it).

Follow this blog to see more demo and process photos from current artists, free lessons, tips and tricks, art history and more great art.

I always like to include a painting of my own in a similar style to the artist I am introducing. My work is generally not like Daniels and I rarely paint as large which greatly affects the style of brushwork, However, this wave painting is as bold and colourful as Daniels work and can be purchased here.

LUMINOUS BREAKER by Sea Dean

DELICIOUS COLOUR CODES

DELICIOUS by Sea Dean

Recently I found an interesting website which shows the colours found in an image without uploading the image. This is helpful if you are concerned about copyright or cyber theft. You can check it out here. 

You can happily click around your image to isolate a larger swatch of the colour you are trying to match. At the same time you can find the code for the colour which is helpful if you are a digital artist or printmaker, but if you know how to read the code it will also, to some extent, help you mix the colour. See below.

The same website has a section for colour names, helpful when speaking with a designer, a list of web-safe colours which are displayed the same on any screen and an html editor for the novice.

AN APPLE A DAY - SILENT AUCTION

SILENT AUCTION

My popular silent auction is back for the holiday season.

There are over 40 paintings in the Silent Auction. See them all here. Bid privately by clicking on the email button at the top of the page. Or leave a comment here. Bidding is in $5 increments but you can bid as much as you choose. Low bids sometimes spark a bidding war and higher bids may discourage competition. You may bid on as many pieces and as often as you choose. Please include the name of the painting you are bidding on and your email address.

The auction runs till midnight PST 30th November 2015. Bidding is available online and at all my seasonal shows. I will try to keep you informed, but you may email me any time to ask for your current standing or increase your bid.

You will be contacted if you win. Auction prices are for pick up in Kelowna, BC. Canada. If you would like your painting shipped I'm happy to do so at cost. Payment is with Cash or Paypal. 

LOT 35
AN APPLE A DAY
Part of my special holiday SILENT AUCTION
6" x 6" Canvas Panel
Starting Bid $15 

LOT 44
LET IT FALL
by Alex Fong
8" x 6" Watercolour
14" x 11" double mat with original bio on the back
 

This pretty ALEX FONG PRINT "LET IT FALL" is also in the Silent Auction. Alex Fong is a household name in Canada and we are lucky that he lives in our area. Alex told me that this rare print features his own rescue cat.  

Prints are not allowed on Daily Paintworks so this item can only be viewed here. To bid, email me or comment here and quote Lot 44.

THE BIRTHPLACE OF CIVILIZATION - CORELLA PEAR - LET IT FALL - SILENT AUCTION

SILENT AUCTION

My popular silent auction is back for the holiday season.

There are over 40 paintings in the Silent Auction. See them all here. Bid privately by clicking on the email button at the top of the page. Or leave a comment here. Bidding is in $5 increments but you can bid as much as you choose. Low bids sometimes spark a bidding war and higher bids may discourage competition. You may bid on as many pieces and as often as you like. Please include the name of the painting you are bidding on and your email address.

The auction runs till midnight PST 30th November 2015. Bidding is available online and at all my seasonal shows. I will try to keep you informed, but you may email me any time to ask for your current standing or increase your bid.

You will be contacted if you win. Auction prices are for pick up in Kelowna, BC. Canada. If you would like your painting shipped I'm happy to do so at cost. Cash or Paypal. 

LOT 37
THE BIRTHPLACE OF CIVILIZATION
by Sea Dean
(above)
6" x 6" Wrap Canvas
The current bid is $40 
Bidding is in $5 increments

LOT 31
CORELLA

by Sea Dean
8" x 6" Canvas Panel
The current bid is $30 
Bidding is in $5 increments

LOT 44
LET IT FALL
by Alex Fong
8" x 6" Watercolour
14" x 11" double mat with original bio on the back
 

This pretty ALEX FONG PRINT "LET IT FALL" is also in the Silent Auction. Alex Fong is a household name in Canada and we are lucky that he lives in our area. Alex told me that this rare print features his own rescue cat. Prints are not allowed on Daily Paintworks so this item can only be viewed here. To bid email or comment quoting Lot 44.

ACCEPTANCE - ON THE VINE

RESERVE NOW - 16" x 20" Canvas Wrap with Elegant Expresso frame

I'm pleased to say that ON THE VINE has been accepted to LIGHT, the annual ART WALK juried theme exhibition. This is the first year that I've opted only to show at the exhibition, so I have a chance to also visit Art Walk and hopefully take in a few seminars and activities.

View my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

You can visit me and my latest works (still under wraps) on the gallery grounds on Saturday September 12th for Art Bazaar. I will also have some of my art prints, cards and merchandise and a few surprises with me. I may also be helping at the Lake Country Art Gallery on Sunday September 13th for the second day of Art Walk. Join me and hundreds of other artists at one of the biggest events of the year.

APRICOT JAM RECIPE - Yum!

I nabbed the last of the seasons big juicy apricots at the market and today I made jam. We are in the middle of another heat wave, so to keep the heat outside I cooked them in my crock pot on the covered balcony. I wasn't sure it would work, but it seems to have worked perfectly well.

• 2 1/4 pounds (1kg) fresh apricots
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 3 cups (600g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• optional: 1 teaspoon kirsch

1. Halve and chop the apricots.

2. Crack the pits and retain enough kernels (one for each jar).

3. Place the apricots in a crock pot, add the water. Cover and cook on high, stirring frequently, until the apricots are tender.

4. Put a small plate in the freezer.

5. Remove cover. Add the sugar to the apricots and cook, uncovered, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. As the mixture thickens and reduces, stir frequently to make sure the jam isn’t burning on the bottom.

6. When the jam looks thick and is looks slightly-jelled, remove from heat and test a small amount on the chilled plate. Return to freezer for a few minutes, then if the jam mounds and wrinkles when nudged it’s done. If not, re-test the jam until done. (Candy thermometer about 220ºF, 104ºC.)

7. Stir in the lemon juice and optional kirsch and ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to use. This jam will keep up to one year in the refrigerater. For long-term preservation refer to the USDA Canning Guidelines.

8. Do not reduce the amount of sugar. Apricots are tangy when cooked and using less sugar may prevent jelling. Add some lemon juice at the end to balance the sweetness. Europeans add a kernel to each jar before adding the jam. The kernel is discarded when eaten but gives the jam a subtle, bitter almond flavor.

RUTLAND PLUMCOT JAM by Sea Dean

To purchase contact me by leaving a comment or via the email link on the DPW website.

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

ON THE VINE

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

On the Vine is my newest winery painting. It may be purchased by contacting me. $195 plus shipping.

My biggest challenge with these vineyard paintings are not the grapes, but the leaves. Green is always a very difficult colour to work with, but in this case it's not the colour, but the sense of life and dappled sunlight that I'm trying to convey. I've been working on two other vine paintings, but I needed a fresh start, so I chose an inspiration photo with a horizontal aspect and proceeded with gusto.

I'm quite pleased with this painting and I think it is captivating enough endure the jury process for some upcoming submissions.

GRAPES OF WINE

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

GRAPES OF WINE
20" x 16" Wrap Canvas
Ready to Hang

I've been working on vineyard and grape paintings this week. I've never painted them before, so there's a bit of a learning curve, but I suppose if you can paint a sphere, you can paint a grape. You would think it would be tedious making circle after circle, but the trick to painting grapes is to make each one individual, so it's not boring at all.

In this painting I was aiming for a richly textured and energetic style. As with all paintings that are the first in a series, there are many layers, and there was much stopping and starting as I worked out some of the challenges and allowed the paint to dry before the next layer. My biggest challenge was to keep it fresh and prevent over working, which I did by drinking many cups of tea as I contemplated. I'm pretty proud of the final result.

Have you ever painted grapes and vines? Do you have any tips for my readers? Please comment below.

URBA ARTSCO MIXER

RUTLAND PLUMCOT JAM by Sea Dean

Last night I was invited to attend a mixer with artists that are participating in the URBA ARTSCO Art in Empty Spaces Exhibition. The exhibition runs until November with a final grand auction event on November 26th. My large works including the above RUTLAND PLUMCOT JAM are on display near 7-11 and the mall upstairs office access on the corner of Hiway 33 and Rutland Road, Kelowna, BC, Canada. If you're in the vicinity drop by and take a look. I am sharing the space with the horsey art of Cyndee Banister.

I had fun connecting with the other artists and talking about their latest work.

Cherie Hanson, pictured with me is producing a variety of products featuring her designs and marketing them through Red Bubble: As you can see she is wearing one of her skirts. Daniel Dearborn, who I will showcase on Saturday is experimenting with multi colour backgrounds and prize winning artist Colleen Dyson his busy preparing for some of the 21 exhibitions she is entering this year mainly affiliated with the Canadian Federation of Art.

My work here
Purchase Postcards here
Purchase ACEO here Purchase Tote here

Cyndee Banister here
Cherie Hanson here
Daniel Dearborn here
Colleen J Dyson here

IRRIGATING 100,000 RUTLAND FRUIT TREES 1912 - URBA Art in Empty Spaces Exhibition

IRRIGATING 100,000 RUTLAND FRUIT TREES 1912
By Sea Dean
24" x 24" Wrap Canvas

$350

TODAY I WILL BE ATTENDING THE OPENING OF ART THROUGH THE AGES INTERGENERATIONAL SHOW - MORE INFO HERE
View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

URBA Art in Empty Spaces Exhibition on view in Rutland, Kelowna, BC, Canada
10 April - 20 November 2015
Closing Event and Auction 26 November

This painting is for the URBA Art in Empty Spaces Exhibition. The work had to reflect the rich history of the Rutland area which is why I included the irrigation apparatus. It was customary to have these wooden open pipes on each side of the row of trees and the flow of water was regulated with gates which were manually raised and lowered. Not so visible in this picture are the blue and yellow flowers scattered throughout.

It was not an easy painting for me but I think it worked out in the end. I gained a greater understanding of painting orchards and even more awe for the work of Monet, who makes it look so simple. I needed to add some thicker grasses along the base to balance out the detailed blossom. I was very tempted to add a figure to the right hand side, but decided to leave the scene visually uncluttered.

TODAY I WILL BE ATTENDING THE OPENING OF ART THROUGH THE AGES INTERGENERATIONAL SHOW - MORE INFO HERE
 

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