This did have a base of a digital image, but it has many layers of Markup on top, so you probably don’t see any of the original. Red can be overwhelming in quantity, but yellow is always a good choice for monumental art. I can quite see me using this as a study for a large painting.
Below are the original image and a black and white version.
I just had to stop the car and capture these sunflowers. Can’t look at a sunflower without thinking of Sheila Delgado of course. This is for you my friend.
Feel free to use this image for inspiration everyone, all I request is that you send me an image to show on my blog. Such happy flowers.
Digital enhancement of nature to a fully realized degree.
I took a digital photograph of light shining through leaves, then saturated the color with a simple enhancer. Next I decorated it with Markup digital pens. The color palette was copied from the enhanced image.
Life and death, happiness and sadness, fleeting impressions that come and go like Monet clouds over the landscape. My life seems very close to emotion this summer as I watch my Mum slip away and become a different, but perhaps happier person. She is 92 and has had a full, powerful and extraordinary life, but now something she cannot control is stealing her uniqueness and returning her to the loving child she once was.
This is my summer for Mum and although I realise I’m forgetting my wonderful, loyal blog fans, I don’t apologise. My time is being spent giving back to one who has loved and supported me since before I was born. There aren’t too many people we can say that about are there? My mother, my father, my sister and my two grandmothers make up that exclusive group; three have already left this world and guide me from a elsewhere. When Mum joins them, it will leave only my distant sister.
This introspection was brought on by spending time with my plants. Yesterday I decided to move all my planters to the back of the balcony, out of the worst of the biting wind that seems to blow up along our 80 mile lake each evening. In the process I knocked a tiny tomato off a plant which I hadn’t even realised had fruit. This made me extremely sad for some reason and so this morning I immortalised his little life in an image.
Those who have read my blog over the years will know that I cherish my red geraniums and they usually do so well, but on this mainly shaded and windy balcony they are struggling. Therefore I’m pleased that our gardener spent a lot of time this spring digging, irrigating and planting two beautiful borders on the green space we share. Please feel free to use these images to inspire work of your own. Of course then share them with me so I can share with my readers.
For those who are curious, yes I’m still working on my large commission, working title Frida VII. I met with the client last week and she’s thrilled with it so far, has chosen colours for the flowers and agreed to some ideas I want to include. Projected presentation date is Canadian Thanksgiving in October, but I plan to complete well before that. Stay tuned for more progress shots.
As you may have guessed, my upcoming solo will showcase different types of abstract painting. I’m working on several paintings at the same time, so there are more in the pipeline, which is a good thing as I’m hanging on Saturday.
BLUE HEAVEN is a painting that has been on my mind for a long time and I’m glad to finally get it onto canvas. I love looking at the sky and especially clouds. I’ve spent many happy hours lying on lawns and seeing pictures in the sky. Here an Elephant with a huge trunk and there a Galloping Horse. I dont think there are any animals in my cloud painting, but you never know.
Actually as I sit here on the couch looking sideways at the painting, I think I do see a faint bird.
:-)
SHIMMERING HEAT
iPad drawing by Sea Dean
6" x 8" Canvas Print ready to mount
$59 Contact Here
The fourth of the 30 iPad drawings I plan this month. Similar to yesterday but more detailed and intense. I think this really captures the untouched bush around our 80 mile natural lake. The sage brush has an unforgettable smell in late summer. I used to forage for sage to make smudge bundles and this time of year was the best season.
See all the 30 in 30 Challenge Artworks here
I'm at #60
There have been a few more moments when the smoke has abated and I've managed to lift the burden of these four walls. I thought I would share some images with you. These are not for sale, but if you paint one, send it to me to post on my blog.
The House of Rose final free music event of the season
Beautiful flowers in the waterfront park at the Canadian Brass outdoor concert for Canada 150
In honor of our exhausted and brave fire fighters, a water bomber flying back to rest at sunset
Our famous Dolphins by Robert Dow Reid in waterfront park
I thought I'd share with you what I'm contending with this summer. The first picture is what the view from my balcony has been like all summer. The second picture is what it should look like. For one brief shining afternoon the wind changed and the sun came out and then we were plunged back into the gloom. I'm seriously begining to wonder what I'm doing here, but I would have to drive nearly 1,000 miles to get out from under the cloud.
Every few hours I wander over to the window to see if I can see this mountain, and I now know that I must make a quick dash down to the pool to swim a few lengths before it closes in again. I've dubbed the mountain Canary, after the small birds that used to be sent down the mines to detect poison gases. I talk about the smoke, but its the fumes that are really dangerous and the reason I've been housebound all summer. They are forecasting some sun on Thursday, and I can't wait to get out and breathe in the sunshine.
SUMMER SUN by Sea Dean Digital Painting This simple painting has a lot of impact. It comes printed on quality paper and mounted in a finely cut mat. The painting is #24 of 30 paintings for the Leslie Saeta Challenge.
OCEAN BLUE 8" x 10" Canvas Panel Oil Sized to fit a standard frame
A preliminary painting for a larger work. I said I was going to wait for the next Leslie Saeta challenge to get back into oil painting, but I have been asked to paint over a large oil painting with an ocean scene and that means painting in oil. I'm never afraid to take up a challenge, but I do like to be prepared hence a few scenes to use as examples before I tackle the larger piece.
I've used traditional oils which dry faster than water soluble ones. I was concerned about drying time, so Cyber friend and oil painter, Marion Hedger, instructed me to use Winsor and Newton Liquin or Impasto Liquin, mixed into the paint. Marion advised me to thinly coat Liquin over the seasoned painting first, to give more slip and better adherence.
I was unable to obtain either Liquin product, so I'm trialing a similar product by Grumbacher called Japan Dryer. As this is a small painting, I lightly coated the primed panel with Japan as a base and it seemed to work well. Japan has a fairly strong odor and their are warnings on the label, so I'm keeping the painting separate from the rest of the home until it abates.
I've been told that a hair dryer on low speeds the process but Japan is heat sensitive and can yellow, so I'm steering clear of that. There is another product I would like to try called, Krylon Quick Dry, which you can spray between layers and as a final coat. I will trial this later.
Available for purchase. Ready to ship 16th March 2016
I heard an experienced artist utter these words the other day and as usual it got me pondering. I think all artists like Picasso go through their "Blue Period" and I have times when I wallow in the ultramarine hues, but I have to admit that people do tend to buy "happy" paintings more than "moody" ones. The warm palette includes all colours, but slanted towards the warm tones.
Yellow ...
Cool - Cadmium Yellow Light or Lemon
Warm - Indian Yellow
Red ...
Cool - Crimson -
Warm - Cadmium Red Light
Blue ...
Cool - Ultramarine or Cobalt
Warm - Cerulean or Turquoise
VIOLET FRONDS by Sea Dean
I could go on but you get the gist. I think it's always a good idea to make tables with the brands of paint you use and separate them into warm and cool colours because this also has a great influence on your colour mixing. I use two stay-wet palettes, one with warm and one with cool colours so I don't mix them inadvertently.
I favour complimentary colours to make certain areas pop, so none of my paintings are completely warm or cool, but they are usually predominantly one or the other. Whether it is a landscape or an abstract the interplay between warm and cool can add a dynamic slant to your work.
Above you will see that EXUBRIUM is predominantly warm Cadmium Red Light and Turquoise, but I have used cool Purple and Lemon to add pizzazz. This painting is very red, which would be overpowering if it was a large painting, however framed and placed in a dark corner it works well.
In VIOLET FRONDS the predominant colour is Turquoise which is a warm blue, but the addition of cool Purple, Titanium and Zinc White have kept it icy looking and true to the frosty inspiration photo. Although hard to see, there are accents of warmer white and iridescence which prevent this painting appearing overly blue when viewed in room light.
What is your experience with warm and cool paintings. I would love to hear your views in comments.
I know this painting is quirky with the boy's head at a strange angle as he looks over the railing to what is happening below, but I like it. Every time I look at this painting I wonder what has caught his attention.
SUMMER BOY I 7" x 5" Canvas Panel
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
SUMMER SOLSTICE by Sea Dean - 12" x 6" Gallery Wrap
Can be purchased on Artfinder
This was an interesting painting to work on because it didn't come together until very close to the end. There is a great deal of variation in the brushwork, from staccato Monet like dashes in the water to dry brushing and palette knife in the sky. That bank of greenish cloud drifting across in front of the sunset was the WOW in this painting.
You may have noticed that I am not creating as many paintings lately because I've stepped back from finishing one each day. However, I think I'm producing some of my best work. All the studying is starting to pay off and I have so many ideas for new series, but I'm forcing myself to go back over works which have troubled me in the past and use new techniques and understanding to make them pop.
I am finally creating paintings which it is very hard to sell. I wish I could keep them all.
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
View my online Gallery of originals please visit DAILY PAINTWORKS Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
SILENT AUCTION LOT 15 - SUMMER GIRL By SEA DEAN Bid on my exclusive limited timeSILENT AUCTION starting at $25here SILENT AUCTION INSTRUCTIONS An auction collection of recent works by Sea Dean and others. How do I bid?
It's really very simple... 1. Visit the website, or come to one of my upcoming shows to view the lots. 2.
Enjoy the work on offer (you can hover to see details or click to see a
larger image with more details). Some is from my own hand and some is
from my peer collection. 3. Choose which pieces you would like to bid on and click the link in details. 4. The link creates an email so you can send me your bidding details. 5. As bids come in I update the website and my paper record to correspond. 6. On November 15th at midnight PST bidding ends. 7.
Winning bidders will receive an invoice from Paypal with the name of
the work, your bid and shipping. Tax is included. Multiple items to the
same bidder will be shipped together. 8. On payment your item(s) will be shipped within 3 days in plenty of time for holiday giving.
PREVENTING SUN DAMAGE We hear a lot about sun damage and harmful UV rays in regards to skin care, but have you thought about what it is doing to your home? I learned this the hard way when I left my new suitcase out on my covered balcony for a few days and ended up with a pale grey patterned suitcase that no longer matched the rest of the black and white set.
Take a look at the Houzz article linked above and learn. I was surprised at some of the things mentioned. One might say illuminated. I live in a part of Canada famous for it's hot desert like summers and intense sunlight enhanced by numerous reflective lakes. UV damage is rife here, and that is one reason that all my paintings come with a UV protective finish to help stave off sun damage. That being said, to protect your investment, any original art, mono prints and limited editions should be displayed away from direct heat and sunlight and preferably with a humidity controlled atmosphere.
SUMMER BREEZE Original Mixed Media Painting by Sea Dean 24" x 36" on wrap canvas To purchase this original painting and view my Gallery click here
To make things simple for my patrons, all my paintings over one hundred square inches (10" x 10") are now $1 per square inch. Shipping is at cost.
To purchase a Limited Edition ACEOof this painting clickhere
PAINT A MASTERPIECE at the GYPSY FAIR - LAKE COUNTRY, BC
We all had a great time at the recent Gypsy Fair which I hear is going to be an annual fund raiser for several local groups. Kudos to those that worked long hours to support the musicians and artists in the community and put on a spectacular event. There were appies and cakes galore, fun costumed attendants, lots of art, jewellery and gifts and all serenaded by fabulous Gypsy music and even a belly dancer. The locals came out "en masse", with some driving from two hours away. It was lovely to see everyone having a good time.
This is the first full size booth I've done for a while and we are in the hot season, so lugging boxes and stands around was exhausting, but I was pleased with my display. Many people in the area only know me for creating miniatures and small works of art, so they in awe of my large pieces. Here is a photo showing that the sun was behind me making my booth appear dark, but the bright sunlight actually worked in my favour, back-lighting the canvases and making the cadmium red light under-painting do it's work.
SUMMER BREEZE, above, was a big hit especially as the sun dropped in late afternoon and created a magic sunset glow. It once again demonstrated to me the importance of lighting, especially with acrylic paintings and reminded me to instruct my patrons how to light a painting correctly. More on that in a later blog. Do you see the tiny sailboat? That's how big our lake is.
RED ROAD Original Painting by Sea Dean 5" x 7" on canvas panel To purchase this original painting and view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks Also available in Limited Edition ACEO here
Sister painting to Destiny Waiting. From a photo taken in the early days of summer with a little girl unsure of the cool water and whether to go past the edge. We are often faced with decisions like this in life and I'm left wondering did she or didn't she? She is this month's SURPRISE SALE auction. Cat # 12045
BESIDE THE SEA 1902 Mini Master Painting by Sea Dean 4” x 4” Canvas Panel Professional Acrylic with UV Protection Purchase via Daily Paintworks
Part of the Mini Master series which honours the birthday of a Master Painter. I just squeaked this in under the deadline for blog posting. I'm enjoying working with muted colour mixes lately. The ocean doesn't show well in this image, but it has a lot of subtle colour shifts which will amaze you when you get it home.
BESIDE THE SEA 1902 - Framed ($5 extra)
There is little opportunity to paint detail in a miniature, so I would also like to paint this again in a larger version, perhaps a 24" x 24" or 36" x 36" I would love to paint it for you if you would like to commission one, leave me a comment and I'll get back to you. I'm happy to work out a payment schedule that suits.
WALTER RICHARD SICKERT
31 May 1860 Born in Munich, Germany Son of Danish painter Oswald Adalbert Sickert 1868 moved to London, England 1877 trained as an actor 1881 Studied at Slade Art School under Whistler and influenced by Degas 1889 Organized the ground breaking London Impressionist Exhibition 1899 Moved to Dieppe after his divorce (where his original was painted). 1911 Founded the Camden Town Group of English Post-Impressionists 22 January 1942 Died in Bathampton, England (what a pretty place, every view a picture. view it here) Link to a more extended write up on the original painting Cat # 14109 Beside the Sea 1902
FUTURE OLYMPIAN II MINI MASTER 8" x 6" on canvas panel PROFESSIONAL ACRYLIC PAINTING BY SEA DEAN
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. Larger originals or prints may be available by contacting me.
A delightful little boy playing by the river. Or is it a future Olympian at his first practice? A great painting to grace a young boy's bedroom.
CURRENTLY ON AUCTION AT DAILY PAINTWORKS
Left to Right - Top to Bottom
JELLYFISH I ACEO - 2.5" x 3.5" Canvas Card
SOUTHERN SUNRISE ACEO - 2.5" x 3.5" Canvas Card
RANDY THE RACOON ACEO - 2.5" x 3.5" Canvas Card
JELLYFISH II ACEO - 2.5" x 3.5" Canvas Card - New auction
THE FINGER OF GOD - 4" x 4" Canvas Panel - New auction
TREE LINE - 4" x 6" 140 lb Cold Pressed Water Colour Paper - Closing tomorrow
CLEOPATRA EYE - 4" x 6" 140 lb Cold Pressed Water Colour Paper
KALAMALKA LAKE OF MANY COLOURS - 8" x 10" Canvas Panel - Closing today
FUTURE OLYMPIAN II - 8" x 6" Canvas Panel
POWER AND MAJESTY - 5" x 7" Canvas Panel
SLEEPING BEAUTY ORIGINAL PAINTING BY SEA DEAN 6" x 8" on Windpower Vellum
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. Larger originals or prints may be available by contacting me.
Some may think I've gone off the rails, but actually I'm returning to my love of expressionism and whimsy. Impressionist style landscapes and seascapes are fun, but occasionally I have to return to free flowing design. This type of art is popular in Europe and major cultural centers around the world, but not as popular on the marketing website I use. If anyone knows a place where I can sell Expressionist and large Abstract paintings I would be very interested to know.
I have some favourite sections of this painting. What do you like most about it?
Expressionism was developed as an avant-garde style before the First World War. In a general sense, painters such as Matthias Grünewald and El Greco are sometimes termed expressionist, though in practice the term is applied mainly to 20th-century works.
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. The style extended to a wide range of the arts, including expressionist architecture, painting, literature, theatre, dance, film and music. It remained popular during the Weimar Republic, particularly in Berlin.
The Expressionist emphasis on individual perspective has been characterized as a reaction to positivism and other artistic styles such as Naturalism and Impressionism. Expressionist artists sought to express meaning or emotional experience rather than physical reality. The term is sometimes suggestive of angst. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas.
