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Cloudscape
This has been the summer of clouds! On the few days when it wasn’t actually raining, there were some fantastic fluffy white clouds. On other days we had the dark and gloomy style, but so dramatic! Here’s a view from just south of Spirit River.
Barn Swallow
This was one of those paintings that just didn’t pan out as it was meant to. The barn swallow was on the fence post of the pasture with three horses conferring under a tree in the background. Well, what was once 16 x 20 is much more impressive as a 5 x 7! Goodbye, out of focus horses. The Barn Swallow is the main event.
Sulphur Gates
This is an impressive location just North of Grande Cache, Alberta. About 8km off the highway and a short hike to lookout platforms, the Sulphur (smaller) and Smoky Rivers merge between massive vertical rock layers. The height and geology are more impressive from each successive platform.
Cutting it Down to Size
Sometimes a painting is much improved by a liberal cropping. This one was a typical shape, 12 x 15 or so, and the point was the bright sky overhead. Something looked a bit “pretty” about it though. It wasn’t quite appealing. When looking for something for a members’ show, Carolyn needed to frame something fast. There was a small frame in a long rectangle… hmm! Cutting out that bright sky changes the centre of interest. The river still reflects the sky without having both actually showing. The shape is lovely for accentuating the depth of the valley. Success! And just in time 🙂
The Astonishing Beauty of Clover
En Plein Air
Just a couple more photos from our Peace Valley Guest Ranch Watercolour Retreat. We really enjoyed it!
