Colourful painting.

Once in a while, I really want to paint vivid colour on canvas.

I always use so many different colours but most likely turned out only using blue and green especially when I paint landscape.

I've never get tired of painting landscape around here but I'm recently more interested in painting "close up" something. And add a lot of colours.

I found this tree and colourful leaves at the corner of  Howe Sound brewary in downtown.

Well, it turned out a little bit too strong image but I think it's done.

Another painting of vineyard

This time, I concentrated "shadow" more than grapes and vine.

I know my image of  the shadow which was made by grapes and vine look too strong. But I just don't want to make them softer or neutral colour. So the shadow is sticking out  and maybe there is no harmony with all the other parts. But I decided to keep it this way.

A Memory....

It was a great trip to Okanagan in September. And the place where Bob and I stayed is called  Summerland. It was literary SUMMER-LAND, I mean SO HOT.

The temperature hit over 38 degree every day and strong straight sunshine plus there was hardly no cloud.

But I could see beautiful Okanagan lake reflecting the sun on the surface of the water.
The reflection was so white and shiny. I was so impressed. So I decided to paint the scene but didn't turned out what  I expected. I need to practice to paint the scene at least a couple more times. Well, Practice makes Perfect,eh?

Purple grapes

Finally finished another painting  of grapes. Started with green grapes and now purple grapes for red wine. Yes, my favorite!!

A sad story.....

I'm one of the member of "group ITOHAN". We formed this artists group in 1968 and held art show once a year for 25 years. Then there were several reasons we couldn't have any shows at art gallery for 18 years.

In 2009, when we became 60 years old, we happily started showing our arts at the gallery again but every two years. I could participate to show mine in 2009 and 2011 but not this year, 2013. Some of my paintings are there at the gallery with other members but I couldn't make myself back to Japan.

The exhibition is from November 17th to 23rd, 2013. Yes, it's on now. I feel so sad for not be able to participate. Because I was in Japan almost 4 months so far this year to take care of my mother. I felt too tired and getting sick myself. So I had to give up going back so soon again.

I feel very SAD not being there with my friends but they called me from the gallery last two days. I felt so happy and I was at the art gallery with them. Thank you so much,my friends!!

Vineyard

After struggling what to paint and how to paint on 24"X18" canvas, I finally finished one of the vineyard paintings from my holiday in Summerland this summer. Well, it turned out my "ordinary style" painting though.

My last painting is quite realistic green grapes on 11"X14" canvas. Then I wanted to paint more grapes on the vine on this 24"X18" canvas. But how I tried to figure out looking nicer even I painted upside down, didn't look good either.

So I was almost going to throw out this canvas. Actually I've taken 7 canvases to the garbage bin so far in last 8 years.  But second thought, I'd better not waste any more canvases. As I've already wasted too much paints on it.

Once I decided to paint something, the image will never disappear from the canvas. So even I cover it using totally different paint on, still the old image shows up on the canvas. I know it just in my mind but it happens.

So I had a hard time fighting against old image and thinking and painting new scene on this canvas. Moreover, the surface of the canvas is all bumpy and shows lots of lines from the last paints. I like smooth surface much better. Anyway, I think I tried as much as I could!

Experiment

After my husband and I had first holidays"in Canada", I've just finished one painting of grapes.

I was going to paint kind of large painting of vineyard where I really enjoyed not only the scenery but WINE. But I have no idea how to paint grapes and vine.

So I started 11"X14" canvas for experiment. I think I'm done now. But grapes don't look SOFT enough. Ummm.......... I may need more experiment.

Little change

I keep thinking something isn't right of my newest painting "Miniature Rose". So I changed a little. 

Roses

I can't remember when was the last time I painted roses. I used to paint roses quite often and I still love red roses the best among all flowers in the world!

I've decided to paint red roses, then there was no reason but I started vivid Chinese red for the first layer on canvas. And roses were ended up PINK. Well, I like pink roses too, anyway.

Landscape again.

I've been wanted to paint this scene for long time but I never did before. My husband, Bob took me for a long drive 4 years ago and we were there on the way to Boston Bar. I've already painted one of the scenes, " C.N. Rail near Boston Bar" right after we went there.

It was early summer and no one was there. So quiet and beautiful. Yes, very typical B.C. VIEW! But I love it!! So I thought I'd better start painting this since I feel like I still have unfinished business. Now I DID.

The 6th and maybe the LAST

It's been more than a month after I came back from Japan for the second time in this year because of my mother's emergency call.

I've already started another"sunset from my window"painting before I went to Japan.
The first one I painted in 2011, then painted 4 more different versions last couple years.

I thought I did enough but only one more scene I still wanted to complete or I mean added.
I'd painted this scene once and surprisingly it was sold. But I was only half happy because I thought I could paint better one.

So I started painting again. And this is my 6th sunset scene from my window and the last, I guess.

This beautifully glowing mountains, only happens at the end of winter or early spring. The mountains have to covered with snow and there shouldn't be NO clouds in the sky and I have to look at it at the certain timing. Of course trees are much shorter than mountains. But through my window, mountains are always behind trees. I love to see this scene again!

"The Door"

When I started painting " Radiant Light", all the sudden, this image of red door came up to my mind. This is one page of  my old old memories.

I saw this building with red door somewhere in Europe, possibly either France or Italy.  I was so impressed and loved this red door when I found, I even painted this whole building over 30 years ago. But I don't know where the painting is now.

The door was shut tight but telling me something that I thought. And this rusty heavy looking red door was so beautiful with pinkish brick building.

Starting to paint again!

After 2 months of BREAK, I've been painting for 3 weeks. And here it is, my new version of trees and light painting has done. 

Light is always very difficult for me to show in the paintings. Actually it has no colour and texture but really affect painting if I can't use it right. Well, I'm not good at putting the light in my paintings yet. But I'm trying anyway. Hope I could do this better than before.

Little break?

I'm going back to Japan for 2 month and leaving tomorrow.

Since I've finished painting " Blanket of Snow", I decided not to start a new painting until  I come back from Japan.

If I have any painting half done, that makes me feel something is not right or missing. I'm not the person I can do several things together. I can only do one thing at a time.

So I now have a little break for painting pictures.

Snow....

I've been waiting for taking nice picture of snow scene around here since last year. But we haven't had enough snow.

Maybe enough through the night but when I get up in the morning and ready to go..... always half melt or start raining and doesn't look beautiful anymore.

So, I decided to paint the first LITTLE snow we had in this year before having "ENOUGH SNOW".

Add a bright colour

Once in a while, I feel like adding much more bright colour in my painting rather than only
" blue and green".  Here they are vivid orange.

I always see this tree in my neighbours when I go for a walk.  I haven't notice it becomes such a beautiful colour in the fall. Because most of the fall I wasn't here but in Japan.

I was lucky enough being here to see all the beautiful colours in Squamish in the fall.

I was going to paint only one painting but made two. One has a little bit more leaves than the other. Well, it happened accidentally, anyway.

Cascade

When I saw some kind of ivy flowing down on the tree, I was so impressed how beautiful they are.
But "painting those ivy" is totally different story. How can I paint so many leaves? And can I make it like flowing down tree? Well. let's try.

I started this scene at the end of September, 2012. Then, of course, I demolished 2 canvases. Finally the third canvas survived and I think I finished painting and titled "Cascade".  I've already had a title before I started this painting.

Yes, this is the first painting I finished in 2013!