Landscape Impressions

Landscape Impressions

Mist of Magic   watercolour   Ruth Hayes
size 15"x22"

To dream ad-midst nature-- perhaps to find colours, shapes, lines and images to light a spark that give meaning to aimless wanderings.  Living in a large urban city finding the time each day  for those aimless wanderings can be difficult. Having a dog to walk helps a lot. I am very grateful to live so close to the lake. The vast expanse of space as the the sky meets the water is always a wonder. The play of waves against the shore is music that soothes and calms and the sky is an ever-changing light show. Perhaps it is this light show that I find most challenging. In observing some paintings I've worked on over the summer there is a theme of landscape and light and the absolute magic it can create. Light on the rock, on the water, in the morning fog or evening mist and I can only conclude it has been a beautiful summer.
  With Fall around the corner I have a new series of watercolour classes starting in September. A few of my new landscape impressions can be see in Shamanstree Gallery.

Inspiration

Art is indeed not the bread - but the wine of life. 

Jean Richter

What inspires me to paint?  It could be anything. Light on a hillside. The colour of Fall leaves, children on a beach, a deep unanswerable question within the soul. To paint perhaps to taste the wine, touch the mystery, transcend what is known.  To sip the wine of art is to find that timeless place within. All else falls away.
Many artists have alluded to it. DaVinci talks about when the head, the heart and the spirit are in alignment and creativity seems to flow. Being part of the culture I can fall into the trap of thinking if I only have the right tools, hone my skill, follow the right steps and I will be a better artist. That might be part of it but it is not where the mystery will be found. And it wouldn't be a mystery if I could say where and  how it could be found. Perhaps that is why artist's are considered such an eccentric breed.

My painting will be on display as part of the Spring Beach Studio Tour. Come celebrate Friday evening May 2nd from 6-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday. I am located at 17 Fernwood Park Ave.
For full information about the tour visit www.beachstudiotour.ca.

View these two You Tube videos to get a glimpse of my work and all of the tour:

Just Ask

Just Ask

Art is neither a Hobby nor a Profession but a way of being.

Frederick Franc

Tree of Life

The Beach Studio Tour is coming up the weekend of  May 2nd and this tour our web site was redesigned. Participants have been asked to answer three questions about our artistic endeavors. I briefly responded to a few of them but realized I could right a short book about some of the questions. Perhaps a short blog will better serve.
I have been an artist from the time I was 11 or 12, painting whenever I could but never really thinking about it. It was just a "way of being". Certain questions get asked often. How long does a painting take?  Do you paint every day? A question guaranteed to annoy -"Is this just a hobby"? Painting is my life, my love and my profession. I teach, exhibit and sell my paintings, and see private clients. A few of us become famous and wealthy but most artists are grateful to pay the bills, but count themselves lucky in so many other ways. Artists give expression to the dreams and vision of a culture as they live admidst it, sometimes slightly apart. Balancing the dreamer and the professional part is often a challenge. An event such as the studio tour takes a lot of organization and hard work. Finding time for the artist part to finish paintings can be the challenge.
Look forward to our 20th anniversary.

A Time for Contemplation

 CONTEMPLATION

"There is no Art without contemplation"

Robert Henri

     In teaching  I love to use artist quotes about the creative process. They come from painters, philosophers, scientists, poets...etc..  I sometimes think I could come up with a few of my own. One might be..."A painting is like a good cup of tea, it needs

time to steep-in the mind, the heart and the psyche of the painter."

We live however in an age of instant gratification. Tea might take five minutes or so for flavors to blend and strengthen, where a painting might take days or weeks or longer.

    A question an artist is often asked is how long a painting took to complete. I find that in creating a painting it often becomes a two way communication where the painting might have as much to tell me as I think I want to express through it. It becomes a puzzle, a challenge, because of course the communication is not verbal. The communication might come in dreams, a walk by the lake, or chewing my brush while in front of the work in question. The answer could be as simple as a composition issue resolved to an insight that astounds me as it touches into the core of my being. This is why painting is not about the product but about the process. I believe Einstein said "Art evokes the mystery".
We understand and unravel that mystery in our own time, perhaps over a good cup of tea.

Sharing the Spirit

Christmas is a time of sharing. Artists share what comes through their vision but also what is seen through their hearts and spirits and that is what makes it scary at times but also exhilarating. In keeping with the season you are invited to an open house on December 1st. Sunday 11 am-4 pm.  I see it as a time to share the beauty and warm spirit of the season. I will have a selection of my small paintings of children and angels and cards. I am also delighted to present some of my current class artists. As an instructor it is a delight to see their amazing talent and creativity come alive in my ongoing classes. Please drop by and enjoy some holiday refreshments, good cheer and creative art. Perhaps find a gift for yourself or another. We would be delighted to see you.

Christmas Studio Open House

Sunday December 1st

11am- 4:00pm

17 Fernwood park Ave.

South of Queen between Beech and Balsam Ave.

Realism or Abstraction

Colour Fantasy
    Mixed media     

We live in a time when anything goes especially in art, to the the point where we all might find ourselves questioning. In teaching painting the question of realism vs. abstraction comes up again and again. Somewhere I came across the definition of abstraction as being that which our mind has not yet affixed a label. An amorphous colour field is just that until we call it a sunset. A sunset by the British artist Turner is considered great and beautiful art yet without the title or knowing the artist it might pass for a modern abstract. Good principles of composition hold true in both abstract and realism and of course art is always subjective. The discussion is ongoing and rich.  I continue to be awed by the journey called art capable of evoking such mystery.
As an artist I love to play with colour and texture and a painting could end up as an abstract or take a form that evokes trees or sky or figures. I love both abstract and realism and don't like to be labelled or slotted into one  category or medium.  The Fall Beach Studio tour is coming up October 25th, 26th, and 27th. It is a free walking tour of the locations of participating artists.  A wine and cheese opening starts at 6 pm Friday evening and then  the show continues Saturday and Sunday. I hope to see you.
A selection of my latest work in watercolour and acrylic and mixed media will be shown; both abstract and representational.

I'm very excited about  a short video

Life Lessons from waterolour

The greeting cards or plaques are everywhere that give whimsical but true "Rules of life I've learned from my cat or dog" or whatever. It occurred to me while painting one day that all the frustrations, struggles and joy of watercolour had taught me my own valuable life lessons. Such as the following:

Rule #1  Patience!!! If I go in before it is dry I can ruin it, turn colours to mud. Wait! Things work in their own time. Have Patience! It's a virtue.

Rule #2  Everything in art is subjective. All is relative. Colours or a palette I work with will be pronounced "wrong" by the next book I pick up or opinionated artist. Understand why you use your colours and if they work for you that is all that matters. If not, be open to explore and learn. The same with your art. What one person deems worthy will not appeal to your grandmother or the next jury committee.

Rule #3:  Watercolour is water based. Water flows. We've all heard "go with the flow". See where a painting wants to go. Allowing the water and colour to blend and flow is one of the most zen-like joys I can think of.

Rule #4: Watercolour is a transparent medium. Let it's light shine through. That goes for the artist as well. Don't try to paint like anyone else or compare yourself to anyone.

Rule #5:  It can be fun! I've heard that watercolour is a difficult medium. Yes, challenges are encountered but when I  remember to play and stay open wonderful spontaneity can happen.

Rule #6:  Turn things around. Get a fresh perspective. Stand the painting upside down. Use a mirror. They say life is a mirror.

These are a few that seem to come up often. I am sure there are more. I'm also open to observations from other painters.The creative path is if nothing else, quite the journey!