photographs

Only a Bloomin' Bud for Mother's Day

Magnolia bud, No bloom. Mother's Day 2011 Copyright Christine Montague The past few months have been gloomy, rainy ones in the Greater Toronto Area. So much so, that for the first time ever, my magnolia tree is not in bloom on Mother's Day!

The fact that magnolias in this area are always out and sometimes even finished by Mother's Day, inspired me to paint a magnolia portrait entitled, you guessed it,  "Just in Time (for Mother's Day")" .

The weather today, Mother's Day 2011,  is so glorious, the bloom is not off my day, by the lack of Magnolia blossoms. It simply means Mother's Day should be extended a few more days, don't you think?

Happy Mother's day!

Happy Hipstamatic

Just got the Hipstamatic app. I love it. Here are pics just outside my studio at the Williams MIll Visual Artist Centre.

Warming up to Plein Air Painting

Minus 32 degrees celsius with the wind chill did not deter 8 members of the Ontario Plein Air Society (OPAS) from meeting at the heritage Scotsdale Farm, on the Maureen Smith trail area of the Bruce Trail in Ontario. Swirling Snow at the Scottsdale Farm Silo. Plein air painting copyright Christine Montague

Ontario Plein Air Society Scottsdale Farm. Jan. 2, 2010

This was my first visit to the lovely American colonial style farm buildings, and my need to explore and photograph, took precedence over my need to paint. Long tree shadows crossing over white clapboard buildings, a stone silo dusted in snow, and weather vane topped cupolas made for inspiring photo taking.

As there was so much to see, it took me a while to settle down to draw with my Cray pas oil pastels. But by the time I did, the weather changed - everything going grey. Still beautiful, but we all became a little more conscious it was winter. Shadows disappeared, and snow  swirled off the roof tops, as in the little 8" x 8" oil pastel drawing on canvas I did, and am quite fond of, even though it was quickly produced, for the grand jaunte it represents.

By drawing on location, my feet buried in the snow,  in a farm pen that I had to climb over a fence to get to, for the view I wanted, I can still feel the crispness of the air, and replay the image of the snow swirling past the silo I was drawing. The paintings of Scotsdale Farm that will be created  in the comfort of my Williams Mill studio - these paintings, will certainly benefit from the plein air experience.

To see a video by Zan Barrage on this plein air day, with some great tips (e.g. how to use socks..) click here. For the OPAS blog with plein air painting info, click here.