Spring in the Woods

Hi everyone,

This is one I did quite awhile ago and I am hoping to get some serious critiques on it. The subject is the primordial forest undergrowth as it bursts forth in spring. The leaves on the trees are starting to unfurl. The twisted salmon berry bushes, skunk cabbage, ferns and moss all growing in the spongy edge between bog marsh and the forest slopes.

To date this painting hasn't generated much positive response. (Go figure, eh)!

I'm open for it all, so bring it on people!!

Jeffrey

"Waters' Edge"

Here is a recent acrylic painting 30x40" of a summer scene at Royal Roads University.

"After the Snow"

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading about, and enjoying, all of the beautiful paintings that you have been posting!

This is a seasonal one that I did after Victoria's recent snowstorm (acrylic on canvas 36 x 18)

Linny

...not a creature was stirring...

Saltspring Symphony

Hello everyone,

Just thought I would say how much I have been enjoying using and being part of the 'BLOG' .

It is really nice getting the comments and sharing our work this way. I really look forward to seeing new work posted. It is a real challenge trying to keep up with the production of the Simon boys though.

Keep it coming folks!

'and all through the house....'

Jeffrey

Help with blending acrylic

Hi, I'm really struggling with learning to work with acrylics. Trained in oils and I tend to want to overblend and end up with a mess. How do you create soft edges with acrylic? I see in Brian's paintings that he makes nice soft edges and Jeffrey's paintings seem to have a nice mixture. What's the secret to working with acrylic and not making a mess?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks,

Mona`

Watering Hole

16,20 oil/linen A view i took a photo of on the way to a job the other day, thought it would make a good painting

Last Light

This is another in a series I have been doing of a spot close to where I live. Trying to show that light just before dusk. The more I do the bigger the area seems to get. Chosing varied angles makes the scene new all over again.
Acrylic on canvas 30 x 30.

Jeffrey

Arizonian

A Study of a local guy i see at the coffee shop

Fiesta Spectators

This is a study 16x20 oil/linen of some people i saw at the Fiesta here in Tubac AZ

BEACON HILL AUTUMN

HERE IS A NEW ONE DONE TODAY ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 30X40"

ARAB QUARTER

Just back from an awesome 3 weeks in Haifa Israel, visiting my daughter who works at the Baha'i World Center. Lots of pictures to paint from. This painting is an oil 30x30" of a section in the Arab Quarter of the ancient city of Akka. I liked the contrast of the old stone and muted tones against the bright blue.

Nina

This is an elderly lady who is often at the coffee shop here in Tubac. 16x20/oil/linen

Snow Shawdows

Hello everyone,

Thought I would put up another snow scene I finished recently. I hope this will get others posting some of their new ones. It would be great to hear from more of you........!

Jeffrey

Snow in November

Hello everyone,

To everyone in southern BC, I hope you all made it through the wind, rain & snow storms okay! I have been looking forward to the snow this year hoping for some new paintings. Got pretty jucied up with all the beautiful snow scenes. This is my latest.

RED VASE Nov 2006

Completed today Sat 18/11
Ala prima study, oil on 60x40cm (16"x24") MDF panel.
The time available for painting was 2 hrs, so I had to be quick for this fairly large sized study.

Cottonwoods at dusk

This painting i did a few days ago trying to capture the afternoon light

Robert Genn's Painter's Keys Twice-Weekly Newsletter

I love Robert Genn's work and his marvellous Painter's Keys Twice-Weekly Newsletter. I'm sure many of you already subscribe (it's free, i might add), but if you haven't heard of it you really should take a look. Make sure you check out the "Clickbacks" (the discussions on the essay's). It’s something i greatly look forward to.

And the reason why i'm posting this here, is that i thought it might possibly be fodder for discussion here on Brian's blog. :-)

Here's the link:

@

P.S. to Brian. I don't know if you're even interested in this at all, but if you are, is there any way to post this link permanently onto the sidebar?

~ Amber ~ the slightly less reclusive one ~

Lady Slipper Falls

Hi Brian,

I really like the new one on your homepage!!! So magical! It draws me right in.

Jeffrey

A "Selling" question for people

A question just came up and it made me wonder. I know a local artist (here on Bowen Island) who is quite creative when it comes to selling her art. Of course her work is in galleries, and she also gets her work displayed in restaurants, etc.

But the one thing she does that i'm curious about and was wondering if anyone else has done is this:

Has anyone tried renting their art? She has really low monthly rates for people who can't normally afford art. I would assume that if a buyer came up (who maybe saw the painting online, or whatever), that the person renting it would be given the option to buy it first though. But in the meantime, you're getting revenue for a painting that could very possibly normally be sitting at home just waiting, gathering dust, and people who just don't have the money can enjoy beautiful art too.

I can see it would be scary though, unless it was rented to someone you know and trust or to someone who someone you know and trust can vouch for. I suppose a less scary version would be a sort of "rent to own" version. Either way, a contract would have to be made up to protect the painting, i would assume.

Anyway, anybody tried this? Any luck with this if you have? Any comments?

Island Cove

Hi everyone,

Is anyone out there? Seems like the last episode of Corner Gas. Thought I would post my newest piece. It is my largest to date 36 x 48. Sure looks hudge in our small space!!

Jeffrey

New Vancouver Village

HERE IS A FAIRLY RECENT PAINTING OF A NATIVE VILLAGE UP THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST.
ITS OIL/CANVAS 16X20

Saturday mornings I paint with a group called Riverside Painters. We meet at the University of Westen Australia Rowing club to painr plein air around the river. No coordinator, teacher, committee, just painting with a collegiate review of our work afterwards. Today, the weather was very stormy so we painted indoors

This ala prima still life, "Flowers and Lemons" acrylic painting on 9"x12" (23x30cm) canvas sheet was completed in around 2 hrs. I had fun and think I achieved my aim. "colourful, joyful and dramatic"



I wonder how it would translate into a larger sized studio version

Daydreaming

Hello everyone,

This is one I did this summer. It is the third one of "vetch" that I have done. Sorta went off in a different angle here. I call it "Daydreaming".

Jeffrey

"COACH" BY DAVE SIMONS

Here is a great little painting by my brother Dave called "Coach". Maybe he can comment and tell us more about it. He had trouble posting it so he sent it to me.
Brian Simons

ON TOP IS THE FINISHED PAINTING OF "COACH" THAT DAVE SENT.

Old Mexican House

Hi, Brian.this is one that i did today.

YACHT MAYLANDS WIP

Oil paint on 24"x20" canvas stretcher. Started on location complketed in studio
Thanks for the suggestions. Here is the final version

Hi Brian,

Well it looks like the blog is up and running with lots of interesting comments and pics. I'm posting an image of the painting I had in the Sidney Fine Arts last weekend.

I now have several paintings in the Morris Gallery on Burnside and Alpha. Of course I'm pretty excited!

I can see that you have been very busy creating wonderful new work.

cheers
Jeffrey

4 NEW PAINTINGS

"HERON" 16X20" OIL/CANVAS

"SNOWY LANE" 16X20" OIL/CANVAS

"WINIBEGO" 16X20" OIL/CANVAS

"FAIRFIELD SNOW #2" 16X20" OIL/CANVAS

POPPIES AT THE BACK DOOR

Acrylic paint on 18"x18" (45x45cm) canvas stretcher. Completed today from on location pen sketch and photograph

Interesting art stuff here

Amber Hope's Martha Washingtons

This is about the only painting that i have done that i think i can post (i painted it in the summer). Lately i've been painting what some people might call "No-Brainer-Feel-Good" stuff in a simple folk-arty style - my user pic is a sample of that.

Now this one that i'm posting was quick and small (only 5x7 and painted with acrylics) but i think it's my favourite one i've done. Just thought i'd share at least SOMEthing! :-)

Sorry, i don't have a scanner, so there is a touch of glare on the upper left corner of the pic. Oh, and i plan on possibly changing the name to a red colour so it doesn't stand out so horrendously.

Winter Study

A little study that i did today.. 11x14 oil/board

BISQUICK

This is an oil painting I did last night called "BISQUICK"24x30". A still life of the kitchen counter from a photo taken a few years back

SUNRISE YORK OIL 16x20 cm (6"x8")

Small plein air study in oils
Location York a rural town 90K West of Perth Western Australia

Coastal Study

An 11x14 oil/board study that i recently did for a demo.

"PANDORA"

a SMALL OIL PAINTING OF A STEET SCENE HERE IN VICTORIA 16X20" OIL/CANVAS

POSTS WANTED

HI everyone, would be pretty exciting to see more posts from contibutors, either text or pics!!!!!
If your not sure how, just email me at: briansimons@hotmail.com for some help?

A RECENT PAINTING

a small oil painting 16x20" of coastal islands up the British Columbia coastline

SPRING - RIVER GUILDFORD AUSTRALIA

Plein air, oil on 40x45cm (16"x18") panel, completed today

CHIEF BABA-KINGCOME INLET

Here is a little acrylic portrait of the Chief of Kingcome inlet!
His name is Baba. He is a much loved and respected Chief.

ANOTHER KINGCOME INLET PAINTING

Here is another painting from Kingcome Inlet

NEW MEMBERS

Warm welcome to 6 new members: Joanne Bowden, Bruce McDonald, Anna Curtin, Irene Buck, Jan and Mona! Thanks for signing up and if you wish to post something, click on the "Blogger" logo at the top of the blog, sign in and "add post" from the dashboard. You can also comment on any of the existing postings by simply clicking on the "comments" link under each and adding your own comment! This is YOUR blog , please feel free to use it. Brian Simons

"WINTER THAW"

Here is a small painting I did recently from photos I took when it snowed here in Victoria a few years ago. It's oil/canvas 16x20"

KINGCOME INLET

Here is another small painting, this time an acrylic I did when I was visiting a native village called Kingcome Inlet on a fijord up the BC coastline in August. It's a small 9x12 sketch of part of the village. The is another oil sketch of the village on the homepage of my website: http://www.briansimons.com

Thanks for the invite, Brian

Thanks for the invite to your blog, Brian. R. Bruce Macdonald, www.rbmacdonald.net

SMALL OIL PAINTING

Here is a small oil painting I did a few days ago of a scene in Victoria. It's 9x12" oil on canvas. I'm doing some more work in oils this last while and I like the feel of this one!

JEAN IVES SHOW

IF YOU LIVE NEAR VICTORIA, PLEASE CHECK OUT JEAN IVES SHOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA. SHE IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL STUDIO 1050 PAINTERS AND HER WEBSITE LINK IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE. SHE PAINTS MOSTLY SCENES OF THE SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND AREA. WELL WORTH SEEING! BRIAN SIMONS

MORE NEW CONTRIBUTORS

WELCOME TO AUDREY, SAM, PARKER, JEAN IVES, HUGH LOVE, SCULPTOR AND SKETCH!
THANKS FOR JOINING THIS BLOG. IT IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF EVERYONE COULD COMPLETE THEIR PROFILE AND ENTER THEIR NAME FOR DISCUSSIONS PURPOSES...NOT MANDATORY THOUGH!
THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL ARTWORK POSTED HERE! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUST POST A COMMENT, QUESTION, OR ANYTHING ELSE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE PICS.
THIS IS VERY EXCITING BEGINNING...THANKYOU. BRIAN SIMONS
OOPS! 2 MORE NEW MEMBERS, GLEN AND AMBER-WELCOME!
www.briansimons.com

Welcome new members

Hi everyone, warm welcome to Victoria, Margaret, Kathy and Brianne...all new contributors. Thanks for choosing to be part of this. And thanks for your postings. All the paintings are awesome! Brian Simons

Studio 1050

Hi Brian,
This is the first time I have done a posting so I'm not sure how it works and whether I will be able to do what I want. Anyway, your idea is fabulous...I will enjoy posting new paintings and receiving critique from the others. I might need to come over and get a tutorial first! Now I will try this and see if it works. These are the three paintings I submitted to the Sidney Art Show...I got one accepted and for the second year in a row, it was my least favourite. What do you (and others) think? I will look forward to seeing what everyone is up to (once I figure out how to use this). Bye for now. Margaret

SPRING HAS ARRIVED DOWN UNDER

Two plein air paintings completed this week. Some rework in the studio


Path in Kings Park. Oil on canvas (9"x12")



Swan River at Guildford. Oil on canvas (12"x16")