Elevating Experience

It all started when I was asked to do a commission painting of the elevator in Kelliher, a small community in south east Saskatchewan.

I was thrilled and gladly took on the challenge. I completed the piece in November and sent it off to the clients. They both loved it. I found that painting it also brought me much pleasure, as I recall fond memories of riding with my dad in our rickety old truck, back and forth to the elevators to drop off loads of grain.

I went out and bought three more canvases, 12 x 16" and started another, and then another and then another. They are great little paintings, each with a character of it's own and each a familiar location for me. For ordering and purchasing information, please visit my online gallery.

If you have a photo of an elevator that you think would make an interesting painting, I'd love to hear from you, as I continue on this elevating path.


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Hot off the Palette - August

The month of July on the West Coast of Canada was absolutely beautiful with record breaking sunny days. Although I spent much of my time outside gardening and walking the beach, I did manage to complete a few paintings.

(... and Jeff reminds me that I also completed and sent the Fall Island Arts Magazine to press and organized our exhibiting artists for the Island Arts Expo for November.)

This past May I had the opportunity to go on an Arts & Culture tour to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here is the first of many in the series.


"Anywhere Santa Fe", 14 x 18", acrylic on canvas - Available for Purchase

"Old Relics", 28 x 22", SOLD
Within 24 hours of finishing this prairie scene it was sold to a collector in Saskatchewan.

Giclée Prints are available:
10 x 8" - $80 • 14 x 11"  - $110.

"The Line up", 24 x 12", acrylic on canvas - Available for Purchase

Reminder: book your pet portraits early to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Old Car & Elevator

I knew that when I saw this image taken by Saskatchewan photographer Linda Kopp, that I had to paint it. For several weeks I 'painted it in my head' until one day I was ready to tackle it on canvas.

In the beginning: using a 28 x 22" canvas I covered the top half in warm colours; quin gold, ochre yellow and naples yellow, plus white - cadmium red and maroon on the bottom half.

Then came the sketch: using burnt sienna, I outlined the shapes, filling in some of the darker blocks of shadows. Not a bad days work at one of my regular TOSH volunteer days.

Filling in the colours: I did the easy stuff first, such as touching up the sky and painting the elevator. Next I worked on the car, spending a considerable amount of time, as I wanted it to be accurate.

The foreground with the tall grasses was FUN. I worked with vigour using a 1/2 inch flat brush blocking in colours and dabbing in the grass, not worrying about details. I just needed to give the 'impression' of tall grasses.

Finishing touches: mid-ground shapes, a few dabs of colour on the trees and little bits of bright colour throughout, brought it all together. I had to stop ... as I was in danger of overworking it!!

Now the hardest part: giving it a title??!!

Any suggestions?

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

What's on Your Easel?

Take a look at what's on my easel!

The new year is a good time to go through your "stuff" and clear out what you don't want and finish those projects that you think are worth saving.

This canvas already had the beginning of a painting on it that I had started, oh, some 10 years ago. Many layers of gold and copper paint formed the base. Keeping that theme, I painted and scratched and scraped more layers of gold and copper adding a gel medium to give it more depth and texture.

Other colours were scraped and brushed on. The elevators just happened along somewhere near the end of the process.

Finished piece is 10 x 14". Now to come up with a catchy name. Any suggestions?

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Winter Elevator

Happy New Year!

With all the unusual accumulation of snow over the past couple of weeks and the frigid cold weather in the prairies, I thought it was quite fitting to reintroduce you to this painting.

The elevators on the prairies are slowly disappearing. Years ago they were in almost every small town, every eight miles down the road. I remember taking trip after trip with my dad as he hauled the grain to the elevator, disappointed if he forgot to take me on one of those rides. What a thrill it was when the the tail gate opened and the grain unloaded. The sound, the dust, the smell ... those memories are forever. Now the prairie icons and landmarks disappear. How grand it be to have an art gallery in an elevator. Maybe I could buy one for a loonie, or have it moved somewhere, perhaps to my dad's homestead farm.

"Winter Elevator" acrylic, 16 x 20"

"Love what you do ... and do what you love."