Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Winter... Wavering... but unwilling to exit as yet

We have again reached that juncture in in our our very long and cold Canadian winter... when most folks seem sick to death with its constant cold and the reality of being "winter-locked". Cabin fever is at best staved off by the presence of the constant hum of the Sochi Olympic Games coverage... providing a legitimate reason to stay indoors and simply enjoy a spectator participation in this global view of winter. It surely does focus on those of us who revel in winter weather and willingly...  "come out to play". I too... have caught my own fair share of broadcasts of this exciting once-in-four-year winter pageant. I thoroughly enjoy and am inspired by the presence of so many nations from around the world... competing and sharing the world stage ... in sport... peace and common brotherhood.

Somewhere in between my sitting down to take in the spectacle, the sun and blue sky of a few beautiful winter afternoons lured me outdoors locally on a couple of days to "compete"... with Me... My Self and I in our favourite winter past time - plein air painting. While I must admit that the cold was there... I was, for the most part comfortable and very easily able to enjoy every moment of the two sorties. Both were indeed plein air outings, but each was carried out differently from the other.

In this first outing... because of the lateness of the day, the goal was to trek ... camera only in hand, or concealed from the vicious cold within the folds of my red mackinaw until a subject appeared. My intent was simply to enjoy the late part of the day when shadows are bluest, competing in an ever-changing woodland dance with the failing light. I had my refuge, once again to myself . Glorious! I was indeed fortunate to find more than enough material for a post plein air studio painting session. That session occurred later that very evening... while every detail was still fresh. The photo would only serve as the first motivation to create. it provided only an initial map function, or structure for what would follow.The second part of this process was to transcend my actual experience by "imagineering" an impression and decisions shaped by my imagination... my own colour palette and free brushwork.

Reality vs Imagineering






Here is the reference photo directly to the left... once again, a nugget "mined" at the mother lode... Ivy Lea Provincial Par ... but on this occasion "refined"... at the studio smelter. I will leave it to you to decide whether I struck Gold! HA HA!!







Here is  my version as I cared to remember and record it. I have seen it many times previously... pretty much in just this light. Does it matter? I think not. What matters, is that I fully enjoyed painting it. It supports my continued belief.... that winter need not be looked upon as treacherously cold... and unsaleable... if that's what motivates one's reasons for painting. It is not my view... or my motivation however!

"Shadow Land" - oil on toned panel 8x10 inches

I'll close for now... and save the post recording the second and actual plein air result for posting later on in the week. Until then... if this quick post at all inspires you to get "out there"... even if only for a short jaunt... camera in hand to your own nearby "mother lode"..... I wish

Good Painting to ALL!

Stay tuned.... in to those Olympic moments... no matter your country. These Games promote the deeper,  more important and  lasting values... beyond one's place standing on the podium. It's about competing with your Self... as much as with, and against others to elevate one's knowledge of one's own accomplishments! That should become the spirit as well... that drives each of us to create in our individual anner.






8 comments:

  1. Good thoughts on why we paint, Bruce!! -- Lovely lively painting too.

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  2. Hi there Marian!... "Good thoughts on why we paint"... As you well know... there are many whys. The most important "why" to us both I think... is the desire and the need to share our individual journeys... our varied processes and our paintings with other like souls!

    Than k you for your visit and kind comment about the painting!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  3. Love your sunny warm snow painting of the woods Bruce, paint on! words similar to a Van Morrison song!

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  4. Hi there Caroline!... Thank you for your sunny and uplifting comments!

    Paint on I will... with about thirty days of winter left... and counting... I don't want to run out of snow! Still a lot of alkyd white left... HA HA!!!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  5. The colors in the snow itself are pure magic, Bruce. Another beautiful painting! Glad you are finding ways to cope with the constraints of winter. All the seasons tend to go by me in a blur just by having to get up and go to work every day.

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  6. Thanks for your encouraging words this morning Sherry!

    Life ... like winter... yields its fair number of "constraints" to each of us on our journeys Sherry. "Having to get up and go to work every day"... would seem so much less a barrier to your Happiness... if suddenly your health... or the health of a loved one made it impossible to continue. Or if you suddenly... for whatever reason you were forced through misfortune to join the many millions of unemployed Americans... who would love to have a job! Have you ever thought of it in terms of these unthinkable and unpleasant possibilities?

    I do every single day that I trudge off to paint in winter. I relish every step and breath that I am privileged to enjoy... for Now! Life is what you make it!

    "I" am indeed... deeply blessed!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  7. Hi Bruce, you have managed to bring out all the life of a forest that the photograph fails to do. The sounds and smells are missing, but the painting will inspire anyone with an imagination and a knowledge of woodland, to supply those for themselves.

    I'm glad to hear that you're still managing to get 'out there'.

    All the best,
    Keith

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  8. Good morning Keith!...Thank you for visiting and for your astute comments!

    You are absolutely right about dependence upon the use of the camera to supply inspiration to create. They can be a useful tool... but they can never be expected to include those other wonderful outdoor agents... nor can they usually be expected to accurately or effectively record the "feeling" that erupts within when one is "out there."

    Neither of us argues against these points... since we both share that insatiable need to paint from life... as it unfolds before us!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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