Observations during the Holiday Season...

Taking advantage of my Chinese painting classes last year, I asked an attending professional artist the reasons why he preferred large canvases (at least 45 inch in height and width minimum). He responded by saying that he selected the largest canvases he could cover with the sweep on an arm and a sway of the body. The advantage being that, given his unique physical dimensions, nobody could copy his brush strokes! This is something I would like to try with my upcoming 100 m series...

Also, on a less serious note, since I want the kid in me to paint in 2009... I took advantage of the presence of the "little people" in action during the Holiday Season (in occurrence my grand children unwrapping Christmas gifts) to learn a thing or two about body movements, in an attempt to improve my own painting moves...

I noticed that pivoting longitudinally along one's own body axis could help one cover more ground and therefore more canvas real estate in one sweep if need be:

Moreover, it seemed also possible to work on the ground leaning over large pieces of artwork without falling on one's face given the proper technique:

Imbued with this new knowledge, I decided to start this nordic Charlevoix beach scene :))


Still need to figure out where I am going to put a large flying bird in this picture...

Getting ready for the 100 m Olympic series...

During the summer Olympics, I toyed with the idea of creating a series on the 100 meter dash. To that effect, I built a collection of bad TV screen shots:

As additional reference materials, I took a few snapshots of myself this morning and used Photoshop to transform them into depersonalized "bas-relief" images. If there is anything "sticking out" on my side - this is likely to be myself as a sore thumb! - that does not show up in my reference materials... I will put it in!

As usual, I am anxious about starting something new... but I am never that serious about it!

Sea shell picking in Sanibel... final pass...

I tried not to destroy too much the freshness of the first two passes...but, still, this time around, I felt the need to make this figure look more realistic, more tri-dimensional...


The saving grace is that I am down to 3 passes now (it is usually 4)... getting closer to my objective of the one stroke painting!

Note to self: "I can't help noticing for the first time that this figure seems to exude physical power - too much? - as if I were already gearing up for the 100 m Olympic series , which I plan to start in Jan 2009..."

Sea shell picking in Sanibel island... part II...

While I had a few minutes in-between shopping sprees, I gave another shot at that Florida beach scene...


Note to self: "Gotta let the kid in me finish off that painting... with only a few additional surgical brush strokes, preferably!"

Sea shell picking in Sanibel island... hum, better than shoveling snow!

After somewhat of an attempt to do somewhat of an ethereal monochromatic beach scene, I seem to be swinging back to bolder colors again. Perhaps I got scared!

Hope the "sloppy style" of the previous painting sticks with me. Perhaps I can have my cake and eat it (bold colors & sloppy style)!

Note to self: "Perhaps if I want loose... I should start loose!"

Pushing the envelope... but not there yet!

Over the last couple of days, I tried a monochromatic beach scene in loose style with dirty colors in my continuous saga to go for more of a contemporary look. However, this painting doesn't seem to have the same punch as some of my previous works featuring more vibrant colors or higher contrasts. Nevertheless, this could be the start of something new (this canvas is unstretched for now)...


I find it difficult to get off the beaten path, abandoning the security of what worked for me in the past. I need to muster enough intestinal fortitude to go for growth... and for me, growth seems to be the migration path to a looser style!

Time to take stock....

After 53 paintings done in the course of 15 months, I feel the need to take stock and extract some key learnings from my painting experience with acrylics.

I derived a certain level of satisfaction creating my first painting series on Kauai. However, these works only looked half decent under optimal lighting conditions and seemed to literally die in the absence of direct light. This was a real let down coming from a watercolor background. The Chinese style underpainting (I was taking course in Chinese black ink painting at the time) with ultramarine blue most certainly did not help...

The "women's eyes" series that followed allowed me to fully explore the capabilities of both fluid and conventional acrylics with a relatively limited palette. I worked with and without white going from transparent to opaque application of paint. Towards the end of the series, I realized the benefits of working with both methods on the same picture, letting the underpainting show through for greater luminosity. I experimented with modeling paste for the first time to create textured backgrounds. I learned about the benefit of zinc white, which is transparent and takes longer to dry. I now mix it with titanium white whenever I need to emphasize these characteristics. I ended up emphasizing brush strokes using heavier paint and taking the risk of mixing directly on the canvas for more variety in colors.

With the beach painting series focusing on the female figure, I explored the graying of colors using titanium white and ivory black in small quantities. My intent was to apply a screen to my colors for more of a contemporary look. My main color palette was and still is limited to 3 key colors (others are added on an as need basis) not including black and white. I experienced with a more expressionist style but seemed to have fallen back to pure realism with minimal details and high contrast even going from pure white to pure black in the gradation of values. Throughout this series, I experimented with gel medium and varnishes for the accentuation of textures. So far, I have avoided "alla prima" painting, favouring a multilayered approach for more control and reserving thicker paint for the last layer.

The last painting from the series (a mother playing life guard, upper left) suggests that when I am left to my own devices, my tendency is to increase my level of comfort and play it safe. I have to remind myself that people rave about some of my "spontaneous" underpaintings and a professional artist already told me that my expressionist painting of a woman walking on the shore (middle right) was "more me" in relation to other paintings of mine. This feedback calls for a more expressive approach on my part... especially in the completion phase where I tend to reverse the machines, losing the freshness from the initial phases.

I have been lucky to hold 2 solo exhibitions this year and sell 10 paintings. The women's eyes series raised a few eyebrows (no puns intended) and people were quite receptive to my artistic statement.

I need to pause briefly before my next move... may the gods be with me when I get going again soon!

Cape May beach scene #3 - final pass....

Had to work a little to finish off this painting and balance everything. For a while, I thought I was losing it.... as is the case for most of my paintings! This is a 24 X 30 canvas.

Thus far, I have been too tight for my liking in execution... part of me would like to go for broke and produce real powerful works for a change. Time will tell, if I can meet this objective.

Cape May beach scene #3...2nd & 3rd pass...

Not being able to clearly visualize the scene from the first pass, which looked like childish doodling, I frantically bombarded the canvas (the better part of one hour) until I started to see a resemblance of the visual experience I had that glorious summer afternoon in Cape May ...

... part III this aft... while I am on the rampage, propulsed by my previous failure!

P.S. Here is the 3rd pass as I am progressing rather prudently towards maximum contrast & highlights, especially in the water area:

Sandbanks #6 final pass... you can't win them all!

I did not fair as well with the heavily gessoed surface... I missed the texture of the canvas and this played against me! The painting registers at 6 feet but lacks interest in a close up view (did not use alla prima) ... therefore this is only half a picture!

In a moment of sheer euphoria, I slapped a coat of matte varnish to attenuate the colors followed by a coat of high gloss varnish to highlight textures... and called it quit. The painting is interesting to look at from a distance but this is not sufficient to make it part of the collection (my signing it was only wishful thinking)!

I am not giving up on the approach... but for the time being, I will pursue my beach painting series using canvas by the roll to see where this will lead me.

While I am at it, here is my first shot at this other beach scene from Cape May:


... a rather massive & monolithic mother playing the role of life guard for a rather cute little surf boarder....

Sandbanks #6 : step II-III - getting out of my comfort zone!

I timidly applied a second layer of paint to establish the framework for bolder expressionist brush strokes with subsequent layers. The association of a multilayered painting approach with expressionism seems to be a contradiction in terms. As a compensatory move, I was sloppier that usual in my application of paint trying to cast the dye at the early stage to get the final look I want. I am crossing my fingers!


P.S. Could not resist a 3rd quick pass early evening... after a dinner with the muse!

Some tweaking of the face is still called for... but it is getting closer... especially when backing off 15 feet from the painting!

Sandbanks #6 start... going for expressionism...

Taking the previously mentioned heavily gessoed canvas, I built the foundation for an expressionist head. Need to figure out the horizon line... plus where I will include the bather (note to myself: head sticking out of the water!) to create this beach scene...

California beach scene I: final step...

This new canvas "by the roll" agrees with me... and could very well be my path to expressionism. Its feel is somewhat between raw canvas and the regular canvas I used to buy. The moment paint starts to behave like watercolors, at least in the initial phase... I am in familiar territories.


Worst case scenario, if I can't produce decent paintings, I can always sell my underpaintings!

Tomorrow, I will experiment painting over one of my previous paintings covered with 3 coats of gesso to get back to a white surface. The grain of the canvas will be absent...

California beach scene I: steps II & III - rolling with the punch...

This new canvas by the roll caught me off guard as liquid acrylics glided over it like watercolors and thicker paint sunk in it with grainy pastel-like effects. I was so perturbed that I forgot my usual ways for a while...with potential fringe benefits... if I can "roll with the punch" and bring it to fruition.


One thing is for sure... I haven't changed my palette and colors are popping up like crazy! Could it be that watercolors are creeping back into my work...

P.S. Couldn't resist slapping a 3rd layer late afternoon. Highlights and more contrast is next on the agenda.

California beach scene I ...painting with a roller... on canvas by the roll...

Running out of stretched canvases today (I used gesso on an earlier "defunct" painting of mine but now need to wait 24 hours before painting), I clipped a piece of canvas on a 45" X 45" Masonite panel... and went at it with a vengeance (a manner of speaking)!


The prospect of working in total freedom (I can turf the canvas if I don't like the painting), and without having to worry about storage really appeals to me for the time being... at this stage of my artistic development (I use the term loosely!). I can now graduate to larger paintings... literally painting with a roller on canvas by the roll!

Sandbanks #5... final pass, notwithstanding the urge to buy a barrel of gesso...

This final pass led to some further adjustments here and there... trying to recreate the best I could the mood of a hot and hazy summer day at the beach. I will use a matte varnish on this one to accentuate that very mood.

Meanwhile, I got myself a gallon of gesso at the art store today. I have been experimenting with acrylics for a little over a year and the sight of some of my early paintings is pretty painful. Looks like I could use some of those canvases for the completion of my beach painting series.

It seems that lately, I have become a painter of light and dark, contrasts and shadows. I use white to paint white and black to paint black! Could it be that Chinese black ink is creeping into my work...

Sandbanks #5... third pass...

I was a bit more cautious about this third pass "casting the dye" on certain pivotal details in an attempt to avoid late difficult corrections... The last brush strokes should bring more spontaneity... which seems to be an oxymoron at the end of a rather systematic step by step painting approach!


Still need to bring some of the sky into the sand and the figure (note to myself!)... and clip the left wing of that bird!

Sandbanks #5... establishing the mood of the scene...

I did a second pass quickly to establish a "viable" color scheme... somewhat in line with my initial plan.

The 3rd layer should bring everything together, figure included... if the gods are in my favour! This is a 22" X 28" canvas.

Beach painting series - Sandbanks #5, first pass...

Continuing my beach series experimentation, I decided to go with this scene with the intent of generating very high contrasts once again...and the torrid feel of a hot summer day. I am crossing my fingers as usual... never really knowing where I will eventually end up!

This is my first pass using my worst brush with the hope of retaining the most interesting brush strokes and patterns!

Fund raiser update... suitable for framing!

A few weeks ago, I offered one of my paintings at a fund raising event dedicated to young hockey players. It was touching to receive this thank you card last night... in my view, an ample reward for a few brush strokes in support of a good cause!

I took some time yesterday to do a 4th pass at Buddha IV (24" X 30 " canvas). I kept it "rough on the edges" as an experiment. I wanted to avoid the perfect statue look susceptible to attract only Buddhist monks or those interested in Zen buddhism as customers! I am not sure to what extent I have succeeded...

On the basis of that experiment though, I have the opportunity to be more spontaneous and deliberate in my brush strokes in the future... and sooner than later, I hope!

Third pass at Buddha IV...

I slapped a sloppy third layer on this Buddha in a (desperate?) attempt to find avenues to make it more interesting. I need to build up on some of the "happy accidents". In the meantime, while creative ideas are simmering, I can always start working on textures... the "no brainer" part, where I excel...

Second exhibition...the Buddha is going to a private collection...

This was quite a memorable evening owing to Angélique Duruisseau, a powerhouse of a singer from Montreal who most certainly gave justice to Piaf's challenging repertoire going from "tour de chant" to "tour de force" in front of an appreciative crowd. My last Buddha went to my Tai Chi instructor who had narrowly missed the Buddha I presented at my recent October exhibition (another buyer got it).

Again, a big "thank you" to those who stopped by to take a closer look at my art. Your uplifting comments are always appreciated!


In closing, I would not want to miss the opportunity to thank the staff from the cultural center for their unbelievable support during the two exhibitions I held under their expert tutelage!

Getting ready for my second exhibition - a mini one, that is...

Three paintings to "prep" and I am ready for tonight. I will present 3 of my previous works and 2 newer ones. My intent is to show some variety while providing a glimpse of where I am going in the future.


The beach painting series (the painting on top of the easel is an example) represents for me an artistic breakthrough that will lead me to a more in-depth exploration of light and contrast with opaque acrylics. As a watercolorist, it took me 50 acrylic paintings to really feel comfortable using opaque titanium white. Now I am using it by the jar... to paint "wall to wall" light... while still restricting its use in color mixes and leveraging the white canvas whenever I can. When my acrylics start to look like my best watercolors... I will be a happy camper!

The universal use of the "sticky mixture"...a definite "may be"...

On the artistic side of my activities, yesterday, I spent most of my time varnishing. I wanted to do another experiment with the epoxy varnish (the sticky mixture I am referring to) but this time around over a pale textured surface with a matte finish (my first experiment was done over a darker non textured surface with a glossy finish - a school of fish from Kauai). Looks like this one will require another pour to obliterate the areas of tension caused by textures. My intent was to use the epoxy varnish with my recent beach series. My thinking now is that this type of super high gloss surface lends itself better to "aqua" environments. As such, the painting below qualifies as the varnish adds to the feeling of "wetness" (only my theory!)...


My next project with the "sticky mixture" will be the Hawaiian green turtles I did last year, a 30" X 40 " canvas. The title of the project will be: "how to double the price of a painting with 20 dollars worth of varnish". "Wishful thinking" you might add!

The second pass for the last Buddha:

A different kind of Buddha....

I got attracted by the patterns of light and shadows with this one. Facial features are a composite of a few Buddhas that caught my attention on the Internet...Here is the first pass.

Final Buddha-...pre-varnish...

This is the final Buddha, pre-varnish. I did not pay too much attention to the beads, but they seem to have fallen back in place for the most part. I went for more transparency with this painting so that it could generate its own light. So much for expressionism though...but for now at least, I can go on meditating about it!

The Buddha...painted himself it seems...

Here is the pre-final pass. I did not have any preconceived ideas about its final look, hence the title of this post. Beyond some fine tuning of the beads, I would like to experiment with textures and varnishes with this one before I call it quit. I would not mind doing another Buddha before my exhibition a week from now...I have got some unused 22 X 28 canvases in the backburner.

The Buddha...step four...

This is my fourth "prudent" pass at the Buddha focusing primarily on the face. One more session should do it...I hope.

With a wee bit of luck, this one should join the group of 5 paintings I will present Monday November 17th at the Edith Piaf concert in Pierrefonds. I figure a painting like this would be more "à propos" than warlike Touareg women...

Indian summer... last call!

...couldn't resist taking these pictures...during my final sprint getting ready for winter. Things could be worst...we're in November for God's sake!

A few additional "loosy goosy" strokes on the Buddha... I think the hat will need to be resolved in the same fashion as the face for uniformity...

The Buddha...step two...

This Tuesday, I spent the greater part of the day outside to take advantage of the Indian summer. I did take 30 minutes or so to refine the Buddha's face though. I would like to go for a more painterly Buddha this time around...

Taking a break from "real painting"...the Buddha....

I decided to take a break from "real painting"... so the Buddha is coming the my emotional rescue! I am not sure where I am going with this one. I will soon find out...

Spot varnish: if it works for printers...works for me...

...took some free time today (in-between raking leaves) to do an experiment with another one of my infamous "collection of the artist" painting. I used both mat and high gloss varnishes in specific areas to create additional textures on this piece. The end result is evidently not the apotheosis of my artistic career...on the other hand, using varnish as a means to jazz up uninteresting surfaces (e.g., large black areas) does have potential with acrylics.

Another one joins the collection of the artist!

"Collection of the artist" is a polite term I use to describe my "half failures". My definition of technical success - only my point of view of course - is slapping 3-4 layers of paint in a hurry (1 per day to allow for some thinking time and planning in between layers) with the white canvas and the underpainting generating as much light as the white paint I used to balance colors in the final product. Given the element of chance involved, my likelihood of succeeding 100% of the time is "snowball in hell".

I have never tried a mat varnish before...so here I go with this overworked painting seeking some color attenuation (fogging effect with the intent of masking)! The back lit figure is a definite challenge...which, considering the layering technique I use, has to be won at the early stage of the painting. The second photograph (mat varnish) was taken on the veranda...

With regard to my quest for expressionism (one anemic step after another)...the abbreviated face associated with the fellow in the back represents an apex for me...not much to write home about you may say!

Also, in terms of the application of paint, I seem to want to gravitate towards flowing "buttery" colors...


...as opposed to colors applied with clear cut expressive brush strokes.


My challenge will be to balance these two approaches in every painting while emphasizing the first...one thing is for sure: I am still searching...

Fund raiser...

I have been approached recently to provide a painting for a fund raising event dedicated to kids and sport. This is the one I will submit (this lighthouse from Cape May was done on raw canvas).


Winterizing the house is cutting down on my painting time...hope to be able to get back on track by mid this week. My objective is to produce a minimum of one painting per week this fall. For the next few paintings, I intend to use any remaining commercially stretched canvases from last summer. After that, I will use canvas by the roll (using plywood as temporary support) graduating to larger size paintings while avoiding storage issues.