Art that Heals

Original Acrylic

11x14

Title:  Peace

What do you do for someone in your family who has Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer 

and lives thousands of miles away.... 

the only thing that I know to do at this moment is 

paint them something peaceful to look at. 

This painting was inspired by Brian Ladue's photo

Gold Pans with Northern LIghts in Ross River

Twice a month, since October I have been driving to Ross River to put on The Art with Heart Program. The drive takes an hour and a half each way from my home to the Yukon College and the drive home is on a pretty lonely stretch of road on the Campbell Hwy in the dark at 7pm at night which is about when I leave.  There are some really dedicated painters in Ross (every community has them!) I so enjoy sharing the wonderful experience of painting with them.  Art is a great form of recreation and at last week's session  discussed how it is so relaxing and takes you out of your mind.  It stimulates the creative part of your brain and brings you into the "now"  like nothing else.
You stop thinking about your problems and lose yourself in the process. How could this not be healthy in our stressful modern world.

Below are some gold pans that we painted.  And some samples of the Demos I have done for my classes.

 Above and Below are two Demos Done in Class. 

I usually finish them up at home as it would take my attention away from helping the participants to finish their works.

Lovely Work Ladies!

Swim Lakes Trail, Faro Yukon

Swim Lakes Trail, Faro Yukon

Original Acrylic on Canvas

5x7

 Available

This is a smaller painting of one I did a few years ago.  I will have it for sale in Faro on Sunday at the Last Chance Christmas Sale. I have been so busy this week.  I subbed 3 days in the school and did art with the students and tutored each day after school.  I went to Ross River yesterday to do the Art with Heart Program. We painted Northern Lights on Gold Pans but that is another post. I will not have a lot for sale but I hope to do another painting today. We will see.

Value Study with Grade 6 and 7

I was at Del Van Gorder School in Faro this week and did two art sessions with the Grade 6 and 7 Class. 

The first was the importance of value to create light and dark to create depth. We did a shading exercise and below are their results.   

We spent the morning doing art and what followed after the value study 

was making Watercolour Christmas Cards. 

 I think their results for a whole morning of art were pretty outstanding!

( This was Sarah's, the EA that was helping out in our class)

Faro's Seniors: Art Walk Classes through RPAY Winter Programs

The recreation classes have been going really well in Faro.  Last week we had 16 people show up for the program.  This is the most I have had  for a class.  We painted in Sihouette  trees and sunset.  

Yesterday we had 11 people come  and do their rendition of Northern Lights on Gold Pans.  Karen Wolczanski a friend who is visiting Faro from Ottawa; she graciously let us try her open (slow-drying) acrylics.  It made the blendng so much easier in the sky and it is always nice to try new things.  This program has been a great alternative to lawn bowling for the seniors for recreation in our community.  The program is called art walk because it begins with a walking session at the rec centre to music and we also have a snack.  Yesterday's was Yukon Cranberry Jam (made by Marilyn Boyle) with Brie, fresh  apple and strawberries, French Bread and an assortment of nuts and seeds to nibble on.  As an instructor this is the most affirming and wonderful experience:  To be able to share my love of painting and create a healthy and fun environment for the people of my community is the ultimate!

Painting Fall Colours in the Yukon

Yukon Fall Colours

Original 5x7 Acrylic 

on Stretched Canvas

My winter classes are bi weekly in both Faro and Ross River with RPAY. 

This is the subject used in our first class and often I start demonstrating our topic but finish up the painting at home.  

Another Painting of Mist

Original 5x7 Watercolour 

On Arches 90lb Cold Press Paper

Mist 2

The other Demo from my class last weekend completed.  

Demo for Art Walk Class in Faro

Original 4x6 Watercolour 

On Arches 90 1b Cold Press Paper

Mist 1

I have been running a seniors painting class in Faro every second Saturday in partnership with the Town of Faro Recreation Centre and RPAY.  

One participant asked to paint mist so we did a very simple composition of demonstrating the wet on wet technique in watercolour and then adding the detail as the painting dries.   I will post another tomorrow as I did 2 quick demonstrations to show how to start the initial process but I finished them at home this week. 

Watercolour, MIst in Forest

Original  5x7 Watercolour 

on Arches  90 lb Paper

Forest Meditation

A small study done wet on wet and then worked  progressively to add detail until the painting was dry. From start to finish about an hour.  There are some accents of watercolour pencil that is a burnt sienna colour that are added at the end. Pigments are Windsor Newton and the colours are Paynes Grey, Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Blue. 

Smaller Watercolours

Pond Reflections

5x7 Watercolour

New Paintings for Christmas

Original Watercolour, Ink and Conte

on Arches Watercolour Paper

5x7 

Price:  Framed $95.00

Unframed: $85.00

A Romantic (and yes, cliche)  image for Christmas.  I enjoyed painting it.  The painting looks better than the digital image.  

Yukon Aspens

Fall Aspens near Fisheye Lake

Original Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Size 16x20

Sold

I worked on this piece the last few days.   I love the Aspens in the Yukon.  The golden leaves light up the landscape.  My next painting I will paint the bottoms of the trees to get the lovely reds from the cranberry bushes or fireweed. 

Demo: Tombstone Mountains Painting

Original Acrylic

Tombstone Mountains, Yukon

SOLD

Little Salmon Commission Complete

Original Watercolour

Little Salmon Sunset

20x36

The larger scale painting completed.

Painting on a Larger Scale

Sunset on LIttle Salmon

Original Watercolour and Ink

4"x6"

I recently received a commission to do this painting but on a much larger scale.  This is essentially a thumbnail of 4 inches by 6 inches. I have painted literally hundreds of paintings this size. The washes are so easy as they are just a "swish" of the brush. I have stretched out a piece of arches watercolour paper that will measure 20 inches by 30 inches. I hope to  somewhat capture the same place.  It definitely does create some challenges for me like:  Doing washes this big take skill and speed.  I will have to really plan that out.  Also, I have not been painting in watercolour lately so feel a bit rusty.   I will post my results next week as the painting will be done by this weekend. 

Recreation and Parks Association of Yukon Program for Youth in Ross River

Painting Wooden Boxes with Acrylic and decorating them in Ross River last Monday.  We have a couple more weeks left for the program  and Yukon Summer will all to soon come to an end; then the kids are back to school.  It's a good thing we have a big table at the Hope Centre as we had 13 youth attend this week!

Faro Seniors Outdoor Painting Recreation and Parks Yukon Program

Beautiful artwork made in the outdoors by Yukon Seniors!

The last few weeks in Faro we painted a sunny day with fireweed on canvas with  acrylic  Another week  we made art cards with watercolour and some ink.  

This week it was a landscape, a rose or a moose all in watercolour!

We always have a healthy snack after our art session. 

Ross River Youth Workshops, Recreation and ART

Classes are held at the Hope Centre in Ross River every 

Monday from 1-3Pm 

The course has been well-attended and  in the last couple of weeks we have made Butterfly/ Dragonfly Decoupage on Canvas with Acrylic and 

Watercolour Roses.  It has been wonderful working with the kids! 

This week's class will be art cards and stamping. 

Seniors Outdoor Painting Week 6

This week we decided to paint something with rocks. Our Landscape is of Lapie Canyon.  We were outside for this class and the bugs were fierce! This workshop has always been about getting out, being social and having fun and it has definitely been that.  I notice that the "regulars"  are becoming more comfortable with the acrylic medium.  Now they are starting to pick up on technique and composition, value and colour mixing.  We also gessoed our canvas with a warm orange tint so they could see how it adds to the painting.