Community Mural Project - Faro Yukon

Planning and Design of this mural began in mid July when Recreation Staff put out requests to the community for submissions of "What Faro Means to You"

When all the ideas were submitted, Tonya Freake and I set about taking all the ideas and  and incorporating them into this design.  The drawing was projected on the wall and on August 21st to 25th, painting began in earnest. 

Many people came and went from the rec centre to help complete the mural it was a great community effort  

The completed mural

 Tonya Freake, Jackie Irvine,  Camille Unrau

Christine

Tonya

You missed a spot

Work of Art in Progress

Off to France

 South Canol Autumn

Original 5x7 Acrylic 

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I have painted this scene before but larger and vertically on the canvas. It is a gift for Vincent, a nice young man from France, who is working with my daughter at the Blind Creek Salmon Weir near Faro. So, unfortunately I am not "off to France"  but this painting will be in the near future.

Fireweed is in Full-Bloom

That's what inspired this little painting!  It will be time to paint the fall colours soon. First Nation's lore says: " Winter comes 6 weeks after the fireweed blooms

Hope that's not so

Klondike River Valley, Yukon

Original 6x8, Acrylic on Canvas
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Little Salmon from the Robert Campbell Highway

Little Salmon Lake Sunset

6"x8", Original Acrylic on Canvas

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I have not been painting much lately as I have been working on a community mural with the local recreation centre.  I then have a commission to do for Copper Ridge Place in Whitehorse. In the last week it seems that my sunsets have been what people want so I thought I would do another one.  I love doing them as well. 

Watercolour, Storm Clouds over Little Salmon

Size:  11x14

Wet on Wet Watercolour painted on 300 lbs Arches cold pressed watercolour paper.

After picking up my watercolours at the plein air festival - I would like to do some more watercolours.  This was so much fun!

Plein Air Festival Whitehorse: Images & Thoughts

 The festival involved 12 artists each day and there were three artists at each location for 5 days. Each day we moved to one of these four sites and painted for 5 hours.
 The Taylor House
 The Visitor Information Park
 Yukon Arts Centre

S.S. Klondike   All sites are in the City of Whitehorse

The show for all pieces produced during the week are at Yukon Artists @ Work and will be up until the end of July.  

I enjoyed the experience and painted subject matter that I would not normally paint.  The weather was pretty cold and windy on some days but otherwise it was a great week.

Ken Anderson Sculpture Studies, Yukon Visitor Information Centre, 

Acrylic 10x 14  (above) & Watercolour 5x7(below)

Taylor House Studies :
Acrylic  Above: 5x5 (Sold)Middle: 5x7 Below: 5x5 (Sold)

Bela Simo Sculpture Study
Watercolour and Graphite
8x10

Jerry Kortello Sculpture Study
8x8

Yukon Artist @ Work, Day 1 Plein Air Festival

Sculpture Garden, Yukon Arts Centre

Plein Air, Orignal Acrylic

8x8

Sculpture Bela Simo

5x7 Original Watercolour

Sculpture Garden: Doug Smarch

5x7 Original Watercolour

Aspens, Fall colours

Aspens at Far-End of Fish Eye Lake /2

Original Acrylic

6x8 inches

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I had a lots of red orange and yellow left over on my palette and did not want

to waste it so I did this aspen painting.

Large Works: Original Mixed Media of Quivering Aspens

Autumn Quivering Aspens at Magundy

Original Mixed Media

3feet x4feet

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I was so frustrated when I painted this picture I worked it a lot because it was such a big space to work on after doing these tiny canvases.  I am now working on a four feet by four feet canvas.  I like alla prima painting but it doesn't work when the paintings are this big! Part of the challenge is when I start, I do not want to stop until done and  the meals don't get cooked ! It is such a joy to paint !

Three recent works - Painted at Magundy

Yukon Fireweed

Original 5x5

Acrylic

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Most of my time is being spent out at Magundy River where I have been enjoying some  time at home.  Life is so simple there, I enjoy the solitude and peace.

The river is rising fast as the last of the spring thaw has started to come down out of the high mountains.  It is raining heavily  tonight and the river will probably  overflow it's banks. On my walks I have been picking the immature fireweed for a salad.

I wanted to paint some summery paintings and these were the result.

Wild Roses

Original 6x6

Acrylic

Haines, Alaska

Original 6x8

Acrylic

SOLD

Pelly River from the Dena Cho Trail

Orignal Acrylic

11x14 inches

Photo Credit Jasmine Djabri

*this painting was STOLEN 

from the gallery in mid December 2012
Please call YAAW Gallery in Whitehorse if you ever see it
1-867-393-4848

Long Stemmed Rose

Long Stemmed Rose

4"x4", Orignal Acrylic

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I love painting these little flower paintings, I plan to paint a whole series of them in the weeks to come, wild and domesticated.

Small Watercolours - Recent Works

Faro Peak - MIdnight Sun

4"x6", Original Watercolour

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I recently did some small watercolours of some local scenes.

Yukon River, Midnight Sun

4"x6", Original Watercolour

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Little Salmon Lake from the Norhwestel Rd.

4"x6" Original Watercolour

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Same Scene - Two Different Mediums & Sizes

Fox Lake Sunset

Original 6"x6" Acrylic

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I have painted this spot before I really like the mood of this sunset. 

The lake is on my way to Whitehorse off the Klondike Highway.

For purchasing visit my Etsy link on this blog.

I recently did a series of small paintings and did this scene in watercolour. 

Fox Lake Sunset

Orignal 4"x6"

Watercolour

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Little Salmon Lake, Drury Creek Campground

Original Acrylic 8x10
Little Salmon Lake, Drury Creek Campground
Photo Credit: Catherine McCann
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Little Salmon Lake defies it's name.  The  lake runs for many miles bordering the Campbell Highway; it has two campgrounds, one at either end. Two summers ago there was a large fire that burned on the far end of the lake the entire length of it.  In the years to come it will make for beautiful and vast stretches of fireweed in bloom in the summer.  

This painting is available for sale:
On My Esty Site
Scroll down on the left of this blog to find the link

New Art Cards for Faro's Upcoming Crane & Sheep Festival

Crane Flight 

8x10, Watercolour
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Crane Antics

5x7, Watercolour

I will be participating in this year's festival on May 11th,12th, 13th.

I will be doing plein air painting at the Mt. Mye Sheep Centre on the Saturday.

In Loving Memory of my Father, Joseph Thomas Dowell - June 16 1926 to April 12, 2012

Cloudburst Over Little Salmon Lake

8x10. Acrylic
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My father always encouraged me to be an artist when I was a little girl and was the first to purchase some of my paintings.  An artist himself he spent many years in a career as a professional musician and both my mother and father passed on their love of the French Impressionists to me.  I am in Halifax until the end of the week and will spend this time remembering and honouring him.

 In loving memory of my dear father I will recite this prayer tomorrow at his service

The St. Francis of Assisi Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury,pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Amen

Spring Fever Series - Magundy Break-up

Magundy Break-up

8"x8", Alla Prima Acrylic on Canvas

I have been spending a lot of time at Magundy lately.  Walking on our  river trails is one of my favourite pastimes in the spring. I find it really inspires me when I spend time outside in nature; I have lots of creative ideas rush into my mind.  This is a way of filling my creative well.  Walking quietly in nature and witnessing the beauty around me.

Kids Painting Workshop - Acrylic, Impasto & Glazing

Painting Demonstration
Using Impasto Gel, and Glazing Techniques
Kid Workshop - Ages 9 and 10
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I had the privilege of doing another workshop with the youth of Faro.
We painted fireweed on Canvas using impasto gel, and used glazes so they could see how colours can lay on top of each other and influence each other. It was a small group of 10 year olds.
When I paint with younger children it brings me back to when I did art with my children when  I home schooled them, it was a very important part of their development creatively and intellectually.
  Whenever I do a workshop with children I give them the finest of materials.  I impress upon them that they are using exactly the same tools that I would use to create a work of art and they can now create the same way if they wish. I teach them skills and then encourage self-expressiona and spontaneity as well.  I like them to enjoy the process and do not focus on the end result, there is a bit of self-discipline involved for this group because it took two days to get the finished result, but the kids were so happy and proud of their accomplishments.

          

Standing Dead and Fireweed

Northern Summer

4x6. Watercolour
sold

Another small watercolour.  of fireweed and distant mountains