Frequent Flyer **SOLD**

My eldest son in the heights, doing what

he lives for, flying high through the

cold mountain air.

Oil on canvas 8 x 6 done from a photo yesterday.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Feet what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?"

(Fredia Kahlo)

*SOLD*

Grounded

A special tree in a special place.

Grounding yourself can be accomplished in many different

ways. Being close to nature

has always worked for me. The sights,

smells and feel of a walk in the woods, arriving

at a place that brings those things up close.

The spiritual feeling

of the silent woods that surrounds it all.

Done this winter 14 x 11 acrylic on canvas.

Comments always welcomed.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"In a tree there is a spirit of life,

a spirit of growth and a spirit of holding its head up."

(Robert Henri)

Rising Wind-Cave Island

A familiar scene out of the Swartz Bay ferry terminal,

this tiny island always intrigues me.

Here the winds are rising and blowing clear

the rain laden clouds with the promise of a sunny afternoon.

Oil on canvas 6 x 8.

Comments always welcome.

Jeffrey

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"Each painting should be a surprise journey

with an unexpected ending"

(Robert E. Wood)

'Forest Path' **SOLD**

No matter how often you might hike a favourite

trail they always seem to bring a visual joy.

The way the light filters in through the trees, changing

with the seasons and time of day. The sights

and smells of a hike through the woods is like

a tonic for the soul.

I did this one last fall, acrylic on canvas 8 x 8.

Comments are welcomed.

Jeffrey

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"As the woods are the same, the trees standing in their places,

the rocks and the earth... they are always different too,

as light and shadows and seasons and moods

pass through them."

(Emily Carr)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOLD

Lupins & Poppies

There is something special about wildflowers.

The way they grow wild and free, often in surprising places.

I really enjoy painting wildflowers as the main

subject in a landscape.

This one is an oil on canvas 20 x 16.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One of the main reasons I paint is because I think

nature is so wonderful. I want to try to get my feelings

down on canvas, if possible."

(E J Hughes)

Heritage Apple

Just for fun, and because my new painting isn't

photographed yet, I decided to reach back

into the "VAULT".

This is a watercolour I did seveal years ago

and gave to my brother on the

occasion of his 50th birthday.

It was done on stretched Arches 180# rough paper.

There were many scenes like this in the area where I grew up.

( This was done from my memory/imagination.)

(NFS)

Comments always welcomed.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Another belief of mine: that everyone my age is an adult, where as I am merely in disguise."

(Margaret Atwood)

Top of the Rock

Just finished this one from a photo taken while out

plein air painting on Friday.

I loved the drama of the two isolated trees

backdropped by the hudge clouds

rising up behind them.

Oil on canvas 8 x 6.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Clouds are fascinating to paint because they are the only

element in a landscape that possesses free movement."

(John F. Carlson)

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Me plein airing.

Trial from Above

Finally got out again with our plein air painting

non-group group (were not a group) yesterday.

The weather cooperated for the most part and the location

chosen was a wonderful little park overlooking

Trial Island, the strait of Juan de Fuca and

Washington's Olympic Mountains.

Very dramatic.

This painting was started out "there" and finished

in "here".

My fascination with clouds was in overdrive as we were

treated to an amazing show of spectacular

cummulization....hmmm(?)

Really, I took photo's!

Oil on canvas 9 x 12.

Comments welcomed.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My aim in painting has always been

to make the most exact transcription possible

of my most intimate impression of nature."

(Edward Hopper)

Summer in High Country

Even on a small canvas mountains are

a powerful subject. Their majesty draws you

in and your imagination starts to wander.

However I do wonder if we can ever do them justice

in our painting of them.

This was painted from a photo a couple of evenings ago.

Overall I was pleased with it but...

I don't usually paint after dark as I seem to have

trouble with my old eyes without at least some

natural light. Have to keep fiddling with the lights

and see if I can do more painting after supper.

Oil on canvas 6 x 8.

Comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

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"I have memories of the clearest crystal

mountain days imaginable when we fortunates

in the heights seemed to be sky

people living in light alone."

(J E H MacDonald)

Urban Mexicana

Happy First Day of Spring Everyone!

Another one from this winters effort.

This is a street scene from the little

town of Melaque Mexico. I loved the shadow on

that turquoise coloured wall.

Oil on canvas 10 x 8.

Jeffrey

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"An artist feels things largely."

(John Burk)

Blossom Time

Spring has arrived in Victoria (offically not till tomorrow)
and everyday brings a new discovery of something
else bursting into bloom.
The plum and cherry trees are some of the first.
This painting is of street close to my studio and is
typical of a lot of the streets
in my neighbourhood right now with
the blossoming plum trees.

Oil on canvas 14 x 11.

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"A thing long expected takes the form

of the unexpected when at last it comes"

(Mark Twain)

Rocky Shore **SOLD**

This is a scene not far from my studio that I have painted

before. Though it is the first one on a small canvas.

Done quite quickly with no fussing.

6 x 6 oil on canvas.

Comments always welcome.

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"Look deep into nature and then you will be

able to understand everything better."

(Albert Einstein)

*SOLD*

Reflection **SOLD**

Hello everyone.

I'm happy with the way this painting turned out.

I took the photo for it awhile ago

and I kept looking at it and putting it aside

and later looking at it again

only to dismiss it once more. Finally, two days ago, it grabbed me

while deciding on the subject for my next painting.

When I felt it was finished and put my brush down

I decided that this was

a painting I had wanted to paint all my life.

This is a feeling that comes to me

often when things work out with a painting.

(When they don't...not so much.)

Oil on canvas 10 x 10.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would like to draw your attention to the

Chilean artist Alex Perez.

Check out his amazing work at

http://perezart.blogspot.com/

Wonderful landscapes and seascapes

full of light and colour!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We cannot express the light in nature

because we have not the sun.

We can only express the light we have in ourselves."

(Aurthur Dove)

*SOLD*

Gorge Reflections - (SOLD)

Victoria's celebrated Gorge Waterway has been

the subject of quite a few of my paintings.

This beautiful inlet has much history.

Originally named the Victoria Arm it was the

focus of much of the areas recreational

activity in the early days.

A wonderful book "the Gorge of Summers Gone"

written by local author Dennis Minaker is a must read

for those wanting to

know more about the fascinating history of

the Gorge Waterway.

This painting is an oil on canvas 8 x 10.

Comments welcome.

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"Half the pleasure of painting and feeling the joy of the creative

act is sharing it with others and that feeling of connection.

It could be the colour.

But it is something that someone other than you

has seen and felt.

It is momentous. It is magic."

(Sara Genn)

(SOLD)

Early Snow

This painting was done this winter

from a photo from the previous November as

we didn't get any snow this year.

I love painting snow. It seems to be very

freeing and expressive.

Acrylic on canvas 14 x 18.

Comments welcome.

Jeffrey

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"Twenty years from now you will be more dissappointed by

the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbour.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore! Dream!"

(Mark Twain)

Autumn Fields

Another in the cloud series done this winter.

This one an acrylic on canvas 6 x 8.

I have always been fascinated by the look of water

laying in a field.

Not sure why (something from my childhood) hmmm?

Perhaps because it seems out of place yet

in some way compelling to the eye.

The reflection of the sky colour in amongst

the earth tones and grasses.

Comments always welcome!

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wonder if any of you caught the documentary

the other night on

Canadian artist Peggy Nicol, and what you thought.

Such wonderfully powerful work,

though I doubt few Canadians are aware of her.

I would love to get more

in depth information on her and her work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"There are high spots in all our lives and most have

come through encouragement

from someone else. I don't care how great, how famous or successful

a man or woman may be, each hungers for applause."

(George Matthew Adams)

Passing Storm-Trial Island

Hello everyone,

I had a heck of a time getting a good photo of

this piece. This image is pretty good, but as always,

I wish you could see the real thing.

Another one of Trial Island light from the opposite

side of yesterdays post.

I really loved the dramatic atmosphere in this one.

Something which is often present in this area.

Oil on canvas 6 x 8.

Your comments are always appreciated.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special congratulations goes out to my blog buddy

Vicki Shuck

who has been accepted into the

Daily Painters Gallery!

http://www.dailypainters.com/

Vicki posted her 105th daily posting the other day!

You can also get to her site by

using the link in the Other Artists section of this blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I know of no more encouraging fact than

the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life

by conscious endeavour"

(Henry David Thoreau)

June Morning-Trial Island

This one was painted this winter from a photo

I took while out salmon fishing.

The sun was breaking through cloud cover behind me

and lighting up the buildings and the rocky shore.

The fog horn from Trial Island

can be heard in many places

around town when the fog rolls in.

Oil on canvas 8 x 10.

Your comments are welcome.

Jeffrey

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"I was not ready for abstraction. I clung to earth and her dear shapes,

her density, her herbage, her juice.

I wanted to feel her volume and I wanted to hear her throb."

(Emily Carr)

Dallas Road Daffodils **SOLD**

One of the wonderful things about Victoria is

the naturalized daffodils found along

Dallas Rd. and throughout Beacon Hill Park

in the spring.

This was done from a photo taken

last Wednesday! Soon these daffs will be joined by

the purple camas lily's.

This is a larger work, 30 x 24 oil on canvas.

Comments always welcome.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I feel that when I am painting it is a form of worship.

I see how wonderful nature is and how

wonderful art is...and by trying to

produce these works of art, I feel that I am just

showing my appreciation of these creations."

(E J Hughes)

*SOLD*

Approaching Storm

A couple of years ago Linny and I had a wonderful October

day plein air painting in the lower Cowichan Valley.

These gals and several more looked over our shoulders the

whole time. Later in the afternoon the weather started to

change and I took the photo this painting was done from.

Oil on canvas 10 x 10

Comments are always welcome.

Jeffrey

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"Every work of art which really moves us

is in some degree a revelation - it changes us."

(Lawren Harris)

Late Summer-Cowichan Lake

Another of my cloud series I did this winter.

This of a grand lake an hour or so up-island.

We usually make two camping trips there ever summer.

More paintings to come of this area and the valley below.

6 x 8 oil on canvas.

Your comments are welcome

Jeffrey

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"I want to paint sunshine and burning yellow leaves

and blue waters and laughing faces"

(Fred Varley)

Fallow Fields (SOLD)

You may have already noticed that I am

entranced by clouds, their ever changing forms and colours

and the effect they have on the landscape below them.

This winter I started on series of small landscapes

with clouds being a major component.

This one is an 8 x 10 acrylic on canvas.

Your comments are always welcome.

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Art should not be purchased to fill a space on a wall nor to match the colours of your drapes,

but to fill an emotional space in your heart."

(Tom Thomson)

SOLD

Marsh Edge (SOLD)

I love being at the edge of a marsh in the early morning,

talk about primordial.

Being a birdwatcher I really get a wonderful opportunity in

this particular location. It is one of the first places to spot swallows

in the early spring in our area. I didn't see any this day.

This painting was developed from

the one in yesterdays post.

8 x 6 oil on canvas.

Comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

SOLD

Interurban Wetland

This painting was done plein air on beautiful warm morning

a couple of weeks ago. Often I will "go back in"

after returning to the studio, but I didn't this time.

I personally have set a goal to work hard

at mastering plein air painting. I love it and it can be a

really freeing experience.

9 x 12 oil on canvas.

My next post will be a painting developed from this one.

Your comments and critiques are welcome.

Jeffrey

Peninsula Gold

This is a little looser than my normal style,

but I really love painting like this.

Just putting in the neccesary stuff and suggesting the

rest with brush strokes.

The farming area of the Saanich Peninsula

is a wonderful place for the landscape painter!

This one is 6 x 8 oil on canvas.

Your comments are welcome.

Jeffrey

Winter Afternoon-Saxe Point (SOLD)

As our winter starts to fade we are often favoured

with wonderful spring like afternoons.

This from a scene here in Victoria.

One of a series of small oil paintings I have been

working on this winter.

8 x 10 oil on canvas.

Your comments are welcome.

Jeffrey

SOLD

Swan Lake Splendour

Scenes like this don't happen often here in Victoria

(some would say that is a good thing).

The day after a snow storm when the sun comes out

and lights up the snow covered world is

truly one of natures magical wonders!

This is a 20 x 16 acrylic on canvas that I hope depicts some of that magic.

Jeffrey

Hello out there.

This is my first attempt at using my own blog to connect with other

artists and art lovers everywhere.

I will add my name to the growing list of daily painters

world wide, though it may be more like

a painting a week to start.

Please take the time to leave comments and critiques on my work

or other related topics.

The painting above is from a scene in the Victoria area.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey