Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Color Study

This is a color study that I did of a painting I admired done by someone else.  I loved her color combination and so tried to duplicate it.  It was simple to do in my oils.

When I had my colors sorted I did a quick color swish to see if the combos still worked.  I really like this combo.  The colors are all water soluble oils by Cobra.  I wrote the color names above on the left

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Recollection

Recollection 11X14 Oil on Canvas  $75

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Poppy

Poppy 24X24 Oil on Canvas  $495

I needed to paint something bright and cheery.  Now I think it is time to look at Fall.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Ebb and Flow

Ebb and Flow  12X24 Oil on Canvas

Nature has a way of changing quietly, subtly, or quickly and violently.  This is a quiet and subtle moment.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Red Earth

Red Earth  48X48  Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I am preparing for the studio tour on September 13th and hanging some of my larger canvases.  The inspiration for this came from travels to the red canyons with the great colors, crevices and surprises around each corner.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Forest Light

Forest Light  24X18 Oil on Panel


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Daybreak

Daybreak 24X24 Oil on Canvas  $495

Gallery wrapped canvas.

We had come back from a glorious holiday with phenomenal scenery.  Then we take our special pooch for a walk early in the morning and the light coming through the trees caught my eye.  So you can see which scene I painted.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Overboard

Overboard  36X48  Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas so that it may be hung without a frame

I am back.  We've been galavanting around the country and collecting ideas and images.  I did this painting shortly after returning from one of those ventures.

Now I am getting ready for a studio tour  September 13th  10am to 5pm.


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Forest Light

Forest Light  18X24 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas  SOLD

This is another in my tree series.  These trees have their own personality and history. Lots of stories to tell.  Maybe I should do one that reflects the elders.

Bente

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation, reworked  24X18 Oil on Canvas  $495

My last post was of this painting.  As I watched it in different light it appeared too dark for me so out came the palette knives and more texture and colour was added.  I like this better.

There is more variety in the values in this one.

Bente

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation 24X18 Oil on Canvas  $495

Spring is my favourite season.  Life comes anew.  Small buds show their strength so quickly. The life and energy of the season is inspiring.

Bente

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Strata Wall

Strata Wall 24X24 Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas $495

This was a challenge.  I do believe I painted it 4 times.  It started out mostly black and white with blue grey sky and grey ground.  My sensibilities just couldn't live with that so each day more and more color appeared.  Then when I had the house to myself (who knows why that made a difference) I decided to get out the palette knives, put out a full slate of colors and away I went.  The walls stayed the same but everything else livened up. The trees in the painting are not as purple as they appear here.

Happy Painting.

Bente

Monday, March 31, 2014

Spring

Spring 12X12 Oil on Canvas SOLD

Yeah!  Spring is here.  The light is different and life is appearing everywhere.  Isn't it wonderful.

The colors in this painting are actually richer than they appear but when I take the photo in the sun it washes some of the color away.  I will try for a better photo later

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Tulips and Sunshine

Tulips 12X12 Oil on Canvas SOLD


Light is everything.  Yesterday I took Star for a walk around our Strata.  It wasn't sunny but it wasn't raining either.  I had my camera with me and took photos of one of my favorite subjects, trees.  Today when it was sunny I thought I could do the same photos when the sun is shining.  What a difference LIGHT makes.  In the final photo you will see Star in the bottom center and see how blessed I am to live where I do.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

High Noon

High Noon 24X24 Oil on Canvas  SOLD

This is a richly colorful oil painting with thick palette knife paint.  Painted on the sides so that it can be hung without a frame.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Light

Light 24"X24 Oil on Canvas  $495

This is painted with bold color and thick palette knife work.  I am loving my palette knife.  I am thinking I may tackle a few large flowers again with my palette knives.  Now that its warming up outside I can open up the windows.

I have learned that the water soluble oils definitely dry faster so I can go back in and do some glazing in fairly short order.  It is interesting to experiment.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Award of Excellence

Memory  20"X30" Oil on Canvas

This painting won an Award of Excellence in the juried show for The Reach in Abbotsford.  It is a Federation of Canadian Artists show.  I have three paintings in the show and it will be on display from April to June.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

West Coast

West Coast  36X48
 
If you go back in my blog to August 2013 you will see an abstract painting called By the Sea.  Then if you look at this one you will see I used the August one as a base for this one.  Sometimes when I live with a painting I ask the question "what if I...?" and away I go.  I like this one better.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Summer Storm

Summer Storm  is on display at the Federation Gallery in Vancouver along with
History

Both pieces are done on paper with mixed media.

Summer Storm won an Award of Excellence.  I feel honored with this award.  The last time I was in the gallery and looked at the exhibit I was awed by the quality.  To me this is a true honor.

Bente

Friday, January 31, 2014

Published

This is the first magazine article that has been written on my Art.  It is in this month's issue of the Palette Magazine.  I hope you can read it from my scan.
Cheers
Bente

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Memory

Memory 20X30 Oil on Canvas

Back to my oils for a short time as I will be travelling again soon.  Going to California to what I call a mentorship program.  No instruction.  Guidance leadership and phenomenal focus.  Last year I came back and did a whole body of work as a result.  It's quite an interesting concept because we pay a lot of money to go.  We work on our own.  No talking allowed unless you leave the room.  Everyone is working on something totally different and by the end of 5 days you can see the change in peoples work. 

Maybe we work harder there than we actually do at home because we have to go to work or cook or do the laundry and get interrupted.  Here, there is a Trader Joes across the street.  I go and get my food and either paint or go to my hotel room.  Pretty anti social.  Really.

The result of last years program was being published in a book and soon in an American Art Magazine so I would say there is benefit.

Cheers
Bente

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Stillness


Stillness, original 9X12 Pastel on Paper

It may appear as though they are two separate images but the top one is the cropped version of the bottom. I am playing with color and think I may have too much color in the original and a better balance in the cropped version.  The thing with paper is you can cut it to meet your requirements. Of course I could crop even further and have a totally abstract image.

The sun is shining beautifully here today so I thought this was appropriate.

Bente

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Lightscape II

Lightscape II  11 1/2 X 18  Pastel on Archival Paper  $200

This is another of my abstract pastels.  It needs to be framed under glass. It can be
framed large and be a very striking addition to any home.

Bente

Friday, January 3, 2014

Lightscape

Lightscape 10X13 1/2 on Wallis $150.00

I love the pure color of pastels. Colors are rich and a great way to play with color to see
what I might pursue in large oil abstracts.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Bente