This oil painting called "Farm and Sea" is one of the paintings that is hanging in the gallery for sale at The Dunes in Brackley, PEI. It portrays the soft colours of the Island landscape located near the turn off to Montague.
In the Studio
I am back from my trips and in the studio getting items ready for the gift shops. Here are some of my 5x7 prints, notecards and bookmarks that are at the Island Traditions Store (Home of the Basket Weavers) near Richmond, PEI. If you have a special occasion that you would like a painting or print for, please feel free to call or message me. You may even want a commissioned painting for a wedding. I am here to help make that gift giving easier for you.
Most Recent Work
I finished my latest large oil painting in the Mill River PEI series. It is 24x36 inches on stretched canvas. However, I haven't signed it yet as I am still not 100% sure it is complete. I'll decide in a few weeks. What do you think?
Tips for the Artist in You
There are at least two tricky aspects to any painting. The first is getting started, and the second is knowing when to stop.
The painting is done when you can answer the following questions:
- When it feels right
- Are the things you add making the painting better or worse
- Is your subject recognizable
- Try the mirror test - It is a curious thing, but if you hold your painting up to a mirror and see it in reverse, all sorts of things that you didn’t notice before pop out at you. It is like getting a fresh pair of eyes. Proportions seem to appear slightly different and I think putting a bit of distance between you and the painting is also accountable for this fresh view offered by the mirror.
Even without the mirror, standing well back from the painting gives you a renewed perspective from which to assess the progress you are making with your painting.
- Take a photo - this is similar to the mirror test. Seeing the painting through the lens of the camera tends to focus your attention in a different way.
- Walk away - take a break from it for a few days.
Do you have a trick that you use? Let me know.
If you have a question on another topic, please send me an email and I would be more than happy to help.juneellisartist@gmail.com
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