Day 2 of work in progress 24 x 36 inch oil

Today I picked my color palette and got started on the upper half of the painting.  I am happy with the muted lavenders and for a punch of color I had to add some orange.  The trees are blocked in and will need a lot of work to make the texture of the birch work.  I will probably get started on the shadows tomorrow. Overall I am happy with the progress of this one.  This is done entirely with the palette knife and fingers - no brushes!

Work in Progress 24 x 36 inch oil

I started this painting today and thought I would show my progress as I go along.  I usually start this type of painting by drawing directly on my canvas where I want my elements to go but this time I started right in with thinned down raw umber.  I kind of rubbed in the paint where I thought I would like my trees to be and then I rubbed out the actual trees with a brush dipped in paint thinner.  This scene will be a winter scene and I may stay with monotone colors as I like the look of this.  This of course may change tomorrow when I get back at it.

Stand of Arbutus 24 x 30 inch oil

Arbutus trees are very familiar here on Vancouver Island.  They seem to like to grow near the ocean for some reason, although you may find them just about anywhere on the Island.  The bark is very unusual as it sheds and peels every year and the bark is a very pretty orange in color. The tree keeps its leaves throughout the year but they turn brown and dead looking through the winter.  I love painting these trees mainly because of the uniquie color and texture of the bark.  I found this stand on Newcastle Island while on a hiking trip and just had to paint them!

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Cowichan Bay Estuary #3

After going through all the photos I have taken this summer I realize that I have a lot from the Cowichan Estuary.  I love the diversity of the area and the changes that take place through the seasons and with the daily tide changes.   A lot of the photos were taken while kayaking in the area and while hiking the many trails. I have decided to start a new series using these photos as a jump start.  This is my newest one, 8 x 10 inch in oil.

Palette Knife Birch Tree Impressions

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I never tire of painting birch trees.  I love the bold black and white with shades of grey and the texture that I can get when I use the palette knife.  This one is 20 x 30 in inches on canvas done in oil.

New Work

I have been getting back into the grove of painting after taking some time off during our fantastic summer months. What a glorious summer! These paintings are from some photos that I took while visiting some of our local sites, the Cowichan Estuary and the Damali Lavender farm here in Cobble Hill. The estuary always draws me in because of the ever changing landscape and I love to visit it during different times of the year. The lavender farm is just a couple of miles from my home but this is the first year that I went to the lavender festival that they have every year. It is a beautiful place to visit when the lavender is in full bloom and the smell is marvelous!

Forest Magic by Linda Yurgensen, Painting - 20 x 30 inch Acrylic | Zatista

Forest Magic by Linda Yurgensen, Painting - Acrylic | Zatista

Rambo 11 x 14 inch acrylic

New Work

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I have been having fun going through some of my pics from past years holidays and I keep coming back to our time spent on the south coast of B.C. particularly Narrows Inlet on the Sunshine Coast.  I have a few more paintings that I am looking forward to starting soon.

This is a new painting taken from a vacation photo while in Narrows Inlet last summer.  I loved the contrast between the dark hills behind the tree and the bright yellow leaves.

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I haven't posted in awhile but I have been painting.  Here are a few oils in my Forest Series and one acrylic.  Can you guess which one is acrylic?

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I just thought I would switch gears a little and do some landscapes in acrylic.  This is a totally different look and process from oil.  Not sure if I want to continue in this direction or not. Comments??

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Another painting in the Forest Series.  I like the color combination of blue and yellow with a hint of orange in selected places.

This is the second painting done of an arbutus tree.  The reference photo was taken locally at Mill Bay , Vancouver Island.

This is one of two paintings (Iwill post the other when finished) that I did from some photos I took of arbutus trees in Mill Bay, B.C.  I love the thick, peeling, orange bark and how their limbs curve in every direction.  This painting is 24 x 12 inches and it is done in oil.

A new painting in the Forest Series.  In oil 18 x 24 inch.  Contact lyurge@shaw.ca for purchase information.

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I have been experimenting a bit with style and medium lately.  The first painting is styled after Mike Svob a Vancouver artist who I really admire.  I love his unusual use of color and the subjects that he paints.  I used acrylic for this one, something I haven't done a lot of recently.  I pushed the envelope with color and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.  The last painting is another in my tree series done in oil with the palette knife.  I am really loving using the knife and am having fun with color and expression.

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I love the colors I used in these two paintings.  A note to myself to do this again.

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This painting is a continuation of my exploration with the palette knife.  This little tool is so versatile once you get the hang of it.  I love the little splash of red.  Glad I put that in.
If you would like to purchase this painting go to the following link:
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/linda-yurgensen/9-x-12-inch-oil-forrest-through-the-trees/180216

I haven't been blogging in a while because I have been doing a bit of exploring with techniques and trying to find my groove again.  I have been finding that my art was becoming stagnant and I was not growing as an artist.  My tight realistic style was actually stiffling me and I wasn't enjoying it as I once was.  I have moved away from still life and have been doing a lot of landscapes.  I always found that when I painted landscapes with a brush I was too finicky and fussy and was never happy with the results.  Well all that has changed - I have discovered the PALETTE KNIFE.  I am enjoying painting like I never have before and I can actually call myself a daily painter now.  I do at least one if not two paintings a day! The palette knife is my new best friend.  I absolutely LOVE have liberated and creative I feel when I sit down to paint.  My style is slowly emerging and I see it changing almost daily.  Here are some collages of a few of the paintings I have done over the past 5 months or so.  I have painted at least 50 small 8 x 10 inch panels.  This is a great size to do with the knife because it doesn't take me all day to finish one painting.

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