Plein Air Paintings 2009

25 Tuesday May 2010

Posted by in Plein Air, Watercolour

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I’ve been so busy posting my photo’s that I’ve neglected my paintings. So, I’ve decided to remedy that by posting them on a Tuesday. Here’s some painted last year. If you are interested in purchasing something let me know. As precious as they are to me I will sell them, after all I do need art supplies!

So, I bet you are wondering what is a Plein Air Painting? En plein air is a French expression which means “in the open air”, and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. There is no greater joy for me then to combine painting and the great outdoors.

Willistead Garden

Willistead garden

I would consider this more of a sketch than an actual watercolour. It was done in a small Dick Blick sketch book that I don’t even think they make anymore. It was a gift from my dear friend Margaret Dawson. The two of us are dedicated to meeting every Friday to paint. Stay tuned for more work.

Privacy and Internet Invasive Widgets

25 Tuesday May 2010

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Lately I’ve seen some of my dear friends using an application that tracks their visitors. The problem with this is that whoever has provided the software is also tracking your visitors. I know that our every move is tracked anyway, but actually seeing my city on your page, and where I got your link from is a bit disturbing. I hope that my visitors will see this and abandon these practices on their pages.
Elizabeth

The True Morels vs the False Morels

24 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Botony, Macro Monday, Nikon D90, Photography, ViewNX

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Ascomycetes – Morchella – The true Morels vs the False Morels


If I told you where these were,  I would have to shoot you! They are a spring mushroom, and highly prized. We also encountered some false Morels, which are poison. I’m grateful that I have my Dad’s mushroom books to help me identify them.

Morchella The True Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gromitra Brunnea Underwood

Cap large 5-15 cm broad, often saddled-shaped, lobed, often veined, chocolate-brown, white beneath, Flesh brittle, white. Stalk large, 16 – 15 cm long, 2-5 cm broad, Slightly larger base, somewhat ribbed to smooth, white, nearly hollow to cottony inside. Spores 28 – 30 x 12 – 15 elliptical, finely warted.
Single or several under hardwood forests in eastern North America in early Sp. Causes severe illness from high levels of MMH. (Group V toxins). G. fastigiata (Krombh.) Rehm (394B) is similar but looks as though it might be a darker brown formm of southern Helvella gigas; however it also contains Group V toxins. It is occasionally found at low elevation in western North America.

This mushroom is identical to the one depicted in 394B

Macro Monday challenge

The True Morels vs the False Morels

24 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Botony, Macro Monday, Nikon D90, Photography, ViewNX

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Ascomycetes – Morchella – The true Morels vs the False Morels


If I told you where these were,  I would have to shoot you! They are a spring mushroom, and highly prized. We also encountered some false Morels, which are poison. I’m grateful that I have my Dad’s mushroom books to help me identify them.

Morchella The True Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gyromitra, Helvella, and Related Species of the False Morels

Gromitra Brunnea Underwood

Cap large 5-15 cm broad, often saddled-shaped, lobed, often veined, chocolate-brown, white beneath, Flesh brittle, white. Stalk large, 16 – 15 cm long, 2-5 cm broad, Slightly larger base, somewhat ribbed to smooth, white, nearly hollow to cottony inside. Spores 28 – 30 x 12 – 15 elliptical, finely warted.
Single or several under hardwood forests in eastern North America in early Sp. Causes severe illness from high levels of MMH. (Group V toxins). G. fastigiata (Krombh.) Rehm (394B) is similar but looks as though it might be a darker brown formm of southern Helvella gigas; however it also contains Group V toxins. It is occasionally found at low elevation in western North America.

This mushroom is identical to the one depicted in 394B

Macro Monday challenge

Archives – 2007 Road Trip

23 Sunday May 2010

Posted by in Landscape, Photography

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I could not believe that I had no recent landscape photos with my new camera. I had to pull from archives this week due to time constraints. But, I include two of my favorite landscape photos. Both of these were taken on a road trip to Nova Scotia in 2007. It was the best trip ever!

IMG_1064-2

2007 Road trip Nova Scotia

Spring blooms

16 Sunday May 2010

Posted by in Botony, Nikon D90, Photography

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Sunday stills this weeks is flowers. I took these the last week of April, and beginning of May. I’m out of town so I had to resort to archives. But, these really aren’t that old, so I think they still count as fresh. I’ve reseached the names of the flowers as much as I could, but the first one has me puzzled. If anyone knows the name of this plant could you let me know? Looks like this weekend will be beautiful. Hope you all get out there and enjoy it.

Queen Elizabeth II Gardens at Jackson Park. Poppy?

Queen Elizabeth II Gardens at Jackson Park.

Western entrance to the Willistead Manor Grounds

Western entrance to the Willistead Manor Grounds

Kwanzan Cherry Tree, on the grounds of Willistead Manor

kwanzan cherry tree

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry

Hyacinth

Hyacinth

Wisteria just beginning to boom at my step daughters

Wisteria

B is for Bug on a Dogwood bloom, and a lovely bench

09 Sunday May 2010

Posted by in Botony, Nikon D90, Photography

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Sunday Stills this week was about the letter B.

This photo was the inspiration for the pencil sketch that I uploaded on Friday. This beautiful Dogwood tree is located on the grounds of Willistead Manor in Windsor, Ontario.

Dogwood sketch

07 Friday May 2010

Posted by in Botony

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Dogwood sketch

Dogwood sketch, originally uploaded by photographerpainterprintmaker.

Another rainy day. Friday, my fellow artist Margaret and I head out to do some Plein Air painting. When the weather does not co-operate we paint in the studio. We either work on unfinished paintings or pull out our photographs.

Two weeks ago we were scouting places to paint. I gave my camera a great workout at Wilistead Park. Here is a drawing from one of my photographs from that day.

Doodle in Stormy Weather

05 Wednesday May 2010

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No it’s not Sunday, and while this is a photo, the subject is not photography.

So, we had a thunderstorm today. I usually shut down all electrical equipment when this happens. Then face the silence. Well all except for the booming.

I played with the puppy a bit. Mainly so show him that thunder storms didn’t bother me, and that they should not bother him. So far so good, he’s not afraid. Which is amazing as for some reason all of my dogs in the past have tried to go through windows to get away from storms. But, then Pugsley is no ordinary dog.

Anyway, in the process of unplugging stuff I happened upon this old pad of paper, which gave me the inspiration to draw something. I hate drawing ellipses. Heck, I can’t even say ellipses! So attacking something like a pop can to me is a real challenge. I didn’t do such a great job on this can lid, but I’m going to keep practicing till I can not only draw and ellipse but pronounce it too!

I think what I really enjoyed about this little drawing was the shadow cast by multiple light sources.