Further exploration of ink and paint – this time on panel and using oil paint on top. The circular shapes formed in ink on the first layer, informed my choices as I created the over-arching shapes of trees and reflections in the water. There’s something pleasing and peaceful here I think.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
This piece evolved intuitively in several layers. The feeling of spring is everywhere in the green and the wet.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
Another experiment combining ink and paint. Trees and birds are endlessly inspiring!
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
A small intuitive landscape, this one is definitely inspired by local scenes. I have been very fortunate over the years to have several opportunities to sail around the islands and bays of the the west coast of Canada. Awe inspiring – even overwhelming – the seascapes and landscapes here continue to feed my creative soul.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
I decided that I enjoyed the process of creating the recent “Spring Nest” painting so I decided to explore that path a bit further. I started in the same way with black ink and loose brush work. You can still see some of that first layer especially at the bottom. At that point, I really didn’t know what it was going to be but after rotating the paper a few times, I decided I liked it this way up and started adding some acrylic paint. I added quite a few layers before it resolved into this scene and I decided it was done. I am starting to really enjoy the energetic edges. They give the piece a lot more movement than if the paint stopped at a tidy straight edge.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
Sometimes it’s possible to fit a lot of landscape in a 4″ x 4″ mini painting! When I first started doing minis, I painted a lot of close in details with one bird or bee or other small creature at close to life sized. That’s a lot of fun and I still do those …but compressing a large vista onto such a small surface while still keeping the painting loose is fun too. Check out all the texture you can see in the paint like where I scratched back into the wet paint with the end of my brush.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
Some hints of Spring here!
I painted this intuitively with some childhood memories in mind. I really enjoy the feeling of this one – the mostly muted palette (for me) and the way the river draws the eye into the distance. Some nice juicy paint applied using brushes and sometimes a palette knife or even oil sticks …and then scratching back into the paint with the other end of a brush to see the paint underneath.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
My next mini – this one with a dragonfly gliding over a field of wildflowers. I enjoyed the complimentary colours of the flowers and brought a hint of that into the dragonfly’s wings. Still having fun painting these littluns!
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
This commission was particularly dear to my heart because it shows a view from our family cottage in Ontario. My intention with this piece was to create a feeling of the place and a sense of nostalgia. Everything glows. I’m pleased with how it turned out and am very happy that the new owners love it too!
Of course since this is an oil painting, I get to enjoy it for a while longer until it has dried and can be varnished and shipped out.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
White butterflies cling to some Queen Anne’s Lace while other wild flowers and grasses wave in the undulating landscape.
This is one that was scraped back to the panel and then repainted. The original coat stained the panel and became the starting point to make a better painting. Not every experiment works. In fact, if you don’t fail now and then, maybe you’re not reaching far enough …that’s what I tell myself on days like this. 🙂
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
Green Tea Doodles 