sunlit posies
A joyful little painting – I’m happy with the way the contrast between light and dark really makes the flowers pop!
Here is Tom’s poem. He says he sees this painting as a metaphor for some beautiful, elegant woman basking on a yacht! 🙂
Overflowing blossom
scarf tied ’round round throat
basking in the sunshine
living life afloat!
image (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 TJ Radcliffe
Lavender field of Provence
I have actually never traveled in Provence but images like this make it pretty appealing! Soon I hope. 🙂 The photo that was used as inspiration, was made available to those taking the online course I mentioned previously. I am quite pleased with how the painting came out as I continue to explore the alla prima way of producing oil paintings on one session with a wet into wet method. What a pleasure to have such a vibrant subject as an excuse to use all those juicy colours! …Although who needs an excuse 😉
Tom wrote a playful poem to go with this painting. Once again the poet’s eye catches the essence of the painting and also brings his own perspective.
Amidst the stems of grass and flower
ants and insects in their bowers
languish lazily
Up the stems and down the leaves
over trousers, into sleeves
they wander mazily
In the distance far from home
where they never ever roam
clouds drift hazily
Keeping to their small locale
Where the flowers bob and bow
blooming crazily!
image (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
English Bay
We were walking along the shore in Kitsilano a week or so ago and were treated to a spectacular sky with the sun starting to set and gaps in the clouds allowing light to stream through. I didn’t take a picture at that time but the image stuck in my head so that when I went back more recently I took some photos with the idea of combining photos and memory into a painting. As a result this small (6″x6″) painting is a somewhat imaginary landscape which is English Bay but not from an exact viewpoint. I plan to return to this – there are so many ways it could be painted!
Tom wrote a lovely poem for this painting which catches the mood and essence of the piece in just a few words.
Sky of promise
Touching quiet sea
Held within the ragged arms of land
Blazing moments
Reaching out to me
Falling from the air into my hand
image (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
Ming contemplates
I decided to try a portrait of one of my cats yesterday and was pleasantly surprised with the resulting painting. I had a lot of fun playing with colour and value and catching that gleam in her eye. 🙂
Tom was inspired to write a poem to go with the painting that captures her personality wonderfully too!
alert intensity looks out
a presence in repose
confidence without a doubt
begat by extra toes
sharp attention to a point
where what is not might be
space and time meet at a joint
that only cats can see
soft Ming is watching worlds role by
and distant future scenes
as upon the chair she lies
content to reign as queen
painting (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
the light of Provence
The focus here was to achieve the feeling of a sunlit day in Provence – the dance of the dappled light and the happy flowers below the window.
Tom’s sonnet for this painting imagines being behind that window. Lovely!
Light among the shadows hiding darkness
behind the glass transparent where the room
is cool with dappled dimness as the summer
day ascends and banishes the gloom
from secret places dark within the house
dust motes dance across the beams so bright
roses tap against the window panes
holding up a handful more of light
inviting out the occupants to day:
“Come into the warmth of welcome summer!”
call the flowers now in happy song
marching to the season’s swaying drummer.
Day is dancing, dappling the walls:
Melancholy melts and sadness falls.
image (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
spring is cherry blossoms!
A small painting before Easter weekend to celebrate this long, slow Vancouver spring. It may be cooler than usual but that sure makes all the blossoms last!
This is just 6″x6″. The size is fun for quick studies and experiments – very freeing! This painting is based on a friend’s photo that she graciously let me use as inspiration. Thanks Claire!
Tom wrote a quirky haiku to go with these Taiwanese cherry blossoms. 🙂
foreshortened phloem
flower’s fragrant fabric
fine filigreed fire
painting (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
peonies pink and white
I have started up oil painting again – yay! I have done three very small (6″x6″) paintings for an online painting course – Once Upon a Time in Provence with Dreama Perry. I can’t recommend her courses enough – so much inspiration! I will not be posting the paintings I am doing as part of the course and following her instructional videos as they are her copyrighted material in terms of composition, method etc. However, as I go along, I will post other pieces I am doing.
This is a 9×12 oil on gesso board of two peonies in a blue jar using the alla prima method where oil paint is layered wet on wet in a single session. Here the challenges I was focused on were painting the white peony using a subtle variety of colours for the shadows and getting a pleasing effect of transparency and shine for the glass jar.
Tom’s poem to go with this one is a little melancholy but reminds us to see beauty and love life in the moment.
so pretty on the table in the sun
warming up the lonely room with colour
pushing back the shadows and the dun
dreary dullness in the days of dolour
a bright reminder of more happy times
living beauty grown in fertile soil
giving pleasure as the churchbell chimes
calling mourners all to gentle toil
remembering the layered past beyond
this circled sadness of the present instant
skipping stones across a summer pond
listening to the loon in purple distance
a momentary beauty still in life
bringing solace in the midst of strife
painting (c) 2017 Hilary Farmer
poem (c) 2017 Tom Radcliffe
