Author Archives: Linda Denis

The light here is like fairy dust. Almost touchable explainable but like fairies gone before you start to understand. I try to imitate this lightness of colour in my sketches but what my eye sees and what my hand paints is always contradictory. As they say more practise needed, paint by the pound.

I sketch each day. There is a picture everywhere one looks; beaches, the market full of foods, flowers, clothing, knickknacks and a variety of local architecture.

Beached Fishing Boats, watercolour & gouache, 2018

Chatter time, watercolour, 2018

Water Fountain, watercolour, 2018

Mexican Hotel Entrance, watercolour & gouache, 2018

Vista from Balcony, watercolour. 2018

Flor de Lirios & Agapando, watercolour & gouache, 2018

Always when I travel to a new destination, I feel the unfamiliar and the uncertainty of what to paint or sketch. The light is different here, airy and fragile. The colours are tints of purple, thalo, pinks with hits of venetian red, the yellows are creamy white with shots of cadmium orange.

I resort to the old standby, “paint what is familiar”. The second floor of our hotel has a small shrine with the Virgin Mary portrait, a small pedestal with baby Jesus in the arms of Saint Anthony, sea shells and a large bouquet of fresh Calla lilies. It is cool and sheltered from the sun, my kind of place for today.

I start with a quick sketch but quickly realize I need to have my own Calla lilies. The” floristeria” shop is nearby. But before paying, the salesclerk shows me a variety of white and orange lilies on his cell phone. He is telling me without a word the Calla lily is not a lily but belongs to the Araceae plant family. Here they grow naturally in the marshland of Oaxaca, purifying the soil and retaining the moisture of the wetlands.

How did the lilly get here? Juno, the ancient Roman goddess is breast feeding her son, Hercules. She decides to express a little extra. First the droplets form the milkway and then fell on the earth to give us the beautiful Calla lilly.

Shrine for Virgin Mary, watercolour, 2018

Early morning, I decide the stone statue La Musica del Mar is a my kind of subject matter – quiet, serene, and reliable.

La Musica del Mar, watercolour, 2017

We come for the sun, beaches, culture and food. Puerto Escondido is all of these plus beautiful sketching and painting spots.

Parksville, Vancouver Island, 2017

This month we made a trip to Parksville, Vancouver Island to visit friends. November is the rainy season and it did not disappoint with torrent downpours each day.

We managed well staying at the Beach Club, visiting multiple “friperies“, vintage, secondhand stores or rummage sales. There are other gems in this village; glass blowers, and potters but best of all at Coombs, Goats on the Roof  a “must” tourist destination. The locals visit often to shop and to dine at Cuckoo Trattoria & Pizzeria. It is open throughout the year.

When I decided to sketch in watercolour, I needed a dry spot and the saleslady pointed to the adjacent boutique filled with carpets, armoires, clay pots, water fountains and a collection of steel weathervanes.

My space out of the rain, watercolour, 2017

Courtyard at Coombs Market, watercolour, 2017

For sale Weathervanes, Coombs Market, watercolour, 2017

Stewart Hall Art Sales and Rental invites all to attend their 50th anniversary. This exhibition of 150 paintings titled- The Art that inhabits Us is from October 28 to December 3, 2017 and will have a vernissage Sunday, October 29, 2pm-5pm.

My painting of the wetlands along the St Lawrence was chosen in the Ambassador category. It is in recognition of my continued acceptance into their juried shows and sales of my works.

Low Tide, acrylic, 36×24, 2017

I look forward to meeting you at the vernissage this Sunday, October 29, 2017 at Galerie d’art Stewart Hall Art Gallery, 176, chemin du Bord-du-Lac, Pointe-Claire, Québec, H9S 4J7, 514-630-1220

Free admission-accessible via elevator

L’Art qui Nous Habite,  Communique de presse/ Galerie d’art Stewart Hall.

L’Art qui nous habite Les 50 ans de l’Artothèque Du 28 octobre au 3 décembre 2017 La Galerie d’art Stewart Hall est fière de présenter l’exposition L’Art qui nous habite, qui célèbre le succès de l’Artothèque et son demi-siècle de services auprès de la communauté. Depuis sa création, l’Artothèque a accueilli plus de 1 050 artistes, dont beaucoup reviennent participer chaque année. Afin de mettre en lumière ces talents, la collection 2018 propose 150 oeuvres d’art de 150 artistes, répartis en trois catégories (50 ambassadeurs, 50 artistes initiés et 50 artistes de la relève). Nos ambassadeurs sont des artistes qui se sont démarqués par le nombre d’oeuvres vendues ou louées, par leur reconnaissance au sein de la communauté artistique ou leur nombre de participations dans la collection. Les artistes initiés sont des artistes qui sont nouvellement représentés dans la collection ou ayant déjà participé à l’Artothèque. Les artistes de la relève sont des artistes qui n’ont jamais été représentés dans la collection et ont moins de 10 ans d’expérience. Dénommé le « Studio 67 », en l’honneur du centenaire du Canada, le service de prêt et de vente de Pointe-Claire est entré officiellement en fonction le 4 avril 1967. Au cours des tout premiers mois, le succès remporté et la réaction positive du public a encouragé le comité à poursuivre l’expérience sur le long terme. Cinquante ans plus tard, le renouvellement de la collection continue à grandir, avec un peu plus de 500 oeuvres d’art présentées à un jury professionnel chaque année. Après avoir été présentées à la galerie, les oeuvres choisies – incluant dessins, peintures, photographies, estampes et techniques mixtes – sont disponibles pour la location ou la vente à l’Artothèque, située au deuxième étage de Stewart Hall. Vivre avec l’art offre tellement d’avantages, que ce soit pour embellir son chez-soi ou pour nourrir sa curiosité intellectuelle. Nous vous invitons à visiter l’exposition et si vous ne l’avez pas déjà fait, à louer une oeuvre d’art. La longue durée de vie du service prouve qu’il est digne d’intérêt; vous ne serez pas déçu. VERNISSAGE : Dimanche 29 octobre, à partir de 14 h

This month we spent 4 days in the Quebec village of Kamouraska. It is a plein air painter’s destination but also fulfills my needs to have gourmet food, interesting architecture, beautiful sunsets, and friendly locals. The food trail begins with the restaurants-–L’Amuse Bouche, Côte Est Cafe, Bistro de la Mer/Poissonnerie Lauzier, the bakery-La Boulangerie Niemand, the brewery- Tête d’Allumette Microbrasserie, the chocolate shop, La Fée Gourmande.

The village architecture is influenced by what settlers had in France and the need to adapt to what the lower St. Lawrence could supply. The Côte Est Cafe is located in the original Presbytery built in 1848 with a “neo-classical influence”.  The former court house built in 1888 is located midway on the main street and often called the “chateau” but in the tourist information they are more specific saying ” second empire, la renaissance française”. As all French Canadian villages the church is the heart. The recent building was constructed in 1912, after four previous churches perished, by the architect Joseph-Pierre Ouellet with a “neo-renaissance influence”. For an interesting insight into this village the booklet  Carnets de Kamouraska ( french only) is an informative source.The text is by Paul Louis Martin and illustrations by resident artist Anne Michaud in watercolour and ink.

My contribution on how I see the village is through my sketches in watercolour & gouache on Arches and Fabriano paper. My interest in gouache started with my Chinese painting workshop last month. At the time of buying my supplies I was told gouache would be a good substitue for the required Chinese paint. Liam Quan Zhen our instructor, quickly, told me this is the sequence, watercolour, chinese paint, gouache. So I put aside my gouache and bought the required paint brand, Yasutomo. Liam pointed out the need to read the label on artist quality paint. A common colour name is not enough if you want exact results. For example, when he called for vermillion the number on the tube is #51 or phthalo blue #57 or light green #55. He pointed out the need for pigment colour index names and numbers   Often paint colours that have the same name or slightly different name can vary greatly once on the page. If you wish to have similar results to your instructor pay attention to the brand name and paint type.

Sketching from street bench, watercolour & gouache, 2017

Sketching from Church parking lot, watercolour & gouache, 2017

East Shoreline from Wharf, watercolour & gouache, 2017

Tide is Out, watercolour & gouache, 2017

Former Palais de Justice (1888), watercolour & gouache, 2017