New Work Posted to My Website

So excited, I have finally photographed all 14 of my new paintings I have posted the majority of them on my website under the category "New Work". I will soon separate out a new section called "Series". I have had such a ride on the learning curve, what a thrill better than any ride at an amusement park!

Thanks to the professional photographers from National Geographic who visited Ghana Africa and captured the beautiful young women. Ghanian women show a rich abundance of pattern in tattoo's,hair patterns,jewelry and fabrics. Their skin tones are rich and lush,high cheekbones,fine features of north African peoples. These photo's of these young women captivated me , I painted one then another and another on and on. In total I have painted five to date. I was enticed by the patterns in their jewelry and fabric. When I was in Mexico, a friend of our family brought their toddler. She was almost two years old. A picture was taken of her as she was looking for her mommy. As soon as I saw the picture I knew I had to paint her. Her held out hands, turn & angle of her head, her little foot lifted as if she is stepping right out of the painting. Love it. I purposely slightly exaggerated her jesturing hands to emphasis the pose.

I have been exploring the use of colour, texture and space division in landscapes. Using an analgous palette with it's compliment. I painted in acrylics, but added texture with crackle glaze, gold leaf and a variety of  found materials. The three landscapes in this mini series are from local Niagara scenes, two from an area called "The Glen" one depicting the American side of the Glen and showing some of the gorge, the other of the Canadian side following the trail. The third is from an area called "Balls Falls". I took the photo a couple of summers ago as part of a presentation for a commission client. It had been a very hot summer and the water coming over the falls had dried up to all but a trickle and the river water was laying in still and quite in large pools.

The third series continues my exploration in texture and the subtractive method but this time with watercolour on canvas and using an expanded analgous palette and its compliment. Again I chose my favourite and used two landscapes from photos I took in Prince Edward County. One is from Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario the other of farm buildings just north of Napanee, Ontario.

Not part of the series but an exploration on its own is a painting of Sandbanks Provincial Park,the same photo as the one I used in the aforementioned series, but this one is looking at the impact of grey scale.

You will also see in the next week a couple of florals one of Irises using watercolour & acrylic on canvas with texturing and the second one is a soft spring depiction of apple blossoms from a farm in Pelham.

Please check the paintings out at www.patriciahaftar.com  go to "New Work" lozenge.

Life and Times of an Artist's Easel: SUBTRACTION LEADS TO ADDITION

Life and Times of an Artist's Easel: SUBTRACTION LEADS TO ADDITION: Denise Sperry's workshop on Texture and the subtractive method to bring out a subject  made for a wonderful little weekend dance for the...

SUBTRACTION LEADS TO ADDITION

Denise Sperry's workshop on Texture and the subtractive method to bring out a subject  made for a wonderful little weekend dance for the "little grey cells". I was in gesso up the ying yang! While the class worked on 300 lb watercolour paper I worked on canvas.

My first endeavour was headed for big problems as I couldn't follow what Denise was doing as I'd brought my watercolour palette not my tubes. But, I decided not to waste time and proceeded to work on my own project using a variety textures, watercolours from my palette and tubes of heavy acrylic. Lifting and highlighting leaves,texturing again, stamping and spattering to my hearts content.

I worked my first piece using a desert triad of primary colours. Deciding on an over all cool feel to the picture,with blue in largest field, yellow in secondary and red in very small amounts. Cruciform for structure. Movement created through texturing and subtraction.

I will post samples of this project.

Project 2: Landscape:

I choose an analagous colour scheme along with a compliment.Textured my canvas. Sloshed juicy colours across my canvas again using a cruciform structure. Looked for interesting shapes in the path way of light, used subtraction and their came the subject to the fore like magic.

Denise critiqued through out the work shop helping the artists to focus on areas that worked and those that needed additional thought. The artists all shared ideas, equipment etc. and encouraged each other through the weekend.

I was taken aback when it was suggested that I put my work into juried competitions as I had done my own thing through out the weekend. I am going to continue to experiment with texture.

Thanks Denise for the inspiration!

PAINTING! PAINTING! PAINTING!

Painting - so exciting when a trip leads to inspiration and experimentation click. Can't wait to see what my fellow artists think and awaiting the opening night of the Pelham Art Festival. I have been ferreted away in my studio for the past month and a half ever since our return from Mexico. It is delicious creating new work.

I have been holding off having the completed paintings photographed and added to my website. I'd like their official "TA DA" to be at the festival. Pushing oneself to work in an area that is unfamiliar is exhilarating, like going on a roller coaster for the first time. Your sure it will be an experience of a life time but never sure whether it will be as intense & well received as one anticipates.

Looking forward to Denise Sperry's workshop on "Texture" tomorrow. Although the workshop is for water colour medium, I'm sure it will translate well to my favourite acrylics.

I have also been busy with the start up of the 2nd Annual Art In The Park. We have almost our full compliment our artists and our new artists will be announced on the Pelham "Summerfest" Facebook Page along with a sample of their work and a brief artist's statement. Looking forward to setting up the "Artists Village" in Peace Park Thursday July 18th.