Recent/Blog

News and blog posts about recent works, workshops, events, presentations, expeditions and exhibitions by Canadian artist David McEown.

Filtering by Tag: 140lb cold press

Painting In The Great Bear Rainforest

August 05, 2012David McEown

The following paintings were inspired from an amazing boat trip to the "Great Bear Rainforest ", in British Columbia's central coast. Along with several other colleagues and a wonderful crew aboard the Columbia III , we were part of a large gathering of artists working to raise awareness of the rich fragile beauty of this place that is threatened with a new proposed oil pipeline and supertanker traffic sailing through some of the most bio diverse and rich eco systems on the planet. For more information on the "Artists for an Oil Free Coast " project please visit the Raincoast Conservation Foundation Website. A wonderful coffee table book of paintings and writings from the project is now available!

categories en plein air, Great Bear Rainforest, Landscape painting, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, en plein air, great bear rainforest, rainforest, Watercolor, watercolour

2012 Whistler and Gibsons Summer Workshops

August 04, 2012David McEown

Many thanks again to the organizers and the participants that persisted through wonderfully challenging exercisesatthe 2 workshops I gave this summer. Both theWhistler Arts Council's Workshops on the Lake, and Gibsons School of the Arts have annual fine art programs with a variety of quality instruction. We were blessed with wonderful weather that enabled on site painting right from the studio deckor to long walks on the beach after ahard studio work outon the sunshine coast!

From the our subject of moss-covered waterfalls to shoreline waves, watercolour’s magical flowing spontaneity and ethereal softness as well as its ability to make crisp highly defined form were explored. We focused on colour mixing, values, negative shape reading(no masking fluid or tricks!), creating depth and controlling the hierarchy of focal point.

I am looking forward to conducting informal art workshops on expedition cruise ships later this summer in the arctic and later this year in the antarctica summer. More Upcoming workshops will be posted soon.

categories Art Workshops, Coast Mountains, en plein air, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest, Whistler
tags 140lb cold press, art workshops, en plein air, Gibsons school of the arts, rainforest, sunshine coast, Watercolor, watercolour, Whistler

Pacific Spirit Forest Series

August 03, 2012David McEown

One body of work that is evolving over the last few years is a series of large watercolours depicting the subtle seasonal changes in the temperate rainforest of Pacific Spirit Regional Park. These large works are done on 140lb Arches roll paper in which I can cut large format sheets, and have room to interpret the experiences inspired from daily walks in my “back yard”.

categories Landscape painting, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, large watercolor, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, rainforest

Denali, Watercolours from Alaska

September 25, 2011David McEown

In early September, autumn is well on its way in Denali National Park, Alaska. While hoping to capture a glimpse of Denali, North America's highest mountain, i focused painting on site trying to capture the mountain light and weather played out on the multi-hued tundra. The following 3 minute video highlights the painting process.

The main base to work from was at the Wonder Lake Campground where one is dropped off by park bus as there are no cars permitted in the Park. However, for a different view and excellent food, rest, and knowledgeable guides, we also stayed at the beautiful Camp Denali for 3 nights.

categories Alaska, Arctic, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour
tags 140lb cold press, Camp Denali, Denali, Denali Nationl Park, en plein air, Reflection pond, Watercolor, watercolour, Wonder Lake

Lake Superior Paintings

September 23, 2011David McEown

The painting is one of a few recent large commissions inspired by Lake Superior’s coastal trail in autumn. The complexity and technical challenges are exciting to take on and are sometimes over the top!

This 26 by 62 inch watercolour was painted on 140lb Arches cold press that comes on a roll of 44 inches by 10 yards. Cutting off the roll allows custom sizes in which in the past I have done watercolours up to 72 by 176 inches. Not cheap, but when framed with non-reflective UV90 museum glass the results can be wonderfully rare and transcendent.

Often large works have some sort of plan going, and being a studio piece photo reference is used. However I like to leave room for the image to evolve and use memory and imagination, thus I do not pre draw to much. When it comes to rocks, each one is a portrait interrelated to another by wear and reflection if wet, so they have to be well seen to be believable. I love the natural spirals and inner rhythms of a boulder beach. Even though it is a representational painting I basically just paint a dance of light and dark coloured shapes that grow and interlock with each other that hopefully create a hierarchy of entertaining focal points that sing a reverent song of place throughout the illusion of space.

categories Algoma, en plein air, Lake Superior, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, en plein air, Group of Seven, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Provincial Park, large watercolor, Watercolor, watercolour

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