Garlic Image on Business Card, Kim Blair

'Blue Garlic' painting used as background image

It's always a thrill when someone takes the time to contact me about my art, whether it's a question, comment, or request to purchase a piece, I always enjoy the interaction.  So when Brian Sharp, a garlic farmer from White Salmon, Washington emailed in early October to inquire if he could arrange to use my ' Blue Garlic ' image on his business card I was tickled.  As you can see, whomever designed his business card did an excellent job!

So close and yet so far....

My husband and I did a wonderful driving trip this past July... down through southern Alberta and into the States, which took us along the Columbia River to the Hood River area, where we stayed one night... just across the bridge from where Brian lives and farms in Washington.   

It is a beautiful area along the Columbia River, and I am so happy to think that my Blue Garlic image will be circulating via Brian's business card.  He has promised to send me some images of his specialty garlic so that I can utilize his photos in some future garlic paintings.  Thanks Brian.

So if you are ever in his region of Washington, make sure to stop by his farm in Bingen, Washington or at his table at the White Salmon Farmers' Market to purchase some of his heirloom tomatoes, garlic and herbs... and please say hi for me.

Golden Light, By Kim Blair

We live in an older neighbourhood in Edmonton, called the 'Highlands' where almost every street is lined with a spectacular colonnade of mature elm trees that are pruned and manicured by the city, which only makes sense when you consider they are heritage trees.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Highlands neighbourhood, and many of these trees must be close to that age... give or take a few years.

I thought I would share a couple of photos I snapped of the brilliant yellow elm leaves glowing in the afternoon light, set against a clear blue sky.  The golden canopy they create over the street puts a whole new meaning to the term "Golden Arches!"

Happy Thanksgiving, Red Barn, by Kim Blair

Red Barn

12x12 acrylic on hard board

It is a gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada... at least in Edmonton it is!  The autumn is my favorite time of the year with Thanksgiving being my absolutely most favorite holiday to celebrate.

Fall tones are my colors (any of you still have your 'fashion-color- palette- swatches' from years ago?) as many of you know I will always choose orange tones if given a choice in selecting something... but red is a close second.  Red and orange are hot vibrant colors that stand out in a painting, and life.

Have you ever wondered why barns were (and still are) often painted red?  Perhaps the color was chosen because it allowed the barn to stand out on the horizon and therefore be seen from a distance?  If anyone has other ideas, or the answer I would love to hear from you.

This Red Barn was painted using a credit card and acrylic paint, and would need to be framed to be hung.

sold

12x12 acrylic on hard board

Highland Sun

16x20

Today was such a gorgeous day here in Edmonton, a warm balmy 23 degrees Celsius... outstanding weather for a late September day in the north!

Most of the elm tree foliage is now a brilliant golden yellow, which made me think of sunflower petals... so I was inspired to post this Sunflower painting.

* (click on the image to see the rich texture created by thicker brush work and my trusty palette knife) 

sold

16x20

Yellow Curves

10x10 oil on canvas

It's sunflower season and almost every time I am out for a walk in our neighbourhood enjoying our gorgeous fall weather I happen upon a sunflower or two, or more... glowing (and growing) in the warm afternoon sun.

They like to hang out together along back alley fences chatting amongst themselves as they rustle in the breeze turning their faces towards the sun... teasing the birds.  A profusion of rich yellow petals clustered around a mound of chocolate brown seeds is a signal that the 'snack bar is open' for our local feathered friends.

Did you know that a solar power plant in Spain utilized the natural design pattern/arrangement of the seeds in a sunflower head as a template for setting up mirror reflectors in order to reflect sunlight back to a central collector?  

I read about it in the Corporate Knights magazine.  The article on 'Biomimicry' is fascinating!

SOLD

10x10 oil on canvas

St. George's Flag I, by Kim Blair

St. George's Flag I

12x6 oil on canvas

The only subject I like to do as a commission is a flag... not sure why.

After purchasing a small version of the requested flag, I bring it home, hold it up in the wind in our backyard, and snap numerous (often as many as 50) photos of it flapping in the breeze.

Sometimes I am fortunate enough to happen upon a particular flag flying on a pole somewhere in the city... of course I take full advantage of these larger models when the opportunity arises.

After selecting the shot that offers the most character and energy of the flag, I paint my version of the image on a 12x6 stretched canvas.  This particular canvas format allows me to create a unique perspective... accentuating the ripples and folds of the fabric rather than just a straight-on image.

Did you know that St. George's Cross combined with St. Andrew's Cross created the national flag of the United Kingdom... The Union Flag, a.k.a. The Union Jack?

This oil painting of St. George's Flag will be hung next to a 'Union Jack' I painted previously. 

SOLD

12x6 oil on canvas

Landscape/Mountain Oil Painting, Angel Glacier I, by Kim Blair

Angel Glacier I

9x12 oil on canvas

We drove the narrow switch-back, 'shoulder-less' road up to Mount Edith Cavell in the Canadian Rockies on a day trip from our cabin in Jasper, and survived!  I was white-knuckling the passenger's seat and dashboard as we slowly made our way up the mountain road to the parking lot, trying not to gasp as I looked out the window at the shear drop off on 'my' side of the car.  Once parked I  practically kissed the ground trying not to think about the drive down the mountain later on in the day...

Angel Glacier clings to the side of Mount Edith Cavell.   This is my third or fourth time hiking in this area, and each time I see this glacier I am awe struck at its magnificent size.  Yes, it is getting smaller... melting a bit faster than new ice can form, but this fact does not take away from the rugged beauty of the area.  I zoomed in on the glacier and painted this study from one of those close-up shots.  The melt water cascading down the face of the mountain collects at the base forming a blue/green lake shimmering with reflections of the mountain side, punctuated with bobbing mini ice flows.

We are so fortunate to have such spectacular natural vistas in Alberta!

SOLD
9x12 oil on canvas (needs some time for the thicker paint to dry)

Landscape/Tree painting, Pine Sweep, by Kim Blair

Pine Sweep

12x9 oil on canvas

Pine Sweep works well with my post from August 16, 2012.  The reference photos are both from our recent trip and have a similar feel... with dusty blue 'sky holes' creating uniques patterns amongst the branches and needles.  The trunk of this pine tree had patches of vibrant rusty orange that shimmered next to long strips of silver bark, accented with a sweep or two of new-growth chartreuse needles... a rather luminous vision.

SOLD

12x9 oil on canvas (needs some drying time)

SOLD, by Kim Blair

 Jewel Tones

8x10

sold

Semi-Precious

9x12

sold

A Collector dropped by for a visit last week... she said she had her eye on these two paintings for a while now and wanted to see them in person.  She thought they would look good in her sister's entrance way, and left with them tucked under her arm.

She sent a note the other day to say they look good in their new home, and her sister is very pleased.

Isn't it nice to have a thoughtful sister?

Lake Louise Study, by Kim Blair

Lake Louise Study

9x12 oil on canvas

Lake Louise is one of those gorgeous mountain lakes that almost takes your breathe away when you view it for the first time, and the second time, and the third time... 

It certainly was intimidating to pick up my brush and try my hand at painting a study from one of my reference photos, but it was important for me to push myself through the fear of trying to capture this million dollar view that has become such an icon of Rocky Mountains in Alberta.  I am going to create a few more versions of this particular view and see how far I can push the colors, brush work and mark making... perhaps even an abstraction will appear.

SOLD
9x12 oil on canvas (needs some drying time)

Impressionist Tree/Landscape, Pine Orange, by Kim Blair

Pine Orange

12x9 oil on canvas

It's funny how our mind works.  Our left brain tells us a subject matter must look a certain way, while our creative right brain sits back, quietly waiting for the left brain to exhaust itself with all the ridiculous arguments it believes to be true.

Once exhausted the left brain surrenders, allowing a magical creative flow to take over the neural pathways between the brain, eye and hand... 

Some of my favorite landscape paintings were created by the Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and The Group of Seven, therefore I am not surprised that this recent painting is showing influences from my intensive, on-going research.

Pine Orange is from a reference photo taken on our recent holiday.   The rusty orange tones in the forest landscape caught my eye... the pine beetle trail of devastation zig-zagging its way through the lodgepole pines in Western Canada and into the States.  The unfortunate death of such a vast number of trees has given rise to some new industry here in Canada (and the States).

By looking at the pine beetle  problem from a different angle, creative solutions and uses for the blue/grey figured wood have developed. Numerous furniture companies and builders are reclaiming the wood and putting its unusual beauty to good use, thereby finding a silver lining in the cloud that hangs over many of our forests.  While at the same time creating 'green' (or is that blue/grey) building products which ironically can be considered environmentally friendly.

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!

12x9 oil on canvas *(needs some time to dry)

NFS

Landscapes coming soon...

Brookings, Oregon Coast

Time to get off my butt and change into my painting clothes!

Just finished downloading all the reference photos I snapped during our drive to the Oregon Coast and into the Redwood Forests in California... not to mention the inspiring mountain shots from our own Canadian Rockies on the route home to Edmonton.

Did I mention it is time to do some landscape paintings?

Of course you will see some artistic license used... don't we all like to embellish the truth now and then... at least when we have a paint brush in our hand?