Super-Secret Project: Update No. 2

Super-secret-project-state-of-mind last week: Painting bonfire imminent.

Super-secret-project-state-of-mind today: Ok, not so bad.

So I've been working on incorporating charcoal into my normal oil painting technique. I'm trying to get at a grittier, foggier vision of Saint John, closer to how I view the idea of Saint John in my consciousness. Oooh deep.

I've been focusing on the iconic industrial skylines in Saint John for this project. Which means, yeah yeah, more Courtenay Bay. Plus inspiration from the cranes on the West Side. 

Saint John Harbour with Cranes, S. Jones, charcoal and oil on canvas, 24x30 in., $575

Courtenay Bay from Crown in Fog, S. Jones, oil and charcoal on canvas, 24x30 in., $575

Courtenay Bay Project (Yes, Another One)

Courtenay Bay painting in progressI just started working on another large Courtenay Bay painting. Because I love Courtenay Bay. In the image above, I have started to work on the lay-out of the canvas, roughly charting the placement of the mixed media elements and later oil paint detail. 

Courtenay Bay painting in progressHere I used acrylic matte medium to hold some material in place.

Courtenay Bay painting in progressOn Saturday I started working on preparing the painted background. I'll do a couple more layers with the brush and then switch to the palette knife. 

Dear Courtenay Bay. I Love You.

Ok. So last month I said that I was done with boats. 

I lied. Just a little bit. 

I can't get over Courtenay Bay. I love love love it. It's like a knife-painter's paradise. Sarah's personal art-heaven. 

I would live in a houseboat on Courtenay Bay if I thought the tankers weren't going to run me over. 

So after a brief Wentworth Street/Cityscaping hiatus, I'm back to the boats. I even ordered a truckload of 2x6 foot canvases just for the occasion. I'm going to have a Courtenay-Bay-tanker-fiesta for the next gallery hop. 

I started a Courtenay Bay canvas today... didn't get very far with all my perpetually-on-vacation friends (Josh) yipping my ear off for the afternoon, but at least some paint's on there. :)

Courtenay Bay No. 1, Step No. 1 

Port City Progress

Detail of Courtenay Bay painting, mixed media on canvas, 36x48 in. My show at the Saint John Arts Centre, Port City, is going up on January 8th (40 days). A complete list of works is due to be submitted to the Centre on December 15th (15 days). State of mind when I woke up this morning: mild panic with a hint of dread. Current state of mind after a full day of painting: (slightly) better. The biggest project of the show (a 36x48 in. painting of Courtenay Bay) is almost finished. Which is a good thing since I vowed to myself to have it complete two weeks ago. Brilliant.