News Years Resolutions

A New Year, A New Look: I've updated my website to look better. I didn't change the front homepage. I still like that look.


Pam's New Years Resolutions: (or, "I'll do my best to: ")

1/ Enter the Ducks Unlimited Artist Portfolio Competition.

2/ Work on more mining miniatures or small artworks that depict the history of mining in the north.

3/ Do more large scale landscapes on canvas.

4/ Produce works of art for the Ontario Puma Foundation.

5/ Apply for membership into the Worldwide Nature Artist Group (This has been a goal of mine for the last two years.)

6/ Get a new digital camera for better wildlife photo references.

Let's see if I add anything before New Year's eve. :)

7/ 24 hrs. before the new year and I think I will look for more orginizations that would like my help. I love painting for a cause. :)

Pam
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Xmas is over.

Well, Xmas is over and it is time to think about painting again. I think I need a vacation from my vacation. LOL

The Puma is on the easel calling to me so I may paint while a turkey cooks in the oven today. We ate turkey at the relatives over xmas so we are having ours a few days late. I love turkey!! :)

The New Years is approaching and I have to make some decisions about the upcoming year. Of course, I am entering The Ducks Unlimited Canada Competition, but I haven't really thought about what else I would like to do. This is a time of reflection: a time to look back on the things I have accomplished and make decisions on where I would like to go from here.

I am going to try a wedding portrait this next month. A real change for me, but I love a challenge. It doesn't mean that my wildlife painting will take a back seat. I work on many paintings at one time.

So...I should start posting updates shortly.

Pam
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Happy Holidays

May your holiday season be filled with joy and love. Happy Holidays! From my family to yours.

Pamela Dallaire





The xmas issue of Highgrader Magazine, front cover. :)

Pam

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It's almost done!

I don't dare finish this painting at night. The night lighting looks completely different. But I am close to being done. I need to see it fresh tomorrow and decide what really needs fixing. I try and paint until I am 80 percent done. I don't paint realism!! :)

Here is 20 Pounder

Pam

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20 Pounder almost done.

I have some more work to do tomorrow but I think it may be finished by tomorrow night. YEAH!

Once the ripples look correct the rest should look pretty good. I'm pleased with how it is turning out. I love painting fish! :)

Pam

Website

20 Pounder

OK, I've decided to call the painting of the carp, "20 Pounder". My sister, a watercolour artist, keeps telling me to include a reference in the painting so people will know how big the fish is. The trouble with that is you are looking at the top of the water. There is nothing I could put in as reference. Because the painting is fairly big, you would assume the fish is that exact size. So, "20 Pounder" as a title will help sort out the mystery. When I sign it I will include the name beside my signature. Not something I regularly do.

I've been working on the head this morning to help me decide how light to go.

Will post more later today.

Sat. night Update: Well, I'm sure this fish has done more fighting on the canvas than he ever did in real life. A long way to go but I'm not beaten yet. :)

Pam

Website

Back to painting tonight.

Well, I took a couple of days to relax and catch up with housework (always a low priority). Last night was a disaster when I tried painting. Brushes were flying out of my hand, dropping things.... I spent more time cleaning up than painting so I gave up.

Tonight will be different...I can feel the urge to dig in and create again!! Boy, this is becoming addicting! LOL

So, updates later tonight. Oh, I'm doing fix-ups on the foxes snow and working on the carp. What the heck are the names of those paintings ?? #$%!! :)

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Well, the evening went a lot better than last night! I started on the fox painting to warm up. I'm working on the trees and started to make the snow more realistic in the background. A lot of snow to do.

Then I changed to the carp painting. I am concentrating on getting the outline of the carp correct in the ripples and will gradually brighten and lighten it until it looks like it is underwater. The trick is putting in enough to see it against the background water.

Till tomorrow.

Pam
Website

Midnight Bandits finished.

Midnight Bandits, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, with trompe loeil (fool the eye) painted window frame edges.

Will hang in the "Night Shades" annual Porcupine Art Club show at the Timmins Museum.

Pam

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Almost done raccoons.

Well, a day late but almost finished. Of course, the photo is blurry, I'll get a better picture on the final stage.





More to do on the large raccoon and a little touching up to make the frame look like a wooden window frame.

More this evening.

Pam

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Saturday raccoon update.

I've been trying to post an update and haven't been able to for hours, so...I'm doing it another way.

Here is the baby raccoon so far. I'm working late tonight to get as much done as possible. I'm slow today.

I'll post an update below later.

Sat. late night Update:

Here it is so far, will finish it in the morning.

Pam


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Raccoon rush.

"Midnight Bandits" is well underway and I have to finish the tree and then do the raccoons. This will hang in our local museum for the month of Dec. It has to be done and varnished by the weekend so tomorrow is the rush day.

Then I promise the carp will be posted and the few corrections on the fox painting (the reference kindly supplied by Kyle.)

Thurs. Update:

Here is the bird bath blocked in ready for darkening. I THINK...I may... make the whole edge of the canvas look like a window frame. So when you view the painting, it would look as if you were looking out a window to your back yard. Just a thought, I'll know more when the rest is finished.

Thurs. night update:

So, the decision was to put a Trompe L'Oeil (fool the eye) window frame around it. Which will add a couple of more hours. You can see that it is just blocked in with black and the small piece that sticks out in the lower right hand corner will eventually be the window handle. I'm going to do a good job on the racoons so I'll post the finished piece hopefully Sat. noon.

And here is why I keep getting interrupted. Suzie, 5 months old.

Pam
Website

It's Done.. the landscape "Rushing Waters"

Yeah, it's done, I can't believe it. I finished at 12:03 a.m. but may touch up the left rocks in the morning. The paint is so wet I can't do anything with them. A few minutes at most.

So, that's it. Just a good varnishing and put the backing hangers.

Here is what it looks like.

"Rushing Waters" 60 x 24" triptych, acrylic on canvas, painted sides.

My camera doesn't take good photos and the foregrounds are closer in values than these pictures. The middle one should be lighter.

Tomorrow, on to the next ones. :)

Pam

Website

One Day Late and Done Tomorrow

OK, I'm one day late for "Rushing Waters" but it will be done by midnight tomorrow. The main problem now is getting all the panels to relate in background and foreground. I can see the rocks in the left panel need to go a lot lighter but the rest works pretty well together. I want each panel to act as a painting on it's own and be a part of the whole. The lighting, from the right, is bad for the photo but I'll get the final panels photographed by day.

The carp painting is next!!

Pam

Website

Mural Mosaic Auction On!!

Well, the auction has started for the Mural Mosaic.

Click Here to link to the auction page.

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Also, watch for the landscape "Rushing Waters" update to be finished this weekend!!

Pam
Website

Finishing Cottage today.

I spent two days fighting off some kind of bug. I tried painting and my hand shook so much that I was scared of ruining the painting. I started feeling better at supper time.

So...after supper last night I painted the landing on the cottage painting. Today I will finish the dock and the last of the greenery. That means I can post the finished painting today!!!

*Here is the update, FINISHED.

Family Cottage, 16 x 16 acrylic on canvas.

You will have to view the bigger version on my Website page as the blogger is giving me difficulty tonight. :( Go down the page below the Feet Up painting.

Thanks for watching.

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Next on the list is the tryptich "Rushing Waters" to finish by the weekend. Then there is just two more to finish for xmas presents. I think I will deserve a couple of weeks off between Dec. 15th and Jan. 1st.

I will probably design and draw out the Ducks Unlimited contest paintings during that time. I know the people that supplied me with reference photos for the contest are anxious to see the paintings started.

For a rundown of the Ducks Unlimited Paintings to start:

Foxes: just a few touchups on that one this week when I need a break from another painting.

Grouse and Cat (Or, "Don't Make A Move") : I think I will have to scrap the original start and get a bigger canvas to work on. It is so hard to see the grouse on the smaller canvas, it is driving me nuts and I just can't go on. So I have to decide on what size to use for it.

Deer (at night in snow): Did I have a name for that one?? LOL I can't remember.

"I Can Do It" (young boy setting a worm on hook)

"Canada Goose": speaks for itself.

"A Light Dusting " is done from last winter. The Barred Owl.

"Gunner": black lab on hunting trip, done.

My brain won't work this morning. I have to go and look up the rest. I need 10 to enter.

Pam
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Family Cottage

Here is what I have been working on today, almost finished. YEAH. I can see the end is near! Always an exciting time. The greenery will be the last to worry about. Right now I am down to the landing at the dock and have to work on that area.

I'll switch paintings for the rest of the evening because this one is being painted as I would a miniature, with a tiny brush. The hand has to be steady and I'm getting sleepy.

Let's see what else I can accomplish tonight.

Update at midnight. My last hour spent on the Puma. That's it for today.

Pam

Website

Tryptich

Things are working well this morning on the right side of the tryptich "Rushing Waters".






Yesterday I was xmas baking at my sisters. Chocolate coffee pound cake, chocolate expresso brownie cookies, Jasmine cookies, Bon Bons, Earl Grey tea cookies with chocolate ganache, and the list goes on...I don't even want to look at chocolate any more. LOL


Here is the tryptich right panel before I put it aside for the day.

And here is "Midnight Bandits" that has to be done before Dec.1st for the museum show.

I'm still working.

Pam

Website

Mural & technical problems

Well, today is the day the Mural Mosaic is supposed to go on-line auction but I haven't seen any sign of it yet. 11 p.m. UPDATE CPAWS is trying to fix the kinks in their system for the on-line auction. Please be patient and there will be a direct link from Mural Mosaic to the CPAWS auction. SIGH!

AND, my Website is now back up and running. YEAH! I HATE technical problems. :(

Pam

Cottage work.

I am working on the details of the cottage this morning and continuing later today.
It's coming along... I'm working on the tree area. Still a lot to go.

I took my last hour of the day to work on the Puma.

Pam

Website

Landscaping

Again with the tryptich. Trying to get this middle panel almost finished so I can move on to the sides. The finishing will have to be done with them all standing side by side so I can get the colour balance correct. Remember, this middle panel is 24 x 30" and with the side panels the whole thing is 60 inches wide.

Monday Update noon: Working on the bottom half this morning and I'll have to change to the side panels for a while to catch up.

So, I worked on the left panel and have the right panel on my easel. Of course, I have a few days to go.

Pam

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Kittens and day off.

Well, my day off with my sister included hours of painting. Funny how work and play are pretty much the same. I was glad to get out of the house to paint for a change. I had spent the last 4 days catching a litter of feral kittens and the parents. Total kittens, 8. Two adults, and one kitten still at large. I'll try again Monday.

So, here is the cottage painting I worked on with my sister

and here she is with her entry into the Timmins museum exhibit for Dec.
I still have to finish my racoons for that exhibit!

Here is where the middle of the tryptich is late today.

Pam
Website

Struggling

Yesterday was just one of those days!

It didn't matter how long I painted, nothing seemed to get accomplished. Paint, correct, paint again. At the end of the day I was so discouraged that I didn't even want to show my non-progress. Today is better.

End of days progress: I decided to name the Triptych "Rushing Waters". I just like the look of the water in this. :)


The Puma painting so far.





The cottage.

Pam

Website

A few today.

Well, I'll be working on 3 today, as one is drying I will work on the next, etc.

Last night I put the eyes on the Puma so I can decide how dark and light the rest of the painting has to be. This painting is a donation for The Ontario Puma Foundation.

The next is the landscapre tryptich. Remember, this is what it looks like so far.

Left side.....................................

Middle section.........

Right Side.................................

and the other painting today is a cottage for a friend.

I will post the progress as I take computer breaks. :)

Pam

Website

Last night for foxes.

Well, I have to get this finished tonight some how. I have a deadline by the morning for my xmas cards and I want this one included. I won't worry about tiny details tonight. When the paint is drier I can add the fine details to the fur, etc. I just want the image to look good enough for a printing on cards. When I finish the fine details, I will enter the picture in a competition. Well, I can't worry about that tonight.

I need a coffee and get back to work! :) Here it is so far.

Well, here is the finished product for the xmas card. I will let the painting dry and finish the details over the next couple of weeks. My next biggie is the landscape tryptich so watch for that one.

Pam

Website

1 a.m. Tuesday. ZZZzzzz....

I'm getting tired and can't stop yawning... so... here it is so far. Ignore the reflections from the overhead lights please.

See you in the morning. :) ZZZzzzz...

Pam

Website

Ugly!!!... but keeping at it.

Updates below!

OK, I'm at the ugly stage right now! I've gone too far in the other direction and lightened the snow too much. SIGH! Oh well, and I realize the snow is too high on the right hand side. Shrinking the picture down to this size helps because it is fairly big to work on and I can't get back far enough to see the mistakes.

I'm not even looking at the right hand fox at the moment. It has to be much more detailed than the far one, but if the scenery isn't correct, the whole painting won't work.

Back to fix everything.

Monday morning Oct. 30th update: This is what it looks like before I run uptown to buy more paint. :)

Using a lot of white on this one! I'll be back to do more and post the updates later today. It has to be finished by tomorrow night! EEEEEEEEKKK.

All right, if I were a drinking person right now I would take a good stiff drink! As it is, I'm having a diet pop and a computer break. :(

I'll keep going till late tonight.

Pam

Website

Oct. 26th fox work

I'm working directly on the foxes today to get them mostly done.

Here is this mornings fox.

A lot more work to do by Monday night. :)

Pam

Website

Foxes changing.... :)

Of course, I'm changing the design of the painting a bit and darkening the snow. It will be well blended in the end but as I put in the background trees I realized that the snow in the background was too light.

And there will be more changes as I go, that is what I like about painting. I never know what the finished picture will look like.

Pam

Website

Foxes today Oct. 24th

Well, I don't know if this looks any different to you but I have been working on the background snow and starting on the trees. I just realized the trees look crooked but it is just the photograph.

I changed it a few times today, of course :(, but I'm starting to like the snow. The foreground will be done after the foxes are put in. I'll get back to the trees, I just pulled a batch of bread out of my oven and I'm going to make myself a cup of tea. I still have a couple of hours before bedtime so .... back to work. :)

Pam

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