Fall Birches In The Sugar Bush

 

Fall Birches In The Sugar Bush    12" x 16"   O/C

I think that it is time to bring my spring series of sugar bush paintings to a close. It has been fun and a good painting experience for the last few weeks of winter painting. In a way it will be sad to see the last of the snow, not that I am a big fan of it, but I certainly love painting the cast shadows on the surface.

Now I long for spring and the warmer weather. It brings its own painting problems and solutions.

The colours for this palette were, ultramarine blue, alizarin ,cad yellow med., cobalt red (purple) grey light (tube) burnt sienna and titanium white. My medium was odourless solvent.

So spring, I hope you are happening !

'til next...

Sugar Shack In The Bush

Sugar Shack In The Bush    16" x 20"    O/C

A few rainy days and temperatures finally over 0*c have certainly had an adverse effect on the heavy snow we have had this winter. As the snow melts, it leaves behind the dirt, and garbage exposed that had been collected under its' layers during the long winter winds and blowing snow. I guess it is a small price to pay for the feel of spring in the air.
Interestingly enough, for me anyway, the above painting was painted using the left over paint and their mixtures from the previous painting. Interesting colours to start a painting with.

..'til next

The Sugar Bush

 

Working Sugar Bush    16" x 20"    O/C

What we see in the painting above is a working sugar house in a sugar bush. The horses, pulling the sap from the maple trees to the sugar shack for processing to maple sugar is rather "old world" in the present and larger sugar bush.
In today's world, the maple sap is gathered from trees using plastic hose, running from tree to tree and then to the sugar house. Certainly not a romantic nor nostalgic as we imagined the view just a few years ago, is it ?
On top of the sugar shack we see  the escape of the water from the sap as vapour/ steam during the boiling off process. The liquid that remains in the large kettle after this process is Maple Syrup.

The colours derived for this painting were created from my usual limited palette. My medium was Odourless Mineral Spirits, used sparingly.

'til next...

..Still In The Sugar Shack Series...

 

The Gnarly Maple    16" x 20"    O/C

In spite of it being officially spring, winter continues to carry on. From what I hear, the temperatures are much to low during the night and day to make the sap run. Many are predicting a poor harvest this spring. It will truly be, ' liquid gold '.

The sketch for this painting eventually ended up under the finished painting as it was being 'built up'.

The colours for this painting were, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, cadmium red, alizarin, cad yellow medium, raw sienna and titanium white.

I used Odourless Solvent sparingly for thinning my paint and for cleaning my brushes during the painting process. 

So far, I am pleased with progress of each painting in the sugar shack series . Some areas have been a challenge.

til next...

  

Has Spring Finally Made An Appearance ?

Spring At The Woodlot    16" x 20"    O/P

The waiting seems to be forever. Finally , spring may have arrived. The second day of spring and the temperature is already thirty - two degrees F. (tongue in cheek !) ..Maybe, just maybe !

This painting was painted with my split limited palette. Medium was Odourless Mineral Spirits, used sparingly. Small and large brushes were used.

This is the third 16" x 20" that I have painted consecutively. It has been a bit of a challenge to work in that size after the number of smaller panels or canvases I have painted on. That seems like a lot of panel to cover. 

'til next... 

Maple Sugar Bush Continued..

Time Out !    16" x 20"    O/P

I think that it is becoming more unusual in today's working sugar bush to see a team of horses pulling a 'stone boat' or low center of gravity sled with  a tank on it. 
In "the day", the team would go on route from tree to tree so that the driver could empty the sap bucket contents into the tank on the sled. Once the collection of the sap had been completed, the tank and sled was dragged through the bush to the sugar shack by the horses where the sap from the trees was processed. 
It was hard work for the horses on deep snowy and uneven ground. 

I used a limited split palette for this painting on a pre stained Masonite panel. My medium was Odourless Mineral Spirits used sparingly after the first "wash" of the drawing or composition. As the painting continued, I gradually and sparingly mixed Liquin to my mixtures.

'til next... 

Maple Sugar Still In The Making...

Waiting For The Sap    12" x 16"    o/c

Although it is not plainly seen, this painting was painted on a pre stained gallery wrapped canvas. As in the previous paintings the ground colour was an acrylic orange red. 

I think that this painting reflects a more contemporary feel/ look because of the addition of the truck . It may not be as "nostalgic" or "romantic" as horses and stone boats as seen in some past paintings of sap gathering. But I do believe 'the truck' in this case, does serve an "update".

This is a sketch for the finished painting, "Waiting For The Sap" . This sketch was on the same canvas as the finished painting and gives some idea of the procedure and direction taken.

 Sketch for "Waiting For The Sap"

'til next...