Watercolour Paintings Find New Homes

Watercolour Series: Red Rock

These five paintings were painted on location this spring in Utah and were shown at the recent Images Art Show that I participated in. What wonderful country to hike in. I so enjoyed trying to capture the essence of a different landscape than what I am used to. It required some different coloured paints than my regular palette.

'Devil's Garden'

watercolour by Eileen Gidman 

 Off to it's new owner. This was a smaller area of red rocks that made it all the more special. Lots of families were visiting as it was easy for children to walk right up to the rock formations.

'Red Rock Canyon'

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

 Off to it's new owner. This was painted near the Visitor's Centre of Red Rock Canyon, near Bryce Canyon. What an amazing park that was. The spires to the left were called the 'Salt and Pepper'.

'Snow Canyon'

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

Off to it's new owner. A chance encounter lead us to this lovely little park where we enjoyed our first hike. When I look at this painting, I can still remember how solid that red rock felt to walk on.

'Kodachrome'

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

Am I ever glad we ventured forth to this park. The afternoon hike, which I participated in, was through a slot canyon. Just wow!

'Grand Canyon Ranger'

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

This was my second time to the Grand Canyon but only my first time really seeing it as the first time the canyon was filled with fog. We had a very special tour guide who pulled in at every view point and gave us lots of time to explore.  

Art Show - Images in Creston, BC

Images Show, Creston, BC

While the core group of artists has changed throughout the years, this is the 22 consecutive year of this much anticipated show. Elaine and Andy Alfoldy are the longest attending members and the Images Group is happy to announce its newest member, Jenny Steenkamp. This show also features Eileen Gidman, Laura Leeder, Sarah Miller, Jim Smith and Howard Smith. If you are in our area, I hope you can visit.

Images Art Group Facebook Page

When framing for two days last week, I realized that all of the 22 new paintings I am showing this year were painted plein air with finishing touches in the studio. Wow, I had a goal this year to plein air paint more and I guess you could say I achieved that. It was an exciting year with painting locally in the valley, including weekly in the summer at Kootenay Meadows Dairy, painting in Utah on a spring hiking trip, in AZ, and on Quadra Island. 

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

16 X 20" (framed 22 X 28") 

The colours on these pear trees were jaw-dropping stunning this year. After walking up to admire them, several times, walking back I noticed this vista with the Purcell Mountains in the background. The very next day I spent an afternoon painting them. This old orchard is near my home and I've been researching the history of the trees. I believe them to be over 100 years old and I want the title to reflect the historical significance somehow. Ideas?

And yes, that cat did walk into my view.

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

Series: Hulls of Herriot Bay

More boats. I do not have a title for this one yet either but the series will be called 'Herriot Bay Hulls'. The heron on the left side of the painting would often stand in the shallows when the tide was low.

watercolour by Eileen Gidman

View from Gramma's Clothesline

This is this year's painting for my Clothesline Series. The significance of the series is to draw attention to energy conservation. It is the first clothesline painting without clothes drying on it but the view was so amazing that I wanted it to shine. When showing the painting to the home owner, her grandson was there and his eyes just lit up when he recognized the familiar scene, hence the title. 

How Do You Choose Where to Set Up On Location?

Choosing Where to Set up for Painting on Location

Watercolour by Eileen Gidman

'Getting Married in a Month' 

To give you an idea about how a painter chooses what to paint, the above painting was the last painting I did on an artist retreat that I, Eileen Gidman took to Quadra Island with a fellow artist, Karen Arrowsmith. That Friday morning, I hoofed my suitcase of painting supplies and my folding chair with side table about a 1/2 kilometer up the hill to the top of the road from us. I had been getting a view each time we drove back to our cabin that was above the bay looking through the houses to the marina. After looking for just the right place, for whatever reason, it just wasn't what was in my heart to paint that day, so I hoofed it a little farther up the road. I could see the store by that time so I hoofed it a little farther there to pick up some bread for lunch. I probably looked like a homeless person by that time as I carried my case, loaf of bread and chair with me.

In order to find that perfect stop, I decided to head down by the Herriot Bay Inn and look at the bay from there. At that time, I was still thinking of capturing a beachside cabin with the bay view. As I limped along the path above where the tide comes in, by that time using my chair like a cane, I paused at a bench and surveyed the scene below. There were these two small, new, and colourful watercraft amongst all the big sailboats and older dories.

The colours and water reflections grabbed me. The story I was trying to convey with this painting became even more special when a young man that had obviously been watching me paint, as he walked back and forth on the ramp beside me, stopped and said to me, "They are getting married in a month." At my puzzled expression, he said, "The owners' of those two boats are getting married in a month." I liked to think the specialness of that scene was what had me stop, after hoofing it around for so long, looking for the just the perfect last painting spot.