Mother Gaze

I referenced my children's school Christmas concerts for these two paintings.

When I watch my children perform with others I have an intense gaze only on my child. Using paint I rendered my child in a realistic style and painted the other performers using blurry and sketchy techniques.

Brenna George
Penguins
2014
20" x 30" oil on canvas

Brenna George
Words in my fingers
2014
20" x 30" oil on canvas

detal of "Words in My Fingers", 20" x 30" 2014 oil on canvas

witches and cowboys

I have been sketching witches and cowboys. I am drawing the interaction between them, between the cats, dogs, babies, kids and adults. I am building a world of love, play and turmoil with the females being magical witches and the males being sturdy hardworking cowboys.

I have posted them on:
pinterest
my wesite

I am drawing this series during the blocks of time where I am waiting for my children to take their dance classes.

wedding picnic

I finished my commissioned painting of little white dog Coco. It is a full and festive tiny space with 19 figures in one small painting. I made it soft in pallet and a whirlwind of motion.

Wedding Picnic 11" x 14" oil on canvas 2014 Brenna George

My 2 paintings in Exhibition

My daughter and me at the closing party for the Artist Mothers' Exhibiton Children in performance at the Centennial Concert Hall. November 2014

It is great to be part of this group show that is seen by so many concert goers. Piano Noble Gallery Winnipeg.

consolidating my blogs

I am consolidating my blogs.




I was posting blog pages on the home page of my website, updating them and erasing so there was no history of what had happened.

I was also making a long one page scrolling blog that I added onto the top of on the me page of my website.

I also had a blogger blog that I had trouble accessing because goofy me I was trying to add post onto it in my google page.

acrylic on canvas 1993

 So I am starting fresh, just copy and pasting the posts that remain from this summer.  I am setting the dates in the schedule from when I wrote them. I am only posting in this one spot from now on.  I didn't think I was a blog person but because I kept making bloggy stuff I guess I am. Now it all has its own virtual spot.

watercolour 2001

Witches and Cowboys

I am working on a series of pencil drawings of Witches and Cowboys.

flying together
pencil drawing on paper, 2014, Brenna George

Winnipeg to Clear Lake

Just drove back and forth, today, from Winnipeg to Clear Lake to pick up all of my painting from my solo show. It was a long drive and there is an empty tiredness in me from working so hard towards a show and now it is over. 

I took time to swim for 20 min. in the Lake. It was the best part of my day, the sparkley water and flipping and gliding like a dolphin.

Must continue 2 paintings for the Centennial Concert Hall as they are due on the 30th of August. Don't have the funds to buy the colours I really want - Cadmium Red light, cadmium orange, ivory black, viridian and chromium oxide green. I want these to paint the portraits but will have to do with my limited pallet until I receive a grant - if I receive a grant. I can not take money that needs to go to the household to buy colours. Ozma needs the chicken pox second vaccination and that is $100. Hydro, phone and car insurance need to be paid. It is enough to make me just do pencil drawings. I like the frugality of that medium. 

Brenna, August 13, 2014

preparing for my solo show

I have been preparing for my solo show in Clear Lake in July/August 2014. Painting outside as much as my family obligations allow.

I am also painting 2 children in performance canvases for the Artist Mothers group show in August. I am watching old school concert videos and snagging stills, it is so hard to choose, so many good moments. This is a continuation of my Besotted series.

Trying to decide what to put into the Mothering on the Fringe pop up show at the Fringe in Winnipeg - cowboy/witch drawings or Daily Drama of Oona puking in the tub painting.

Marshall icy boot - reference photos

April 2014
I was painting a snow-scape of my son coming home from school. Even though I project and trace an outline of my photograph onto the canvas, often the lines disappear when I paint and the image walks around a bit.

I use the lines to help placement and hold a composition but to make a portrait I let go of the pencil line and just paint.

Here the head got way too big and I had to cut it back a bit.

Here is an example of how I use Photoshop images as a painting reference.
I make a colour swatch of the colours from the image and I draw in guidelines to
help me align things.

Ozma's piano exam and Pony Up

 I have been finishing up one painting and starting another.

When finishing it is so slow going. I look at the painting a lot and then I write a list of all the little bits that bug me. In "Ozma's piano exam" I wanted to work on the hands, the back of the music book and the instructor. I have this sense of risk because I like a spontaneous brush strokes so I can leave that fresh first go look or gamble that it will get better if I paint in layers to change it.

Ozma's Piano Exam    16" x 20"   2013  acrylic on canvas  Brenna George

Ozma's Piano Exam Detail   16" x 20"   2013 acrylic on canvas Brenna George

 

 

 

 

"Pony up Valentine" is the beginning of a new oil painting. Oils have this forever workable smoothness that I am enjoying. Starting is fast and fun. Now I am settling into adjusting it to say what I would like it to. I want a rough mean, "tossed in the air - who know what will happen" tension with an undercurrent of old-fashioned farm landscape with lacy clouds that speak of domestic love and feminine caring.

Right now the horse is jumping too high, a cow over the moon type of height.

Pony Up Valentine work in progress  14" x 14"   2013 oil on canvas Brenna George