Cheryl Peddie4 Comments

New! The Painted House

The latest genre I’ve been enjoying painting is ‘street scenes’, aka (to the artsy set) – ‘urban landscapes’. My passion for them started in 2015, when I painted a series of street scenes in small towns around Alberta. My year culminated when I painted a collection featuring Calgary’s neighborhood of Sunnyside. The collection was a great success at my end-of-year showing at ‘Framed on Fifth’ Art Gallery. This summer, I’ve been creating a collection of urban paintings of the town of High River, just south of Calgary.

An Interesting Turn of Events

Once I looked at both collections as a whole, it became clear that my paintings weren’t completely as I’d expected. (You’d think I’d have been more conscious of this shift as I was actually painting…but I wasn’t. Such is the life of an artist!) I’d thought I would be painting broader scenes filled with lots of buildings, people and ‘busy-ness’. However, most of the paintings I had created were of individual homes and businesses.

Yet for some reason, instead scolding myself for venturing so far off course (as I’d normally do) I realized I hadn’t made a mistake. These paintings were exactly as they should be. They weren’t street scenes at all – they were portraits!

As portraits, the collection of work suddenly makes sense. I have always been drawn to more intimate subject matter, with a shorter depth of field and design that minimizes distracting backgrounds. Seeing the paintings as portraits enabled me to see the next step I needed to take…

‘The Painted House’ is born

This next step is to offer custom home or business portraits. And so I’ve created ‘The Painted House – Custom Home and Business Portraits’. I adapted the name from the Victorian and Edwardian houses called ‘Painted Ladies’. These homes were painted in multiple colours to enhance their architecture. I adore character architecture and colour is an important key in my artistic style, so the name suited both me and my art.

If this sounds interesting, please read more about my process and how you can order your own Painted House here.

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Hazy Days of Spring

HazyDaysofSpring

My newest painting is fresh off the easel. ‘Hazy Days of Spring’ grew from my obsession with painting the earliest spring greens I could find. I spent weeks going out to paint ‘plein air’ (ie in the outdoors on location) trying to catch those first soft green leaves. They looked like a soft haze over the treetops. Just a whisper of green – so delicate and lovely.

We had a particularly early spring this year in the foothills, so I got an early start to plein air season! I was delighted to catch those first days of hazy spring greens, and this is one of the resulting studio pieces from the images and paint sketches I developed.

I painted ‘Hazy Days’ on birch panel. I first coated it with multiple layers of gesso to create a good tooth for the oil paint, and for longevity. This is a new surface for my larger work. I often paint on panel when working plein air, so I thought I’d try it for my studio pieces also. It enabled me to create a wide variety of edges, strokes and finishes. Plus, its sturdiness held up to my scribbles and any kind of strength of brush stroke I threw at it. A beautifully versatile surface which enabled me to keep a loose feel, despite the larger size.

Here are a couple of details…

WET PAINTING SALE
If you’re interested in taking this painting home, it’s available today for a special one-day price. Click here for details.

Thanks very much for visiting,

Cheryl Peddie

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Springtime, Where are you?

LoveGrowsBest-18x24
Love Grows Best – 18″x24″ Oil by Cheryl Peddie

I am so sick of brown and bare trees. Unfortunately, I’m finding nothing inspiring about the drab greys, browns and cold winds outside. And the kicker is that without any leaves on the trees, the city noise is inescapable at my house.

Staying creative is tough when our environment doesn’t cooperate. It can drag at our moods, pulling us down into long days of low productivity. It’s a challenge to resist the pull, but it’s also a necessity. Not just because there are still shows to prepare for, or client deadlines to meet. I used to rely on those kinds of pressures to – well, bully myself into productivity. I think there’s a better way though. And frankly, there needs to be. Those hard-hearted tactics never work for long. Once the inevitable post-deadline crash comes, you’re sucked down into low productivity again – from sheer exhaustion.

So, I know what doesn’t work. What does work? For me, the answer is still a work in progress. Lately I’ve been scheduling sketches – no bigger than 5″ square – into my mornings. I’m doing them to give my creativity a chance to wake up for the day. Fortunately I love painting on small canvasses. It’s a skill I stumbled into early in my career. It’s a very peaceful, gentle way to start the day. And once I’m finished I’m better able to begin tackling a large commission, or sorting out some tricky perspective in a larger work that is ongoing. If you’d like to see and/or purchase some of my morning sketches, I’ve created a new page here on my website where you can do just that. Have a look at: cherylpeddie.ca/cheryls-art-shop/

I’d love to hear from other artists – what tricks do you use to keep you productive in studio?

Thanks for stopping by,
Cheryl

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The ‘Sunnyside’ of the Street – Artist Opening coming up

SunnysideShow-FoFMy newest solo show, The ‘Sunnyside’ of the Street’ is coming quickly. Please join me at my artist opening on Thurs Dec 3, from 6-9pm at Framed on Fifth, 1207 – 5 Ave NW in Calgary.

I’ll be featuring a new collection of paintings from the neighborhood of Sunnyside and Hillhurst at the show. I am  inspired by these heritage neighborhoods in our city. Their smaller yet lovingly cared for homes and gardens speak to me of the importance of simplicity and moderation. A time when we had front porch verandahs – because visiting with neighbors meant more than how many square feet our homes measured. Double car driveways and garages weren’t considered a necessity because we could walk most places we needed to go.

So join me for a little nostalgia, some penny candy, a cool beverage and some socializing. I’d love to see you and get caught up before the holiday season swings into gear. Thanks for stopping by; hope to see you on Dec 3. Best, Cheryl.

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The Air is Getting Chilly…

I do love the way the air feels this time of year. Winter’s coming. This is ‘Early Frost’ – 16″x20″ oil on canvas. I painted this from a reference I took while flying past the scene in my friend’s car; we were on our way to an art show – thus the hurry! North and west of Cochrane, AB. This painting is currently being shown at the Bow Valley Rance Restaurant, in Fish Creek, Calgary. Thank you so much to The Ranche at Fish Creek Restoration Society, for inviting me to show my work. I appreciate being a part of this important landmark in Calgary’s artistic culture and history.Early Frost – 16"x20"

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New Art Class for Fall

Evening Mist – 12″x16″ oil on canvas by Cheryl Peddie

I’m delighted to be adding a third weekly class to my teaching schedule. The new class will be at the Glamorgan Community Centre on Monday mornings from 9am-12pm. The facility is gorgeous, with natural light coming from large windows all around. It has a separate entrance on the main floor, right off the parking lot – super easy for toting in our painting gear.

Here’s the rundown on my classes, for those of you who are just exploring the idea of beginning your art practice:

I love to paint and teach a wide variety of subject matter – landscape, still life, interiors, wildlife, florals; even figures and street scenes!

I work with beginners up to intermediates, so I keep my classes small – 8 students maximum. This allows me enough time to work one-on-one with each student, as well as a great size for group discussions and getting to know your fellow student artists.

I take a comprehensive approach to teaching art – helping students learn fundamentals of drawing while learning to paint. We will also focus on color theory including value, temperature, saturation, plus contrast, edges and design. I also do demonstrations in class to help illustrate the concepts students will be learning. Finally, we’ll work together to help you find a style you love, and build confidence in yourself as an artist.

Workstations are roomy and bright with a table supplied for each student. (See pictures below.) Students do need to bring their own art supplies and a table easel. I have an art supply list prepared, and can recommend some excellent art supply stores in Calgary.

Please contact me as soon as possible to book your space. Fees are $35/class ($140/month based on 4 classes). I take cheques, cash, Visa & MasterCard. Your first month’s fees are required to hold your space.

This is a brand new class so I do need a minimum number of students to start classes. I can be reached any time at cherylpeddie@shaw.ca. Business line: 403-201-6532.

Glamorgan Community Hall Classroom – image 2
Glamorgan Community Hall Classroom
Glamorgan Community Hall Classroom
Glamorgan Community Hall Classroom

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Road Trip 2015 – Have Easel, Will Travel

Painting by Cheryl Peddie
Best Seats in the House – 16″x20″ Oil by Cheryl Peddie

I’m excited to share my newest project, ‘Road Trip 2015’, with you today. This year, I’m visiting and painting on location at 9 communities throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and BC. The purpose? To explore the concept of creating meaning.

Meaning-making has a fluid, interconnected nature that fascinates me. A quote I found on my sister’s website – leewardclips.wordpress.com – speaks to this: “When you change the way you look at something; what you look at changes.” Deepak Chopra. And I’d add to that: when what you look at changes, it can further change the way you look at it… and so on. It’s never-ending and ever-changing. Love that.

I began this journey last month with visits to Vulcan, AB and Eastend, SK. The biggest insight I came away from these two trips was: Finding and sharing what has meaning to you, helps create meaning for others.

Vulcan, Alberta
In Vulcan, I was invited to teach a workshop on Streetscapes to the ‘Nine in a Line’ Creative Art Society. Their studio (the Vulcan Art Studio) is located in the gorgeous Healy Heritage Art Center. The center is also home to Caelo, a haven of mouth-watering baking and home cooking owned and run by Kellie & Terry Hartle. (My painting above, ‘Best Seats in the House’ are of a cozy spot in Caelo.) Kellie has made Caelo a special gathering place. Her interior design skill has touched every corner; there are even ‘reader’ glasses of various strengths artfully placed for patrons to enjoy, so they can read while enjoying their meal. And at the end of my visit, Kellie packed up a date bar and banana loaf for my travels. I tried to make them last. But they were so heavenly, I gobbled both down in record time. After that luscious first bite, they didn’t stand a chance. Thank you Kellie! I can’t wait to visit again.

Eastend, SK
In Eastend, I was joined by fellow artist and Gallerist, Arlene Westen Evans. Arlene owns Evanescence Gallery in High River. We laughed, talked and painted for an entire week at the historic ‘Eaton’s House’.  Eaton’s homes, were mail-ordered through the Eaton’s catalogue – piece by piece! Then they were built on the owner’s site. This particular one, is one of the last remaining in Alberta, and is now a guesthouse. Located at the Riverside Motel, it is run by Ed and Wendy Sanford. Ed and fellow Eastend resident, Steve Garamzeghy renovated it into a stunning character home. It was an artists’ dream to paint and stay at. On rainy days, I painted many interiors of the space. Below are two of my paintings from this trip:

'Catalogue Special' 6"x6" oil by Cheryl Peddie - SOLD
‘Catalogue Special’ 6″x6″ oil by Cheryl Peddie – SOLD
Jack's Cafe
Nacho Jacks – 6″x8″ oil by Cheryl Peddie

Next Up

I’ll be painting lots more from all my trips throughout the coming year. I’ve also submitted the project for consideration as an exhibition to one gallery, and possibly more as I continue.

For the upcoming month, I’m planning two more trips. I’m off to Jasper, then to Blairmore. I’ll be posting what I learn and paint during those trips, in a month or so. Hope to see you back again. Take care, Cheryl.

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Opus

I’ve grown more fascinated with creating street scenes this year. I love the variety and complexity of shapes, values, colors I can paint in them. Because of this, it’s almost like putting together a puzzle. I shift between long hours working at it, and periods where I need to just hang it on the wall and take a break from looking at it. Each time I return to it I can suddenly ‘see’ how to resolve little challenges and areas that I’d previously been unable to master. Please visit my ‘Urban & Rural Street Scenes’ page in my portfolio to view more of my new work in this genre: http://cherylpeddie.ca/portfolio/urban-rural-street-scenes/

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Evening Ride

  

Evening Ride, 50″x32″, Oil on Canvas

I was honoured to be commissioned by the Rocky View Foundation, to create this painting for their Crossfield Seniors’ Lodge. I felt it would be fitting to create a piece that reflected some of the resident’s western heritage. I photographed the reference for ‘Evening Ride’ while driving along Highway 22X near Priddis. As soon as I saw the horses and riders, I hit the brakes, looking for somewhere to pull over and capture the scene. As an artist, I am accustomed to every ride in the country taking twice as long as normal. There are too many perfect moments to miss. 

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Join me in Jasper

Original Joe's – Oil by Cheryl Peddie – SOLD
Original Joe’s – Oil by Cheryl Peddie – SOLD

SPECIAL EVENT – JOIN ME IN JASPER, AB THIS SUMMER!

Street Scenes in Acrylics
Sat June 27 – 10:00am-4:00pm
Jasper AB – Hosted by the Jasper Community Habitat for the Arts
Location TBA
Class Fee: $100 – Includes brunch!!

Streetscapes are often a subject matter that art students avoid. It’s a shame, because they allow artists to use a wide range of color not often seen in more natural environments like landscapes. They also help us learn to see value changes easier because of the strong geometric shapes and harder edges than in landscapes. In this one-day workshop, I’ll help you learn to simplify all that you see, and create a fun, urban scene in acrylics. Please also join me as I paint the street scenes of Jasper, plein air, on Thurs June 25 & Fri June 26, noon – 3pm each day! I’ll be discussing my work and answering questions from viewers as I paint. Artists are welcome to join me as I paint. Locations will be announced on my facebook page: www.facebook.com/CherylPeddieArtwork