Olive

Olive is a lovely dog who belongs to my ex-neighbours.  I always thought she would be so much fun to paint, and she really was!

9 x 12"

Oil on linen panel 

Sold

 

Storm Clearing

Facing west on Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto, there was a dramatic clearing of a rainstorm. I couldn't resist photographing it. One day I will get in trouble for distracted driving!

16 x 20" Oil on canvas

Whitby Shore

In England last summer, we went to Whitby on the east coast to have fish and chips. We also did some sightseeing, and the sky was magic.

8x10" Oil on canvas

University Sunset

Driving almost everywhere, I see scenes, people and all kinds of great material that I could use in paintings, and I often wish I could take a picture at that moment. Sometimes I do! I know it is distracted driving, but this scene was irresistible and traffic was at a standstill so I took a few shots. Westward facing at sunset is often so beautiful.

8x10" Oil on Raymar cotton panel

Derbyshire Countryside

On my trip to England with my husband last summer, we visited his son and daughter in law in Derbyshire. Exploring the countryside we came across so many beautiful scenes, but the sky there is so spectacular, it is the focus of many of my paintings (so far!).

10x10" Oil on cradled birch panel.

Over the Hill

An image from Bradgate Park in Leicester, which was the home of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for 9 days. She was executed in 1534 for treason at age 17.

I have started to sign my name Gillespie Singhera, as I was married in December to Rana Singhera.

You Said 10 Minutes

A spaniel parked in front of a barber shop.

6x6" Oil on Raymar cotton panel

English Terrier

From a photo of a terrier that I took while on vacation with my husband Rana, in England this past summer. The English love their dogs!

6x6" Oil on gessoboard

Pet portrait commissions welcome. 
See details at http://www.catherinegillespie.com/portrait-commissions.html

Cows

The same cows as a previous post, done in more realistic colours. The day, as is frequently the case in England, was overcast, which created a flat quality. I usually like to have lots of modelling and shadows, but I kind of like the abstractness that the lighting created.

6x8" Oil on Raymar cotton panel

Field Behind Maggie's House

This is twilight in Anstey, England, behind an estate development. The countryside around Anstey, as most of rural England, is beautiful, and this sunset caught my eye while visiting my partners' sister-in-law and I ran down the street with my camera hoping to catch some of the wonderful light.

6x8" Oil on Raymar Cotton Panel

Compliments

Picking up on the 10 Minute Challenge, I decided to do a single pear. I really liked the top right hand pear, and tried to replicate it, but I don't think I quite hit it. I do like it though.

6x6" Oil on gesso board
$75  plus shipping

Gulls on Ice

These gulls are standing on a thin layer of ice on Lake Ontario, except for the one in the background where the water is not frozen.

6x12" Oil on cradled panel.
$125 plus shipping

Swinging

Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition is on once more meaning that the end of summer is almost here!  The midway, to me, is eye candy.

This  is a ride called the Swing Tower.

6x6" Oil on gessoboard
$85 plus shipping

Bovine Bas Relief

Toronto is the home of Exhibition Place where annual events, such as the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair , and the Canadian National Exhibition take place. I was waiting in line with my niece to buy tickets at the last "Royal", and I notice a few carved relief livestock medallions, and naturally I photographed them. Built in 1931, the Horse Palace was designed by architect J.J. Woolnough in the Art Deco style, and is endlessly fascinating. I am now working on a series of paintings of these architectural details on the agricultural buildings on the Ex grounds. 


6x6" Oil on gesso board
$95 plus shipping

Abstract

This was from the Abstract Expressionist Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto last year. A wonderful thing about living in a large urban area is that there is easy access to so much great art. I am a member of the AGO, and I go to as many exhibits as I can. I didn't know much about Abstract Expressionism previous to visiting this exhibit, but I think it is important to be exposed to as much art as possible.

This group of silhouetted figures is viewing a painting by Helen Frankenthaler called Jacobs Ladder, painted in 1957.


8x10 Oil on Gessoboard
$145

Back in the Saddle

It has been a very long while since I posted to my blog, and I have missed it! Over the summer I bought a house, and as you can imagine it has been an extremely busy time. The house has required some work, not the fun decorating kind, but the basic necessary kind, like upgrading the electrical ( damn those insurance rules!). Just figuring out where stuff should go is a major thing. My next project is having my art space painted, so that I can get back to painting in earnest. I have a few commissions I am working on, and lots of ideas about what to paint. My most current painting is this:

"One For You and Two for Me"

This is a woman after my own heart! I think she made some healthy choices though! Looks like salady things on her plates. I would have added an eclair I think!
Oil on gesso board
6x6"

SOLD

My Best Side

This is my entry for the Daily Paintworks Chicken challenge. I love painting animals, and farm animals are among my favorites. I took a photo of this chicken on a farm out west. This critter seemed to be posing and showing me her best side. Really fun to paint!
 
 6x6" Oil on gessoboard
$75 + s&h

Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing this painting, or if you would like to commission a pet portrait.
 
catgillespie@gmail.com

Countryside Late Afternoon

This is my entry for the Daily Paintworks challenge for last week. This is in Germany (thanks, Carol Marine!), but it looks like places I have seen in America and Canada.

This was fun to paint. I decided on giving it the late afternoon glow that I am so fond of. My inclination, too, when I am working from a photograph is to be too married to the photo image, and not take license with it. Here I tried to get away from that.

8x8" Oil on cradled birch panel

$110 plus shipping

catgillespie@gmail.com

Girl with Violin

This is a study of a young woman at a Farmer's Market.

5x7" Oil on gessoboard
$65

Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing this painting, or if you would like to commission a pet portrait.

catgillespie@gmail.com

White Tureen

This is for #7 of the Daily Paintworks Challenges. The idea was to paint a white object on a multicolored background using only primary and secondary colors, no black and no earth colors.

I chose this antique white tureen.

8x10 " Oil on gessoboard

catgillespie@gmail.com