Common Grey

(12” x 12”, oil on canvas)

Anyone with a bird feeder knows what a nuisance squirrels can be, particularly in the winter months, when there is little for them to feed on save the seed meant for birds. My husband calls them rats with good PR, while my British-born neighbour laughingly calls them “cheeky” (though I suspect she may have harsher words in the summer months, after they have made a meal out of all her budding roses).

I spied this one ferreting around for sunflower seeds during yet another one of our recent spring snowfalls. So, while I really, really don’t like squirrels, I find that I do like to paint them.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Winter Walk (16” x 8”, oil on canvas)

Winter walks are often rewarded by sights such as this; a meandering path through a field of fresh snow.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Mount Royal Mixed Woods (18” x 24”, oil on canvas)

Although, like everyone else, I am crazy anxious for spring to actually arrive, these late snows have given me great subject matter. I have been keeping busy taking photos and doing lots of sketching, stockpiling winter images to keep me occupied in the coming months. Winter is my favourite season for landscape painting, so even when it green outside, I will continue with my snowy scenes. 

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Mount Royal Birches

(24” x 12”, oil on canvas)

Mount Royal is a wonderful gem in the middle of the city; a haven for sports enthusiasts, nature lovers and, of course, artists. For those familiar with our mountain park, this stand of birches is up near the lookout.   

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

En file, sur un fil

(8” x 36”, oil on canvas)

In my experience accepting commissioned work can be tricky. Often times what I envision is not what the client had in mind. For this piece the client wanted a specific size and a composition similar to one of my paintings she had seen elsewhere. I provided a pencil sketch for initial approval and followed that up with the first rough-in of the actual painting. At both times my client was very complimentary. I have now finished the work and have again sent my client a photo. 

I am happy to report we are both very pleased with the outcome; I thoroughly enjoyed the work and my client is happy with both the process and the final result.    

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Snowed In

(10” x 8”, oil on canvas)

This cardinal sits stoically as the season’s first big snow fills up the branches around his chosen perch. Perhaps he is aware of just how magnificent his feathers are against all that white.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Sweet

(8” x 8”, oil on canvas)

In my humble opinion, the chickadee is the backyard bird with the most personality. This little one watches patiently as the feeder gets filled, an almost daily occurrence this time of year.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Bark and Feathers

(10” x 8”, oil on canvas)

Here I was drawn to the contrast between the shaggy bark of the tree and the feathery softness of the cardinal.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

October Light

(15” x 30”, oil on gallery wrap canvas)

I have been working on this painting on and off for several weeks now, trying to capture the shimmering light through a canopy of autumn leaves. The light dances randomly as the breeze moves through the leaves; some leaves become almost transparent, while others hold their fall colour. Branches also disappear and reappear on the whim of the wind. 

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com. 

Silver Skies
(6” x 12”, oil on canvas)

While we have had a few days of grey gloomy weather, our spirits are lifted by catching sight of one of our loyal cardinals perched stoically in our newly bare apple tree.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

 

Morgan’s Retreat
(12” x 12”, oil on canvas)

This little cabin in the woods of Sutton belonged to a friend of my father’s. Morgan went “off-grid” long before it was made popular, retreating for months at a time with his books and his rum. Although I have painted this cabin in summer, I prefer the quiet of winter where all is pared down to the essentials of the landscape.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

 

Autumn Square
(16” x 16”, oil on canvas)

Combine blue skies with autumn sunlight. Filter this light through brightly-coloured leaves and you have one of nature’s most breathtaking sights; one that captivates us all, year after year after year.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

 

Mixed Woods
(18” x 24”, oil on canvas)

Here, I am exploring different types of trees with different types of bark patterns and textures against a backdrop of deep forest. I have endeavoured to create both a vertical rhythm using the trees, and a horizontal rhythm using the snow.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Birch Grid
(18” x 36”, oil on canvas)

Birches, with their distinctive pattern and colors, are a joy to paint. Given their somewhat graphic appeal, I was inspired to do a composition that would showcase these attributes. 

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Winter Vertical
24” x 12”, oil on canvas

I chose a vertical format to emphasize the height of the foreground trees and used both negative and positive spaces to set up a pleasing pattern. The distant band of dense forest anchors the composition and serves to heighten contrast between the light and dark trees. 

Welcome back to Painting of the Week.

Having focused on still life for many years, I moved onto the more lighthearted subject of backyard birds.

Now, after a year’s absence, during which time I taught and researched my next subject, I am back to present my newest body of work: trees in the landscape. I believe I have some exciting new work to present over the coming months and I hope you will stay tuned.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

 

Perch
(10” x 8”, oil on canvas)

A female cardinal surveys her snow-covered domain—our back yard, that is.

Many thanks to all for your support over the past year. May all your days be merry and bright.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Sugar Snow
(8” x 10”, oil on canvas)

The snow does not seem to be bothering these two!

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Snow Bird
(8” x 8”, oil on canvas)

This lone Junco was caught in last week’s first snowfall. I don’t know who was more surprised that the first snow came and stayed the week, him or me.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

“Patience”
(10” x 8”, oil on canvas)

A few Juncos passed through last weekend, on their way to a more agreeable climate.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

 

Late Bloomers
(12” x 24”, oil on canvas)

Anyone familiar with my work will know that I do not do a lot of flower paintings, except for my annual geranium piece. These hardy blooms are always the last bits of color in our garden, and once they are gone I know the cold weather is just around the corner. I am always sorry to see them go.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.