My neighbour called me over to say that Abby, their Golden Retriever, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and she might not have long. I went over and photographed her but she was very bouncy and full of excitement as she often was, thrilled to see a new person, to greet them with boundless enthusiasm. I always called her the Greeter Dog. The next day I had planned to go back to see if I could get a close-up of her eyes but my neighbour told me she had passed.  

One always thinks there will be one more day but it was not to be. I am always reminded by loss that we must be kind to one another, forgive quickly, apologize more rapidly and love one another. Saturday is the unveiling and I hope my neighbours, Gina and Blair, like the results.

I'm having a lot of fun with peony buds right now, a very compelling activity on what is a cold winter-like day.  This layer of paint forms the basis of the image but more layers will be added to create depth.

Snow blowing in the wind, a driveway that's been shovelled 4 times in the last few days.  This beauty will form its painted blossoms and rich, dark leaves over the next 10 days or so, ready for sale.

Wishing you all a cozy time at home right now.  Please contact me for information about this 16" X 12" peony painting.  

Hello!

I'm still thrilled from our 'Spark Joy' show which ended on Saturday, October 29th.  Lots of happy new owners walked away with our paintings and we are thrilled that they have found loving homes.  Many thanks to all who took the time to visit!  

Art Walk Penticton is coming soon--November 19th from 11 to 4 and, while our schedule hasn't come out yet, I expect to be at Picture This! Custom Framing and Gallery some time during the day meeting visitors.  The displays are being readied and no sooner than mine was hung, one of mine sold!  There are plenty of paintings left though.  

Should you ever want to arrange a studio visit--the flower paintings are home now--just email or phone me to make arrangements.  250 689-8148 or csinclaire@telus.net

More ‘Joy’ on offer at the Art Gallery Osoyoos

Posted by Times Chronicle | Oct 19, 2022 | Arts, Featured, Osoyoos | 0 

Pam Duncan (left) and Carollyne Sinclaire are featuring their paintings of landscapes, flowers and yes, donuts too! Don Urquhart photo

By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

I suspect we all can stand a little more joy in our lives and the current art exhibition – Spark Joy – now on at the Art Gallery Osoyoos delivers exactly that.

 “All of these objects sparked joy for each one of us,” says Carollyne Sinclaire, who along with Pam Duncan are exhibiting their works until Oct. 29.

 “Marie Kondo says that when you’re decluttering or re-organizing your home you should show each object and it should excite every cell in your body,” Sinclaire says, explaining the impetus behind the Spark Joy theme.

 “I think we felt that way about each one of the subjects enough to photograph it, to paint it and I really have a desire that anyone that comes to the show feels the same sort of happiness, the joy that we do in those subjects as they are rendered,” she adds.

 For Duncan it’s natural landscapes that spark the most joy in her artistry. “I find when I go out into nature I just connect with things and I find a great joy in being in the natural environment.”

 Several of her paintings on display follow from her recent art retreat in BamField on Vancouver Island’s stunning Barkley Sound. “I just felt a lot of freedom and connection because of the remoteness of the area,” she says.

 Similarly there is a connection to the Okanagan because this is her home, she adds. Last year she went on a similar retreat but in the Cariboo of which she also has paintings on exhibit. “Again, it’s just being outside and connecting with nature that brings me joy.”

 Sinclaire comments how much water is featured in Duncan’s paintings, whether from the coast or the Interior. “So many famous artists inspire to paint water and Pam has just done a splendid job,” she said, noting the difficulty in rendering water accurately.

 Over the past 10 years Sinclaire says she’s painted a lot of different things, but she tends to paint a series, “that way I get to know the subject better and learn how to handle the paint and in this case flowers which are very intricate.”

 She started painting small works featuring flowers in acrylic before the pandemic came on and then she notes something very strange happened. “For the first month of COVID I just came to a standstill, like so many people, and I didn’t paint at all.” So too for Duncan. But soon enough that invisible hurdle faded and painting returned.

 Sinclaire says she became very intrigued by flowers and was invited to paint flowers from many people’s gardens. “Every flower seems to have its own personality, but I’m intrigued by the form, the diversity of hues and just the exquisite formation of a flower – the little fat pollen sacks, the little stripes that are runways for the insects, every single one of these flowers is designed for reproduction and extremely complex,” she enthuses.

 Visiting the Naramata Garden Show gave her the opportunity to meet flower growers and enthusiasts, many of whom invited her back to photograph their flowers and gardens through the changing seasons to transform into paintings.

 “It was very intriguing for me to learn about flowers, even an Iris, the different petals have different names and different functions, ‘these are ‘falls’, these are ‘standards’ – each one of these areas has its own name,” she explains.

 Some of her flower paintings she’s named after songs, more just a coincidence than anything, a product of listening to the radio while painting, she laughs. Take for instance, “It really got me started,” “We’ve only just begun,” or “Unchained melody.”

 “I would love to say that I engineered it so that the audience can have a multi-sensory approach but that actually wasn’t the truth,” she laughs.

 A sinfully delicious donut beckons me from the wall as we are talking and Sinclaire laughs relating the story behind it. Some donuts, a chocolate bar and some candies in an old-fashioned dispenser are on one wall, seemingly incongruous with the floral display all around.

 “This confectionery series started off because I was waiting for a couple friends in Tim Hortons and I was facing the donut display case that was lit up with lights. I found the glazing on the donuts were just as dazzling as diamonds in the window,” she says.

 “They didn’t temp me to eat them but they tempted me to paint them and I couldn’t really devote myself to conversation because all I could think of was painting the donuts. So I came back the next day and bought a single donut and insisted to the staff that they put it in the box and make sure it didn’t touch the sides because I didn’t want it ruined.”

 Once at home she carefully unloaded the precious cargo into her light box to photograph it in order to begin painting it. “I found it didn’t look like much until it got bitten and then you got the ooz!” she says.

 Although taking photos of objects like flowers does their immense natural beauty little justice, “I know the feeling that I had, so memory is often a big part of it for me.” It’s about a “cascade of memories and emotions,” she adds.

In case you missed attending the Opening of 'Spark Joy' on October 8th, it was a great success with paintings sold and standing room only for the Artist Talk!  

Here's a few images, but not all, from our Opening on October 8th, 2022.  The gallery is open for our show October 8th to  October 29th from 10 to 3 p.m.

I will be painting or sitting in the gallery on the following days:

Wednesday October 19th from noon to 3, painting

Friday, October 21st from 10 to 3, sitting

Wednesday, October 26th from noon to 3, painting

Saturday October 29th from 10 to 3, sitting

I'd love to greet you there!  Bring a friend or come on your own. The show closes on October 29th with only 10 days left.

I was invited to view and photograph a stunning terraced garden in Naramata where the owners had built a pond, surrounded by Siberian Irises. Luxuriously shady in the heat of summer sun, the pond area provided a number of views of these flowering beauties.

Oil on canvas, 20 X 16, framed in black, ready to mount in a place of honour in your home.

Shipping extra.For more information, use the 'Contact' button above.

To learn about new works and events please subscribe to my newsletter.  

Hello,

Several months ago on a dreary Saturday morning I was photographing a huge fifty year old bush of peonies n Penticton. I'd been invited by a woman I met while I painted on the street in front of  Picture This! Gallery during Art Walk  I worried that the peonies would be soggy and damaged but they seemed as though they just stepped out of the shower.  Five to six inches across while still in bud, the peonies are an artist's dream subject.

The colour on the images appears different but in real life, the colour is consistent.  Luscious, bold and beautiful, ready to hang.

12" X 12" X 1.5" with deep green painted edges, no need to frame. 

I have an upcoming show to which I'd like to invite you:  'Spark Joy' Carollyne Sinclaire with Pam Duncan opens  at The ART GALLERY Osoyoos, October 8th with a reception at 1 p.m. and an Artist Talk at 1:30.  October 8 to 29 Gallery hours 10 t o 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.  I'd love to see you there!

Hello, 

I hope that wherever you are, you are staying cool and comfortable.  

This item is simply to notify you that I have changed the name of the website from PocketDesertPainter.com to CarollyneSinclaireArtist.com  Would you please update your address book to reflect this change?

I made this change because after moving from Osoyoos, Canada's only desert, to Oliver.  The new name www.CarollyneSinclaireArtist.com better reflects my situation.  Secondly, if new visitors want to find me it is more likely they'll find me on the new name.  And last of all, an artist is his or her own product so this better reflects me.  You will still continue to receive my newsletters from my personal email; the only thing that would change is a search for me is now done in www.CarollyneSinclaireArtist.com

A newsier newsletter to follow!

Carollyne

When I first saw this iris it was after a late spring rainfall, days long, that I thought would crush every flower in the garden, however, despite its delicate bloom, this iris bloomed and endured. This is from the garden where I painted in Naramata on the Garden Tour.

I had such fun painting this iris, revelling in the array of purples, mauves, reds, and blues but when it came to the background I wondered if it should be a representation of its natural habitat or glazes of cobalt, mauves, and French ultramarine blue. As you can see the latter decision held sway. A slight halo around the dark iris makes it appear somewhat mysterious.

Oils on 9" X 12" X 1.5" cradleboard, the sides are a continuation of the background. No need to frame.Varnished, wired and ready to hang.

To learn about my new works and events please click on the following link https://PocketDesertPainter.com/newsletter and sign up.  If you think someone you know might enjoy these images, please forward my email to them.

I had not noticed how windy it was the spring day I set out to the local town garden to photograph irises. No matter the shutter speed on my little camera, no matter how much I tried to block the wind, all the irises dodged before me, except this one which has won my heart.

During the successful Naramata Garden Tour I painted this little beauty with many compliments for it and the little roses on display. But I wasn't able to finish the intricate design of multiple greens at that time. Finessing a painting seems to take forever, as it was in the final stages that I discovered there were more irises in the image than I'd originally thought.

If one of you is iris savy, and I know there are a few, would you please do a count and let me know. Is it four or is it five irises in various states of development?

To learn about my new works and events please click on the following link https://PocketDesertPainter.com/newsletter