Trees Along Lake Ontario

Trees Along Lake Ontario
Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

That small strip of blue along the horizon is Lake Ontario. According to Wikipedia "Ontario" means "Lake of Shining Waters" in the Wyandot language. I find that it's impossible to capture the massive scale of the lake in a small two dimensional painting. Lake Ontario is 53 miles wide, 192 miles long, and it's the 14th largest lake in the world. It's so large you can't see the Canadian side of it, although if it's a clear day with low humidity you can see the top of CN tower in Toronto. In this painting I focused more on the landscape of the park and used the lake as a backdrop.

Misty Afternoon

Misty Afternoon
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I thought the afternoon was going to be a dud because it started raining when my brother and drove to the lake, but it cleared up a half hour after we arrived. The rain soaked all of the benches and picnic tables but the misty atmosphere improved the mood of this painting. It was one of those days where you could literally see the moisture in the air and feel it on your skin.

This park has a variety of trees, some of them are evergreen trees and I wanted to capture the feeling of being in a park after a rainstorm. I will consider this a successful painting if you can smell the earthy smell of the woods and the scent of pine trees when you look at it...
 

Trees at Krull Park

Trees at Krull Park
Watercolor and pencil on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

A hot and sunny afternoon. Some local peaches. Stopping at a local popcorn stand. An afternoon of free time at a serene park by the water. What more could you ask for? It’s these simple pleasures that I enjoy most and it’s often the subject of my art. Sometimes I paint on location but I also take photos so that I can work in my studio. When I paint a scene I not only get to enjoy it while I’m working on it, but also when it’s hanging on the wall. When I hang it on the wall it gives me a boost whenever I glance at it.

Clouds Over Lake Ontario

Clouds Over Lake Ontario
8"x10"
acrylic on raymar canvas board
Chris Breier © 2017

I've always wanted to paint a picture of Lake Ontario, but I knew that painting a large body of water could end up with boring results. If it's an overcast day then the painting may be nothing more than two stripes of very similar shades of blue. I realized I needed to wait for interesting weather and lighting to make this work.

Then one evening a bank of clouds rolled in while I was enjoying the view of the lake. This was around sunset so the clouds had a much more dramatic appearance than during the afternoon. I took a number of photographs to work from because the clouds and the lighting change so quickly there was no time to get my painting supplies and set up my easel. The original painting is available.

The Pier

The Pier
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10" © Chris Breier

Painters often exclude distracting elements from paintings and in this case I left out the teenagers that were jumping their bikes into the lake. It was a creative yet dangerous way for them to cool off on a hot evening. They had set up a ramp at the end of the pier so they launch themselves into the water and try learning new flips and tricks. If a trick was unsuccessful they had to push the bike away so it wouldn't land on their heads. I, on the other hand, was eating popcorn while sitting on a park bench.

I considered including them in the painting but I realized the figures would be too small to be recognizable. What inspired me to paint this scene was the way the tree was lined up against the sunset. I realized I could paint the tree in silhouette so that it would become a strong graphic shape and create a nice contrast against the sunset. The original painting is available.

Boats at Newfane Marina

 

Boats at Newfane Marina
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"

I've painted this marina a number of times already, mostly in watercolor. I decided to take a more impressionistic approach and paint the basic shapes in a loose manner. A marina often looks like a jumble of white abstract shapes with an occasional splash of bright color, and few vertical masts. While that sounds simple, it's often difficult to reduce a subject matter down to it's essence. Painted on archival 1/8" thick Raymar canvas panel. This painting is available.  Bid in the ebay auction

Sunday Evening at Lake Ontario

Sunday Evening at Lake Ontario
Watercolor and ink on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2016

On this particular Sunday evening, my brother and I packed a couple of sandwiches and drove to Lake Ontario to relax and to stop at a road side stand for tomatoes and sweet corn.

I brought my painting supplies with me in case I felt like painting. I started this watercolor late in the day, so I quickly set up my gear and got to work. I sketched the overall basic shapes with pencil, and then inked it with a micron pen.

While I was painting, my brother pointed out that a woman had been looking in my direction with curiosity. She stopped by to see what I was working on and we talked for awhile. It turned out she was from the South and was interested in watercolors, it sounded as if she had tried them in the past. She had a few questions about my technique. For example, I painted the blue sky right over the drawing of the tree. She asked how that would work–"Wouldn't the blue show through when I paint the branches?".

My outdoor painting setup.

It does, but the color of the tree is dark enough to cover over the lighter shade of blue, and the blue would help to neutralize the warm colors of the tree. I explained that it's easier to paint a sky without having to paint around all of the branches, or use masking fluid to preserve the shape of the tree.

We also discussed the cold Buffalo winters, driving in snow, and the upcoming Celtic festival which was being held at the park. When I paint outside I often get to meet people that I normally wouldn't have the chance to talk to, and that's a nice break from working in the studio. The original painting, Sunday Evening at Lake Ontario is for sale. 

Watercolor: Heat Wave

Heat Wave
8" x 10"
Watercolor on Paper

The temperatures are more tolerable now that it's mid-September. This summer has been the hottest summer I have ever experienced. Whenever it gets hot and humid I like to escape to Olcott where I can relax by the water and cool off. I'll often drive out there with my brother on the weekends. We packed a lunch and spent the day relaxing by the lake. Before we left, we stopped by the marina to take some photos of the boats. I enjoy the sounds of the water and the seagulls, I think it's because I associate it with warm weather and summer fun. While the heat can be uncomfortable, it won't be long before the temperature drops down to single digits and then I'll wish it was "scorching hot" again! You can watch me paint this in the YouTube video below. The original painting is for sale.

Krull Park

Krull Park
watercolor on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is available. Painting outdoors can liven things up when I get tired of painting indoors, and this was definitely one of those occasions. I had my easel set up and I was mentally absorbed in the painting process when I heard a loud “thump” directly behind me. I assumed it was a tree branch but when I turned around I saw a startled squirrel on the ground. He was a little winded and sat there for a few seconds before scurrying back up the tree. I’m glad I didn’t set my easel up a where he landed! I looked up and I noticed the first branch on that side of the tree was at least 30 feet high. According to science squirrels can survive falls from great heights.

Lakeview Villiage Shoppes

Lakeview Villiage Shoppes
8”x10”
Watercolor
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. Lakeview Villiage Shoppes can be found on the shores of Lake Ontario in Olcott, NY. The two steps lead up to a small boardwalk that’s lined with brightly painted shoppes that sell souvenirs, ice cream, and other treats.

Old Row Boat

Old Row Boat
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. This dilapidated row boat can be found along the shores of Lake Ontario, it was placed there for decoration. There's also a lighthouse nearby. I used Phthalo Green for the peeling paint on the boat, and warm grays to give the impression of sun bleached wood. The shadow of the house worked out great, it provided a dark green color to contrast with the far edge of the boat. I used gouache to dry brush some grass textures in the foreground and to create a few bold brush strokes.

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. I started this painting with the wet into wet technique; I brushed clean water onto the paper and then applied the colors to it while it’s wet. This creates a softer look because the paint spreads out as you apply it, softening the edges of the brushstrokes. The distance that it spreads can be controlled somewhat by paying attention to how wet the paper is.

The soft edges were used to create a sense of distance by making some of the pilings in the distance blurry and lighter in value compared to the ones in the foreground.

Ontario Street

Ontario Street
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. Ontario Street leads to Eighteen Mile Creek, a small portion of is visible in this painting at the end of the road. I positioned the shadow of the tree to break up the the shape of the road. The houses on this road appear to be summer homes and most of them have flower gardens and other decorations in the front yard.