646 First Performance

Here's the same painting with a different background. Actually this is the original background. I wanted something more illuminated but nothing worked as well as the dark curtains. 

645 Ballerina's Dream

I changed the background several times until I arrived at this.

644 Afternoon Tea at the Empress

I'm pleased with the results. Adding the harbour scene beyond the windows gave this painting more interest and depth. And bringing the fabric pattern to the left side of the painting helped to unify the composition and define the figures on the left. I like it and I can hardly wait for it to dry to varnish it. Sorry about the glare.

Afternoon Tea At the Empress, in progress

Still working on it. I'm considering doing something interesting with the windows tomorrow. 

Afternoon tea in progress

Here I've been developing the carpet patterns and some highlights. 

Afternoon Tea in progress

This work is still in progress. I'm beginning to glaze colour over the value painting. And I've added the pattern to the sofa and chair. This really adds something to the feeling or the painting.  Eye candy.

644 Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress

This is the start of the underpainting for Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress. It's a big one. 3x4 feet. 

643 Open Mic

Here's the finished Open Mic. I created more contrast. There's a little chiraschuro. 

642 Blue Bridge

Here is another painting of the Blue Bridge (This is my twelfth). I like the cluttered rush hour feeling.

Flowers For Me

Sold

Below is the underpainting for Blue Bridge.I think I will glaze colour over  it tomorrow. I can hardly wait! I'm really enjoying working on this painting.

Blue Bridge Under Painting In Progress

I've been working on larger paintings lately. Here are three in progress. I'm most excited about the Blue Bridge painting. I love the crowded busy feeling of this scene. I still have some work to do on this under painting before glazing colour onto it but I feel really good about it. 

I'm a little bored with the Fan Tan Alley paintings. I think I'll put them aside till I feel excited about them again.

 Blue Bridge Under Painting in progress

Fan Tan Alley in Progress

Fan Tan Alley in progress

From my sketchbook

Burger Joint

Staff Caf Scene

Staff Caf Scene

Staff Caf

Staff caf scene

Mezzanine scene

Staff and Apple and Strawberries

Sorry, I haven't been posting this past week. I've been busy painting and forgot to take pics. I will catch up in the next few days. Promise!

Here are some sketches from the past week though. They are all done with my left hand. So they are a little shaky but I like them more than my right handed sketches because of the shakiness. I just love sketching.

641 Flowers For Me

sold

I received this lovely bouquet from a friend to celebrate my Artist in Residency at the Fairmont Empress. I love the vase as much as the flowers. And the white flowers are fragrant. Every so often I get this waft of perfume. It's heady! Love it!

640 High Tea at the Empress

Well, when is the right time to stop painting? I think it's time to move on. Though I could come back to it. Hmmm. 

639 Red Tulips in a Jar

sold

Here they are again. 

638 Shadowy Tulips

sold

More tulips. This time I used a spotlight for dramatic shadows, and a back cloth in complimentary colour to the tulips.

Below is the high tea painting I started the other day. I'm still working on it.  Tweeking.

High Tea step 2. A little more detail and colour.

637 Red Tulips

Sold

I love tulips. 

Darlene Young Artist in Residence at the Fairmont Empress Hotel

I have recently been given the honour to be selected by the Fairmont Empress Hotel as their Artist in Residence for the summer of 2013.  I am totally thrilled! It's the most elegant hotel in the world!  Please drop by to visit my studio gallery, located in the upper lobby. My hours are Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm.  I'll be doing daily demos.

The Empress

636 Magnolia in a Jar

I have an assortment of vases but I just love a flower in a jar. 

635 High Tea Underpainting

This is the start of the underpainting of High Tea, a scene from the Empress Tea Room. I still want to adjust some to the shapes and values especially on the right hand side of the painting. I have a good feeling about this painting and look forward to working on it some more.

634 Plum Blossoms

The streets are lined with blossoming trees. I picked up these little plum blossoms on my way to the Empress this morning. I don't know about the purple block but I like the green pattern on the back cloth. I also like the way the blossoms turned out. 

633 Little Magnolia #2

This is the same magnolia as yesterday. Slightly different set up and without a spotlight. So there was no condensation in the vase. This little vase is around the size of an appliance lightbulb. I found it in a free cycling bin on the sidewalk last year. It sure has gotten a lot of painting mileage. 

632 Little Magnolia

I was not really  on my game today I think. But here's todays little gem. 

631 Empress Magnolia

This is my first painting as Artist in residence at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. I did it with the help of Angelina, a talented young artist visiting Victoria. It was so much fun to paint.

630 "Heading Home", Gonzales Beach Scene

This is a painting I started a couple of years ago and just finished. At least I hope I'm finished with it. I just love beach scenes. The happiest memories are of beach days, eh. 

629 Magnolia Blossom

Well, I did get another painting from this blossom. I put it back in the fridge and maybe I'll get yet another painting out of it. (pardon the raindrops)

628 Still Life With Magnolia Blossoms

bid here

This is from the. magnolia tree in front of my place. It's covered with these beautiful blossoms. This is how it looked when I started painting but  by the end of my painting it had blossomed. I put it in the fridge in case I want to paint it again tomorrow. 

627 Happy Easter (Still Life With Magnolia and Cinnabar Cross)

Happy Easter.

626 Tower Point Scenes

I went out with some painting friends to Tower Point in Metchosin. It was such a glorious day the kids were in their bathing suits.  Here are some watercolour sketches from my sketchbook. I did them with my left hand. It's part of my training to be proficient with both hands. 

625 Glass Piggy Bank

I found this little stippled glass piggy bank last year. I wanted to paint it as a challenge. Although it was a studio painting The lighting kept changing...I started it yesterday. I'm going to try it again with staged lighting.